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View Full Version : Do I want an Electric or Gas golf cart?



Sydwayz
11-05-2009, 09:32 AM
I am in the market for a used non-fancy Golf Cart for use around the house. It will not be towing, nor will it be off-roading unless you consider a gravel driveway and the lawn off-road. My Toy Box (barn) is about 600 feet from the house and I walk back and forth all the time with tools and stuff. I'll probably get fat with the acquisition of a golf cart; however that's a risk/challenge that I am willing to tackle.

I just sold a 6.5HP 4-stroke go-kart that was a PITA to keep running right. I was always dorking around with the spark plug, stator, fuel, choke, carb/bowl/float, etc. etc. to get it to run at it's full potential.

I don't want the same issue with a Golf Cart. I know the Electric models are pretty much press the pedal and go; BUT you have to make sure you maintain the batteries and when they do go south, they are not cheap to replace; often exceeding the value of the cart itself.

Thoughts & input from folks who have experience with both are welcomed; and thank you in advance.

Sydwayz
11-05-2009, 09:34 AM
Here are examples of what I am considering:

http://richmond.craigslist.org/grd/1429837181.html
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11421

Chris
11-05-2009, 09:51 AM
Running out of gas is an easy fix. Running out of juice...

It depends where you're using it. If you're never far from home the electric is a good way to go. But most aren't as powerful as the gas versions. And keeping it charged is going to run the electric bill up somewhat- just running the charger in maintenance mode alone.

Take a look at a unit called a Taylor-Dunn. I see them on Ebay all the time. They're an industrial-duty cart, made to work, not haul chubby middle-aged men. You'd have to put turf tires on it, but I'm sure what you sacrificed in style you'd make up for in capability and service life. They make different versions and some are 48 volt.

rschap1
11-05-2009, 09:59 AM
Get a Rhino or side by side deal...

Extra power and traction....just in case!

Chris
11-05-2009, 10:08 AM
Always an option, but a few dimes more than that used bare-bones $1500 cart.

For around the house, the ideal thing to have would be a Gator. Tough, dependable, carries a nice load, will push snow, etc. But they bring a decent buck.

Ted
11-05-2009, 10:17 AM
I opted for an electric because I only do short trips to the community marina and what not. If this is you the gas one will never warm up. And that means they tend to foul plugs and go through all the other crap with small engines. Batteries need to be topped with distilled water about once every 6 months. I can pull my boat trailer empty and most other trailer loaded on flat ground and minor hills. They say figure 9 miles is about the limit for distance before a recharge.

JupiterSunsation
11-05-2009, 10:18 AM
Electric is a lot less hassle than gas, particularly when they get old. They are quiet also, gas carts even at the nicest golf courses are annoying

OldSchool
11-05-2009, 10:34 AM
Always an option, but a few dimes more than that used bare-bones $1500 cart.

For around the house, the ideal thing to have would be a Gator. Tough, dependable, carries a nice load, will push snow, etc. But they bring a decent buck.


We love ours!!! Nothing runs like a Deere!!!

I got this one for $2500 from a friend.

Offshoredrillin
11-05-2009, 10:42 AM
gas.

glassdave
11-05-2009, 10:47 AM
. . . . But most aren't as powerful as the gas versions.

no necessarily, when i was with Club Car the elec ones would out pull any gas car out there. Very torque-ee, golf cart wise I've never seen a gas version out pull their elec counterpart. Speed however is always greater and easier to come by with a gas car, although i do have a trick to just about double the speed of an elec car with just some simple wiring mods. For yard work and around the house/neighborhood its tough to beat an elec car for ease and dependability. Stick with Club Car, you'd be fine with either they are both very reliable.

OldSchool
11-05-2009, 11:00 AM
Here are examples of what I am considering:

http://richmond.craigslist.org/grd/1429837181.html
http://seriousoffshore.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11421

What does it really matter Brian.....By the time that you are done "accessorizing" it, you'll have 5G's tied up in it!!!!:sifone::sifone:

Ted's electric model is very nice, but I don't have a picture. He got the bare-bones cart, lifted it and put some BlingBling wheels and knobbies on it. Very cool rig for not a ton of $$$!!

Perlmudder
11-05-2009, 11:09 AM
a 4 person electric cart will not go up a steep hill with 8 drunkys on it. but thats just what i have heard...

Chris
11-05-2009, 11:20 AM
We were just at a resort. Their 4 person cart barely got us up a moderate hotel driveway. maybe it was low on juice...

Chris
11-05-2009, 11:21 AM
We love ours!!! Nothing runs like a Deere!!!

I got this one for $2500 from a friend.

You stole that one.

glassdave
11-05-2009, 11:31 AM
guess i should clarify. . . . properly charged and functioning the elec cars are pretty tough to out pull. I pull started an old manual trans 1978 Ford F-350 with one once :cool:

Chris
11-05-2009, 11:33 AM
That's not an easy task. And I can see you doing it too :)

JupiterSunsation
11-05-2009, 11:52 AM
We were just at a resort. Their 4 person cart barely got us up a moderate hotel driveway. maybe it was low on juice...


Or that it was OVER WEIGHT limits.......:sifone:

JupiterSunsation
11-05-2009, 11:55 AM
no necessarily, when i was with Club Car the elec ones would out pull any gas car out there. Very torque-ee, golf cart wise I've never seen a gas version out pull their elec counterpart. Speed however is always greater and easier to come by with a gas car, although i do have a trick to just about double the speed of an elec car with just some simple wiring mods. For yard work and around the house/neighborhood its tough to beat an elec car for ease and dependability. Stick with Club Car, you'd be fine with either they are both very reliable.

Club cars used to have the rear ends go bad, they would howl real loud. As far as mods, on a 4 post motor if you linked the 1st and 3rd post the carts got real fast (going off memory/ 20+ years ago).

glassdave
11-05-2009, 12:19 PM
Club cars used to have the rear ends go bad, they would howl real loud. As far as mods, on a 4 post motor if you linked the 1st and 3rd post the carts got real fast (going off memory/ 20+ years ago).

yep, wake's 'em right up. Kills the batteries twice as fast to though. We played around with extra batteries as well. The system can handle 48 volts no prob just need a 48 volt solenoid. I put all the batteries in the bag well on a three wheel E-Z-Go once and it turned into a cool wheelie machine :D

I worked in the biz back in the late eighties early nineties. Remember a few bad CC rear ends but not any more then any other manufacturer. I would guess cars out of the mid nineties and later would have that resolved. They were pretty quality conscious. Fun job while i was in high school. My yard car was a Go-Fore with a 340 Scorpion snowmobile engine. If you want something real cool find an old Cushman Golfster with the 22hp Onan in it. We had one with a three speed truckster trans conversion in it that went like sixty five :D

glassdave
11-05-2009, 12:31 PM
That's not an easy task. And I can see you doing it too :)

It was a straight six standard cab with no bed. Surplus type yard truck picked up an from an auction from some kinda nuclear regulatory commission thing. Not sure what they had on the back but they had this huge stack of springs on the rear axle. We all had 'em, they were cheap course they were all tan colored to (thats when i started painting lol). When your that age and you schit dont run you improvise . . . .

Big Time
11-05-2009, 04:03 PM
I can pull my boat trailer empty and most other trailer loaded on flat ground and minor hills. They say figure 9 miles is about the limit for distance before a recharge.

Seriously? How much weight can those things tow around? Had no idea those things had any sort of power.

Ted
11-05-2009, 04:25 PM
Seriously? How much weight can those things tow around? Had no idea those things had any sort of power.

It develops about 7 horsepower so it will tug some pretty heavy stuff. I have towed my 18 center console around with it and my big boat trailer which is probably 1000# empty. You won't go fast, but you'll go.

glassdave
11-05-2009, 04:51 PM
something to keep in mind with older resistor coil type electirc golf cars is they are most efficient at full speed when energy isnt being spent through the coils. Ted, thats means its ok to be full throttle all the time :D

Biggus
11-05-2009, 07:35 PM
We've beat just about every type of golf cart into the ground. The Yamaha 2 stroke is indestructable. You would not believe the abuse they take and keep running like a top. Rip out the governor, wire tie the throttle plate wide open and run the gas pedal as the kill switch. (foot on,WFO, let off completely, kills the spark)

Mine runs 33.6 on GPS:sifone:

Perlmudder
11-05-2009, 07:40 PM
we've beat just about every type of golf cart into the ground. The yamaha 2 stroke is indestructable. You would not believe the abuse they take and keep running like a top. Rip out the governor, wire tie the throttle plate wide open and run the gas pedal as the kill switch. (foot on,wfo, let off completely, kills the spark)

mine runs 33.6 on gps:sifone:

ye boi!!

mikes280
11-13-2009, 10:37 PM
club car gas the only way to go mine with a few mods but with stock motor runs 43 mph on gps and will pull 4 200lb plus pound drunks up a hill without a problem. gas is cheep batteries are not

mikes280
11-13-2009, 10:38 PM
above pic i did not have the top back on yet.

99fever27
11-14-2009, 01:47 AM
above pic i did not have the top back on yet.

I love the tire/wheel combo! :sifone:

mikes280
11-14-2009, 06:47 PM
I love the tire/wheel combo! :sifone:thanks i wanted something that would shine with out a lot of work they are crome

Wardey
12-10-2009, 10:53 AM
club car gas the only way to go mine with a few mods but with stock motor runs 43 mph on gps and will pull 4 200lb plus pound drunks up a hill without a problem. gas is cheep batteries are not

Got that right. $120.00 a pop x 6 = $$$$. If I had to do it over, I would have done gas. These were from the 2008 Ozona July 4th. Golf Cart parade. Dave

boomer35
12-10-2009, 11:11 AM
Got that right. $120.00 a pop x 6 = $$$$. If I had to do it over, I would have done gas. These were from the 2008 Ozona July 4th. Golf Cart parade. Dave

you want to sell?

Wardey
12-10-2009, 11:43 AM
No, we still use it quite abit. Golf carts are legal here in the community if they are electric so I need to stay with the elctric. I gave $3700.00 for the cart a few years back. It's an '05 EZ Go and with the speed chip it runs pretty good.

THEJOKER
12-10-2009, 12:00 PM
Gas

boomer35
12-10-2009, 12:15 PM
3700 as it sits in the pictures

Wardey
12-10-2009, 12:35 PM
yes

boomer35
12-10-2009, 03:31 PM
from where, i need to find that!

Wardey
12-10-2009, 09:09 PM
I'll get a number for you.

fstboatlvr
12-10-2009, 10:27 PM
I love my electric ezgo. I pull and launch my daughters 14ft boat as well as pull my car trailer around the yard with sod, firewood ect loaded on a regular basis. Never had a problem with power and it will outclimb my buddies gas ezgo 2:1. I do have an upgraded controller and a few other cheap power mods. As seen in the pictures, the main thing it does is rides my daughter's brittany spaniel around the neighborhood.

Spicy
12-11-2009, 10:21 AM
Not a great picture but here is mine in the garage... I use it to run all around my Neighborhood, it is an electric and I like it as the charge last forever, something you have to remember these are designed to go 18 holes all day long with ease, for running around your house electric is the way to go... This is my second cart and they both have been elecric, very quiet at night in my neighborhood as well, all you hear is the tires going down thwe road...:driving: :sifone:

Spicy
12-11-2009, 10:23 AM
from where, i need to find that!

I paid $3,500 for mine the way it sits in the picture....

Ted
12-11-2009, 11:13 AM
Not a great picture but here is mine in the garage... I use it to run all around my Neighborhood, it is an electric and I like it as the charge last forever, something you have to remember these are designed to go 18 holes all day long with ease, for running around your house electric is the way to go... This is my second cart and they both have been elecric, very quiet at night in my neighborhood as well, all you hear is the tires going down thwe road...:driving: :sifone:


And when it runs out of juice he can still go pimpin' on the pink scooter :rofl::rofl::rofl:

OldSchool
12-11-2009, 11:27 AM
And when it runs out of juice he can still go pimpin' on the pink scooter :rofl::rofl::rofl:


LMAO!!! Nice!! :rofl::rofl::cheers2:

Spicy
12-11-2009, 11:33 AM
And when it runs out of juice he can still go pimpin' on the pink scooter :rofl::rofl::rofl:

The Pink Scooter left with half of my Furnishings last year, during a brazing daytime B&E which included a few scorned women with a UHaul Truck... :driving: :eek:

Police know who they are but no arrest have been made!!!! :sifone::rolleyes:

Ted
12-11-2009, 11:37 AM
At least she didn't take the boat as we have seen happen before :ack2::driving::seeya:

Spicy
12-11-2009, 11:49 AM
At least she didn't take the boat as we have seen happen before :ack2::driving::seeya:

She was a girlfriend not a wife, you leave with what you brought to the table... Actually she was the driving force pushing me to buy the 400SS, as I do enjoy it she left the boat went for sale, so I can buy something that is funner and faster!!!!

ImaPoser
12-11-2009, 02:36 PM
club car gas the only way to go mine with a few mods but with stock motor runs 43 mph on gps and will pull 4 200lb plus pound drunks up a hill without a problem.

Damn. Mine must be really fcked up. Three big boys on mine, and it's struggling to get up the hills at the ramp. And I sure as heck know it isn't hitting 30+ mph. I was going to bring it home and do some engine mods on it this winter. I guess I need to find out what's wrong with it...:(

Spicy
12-11-2009, 02:44 PM
My electric tops out at a blazing 18MPH.....

Spicy
12-15-2009, 11:19 AM
Mine does Wheelie's also...... :driving: :willy_nilly: :sifone: :cheers2:

boomer35
12-15-2009, 11:22 AM
im looking at a 2004, completely re-done body, vynle, brand new batteries, big rims and tires, 400amp controller and 48V, 4k

mikes280
01-08-2010, 10:15 PM
im looking at a 2004, completely re-done body, vynle, brand new batteries, big rims and tires, 400amp controller and 48V, 4kdo it your self and you will know what you got plus you know what happenes when you buy someone else's mess:sifone:

mikes280
01-08-2010, 10:20 PM
Damn. Mine must be really fcked up. Three big boys on mine, and it's struggling to get up the hills at the ramp. And I sure as heck know it isn't hitting 30+ mph. I was going to bring it home and do some engine mods on it this winter. I guess I need to find out what's wrong with it...:(just saw this there is some clutch mods you can do to help it pull but if you want big power do a big block kit for about 2000 buck you get the whole kit with a 23hp briges v twin and they will haul azz http://www.cartpartsplus.com/club-car-engine-upgrade-kit-23-hp.html these guys do the clutch mods also

Dave
01-09-2010, 09:01 PM
Yes

ImaPoser
01-10-2010, 11:21 AM
just saw this there is some clutch mods you can do to help it pull but if you want big power do a big block kit for about 2000 buck you get the whole kit with a 23hp briges v twin and they will haul azz http://www.cartpartsplus.com/club-car-engine-upgrade-kit-23-hp.html these guys do the clutch mods also



Not looking for big power, especially at $2K. :eek:

What basic mods did you do to yours? The website you linked to has a couple things that sound promising, machining the clutch and a power kit. Less than $100 bucks and 50% gain if it's to be believed. I'm curious if that's simple enough work to do down at the lake, or if I should bring it home to work on it.

mikes280
01-11-2010, 09:02 PM
i have done all mine and i am learning as i go Tom does a driven clutch mod that will give the cart better takeoff under load , it acts like it stays in a low gear longer and lets the motor rev more before the clutch opens up for speed. When i got mine it ran 13mph i found the weights in the drive clutch worn out as was the belt, the way to tell is look at the clutch is the belt coming all the way to the top when the cart is wide open. also i tweeked the governer to let the motor rev a little higher it is set at about 3200 but it is safe to 4400 after that you are on your on . There are a lot of things you can do and Tom at the link i put up is a lot of help. also there is this place with a lot of infohttp://www.buggiesgonewild.com/

ImaPoser
01-11-2010, 10:38 PM
i have done all mine and i am learning as i go Tom does a driven clutch mod that will give the cart better takeoff under load , it acts like it stays in a low gear longer and lets the motor rev more before the clutch opens up for speed. When i got mine it ran 13mph i found the weights in the drive clutch worn out as was the belt, the way to tell is look at the clutch is the belt coming all the way to the top when the cart is wide open. also i tweeked the governer to let the motor rev a little higher it is set at about 3200 but it is safe to 4400 after that you are on your on . There are a lot of things you can do and Tom at the link i put up is a lot of help. also there is this place with a lot of infohttp://www.buggiesgonewild.com/

Emailed him today. Next time I can get to the lake the clutch is coming out and being sent down.
How can I see if the belt is getting all the way to the top when the cart is running wide open, have the wife run me over? :eek:

mikes280
01-12-2010, 12:33 AM
what kinda cart ? if club car you can put it in service mode and it will run out of gear

Lee
01-12-2010, 07:39 AM
Emailed him today. Next time I can get to the lake the clutch is coming out and being sent down.
How can I see if the belt is getting all the way to the top when the cart is running wide open, have the wife run me over? :eek:

Use a paint pen and draw a vertical line on the clutch surface from top to bottom, then take it for a spin, if all the paint is gone the belt went to the top.:driving:

mikes280
01-12-2010, 07:31 PM
Use a paint pen and draw a vertical line on the clutch surface from top to bottom, then take it for a spin, if all the paint is gone the belt went to the top.:driving:good idea, i can tell you if the belt does not go to the top you are not getting your max speed

Wardey
01-19-2010, 10:57 AM
hERE YOU GO : http://www.golfcartsonline.com/specials.html

Tank
01-20-2010, 07:42 PM
Congrats on the GC purchase. They're a pretty popular item out here in California with many people converting them to street legal. I see you went with Electric. That's cool. Both gas and electric have their benifits, I've had both stock electric, stock gas and customized gas.

Here's a pic of a stock 6 pas. Electric we had before I sold it.

And a pic of our "stock" gas 4 seater before we customized it and during it's stretch to a 6 pas....

Tank
01-20-2010, 07:48 PM
And pics of our customized 4 to a 6 stretched 6 passenger. We dropped a 24 HP Vtwin honda motor in, slapped the long travel front end on and did some other little things. It runs about 40mph but the best thing is it runs 40 with 6 people on it through the sand! It's a lot of fun.

Although it doesn't wheelie as well as it used too!!:eek::driving:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_5G-b9tl6M