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Electric EZGO Electric EZ GO Marathon, Medalist, TXT and RXV. |
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03-20-2015, 10:38 PM | #1 |
Not Yet Wild
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 7
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Recommendations for electric cart purchase
Hi, I'm needing to get my elderly parents a cart for the rural homestead. It is about 18 acres and mostly flat but it does have a few hilly areas none are very steep or high though. It wouldn't be used as a work horse mostly just for them to get around the property, Pick up sticks and debris, maybe carry a 25 gallon sprayer or gas cans for mowers and such occasionally. But it probably would be used daily. I am going to look at a 2001 EZ-GO PDS that has 2 year old Trojan batteries and was privately owned by a member of a local country club. It is said to be in very nice condition with custom paint and aftermarket wheels. The price is around 2100.00 I've also located a 2006 Club Car Precedent that was purchased from a golf course in northern Michigan and basically average used condition for about the same price with unknown batteries. (Its also 200 miles away). I am looking for advice on what to check for or would one of these for the money be any better than the other, any known problems with either model or would one be an obviously better choice ETC. Thanks mike
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03-21-2015, 06:23 AM | #2 |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Wilsonville, Al
Posts: 291
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Re: Recommendations for electric cart purchase
I am partial to EZGO since that is what we have. 36v PDS model with original size knobby tires on the rear and a utility bed. We use it similar to what you are describing and it does great. Neighbor has a Club Car workman gas engine. Runs fine but is hard to get in and out of to me. Seems you already are on to battery age, they can get expensive to replace. Try both for a test drive to make sure the steering is not extremely loose, brakes work, no popping noises from suspension, burning smells and such. Either will work for your intended purposes. I think more aftermarket parts are available for EZGO, but plenty are out there for Club Car also.
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03-21-2015, 07:40 AM | #3 |
Techno-Nerd
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
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Re: Recommendations for electric cart purchase
Both carts mentioned have SepEx drive systems (Shunt wound motor), so neither likes to be driven at walking speeds and hauling or towing heavy loads, but either will tolerate it in moderate doses.
That said, I use my PDS to tow a wagon to pick up fallen branches and other debris on my property, make trips to a gas station to get fuel for lawnmower, haul lumber and bags of cement from the lumberyard and drag stuff too heavy or cumbersome for me to get onto wagon. The CC is a 48V system, but it uses four 12V 155AH (or thereabouts) batteries, which has the least storage capacity and useful battery lifespan of any of the three arrangements (4x12V, 6x8V and 8x6V) of batteries that will produce a 48V battery pack. The EZGO is a 36V system and uses six 225AH batteries. It can be upgraded to a 42V pack or a 48V pack for increased torque and speed, while the CC is already at 48V, so similar speed and torque gains are not available. You mentioned aftermarket wheels on the EZGO. In and of themselves, wheels don't alter performance, it's the tire height that alters the final drive ratio and changes the cart's top speed and the amount of torque where rubber meets road. Stock tire height is 18" and the taller the tire, the more the speed, the less the torque and the more motor heat at low RPM. What is the tire height on the EZGO? |
03-21-2015, 08:17 AM | #4 |
Not Yet Wild
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 7
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Re: Recommendations for electric cart purchase
Thanks for the quick responses, As far as I know the tires on the PDS are stock size, he didn't say anything about them being oversize just that it had "nicer than stock wheels and was a nicely painted cart". I am hoping the PDS will be as nice as described as it is local to me and the Precedent is a 3.5 hour drive away. So I am correct in assuming that for the same money ($2100.00) neither of these seems like a bad deal? and Neither are known to have any common problems with durability, or known issues. Would an older cart but in good condition with a series type drive be an obviously better choice for elderly people. I know they will want to use it to drive around their pond and property and spray weeds with a sprayer on the back, and I know my mom will be hesitant to drive it very fast at all. Thanks again for your quick replies.
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03-21-2015, 10:17 AM | #5 |
Techno-Nerd
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
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Re: Recommendations for electric cart purchase
Cart prices vary greatly with location, and I feel those are premium prices, but that may be the going price in your area. Check Craigslist and dealers in your area to get a feel for local pricing.
FWIW: In 2011, I paid $2,300 for a Plain Jane 2008 PDS with 18 month old T-105 batteries. A series drive cart is better suited for off-road and creeping along will towing things and hauling heavy loads. If your parents were towing a manure spreader, or pulling big boats out of the water, I'd go with a series drive, but for lighter tasking, it is more or less a coin toss. Max speed for a series cart with 18" tires at 36V is about 14MPH. A PDS cart has 4 user selectable performance modes with speed from about 13MPH up to 19MPH (See attached chart) The direction selector on a series cart is a lever by the driver's knee that moves the high current contacts in a mechanical switch, which may be difficult for older folks to shift and will overheat if not rotated fully into the mechanical stop. The PDS direction selector in a rocker switch on the dash and the high current switching is done inside the controller. My wife preferred pushing a button to change direction over moving a stiff switch with a short lever, so we got a PDS. BTW: The mechanical F/R switch in a series cart can be replace with reversing contactor, so it can be converter to a push button direction selector also. |
03-21-2015, 05:20 PM | #6 |
Not Yet Wild
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 7
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Re: Recommendations for electric cart purchase
Thanks for all the advice. I checked three local dealers and craigslist and ended up buying the 2001 EZGO PDS. It has 6 2013 Trojans and it looked to be in pretty good shape, it drove out nice came with a nice charger and extra set of take off wheels and tires. It was also the cheapest one I could find locally that wasn't just a piece of crap. I took it out to Him and he drove it around for a little while and He LOVED IT! Thanks again for the advice. I look forward to checking in here for upgrades and tech advice. Mike
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03-22-2015, 08:13 AM | #7 |
Techno-Nerd
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 19,654
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Re: Recommendations for electric cart purchase
Great looking cart.
Some advice upfront. Charge the batteries after each use, or each night if several short trips are made during the day. Check the fluid level in the batteries regularly. Maybe about once every two weeks at first to get a handle on how fast water is consumed and adjust time period as needed. Use distilled water only. Add water only when batteries are fully charged. (If plates are exposed to air, add just enough to cover plates before charging and fill to proper level after charging.) Do not overfill. Minimum level is about 1/4" above plates. Maximum level is about minimum 1/4" below bottom of vent tubes. Keep cables connections clean and tight. Do not over-tighten nuts on battery studs. Spec is 95-105 lb/in (7.9-8.75 ft.lb) Be sure to flip the Run/Tow switch to Tow before disconnecting and connecting any electrical stuff anywhere on cart. Failure to do so can take out the controller. (Controller is somewhat forgiving, but why take the chance.) Check if any of the high current cables (thick one connecting batteries together and going to controller and motor) are hot after a hard workout. If so, they need to be replaced, all 10 of them. (My first upgrade was 2Ga silver soldered cables throughout, but I'm an efficiency nut. ) -------------- What part of Michigan? I spent about half of my 72 years in the Flint, Ann Arbor and South Lyon areas. |
03-22-2015, 11:21 AM | #8 | |
Gone Wild
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 247
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Quote:
Congrats on the good looking machine. Do you know what kind of wheels those are? I am wheel shopping and would like to find something similar. |
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03-22-2015, 11:34 AM | #9 |
Gone Mad
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Buford, GA
Posts: 8,988
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Re: Recommendations for electric cart purchase
For my parents, I'd recommend a gas WorkHorse. Most older folks are more familiar with gasoline engines, as far as maintenance, and with the big dump bed, higher ground clearance, and aggressive tires, little chance of getting stuck in sand or mud.
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03-22-2015, 12:20 PM | #10 | |
Not Yet Wild
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 7
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Re: Recommendations for electric cart purchase
Quote:
Thanks again for all the input and advice, |
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