What cart to buy?
 

Moving in this Spring...what kind of a cart should I buy and where. Thanks for your suggestions.

Yamaha gas!��

What cart to buy
 

my neighbor has a great looking golf cart that he must sell since he sold his home. He is asking $2000.

what cart to buy
 

Yellow Golf Cart For Sale



Mileage: Year 2007
Street (optional): 117 Chula Vista Ave.
City (optional): Lady Lake
Zip/Postal Code (optional): 32159
Listed: November 11, 2015 3:03 pm
Expires: 29 days, 1 hour


DSCF4772





Description

2007 EZGO golf cart for sale. Batteries replaced 9/2015 and has been well taken care of. Reason for selling is that we are moving. Phone 352-259-1383 or 352-205-6745 Price: First $2000 gets a new ride.

Your question has been asked and answered many times on TOTV over the years. You will no doubt receive several recommendations for best electric and best gas i.e. EZGO electric and Yamaha gas, based on people's personal experience with a particular brand. You might be better served by asking "What carts should I avoid?" i.e. Star because it's made in China and made cheaply--as an example. Then too, maybe the Star because of its price point will meet your needs. Good luck.

rent one of each , ele-gas.:boom:

A pull cart---walking is good exercise.

We have had a Star cart for 6 years without one single problem. We have had an annual service. I think it is well made and believe it is assembled in Greenville SC. The convertible back seat is a unique and significant feature. We like the cart so well we are upgrading the seat etc. I also know several folks who like their Star carts.

Depends on where you will live. We would have bought an electric but we live south of 466A and I was worried about traveling "up North" in TV and having enough juice to get home after a day of running around. We bought a Yamaha Gas from Carts and Clubs in Ocala and we are happy with it.

If you don't want gas, Lithium Ion power cells are now available. They have increased the range on my electric cart by over 100 miles per charge!

After shopping around and driving several carts, we purchased our golf Cart from Discount Golf Carts on 466 (half mile east of Morse Blvd on 466). We purchased a Yamaha Gas EFI because we live south of 466A. A golf cart is a major purchase and I would highly recommend that you shop around for price and drive various models before making a firm decision. Good luck.

How much do the batteries cost? Do you know if they're available from Battery Boys?
Sounds like a great idea for those of us that find gas carts noisy and smelly.

There is usually a good selection of used carts for sale at that time of year - all makes; gas and electric - so test-drive a few before buying

The OP asked what cart to buy? does the OP mean type or model???

The OP should first consider use of his/her cart. Is it just for golf or for continuous travel throughout The Villages.

I had an electric cart for many years but decided to switch to a gas cart.

While I hate the noise producing engine of a gas cart I find that I can maintain a steady average mph with gas that is not attainable with an electric cart especially after the batteries age a bit. I also find I am willing to travel anywhere in The Villages because my gas gauge is always kept at full.

The lithium batteries when I priced them over the internet went from $2,000 to $4,000 depending on what you were buying and from whom

Back to gas carts. I was told that owners of gas operated Club Cars complained that too much heat traveled to the seats. They may have corrected that problem. I have not noticed that problem with my Yamaha.

Good luck

We have two electric carts, one ParCar and one Star. Before we moved here we rented for the last 4 years and the carts that came with the houses were gas so we had some experience with gas before we bought the electrics. I live south of 466A and have driven 61 miles in the ParCar and 55 in Star with one charge in one day including using the headlights . The electric myth of short range was true a couple years ago so if you are looking to buy used, depending on the age you buy there might be some truth to that. The current crop of electric technology carts do not have that restriction IF you plug them into the wall each night and make sure the batteries are topped off. They have auto fill systems so that is easy, we do it once a month. Speed is not an issue, both our carts easily maintain 20MPH. They are quiet, don't require monthly trips to the gas station, don't smell and don't have engine "parts" to deal with. There was a time that the only thing you could buy from The Villages Golf Carts was gas, now they sell electrics, You very seldom saw electrics on the MMP's, now they are pretty common. A previous poster gave you good advice, get here and rent both, talk to a bunch of users and go visit the dealers. Then make a choice and get what works for you. When talking to the users, remember that nobody wants to admit they should have bought something else, so the gas folks and electric folks will have their bias's and neither will accept any responsibility or accountability if you take their advice.....including me :)

jomaar I couldn't have said it better myself. The only thing I would add is to make sure the cart you buy has 8 batteries. Love my Par Car.

I also much prefer electric carts. I had a Columbia Par Car for seven years and never ran out of battery. Never had a "tune up" which gas carts seem to need. Par Cars have on board chargers.

I love electric carts because they aren't noisy or smelly. When I bought my Yesteryear golfcart, I bought electric. It also has great range.

Based on my personal experience of buying a brand-new electric Club Car last December, I would NOT recommend that brand, because it does not go the maximum speed of 20 MPH. 20 MPH is the LEGAL speed limit for a non-street legal golf cart, but the Club Car comes from the factory at 19.2 MPH. I purchased my cart from Golf Cart World & I neglected to ask them how fast it went. Very, very disappointed.

what cart to buy
 

I did my analysis and concluded the Star cart offered the most cart for the money. It had problems a number of years ago but seems to be quite good and reliable the last several years. Every owner I have spoken with has been very pleased. The dealer is on 466 just east of Rolling Acres road.

Be grateful that you're limited to 96% of the legal speed limit. That additional 4% is a safe margin for error and safety. Besides, what's the rush ?

Best Golf Car?
 

Having tried both gas and electric, we have found the electric to be vastly better for the following reasons...
1. It is wonderfully quiet.
2. It leaves no smell/stink behind as every gas cart I have driven does.
3. Much smoother in its operation. Even though the cas engines do a reasonably good job of starting, they still have a "kick in" moment that adds a little jerk to the motion.
4. You never have to make an inconvenient trip to a gas station, or store gasoline in your garage.
5. You never have to horse around with oil changes, or carburetor issues.

As to range, Lithium-ion batteries can produce stunning results but at a pretty steep initial price. A reasonable alternative is an AC Electric, which has a 50-60 mile range. We have a Yahama, and love it. Driving from the Spanish Springs town square area to the Lake Sumpter town square and back uses 30-40% of battery capacity. Plenty of reserve to also run around on.

The AC electric also has a substantially more powerful motor than most carts, resulting in smooth hill climbing with no loss in speed. For instance going over the 441/27 golf car bridge (which is pretty steep) results in a smooth and consistent speed with no noticeable variation.

All said, I like the suggestion above posted to rent different golf cars for a week each and see what feels right for you. [:-)}

I just purchased a gas Yamaha FI from Brownwood. We drove them all and my wife did not like the more upright floor board on the Club Car vs Yamaha. She said the Yamaha was more comfortable for her and her foot position. The Subaru engine seemed nice but the Club Car seemed to rattle more than the Yamaha. Was worried about the range of electric but many seem very happy with them. Love my new cart all things considered.

The type of cart you buy will depend on what you do. For example, if you use your cart only to play golf and only an occasional trip, you can buy a used yamaha (recommend gas) cart. If you are going to make more frequent use of your cart, buy a new fuel-injected yamaha. Obviously, I prefer gas carts to electric and you will find people who are as passionate about electric. I just think that you get more utilization and less expense with a gas cart providing you maintain it. If you go electric, look at PAR cars. In any event, :welcome:

I've had both Club Car Electric and Yamaha Gas. Yamaha Gas is the way to go.��

Yamaha gas, but there's Pro's & Con's to both. I bought a new gas Yamaha when I moved here permanently in 2012. Yamaha is the most popular cart but they're also the most expensive. Mine isn't nothing fancy but I paid well over $10,000. for mine & it's not fancy. Shop around a little but definitely buy a gas cart. Electric Cart batteries will cost you close to $1,000. every 5 yr's or so!

Good information. I haven't bought my cart yet but I've always leaned toward the Yamaha Gas. I didn't want to mess with all the batteries on an electric cart. Okay I admit it, the only thing I know about my Flex is where the gas goes!

We recommend a Star electric cart. Quiet, no smell of gas, self filling batteries and it goes for miles (we live in Gilchrist & go to the far north sections, Walmart etc with plenty of battery left. The Villages promote gas but electric is far more pleasant to drive.

I thought they needed to be replaced every 3 years. If you own electric tell the OP how long your batteries lasted.


At 5 years between the money you save on gas and the $1,000 for batteries it sounds like total cost of ownership is the same.

EzGo electric. The only electric with the a/c motor..We live close to 466A and go from Seabreeze to Spanish Springs to Brownwood and back with no problem. Just look under the front at the suspension and compare to the other carts, the EzGo is a lot better made...They should outlaw the gas carts they pollute the air, just smell the fumes the next time your in one of the tunnels..

Which Cart?
 

If you plan on going from one side of TV to the other and playing 18 holes of golf, don't get an electric cart. It might get you there and back the first year or so but after that your batteries become weaker and won't do what they did when the cart was new. If you're not a golfer and don't plan on going large distances without charging, an electric cart is great because there is very little maintenance ( plug it in, fill the batteries once a week and a yearly checkup).
Gas carts are great for golfers, or anyone, planning to travel larger distances, clime hills much better than electric and are very reliable. However, there is more maintenance e.g. oil changes trips to the gas station, etc.
All carts are not created equal however. Some are more noisy, some have better pickup, some are more comfortable.
I'd suggest you go to several dealers and also to some of the re-builders and try driving a variety of them.
My best suggestion however would be to get COMFORTABLE seats in whatever cart you buy. You will never be sorry you spent a little more on a cart for a comfortable seat (some are adjustable).
I wish I had had someone give me this info before I bought mine when I moved here.
Hope that helps. :welcome:

I think there are a lot of misunderstandings about the range of electric carts, so thanks for your input.
As you mentioned, electric carts are quiet with no smell.

Prepare to be bored
 

How long will my batteries last? I budget for 3-4 years.

My last battery pack lasted 5.5 years. That statement means nothing unless you know about:

1. my battery configuration,
2. how I used my cart
3. how I maintained my pack

I can answer those questions:

1. 8-6 volt Trojan T105s
2. I cannot quantify this, so no facts here to help, but I never (except once) discharge the pack to less than 50% SOC
3. I do the best I can. Keep them charged, watered, clean...

Some experiences that may help…

I did some testing when the batteries in my cart were two years old:

driving 22 - 26 miles left the cart at 75% SOC
driving 45 - 50 miles left the cart at 50% SOC

• your mileage likely will vary based on your three answers above
• mileage will decrease with age to some degree which I have not measured (this test was with two year old batteries).

On that same trip, I took the cart 63 miles with an ending voltage of 47.6 (A bit less than 40% SOC) Do not do this routinely (see pretty picture below for my test runs).

Looking at a couple of cycles versus discharge charts (One cycle means, taking the cart out for a ride to discharge, then fully charging)

Looking at some charts on the Internet (google “cycles vs depth of discharge images”):

If you discharge the cart:

20% SOC EVERY time you use it, you should expect 2000 to 3000 cycles
50% SOC EVERY time you use it you should expect 1000 to 1300 cycles

As you can see there is quite a difference in the charts <lol>. My gut feel is that even the lower numbers are optimistic but I have no way to prove that. I have never attempted to track the discharge SOC versus cycles of my carts and have no intention on starting.

We have two ELECTRIC golf carts, which makes over usage a non-issue. Living in Mallory also has its advantages as far as distance to things. No matter where I lived in TV MY CHOICE would be electric and I would not have an issue with range.

If none of what I am trying to convey makes any sense, I suggest taking the good advice already provided by some electric owners or get a gas cart :1rotfl:

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/...v/DSC_0389.jpg

I started out with a Club Car gas. After a few weeks, I hated the noise and the fumes. I traded it in for a 2015 Par Car electric which is made in America (Ohio). I have no problem getting to and from everywhere I want to go on a single charge. It gets up to 80 miles to a charge and I don't worry about gassing up all the time. Besides it's much more environmentally friendly, quiet, and I can now talk to my wife without shouting. Easily plugs in in the garage every night. With a 19 horsepower electric motor, the car excellerates much faster than my previous gas model. Replacing the batteries every five years or so is still cheaper than all the gas usage and oil changes. Check it out.

Golf Cart
 

Get an EZ-Go electric with large tires and six battery pack. Forget gas. They are noisy, smelly, and they pollute the environment. Wouldn't want one of those in "Florida's Healthiest Home Town"! David

It Depends
 

Electric carts are quiet and don't smell. Their batteries will degrade over time, and depending on your type of use, you may have to change them with a lot of life left. Older carts have very inefficient lighting that draws too much power at night. Electric carts allow you to sneak up on bike riders and pedestrians.

Gas carts are noisy and smell. They have a lot of range. You can't sneak up on people. I bought a gas cart (Yamaha).

If you have any sense of adventure, checkout CraigsList (Ocala site). They always have a ton available.

If a gas cart stinks up a tunnel with no one there to smell it, does it really smell at all ? Dunno, but the competition rages on.

village golf carts in colony plaza is great, and also brownwood. Buy gas , if you go on long rides to play golf etc. Electric may die on the trail a gas cart will run for a long time before it needs fuel

i would buy yamaha, or ez-go carts are cheaper outside the villages, but service may be an issue, if you need it.
Village carts has many used carts that could save you hundreds of bucks, its your call

The smell from a gas cart lingers in the tunnel and waits for the next electric cart owner to go pheeeeeeeeew. :throwtomatoes:

Club car electric 4x12 Volt updated motor - smooth, no smell or noise
 

Let me add my 2 cents. As you can tell I'm partial to electric since my wife and I can't stand the jerking, noise and smell of gas cart fumes, especially in tunnels. I think the Government should require pollution testing on gas carts and perhaps the Surgeon General make a statement on the safety of sucking in the awful fumes from those carts. Oh I almost forgot how about a statement on what the constant jerking when starting does to your body and perhaps the effect of the exhaust noise on your hearing while their at it. If you drive a Model A Ford then none of this should bother you and a gas cart is probably a reasonable decision.

A few more hopefully constructive thoughts:

My Club Cart Precedent cart has 4 x 12V batteries and I can travel longer then I want to go in a golf cart. Going from Brownwood to the Polo Fields and playing 8 holes of golf and coming back at night isn't a issue. Do I want to go all the way to the Northern Territories golf courses from Brownwood - no but I wouldn't want to do it even If I had a gas cart - its just too far and long at 20 mph.

Last I checked my 4x12V batteries were under $700 not $1000 but then again they probably won't last 5 yrs either? I've just started to use a battery saver that de sulfites the batteries and hoping it will get me to 5 yrs. I've used one on our Jet Ski battery that I had to replace every year or 2 and its been very effective in extending the life of that battery.
I have heard that 6 x 8V configuration gives better millage but the Electrical Engineer in me likes less cables and connectors that could give problems. I think the 6x8v config has more lead so more amp hrs.

As far as top speed, a standard electric cart will only go about 19.6 mph but without the AC motor, in EZ Go carts, going up hills wasn't fun and I had ours upgraded for about $550 and now get a few mph more when I need it. Now I don't have to get out and push the cart up hills (that's a joke but close to true) and can use the little extra power to keep up with traffic and help me in some situations.

Wish Lithium batteries weren't as expensive if anyone knows of a cheap source let us know - hopefully I won't need them for a few more years.

The biggest issue with our cart is the head lights are very dim at light and driving at night into upcoming carts that have replaced their headlights with something brighter, but not aligned to the road, blinds us and make seeing even worst. You don't think it has anything to do with our "not so young eyes" do you?

Oh if you happen to see me stopped along side the road some day in the future - out of battery, please don't drive by and yell >> We told you so - get a Gas cart. Offer to help us out at our age we can't walk too far any more. I'll buy you a beer, soda, wine. BTW we have seen gas carts stopped out of gas.
:D

It really is simple. You need to buy a gas model. The village is still growing and many have already had problems on Electric carts due to the driving distances.

There are many models to choose from. Lots of places to buy then from new and old, in and out, of the villages. You will need to go to several places to decide what you want.