Trying to pick between 2 carts. Resistor vs newer

[SamT]

I've got 2 golf carts I'm going to fix up one.
One is an older resistor cart mid 80's the other is the next newer whatever it's called from early 90's. They are in very similar condition.

1. Whitch one is easier to maintain? Is the resister cart all but unbreakable due to simplicity?

2. Whitch one is faster? Torque? Im going to add some larger tires and we use it with some weight on it now and then.

Potential to add power? Looks like I can run the resistor cart on 48 volt with no mods for a reasonable time period? ( I have 48 volts worth of batteries from my old dead cart and a charger for 36 or 4
I'm not needing a speed demon, but we're big folks and big tires are hard to turn.

[cgtech]

Resistor setup will quickly degrade & burn up with 48v or big tires. That setup was built "just right" for golfing with stock tires, stock motor, and stock voltage. I have known some people to run 48v on 36v resistor setups with stock tires, but it's always eating $20-40 parts all the time, never ends (some of those parts are not so available these days). Until the coils themselves burn up, then game over (same cost as a controller, plus all those "nickel/dimes" you been feeding it). The controller upgrade has one big benefit right off the bat (besides no resistors setting your field on fire), it will instantly give you longer run times between charges. The resistor setup uses the same power at 3mph, as it does at max speed. The controller setup is FAR better about energy use at speeds less than Max speed. And gives far better control at lower speeds. I try to explain to the folks who won't, or can't easily upgrade, get up to max speed as soon as you are rolling, no "poking around" at 5 mph in this thing. That "don't use slowest speeds" problem is another reason to upgrade a "bigger tire/off road" project, you wanna smash into every rock/log/rut at full speed? If so, that's gonna cost ya some broken parts, and won't be a comfy trip. Resistor carts were specifically engineered for their design purpose, the neatly trimmed golf course (and don't spent too much money to make it happen). That stuff might have been a modern design in the 1950s, but they didn't offroad/big tire golf carts in the 50s. Do yourself a favor and upgrade into the equipment of the current century.

[Mooncarter]

What are they what type EZ-GO etc. are the carts?

[cgtech]

Any good reason to stay with resistors with a offroad cart with bigger tires, even at 36v? (Any model). Only reason I can see is "i need to use it till it burns up, I can't spend a single dollar, and range is no issue to me, when it dies it won't be a real big deal".

[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by cgtech

Any good reason to stay with resistors with a offroad cart with bigger tires, even at 36v? (Any model). Only reason I can see is "i need to use it till it burns up, I can't spend a single dollar, and range is no issue to me, when it dies it won't be a real big deal".

Well said!

[SamT]

Thanks! Yea I stumbled across some of that info about the resistors being juice hogs and started working in on the cart with newer controller. It's actually a 84 model, but someone put one of the early 90's setups in it.

I moved my batteries and got it running, but I still need to build new cables and clean all the connections. I'm working on the lift kit and paint at the moment, then I'll get the cables done and maybe add an extra battery to use at wide open only. I've got a parts cart with a solenoid on it so that shouldn't be an issue to add a switch to the pedal and the solenoid.

[BobBoyce]

Originally Posted by SamT

Thanks! Yea I stumbled across some of that info about the resistors being juice hogs and started working in on the cart with newer controller. It's actually a 84 model, but someone put one of the early 90's setups in it.

I moved my batteries and got it running, but I still need to build new cables and clean all the connections. I'm working on the lift kit and paint at the moment, then I'll get the cables done and maybe add an extra battery to use at wide open only. I've got a parts cart with a solenoid on it so that shouldn't be an issue to add a switch to the pedal and the solenoid.

I had to use a resistor cart for a project test vehicle. I had put in a row of solenoids that were activated by the speed selector board and had them driving the resistor coils. As basic as it was, it worked well for the intended purpose. Part of the challenge was driving the motor directly from the solar array with the batteries disconnected. The 66+ volts of Open Circuit output of the solar array would burn out a solid state controller of that era, but the resistors handled it just fine. The solar array was the roof of the cart... not too big that it looked out of place, but large enough in capacity that the cart could be driven by it in full sun. Not real fast, but fast enough to satisfy the goal of the project.

Then I applied a prototype energy converter between the solar array and the motor. The motor liked the output just fine, but when I ran at any speed lower than wide open for very long, the high frequency pulsed DC output would cause resistor coils to glow brightly and melt!

I became pretty good at changing solenoids and winding my own iron wire coils. It was still a lot better than having to keep rebuilding/replacing the speed control contact board.

I think you're making a wise decision to choose the solid state cart.

Bob