Difference in chargers ?

[kgsc]

You posted in an old thread but they are both good chargers. PD3 just gets really warm when charging so make sure it is in a well ventilated area.

[Fairtax4me]

I've never noticed a difference in charge time between the PD and PD3. I have several of both PD and PD3 chargers. I use whichever is closest to grab when I need one.

The PD chargers are able to operate at higher amps, but often do not go above 16-17 when a charge starts. The PD3 chargers CAN and WILL often run at 16-17 amps, same as the PD, at the beginning of a charge. The starting amp rate is mostly variant on how discharged the batteries are.

The OBC in the Cart controls charge Amperage, and charge Time, Regardless of which charger is used. Six 8v, or Four 12v, doesn't matter either charger works for either battery set. You could probably also use either one for an Eight 6v setup if you wanted to, but that would be dependent on the AH rating of the batteries you use.

The PD chargers are bricks. They have large heavy duty transformers and are almost the most basic charger you can get.
PD3s are a bit lighter, but that's due to a slightly more efficient transformer design. They have a more complex rectifier that smooths output voltage variation, and added circuitry on the relay to protect it from voltage spikes. The PD3 is slightly more efficient than the PD, which means it uses less electricity to do the same charge. But both are robust and relatively trouble free.
I have quite a few that have been left out in the rain on multiple occasions, and they still work great. Occasionally a relay or circuit breaker goes bad. Other than that, they're both tanks.

[TahoeDawgZ71]

The original PowerDrive charger (PD1) is awesome. It's a heavy duty design and it's much larger than it's PD2 and PD3 siblings. The PD2 is small, quiet, and efficient and it's my favorite charger of them all for a regular golf cart (more on that in a minute). The PD3 seems to charge a cart faster than either of the other two, and it gets hot. They could use them at Waffle House to scramble eggs if they really wanted to. They get that hot. But it's normal... The PD1 was said to be "discontinued" a few years ago. However, they've simply re-branded it as an IQ-Plus charger. The IQ-Plus carts have 8 6-volt batteries in them and they require the big heavy duty charger to get the job done. If you're running 8 batteries, I recommend the PD1.