Buying New Batteries

[bearcat22]

Hello,

I have a 2007 PDS with 2017 Duracell batteries. I play golf a lot with this cart and drive around the neighborhood. No real mods just 18 inch tall tire.

My #1 goal with new batteries is longevity. I want to be able to use this cart for 36 holes and then buzz around after. My current setup can barely make 18 holes. I have read many forums and understand maintenance and discharge profile/use are the most important factors with batteries. I plan on maintaining the best I can and always charging right after use.

That being said, I did some research and have created this table of basic pricing, AH @ 20hours and weight. Right now I am leaning towards the Duracell based on getting 230AH for under $1k or maybe US Battery.

Are there other factors to consider? Do these prices look accurate? Most are without tax and core exchange but good enough to compare.

Any insight or suggestions are welcome. Hopefully I posted on the correct thread.

Thanks

[JohnnieB]

Range (distance traveled on single charge) was the primary objective when I was figuring out the upgrades I was going to do to my 2008 PDS. My goal was to use my cart to travel to/from my favorite shooting range (22 miles round trip) with a short side trip if needed and get an usable battery lifespan of four years or more, so I also had to factor in battery aging. Bottom line was starting out with a 30-plus mile range.

I ended up with seven 6V-245AH batteries (42V battery pack) and got a range of about 35 miles with a 50% discharge. My travel needs changed over the years and now I only drive my cart on five mile trips, and not that often, but the batteries are 9.2 years old and still meeting my very much reduced needs.

Attached are some battery comparing articles indicating what is the best yardstick to use.

Weight: Batteries weighing the same can have different storage capacities due to different plate designs and acid concentrations.

AH Rating: The way AH is measured isn't absolutely set in stone and the manufactures have some wiggle room to play with, so the same battery could have different AH ratings depending on who does the testing and how they do it.

Runtime: Measuring how long it takes to discharge a fully charged battery down to 1.75VPC (Volts per Cell) at specified constant current rates (typically 25A, 56A or 75A) and at a specific temperature (typically 77°F or 80°F) doesn't leave much wiggle room, so this test is the most consistent yardstick across battery brands.