Trojan or US?

[NCPW]

But I'd ask a question; when using US Battery batteries, what type of charger is/was being used and is it giving the pack the full charge it needs? If not, this can definitely reduce the lifespan.

I use a DPI charger set to the correct charge algorithm and couldn't be happier with my red top US Battery batteries so far.

[Roxyflash]

They have a smart charger on them same charger and the trojans crowns or super start will last 4 to 5 year

[cartboy]

FWIW, I did not say I switched back from US to Trojans; I said EZ Go did.

I think there is factor of scale at work here. By that I mean any one person owning any one cart with any brand of battery could be pleased with that brand.

I take care of 65 carts, so I'm able to see and judge batteries, autofills, solenoids, autobrakes, everything, on a larger scale than a single cart owner.

EZ Go sees it on the largest scale. They get feedback and make decisions based on every cart they send out.

So, one should respect the decisions they make.

Not that it matters, but US Battery was friendly to me, much more than they needed to be. One of their head guys responded to my questions and we still are LinkedIn. I have been getting their informational emails since 2012 or 2013.

But, their batteries did not do any better for us than Trojans, and I don't believe that to be either of their faults. I believe it to be things that we were not doing properly, that EZ Go did not suggest we correct, so that we did not know we were not doing some things properly.

If I could point to one thing that I believe to be most important in servicing batteries for a fleet of carts, it would be to always use distilled water . . . nothing but distilled water. I follow that rule with my personal batteries, too.

[whit71]

I agree most people will have an opinion on which battery, or cart i.e. EZ-GO vs Club Car, or truck i.e. Chevy vs Ford, based on personal experience. But I would venture to guess the biggest determining factor in EZ-GO's choice of battery is cost, not necessarily which one is "better"

[Kashmir]

^^But at the same time, you have to factor in ROI cost.
If EZ-GO puts batteries that are inferior in their carts, they will sell less carts in the future as word gets out that the batteries aren't very good.
So spend the extra capital up front, give yourself a good name / reputation and recoup those $$$'s "down the road"......
At least that's my opinion.

[dannyre]

Originally Posted by Kashmir

^^But at the same time, you have to factor in ROI cost.
If EZ-GO puts batteries that are inferior in their carts, they will sell less carts in the future as word gets out that the batteries aren't very good.
So spend the extra capital up front, give yourself a good name / reputation and recoup those $$$'s "down the road"......
At least that's my opinion.

I run an 80 cart fleet, and I don't agree with that theory, at least on fleet carts.

Due to competition and cost factors, the builders seem to be cutting cost on assembly and parts, at least with club car, that's what it seems like. A few years back club car started making their own batteries, which in my opinion, suck....Last series of cart that I had to deal with had issues at three years, would barely go 18 holes before needing a fresh charge. We maintain the air and water once a month, so the batteries were always full., not the issue.

I was extremely disappointed to see that the same batteries were used in our new 2016 Precedents....here we go again...
In my opinion, they should have stayed with Trojan and paid the extra.

the biggest determining factor in EZ-GO's choice of battery is cost, not necessarily which one is "better"

Ditto...

[whit71]

Originally Posted by Kashmir

^^But at the same time, you have to factor in ROI cost.
If EZ-GO puts batteries that are inferior in their carts, they will sell less carts in the future as word gets out that the batteries aren't very good.
So spend the extra capital up front, give yourself a good name / reputation and recoup those $$$'s "down the road"......
At least that's my opinion.

I agree, but the batteries we are comparing are good vs a hair better not good verses junk. I would "guess" 95% of EZ-GO's business (excluding the bad boy buggy line) are carts they lease for 3 years, when they come back after the lease they are sold in lots, and the condition of the batteries at this time doesn't impact the resale price. I get what you are saying about their reputation, but the bottom line is we (individuals buying used off-lease carts for personal use) aren't their customers.

My original post was my opinion that when it comes to EZ-GO changing from Trojan to US battery back to Trojan is more about the price not the quality.

[NCPW]

^^^^ I agree with this. Also, I know it depends on region, but US Battery red tops and T-875s in my area are not miles a part in price either. Only $2 when I was pricing them so it's not like companies are choosing one over the other due to a big price difference.

[FF Titus]

My .02

Brought in US in 2014, and within 6 months had roughly 6 warranty issues with the US1800s. 2 years later, I have customers coming in with those same batteries, not holding a charge. Due to the p!ss poor distribution of US in the North East (warranty replacement took roughly 3 weeks to get a battery from PA to RI) I ended up dropping them. I've been a trojan dealer for a very long time and rarely (1 a year) do I have warranty issues.

[dannyre]

Originally Posted by whit71

My original post was my opinion that when it comes to EZ-GO changing from Trojan to US battery back to Trojan is more about the price not the quality.

Business is business, and their goal is to make money. Pretty basic business practice, they save money and their bottom line goes up making stockholders happy and richer. If you were in business, you would do the same.