[sowilts]

Originally Posted by Coop63

Trying to understand whether it makes sense to start out my village journey with a new or used Golf cart, electric or gas? My sense tells me to buy used until I have a better sense of what I will need it for, other than golf and the occasional leisurely rides to the town squares. I am not retired yet so will probably drive to stores if it’s faster. It seems like electric carts would depreciate faster given the steady decline of the battery.

If I go with a gas cart, how many miles do these things run on average before repairs become more frequent? Would like a general idea of when to buy and sell, to minimize depreciation and breakdowns. Looking for the proverbial Goldilocks zone.

Based on my recent visit, Yamaha seems like the most popular gas power cart in the Villages??

I am interested in all opinions. I have no basis for making a decision yet. Thanks in advanced.

Golf courses have gas and Southern Oaks has EZGO Lithium. Test them out and it’s your decision. There are plenty of opinions; yours is the only one to be happy with. Good luck, I see plenty of both on the cart paths.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by Michael G.

My son did on his "Star" brand cart and because of the extra weight experienced a slower drive speed.
There's more modification than just replacing the lead acid batteries with lithium.

Jury is still out on tire wear.

conversion from LA to Lithium saves weight, generally.
Quite a bit.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Same reason we see so many gasoline powered carts, gussied up to be reminiscent of the 1930's. How many Villagers were even around in the 30's?

... or the seeming need of every band that shows up at the squares, to play Mustang Sally.

Mustang Sally? I prefer golf cart Sally, all you want to do is ride along Sally, ride along Sally ride.

[Dusty_Star]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Mustang Sally? I prefer golf cart Sally, all you want to do is ride along Sally, ride along Sally ride.

I'll chime in with the chorus:

Ride, Sally, ride

Ride, Sally, ride

That was fun!

[Robnlaura]

I would order a golf cart from China $3800 free shipping

New Fashion Factory Price 4 6 Seats Luxury Electric Golf Carts for Sale With 72V lithium battery 4 Seater Electric Golf Cart some are even cheaper. Exactly where these local companies buy from and markup like crazy

[Normal]

Basic economics, you WILL need to replace your batteries once in a while, you may need to replace your engine. There isn’t an absolute unless you purchase the electric cart. Gas therefore would be a better return on investment.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Normal

Basic economics, you WILL need to replace your batteries once in a while, you may need to replace your engine. There isn’t an absolute unless you purchase the electric cart. Gas therefore would be a better return on investment.

What makes you believe you WILL need to replace Li batteries? Have you done it?

I MAY need to replace batteries in 10-12 years if I still own the cart. I'm not that sure that I won't want to upgrade by that time.

And if it turns out that I do need to replace the batteries, I'll take the $1,000 I saved on fuel plus whatever I saved on maintenance and buy a battery that will give me twice the range I have now. (though it's far more likely I'll upgrade)

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by KenLee100

I was told that the Yamaha gas cart was designed to play 36 holes of golf per day, 7 days a week, for 20 years without a major repair. I bought one for me and one for my wife. No regrets. We drive them almost 10,000 miles per year.

10,000 miles a year on a golf cart. Must love driving it. If you averaged 15 miles an hour that would be a 666 hours or about 13 hours a week.

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by Normal

It’s about 1300 dollars to put a new engine in your Yamaha quiet tech. 750 if you are so inclined to do it yourself. You may never have to do that though. The engines are quite dependable. I’ve never heard of someone’s going bad.

Also, remember you are protecting the environment by not adding large amounts of lithium waste from multiple battery replacements to the toxic landfills.

We like that you are never tethered to the life of ,”Did I plug the cart in?” “I wonder if the batteries are still good?”…….

Agree but hate the smell of the gas cart, especially in the tunnels

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

That's a good trick, considering Lithium batteries weigh significantly less than comparable Lead-Acid batteries.

The Complete Guide to Lithium vs Lead Acid Batteries - Power Sonic

The Complete Guide to Lithium vs Lead Acid Batteries - Power Sonic

The Truth About Lead-Acid Vs. Lithium-Ion Batteries In RVs

Lithium Ion VS Lead Acid Battery- 11 Key Differences Explained

Lead-Acid vs. Lithium Batteries: Which is Better? - Battery Skills

Had the same thought. Something wrong IF a Lithium cart is slower than a lead acid

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by Lottoguy

Buy a Yamaha gas years 2017-2019. Think about a four seater since you'll have visitors. These carts are easy to maintain and easy to repair when needed. Get the 10 inch tires too.

Personally, I would not ride in a rear facing golf cart and would not expect anyone else to sit in those seats. So happy I did not buy one

[MrChip72]

Originally Posted by kkingston57

Personally, I would not ride in a rear facing golf cart and would not expect anyone else to sit in those seats. So happy I did not buy one

Why not? Maybe you've only ridden in the cheaper versions. We got a 2 to 2+2 conversion but we chose a "luxury" package. We love ours. I enjoy riding in the rear facing seats.

[Bilyclub]

Mustang Sally has been slowly disappearing since covid. Most of the groups have Tennessee Whiskey on their list.

[PoolBrews]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

The most dependable , maintenance free, bulletproof carts you can get hands down are the mid 2013 through 2016 gas Yamaha EFI carts. The carburetor Yamaha’s before then are good, but not as maintenance free. In 2017, Yamaha introduced the Quiet Tech, which has the rear independent suspension and is quieter, but has proven to be less dependable. Older electric carts that aren’t lithium don’t hold their value well at all, and for good reason. The jury is still out on how well the newer lithium electric carts will hold their value. We use a very good golf cart mechanic, who works on carts all day long six days per week, who told me to never sell our ultra dependable 2014 Yamaha EFI.

Of course your mechanic would tell you to never sell your older gas cart. That's how he makes his living. I had a Yamaha Drive 2 for 5 years. Every year there was something getting worked on or replaced. I now have an Evolution D5 lithium cart. Not much to do on these carts other than grease the wheel bearings once a year.

[biker1]

On the other hand, I have a 2014 Yamaha EFI with 2000 hours and 37K miles and it has only needed normal maintenance, which does not include greasing wheel bearings since they are sealed.

Originally Posted by PoolBrews

Of course your mechanic would tell you to never sell your older gas cart. That's how he makes his living. I had a Yamaha Drive 2 for 5 years. Every year there was something getting worked on or replaced. I now have an Evolution D5 lithium cart. Not much to do on these carts other than grease the wheel bearings once a year.