Cart Decision, Property and Wood Use

[jester8798]

Hey all,

I've started looking for a cart to use around the property, mix of field and woods, and the forum has been very helpful guiding my search so far.

I've narrowed my search to gas carts but am back and forth on brand and models. There aren't many gas in my area at all, way more electric, but I have found a few that I'm planning to look at but wanted some opinions. I looked at a 2004 EzGo TXT that was rusted out like crazy so I'm leaning toward the Club Car for the frame but not set for sure on that part yet.

2002 Yamaha G16 - $2800

2007 Club Car XRT 850 - $4000, might come down to $3k

2014 Club Car Precedent - $3400

I plan to do an a-arm lift and slightly larger tires 20 or 22" and add a cargo box if it doesn't come with one.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

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[Fairtax4me]

The Yamaha has a fairly weak coil spring suspension that is not well suited for off-road type stuff or heavy duty use.
The Precedent can be upgraded, but with all the plastic... not gonna hold up well if you're bombing through the woods and depending what you need to haul might not be able to handle the weight.

The XRT would be my first choice. It's a DS chassis, and you should be able to put close to 500lbs in a bed on the back if you load it properly and get the heavy duty springs.
The steering system is way stronger than the Precedent setup, and it will take a lot more abuse since those are made for work purposes.

[jester8798]

Awesome info!

Are parts as readily available for the XRT as the Precedent?

I'm not having much luck looking for some stuff. I wasnt sure what DS parts would work.

Is 1800hrs anything to worry about?

Thanks!

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[dundeebarnbuggy]

Good advise here. Quick note. With any golf cart, and workin' her in the bush, sticks are going to get caught in the undercarriage as there is no protection [skid plates ect] unless you make some. [You may even find nature applying the brakes without your input sometimes]

[ThreeCW]

Not sure how much "work" you want to do in your "Property and Wood Use".

Have a look at this thread and you might get some ideas for "work use":

https://www.buggiesgonewild.com/showthread.php?t=126073

[jester8798]

Thanka Three I'll check that out.

The work part is mainly trail maintenance, hauling equipment and lumber. Nothing crazy on a regular basis. I've been doing it all with a small utility trailer for awhile.

Does $3k seem reasonable? I've found some older threads and guys picked up XRT and Carryalls for quite a bit less. Here are a couple pictures of the XRT.

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[CP241]

Looks fairly beat up to be honest, after seeing pictures. Nothing major, really not "bad", just wear and tear because it looks like it was a rental unit (explains the hours). I've bough much, much, much worse a d turned them into beautiful carts. I had a gator (with FE290) from sunbelt that had 4400 hours when the rod let loose. Those machines see a lot of hours and wear, but generally are pretty well maintained. If the machine is down, they're not making money off it so they keep them going pretty good.

I'd try and talk him down on general condition as much as you could. Tires worn, wear on body, torn seat, suspension bushings are probably gone (which are cheap and easy to replace) Etc. But being it's a 2007, with some love (not a lot of money, just a lot of elbow grease cleaning it up) it could clean up and look real nice. Hardest part will be finding a roof for it. The roof itself and rear struts arent a problem but due to the shape and size of the front support, they can be a challenge.

[Springbok]

Keep in mind you posted this inquiry in the "Gas Club Car" section of the forum, so the recommendations/replies you get in this thread will likely be skewed in favor of Club Cars. That being said, I like the XRT as well, and $3K sounds pretty good to me if it's in good running condition. Around here in NE Ohio I've seen plain old Carryalls for sale and they are always asking around $4K and up, it seems.

[jester8798]

Thanks guys!

He's pretty firm at $3k down from the $4k he is initially asking.

The roof isn't a necessity at the moment but I'd prefer to have one eventually since it'll be used a decent amount, sometimes in the rain.

I'm okay replacing consumables, especially suspension and tires, just didn't want to dig into the engine right off the bat. What's the best site for replacement parts for these?

[Fairtax4me]

If its still running, then it's probably in good shape. Listen for any odd Loud knocking sounds coming from the engine.
The FE350s like to eat the link rods for the balance weight. Usually because of lack of oil changes. But one with fairly high hours that's still running and not making noise has probably had regular oil changes and will usually be fine.
They're not cheap to fix if that happens, the crankshaft assembly usually has to be replaced which is a $900 part. But that whole engine can be replaced with an FE290 that is the older, smaller displacement version of the same engine. A little less power, but practically bullet proof. Plenty of options, and that cart is MUCH easier to work on than a regular DS or Precedent. The bed flips up and you have wide open access to everything.

I don't work on many Yamaha's so can't say how their engines hold up, or how difficult they are to work on. The couple that I have worked on were electric.

The 2014 Precedent could have two engines, I think. Either the same FE350, or a late year model might have the Subaru EFI motor which can be a whole can of worms on it's own. Here again, the precedent will not be as easy to work on, and it being made more for driving on flat roads and golf courses, it has a weaker suspension, and the frame itself is not made for handling heavy loads. Plus the majority of the cart being plastic means it will not hold up nearly as well to work conditions and rough riding trails.