Cart value

kgsc · 10-09-2017, 02:48 PM

In todays world the series cart has pretty much gone to the wayside. Sepex has come a long way in motor and controller design. A few years ago my buddy and I built a sepex cart with a 500a Curtis 1268 two speed controller spinning a D&D motor. One setup for speed and the other for hunting. He is running a long travel suspension with 25" mud tires with enough lift to slide a 5 gal bucket under the frame.. We did use a 15:1 posi rear end in it to help with the tires but it will stroll along at mid 20s no problem and drop to 15 or so in hunting mode.

The moral of the story, You got lots of options and there are plenty of sponsors out there to help.

Revolution carts is a Georgia based company over in Augusta and can help you out with goodies.

transfixer · 10-09-2017, 04:46 PM

[QUOTE=kgsc;1439667]In todays world the series cart has pretty much gone to the wayside. Sepex has come a long way in motor and controller design. A few years ago my buddy and I built a sepex cart with a 500a Curtis 1268 two speed controller spinning a D&D motor. One setup for speed and the other for hunting. He is running a long travel suspension with 25" mud tires with enough lift to slide a 5 gal bucket under the frame.. We did use a 15:1 posi rear end in it to help with the tires but it will stroll along at mid 20s no problem and drop to 15 or so in hunting mode.

So it doesn't bother the sepex motors to creep along at say 3 or 4 miles an hour for extended distances ? When I first started researching what to buy back around first of the year, quite a few people told me the series setups were better for slow speed putting around ? I think Scotty B was one of them,
The cart you guys build sounds awesome, but sounds like more money than I wanted to put in a hunting cart also, I've only got $2700 tied up in mine, counting what I paid for it, and what I've done to it since.

BobBoyce · 10-09-2017, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riding High

Thanks for all the info. i'm wanting to build mine from the ground up so I am going to be changing the controller and possibly the motor if needed to make it 48 volt. I'm also thinking of putting a solor panel on the roof to charge if needed while I'm sitting in my stand. What would I be looking for to tell if this is a resistor cart?

I set up a resistor cart with solar panels to charge the battery pack while parked in the sun and it worked great. I removed the solar panels and put the roof back on before I sold the cart for $250 nearly 20 years ago. I gave the buyer the charger that came with it. I still have those solar panels and they still work great. I had a set of those solar panels connected to an off-grid cabin and just removed half of the solar array 2 weeks ago because it was putting out too much power for the size of the battery bank I have out there now. I only use the power for LED lighting and rarely use the inverter to run anything 120 VAC.

I'm not too far from Woodstock. North of Blue Ridge GA, in the mountains of southeastern TN.

Riding High · 10-09-2017, 07:47 PM

very good info. I'm learning so much from y'all. I'm also now looking at a 2012 Yamaha 48v. I'm thinking that might work better for my needs. I'm trying to keep the cart price down cause I got a few things I want to do to it. I know I could go out and buy a cart already lifted and hunt ready but I'm the type that really likes to learn about things and build it myself with my kids. I'm really glad I got on here cause I have learned a lot so far. I cant wait to get a cart and get started.

BobBoyce · 10-09-2017, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riding High

very good info. I'm learning so much from y'all. I'm also now looking at a 2012 Yamaha 48v. I'm thinking that might work better for my needs. I'm trying to keep the cart price down cause I got a few things I want to do to it. I know I could go out and buy a cart already lifted and hunt ready but I'm the type that really likes to learn about things and build it myself with my kids. I'm really glad I got on here cause I have learned a lot so far. I cant wait to get a cart and get started.

Probably the best thing you can do is to find a cart with an electronic speed controller vs a resistor cart. While you can convert a resistor cart to electronic, you'll have more fun and spend less money and effort doing upgrades to a more modern cart. I have a pair of old (1973 and 1985) Marathon carts that I bought for $75 each as running carts. While I love to design and build things, putting a lot of time and money into a 44 year old Marathon is not high on my list of priorities. In fact I donated the motor out of the 1985 to another member here so he could get his old Marathon going. Some people prefer older carts, I like to try building new things not commonly done by others. I prefer to think outside of the box whenever I can. That kind of thinking cursed me with getting my name on quite a few patents over the years. The upside to that is I get paid more in a week from the royalties, than I get per month from my social security.

cgtech · 10-09-2017, 11:58 PM

Nice!

Riding High · 10-10-2017, 02:45 PM

Thanks Bob that's what I'm getting into. I'm wanting to build my first and I think i'm going to go with a more modern cart. I'm not going to spend a lot on the cart cause I plan on putting some money into it. when I start ill start a thread so y'all can follow the progress.

BobBoyce · 10-11-2017, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riding High

Thanks Bob that's what I'm getting into. I'm wanting to build my first and I think i'm going to go with a more modern cart. I'm not going to spend a lot on the cart cause I plan on putting some money into it. when I start ill start a thread so y'all can follow the progress.

I thought of you as I was passing through Woodstock yesterday. You would have loved to see what I went to look at. I often buy government surplus vehicles, so I go to do inspections of vehicles that I am interested in. There are a number of golf carts available. I was not there to look at the carts but you would have been interested I'm sure. They often use golf carts to get around the motor pool facilities. The one I rode on yesterday was a gas cart. They have a fleet of surplus military vehicles up on auction at one of the bases south of Atlanta.

bronsonj · 10-12-2017, 12:36 PM

As for heat, my sepex motor gets really hot when pulling a trailer at half throttle or less. Which I do once a year for a Christmas parade. But I don't ever ride it around at 3 or 4 mph.

Series carts are slower (generally) and can produce more torque in stock form than sepex. I too thought that series was the way to go for a cart that's intended to normally be driven slowly or tow.

To help combat the heat issue I am having, I'll be upgrading to lithium prior to the parade so that will up the voltage and decrease weight by several hundred pounds so I hope that's enough. We'll see.

Good luck on your cart!

mutant · 10-12-2017, 01:33 PM

series is still the best work horse-fundamentals dont change-but many may be happy with a PDS and the performance they give...
it is about defining actual parameters...where i live there are highways that have a 20% grade-that IS steep...most of the country cant find those conditions anywhere in there state...so one persons advice might be slanted by circumstances that arent perceived by
the asker...
i raced soapbox derbys in florida as a kid-so there are hills in fla-but they arent doo doo compared to the mountains where i live now....

10-09-2017, 02:48 PM	#11
kgsc Gone Wild Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Aiken, SC Posts: 13,146	Re: Cart value In todays world the series cart has pretty much gone to the wayside. Sepex has come a long way in motor and controller design. A few years ago my buddy and I built a sepex cart with a 500a Curtis 1268 two speed controller spinning a D&D motor. One setup for speed and the other for hunting. He is running a long travel suspension with 25" mud tires with enough lift to slide a 5 gal bucket under the frame.. We did use a 15:1 posi rear end in it to help with the tires but it will stroll along at mid 20s no problem and drop to 15 or so in hunting mode. The moral of the story, You got lots of options and there are plenty of sponsors out there to help. Revolution carts is a Georgia based company over in Augusta and can help you out with goodies.

10-09-2017, 04:46 PM	#12
transfixer Getting Wild Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Douglasville ,Ga Posts: 117	Re: Cart value [QUOTE=kgsc;1439667]In todays world the series cart has pretty much gone to the wayside. Sepex has come a long way in motor and controller design. A few years ago my buddy and I built a sepex cart with a 500a Curtis 1268 two speed controller spinning a D&D motor. One setup for speed and the other for hunting. He is running a long travel suspension with 25" mud tires with enough lift to slide a 5 gal bucket under the frame.. We did use a 15:1 posi rear end in it to help with the tires but it will stroll along at mid 20s no problem and drop to 15 or so in hunting mode. So it doesn't bother the sepex motors to creep along at say 3 or 4 miles an hour for extended distances ? When I first started researching what to buy back around first of the year, quite a few people told me the series setups were better for slow speed putting around ? I think Scotty B was one of them, The cart you guys build sounds awesome, but sounds like more money than I wanted to put in a hunting cart also, I've only got $2700 tied up in mine, counting what I paid for it, and what I've done to it since.

10-09-2017, 07:47 PM	#14
Riding High Not Yet Wild Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: woodstock Ga Posts: 26	Re: Cart value very good info. I'm learning so much from y'all. I'm also now looking at a 2012 Yamaha 48v. I'm thinking that might work better for my needs. I'm trying to keep the cart price down cause I got a few things I want to do to it. I know I could go out and buy a cart already lifted and hunt ready but I'm the type that really likes to learn about things and build it myself with my kids. I'm really glad I got on here cause I have learned a lot so far. I cant wait to get a cart and get started.

10-09-2017, 11:58 PM	#16
cgtech Over This Interview Is... Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: AZ Posts: 17,449	Re: Cart value Nice!

10-10-2017, 02:45 PM	#17
Riding High Not Yet Wild Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: woodstock Ga Posts: 26	Re: Cart value Thanks Bob that's what I'm getting into. I'm wanting to build my first and I think i'm going to go with a more modern cart. I'm not going to spend a lot on the cart cause I plan on putting some money into it. when I start ill start a thread so y'all can follow the progress.

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10-12-2017, 12:36 PM	#19
bronsonj Gone Wild Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Saint Petersburg, FL Posts: 2,089	Re: Cart value As for heat, my sepex motor gets really hot when pulling a trailer at half throttle or less. Which I do once a year for a Christmas parade. But I don't ever ride it around at 3 or 4 mph. Series carts are slower (generally) and can produce more torque in stock form than sepex. I too thought that series was the way to go for a cart that's intended to normally be driven slowly or tow. To help combat the heat issue I am having, I'll be upgrading to lithium prior to the parade so that will up the voltage and decrease weight by several hundred pounds so I hope that's enough. We'll see. Good luck on your cart!

10-12-2017, 01:33 PM	#20
mutant Gone Wild Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: fletcher,nc Posts: 601	Re: Cart value series is still the best work horse-fundamentals dont change-but many may be happy with a PDS and the performance they give... it is about defining actual parameters...where i live there are highways that have a 20% grade-that IS steep...most of the country cant find those conditions anywhere in there state...so one persons advice might be slanted by circumstances that arent perceived by the asker... i raced soapbox derbys in florida as a kid-so there are hills in fla-but they arent doo doo compared to the mountains where i live now....