Choosing Between Electric or Gas Golf Carts: Tips and Advice

[jrstephens]

Around here they have gotten really popular just for recreational purposes.

I want one SO BAD!

I found a 1995 electric one for $1800. Which from what I know is a great price, if it is in good shape.

For those that have them....what should I watch out for in looking for one. And what are the pros and cons of electric vs. gas.

Would love some help since the only thing I know about them, is that I want one! ha!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

DH has an electric one at work that he uses all day long. He loves it. He is the Maintenance Director for an Assisted Living/Independent Living Community - and has a large Campus to oversee. He is in that thing all the time moving from place to place. I know some of the things he likes about it versus gas power are that it is so quiet (Doesn't disrupt residents when he has to have close to their windows) and he just plugs it in at night and recharges it for the next day.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

Jennifer,
I would say that is a good price almost every kid in our neighborhood from 3rd - 8th grade has one (and they are very customized)!!
paint jobs, stereo sysytems, fancy seats etc... it is unreal.

The one question you might want to find out are they "legal" in your neighborhood? There is an ongoing battle in our neighborhood and they are trying to force them off the streets. The HOA is rewriting the covenants to keep them and 4 wheelers off the streets. The drive into people's yards to avoid the speed bumps.
they don't bother me but i wish we would adopt the flag system where they have to register them and are given a numbered flag so violaters can be reported. many run stop signs, drive at night and drive to fast and recklessly. I think mainly because they are kids and do not realize the danger
& parents assume they are safe because we live in a gated community.

 

[jrstephens]

People ride them in my neighborhood all the time. Peopple have complained about the 4 wheelers but so car no complaint about the golf carts. That is one of the main reasons I want one.

I am on our city council and hate to be doing the same thing people are complaing about!!! HAHA!!!

I like the idea of a flag system so that just specific violators can be penalized. I may have to suggest this if anything comes up about golf carts in our small town.

Technically, none of them are street legal from my understanding( I know no 4wheelers are), it just depends on what people want to complain about. And sometimes they can find anything!!! ha!

I did email my husband and he has agreed for me to get it if I want it. I am going to try to sale my tanning bed to help pay for it.

I hope the man calls me back now!!!! His son is suppose to bring it to him this weekend to sale. The one I called about was his and had sold and he told me about this one. I am hoping they will be able to send me a pic of it before I drive an hour to go look at it.

 

[janetupnorth]

There is no way you'd get anywhere on one where I live - of course it is about 15-18 miles to town! However, we use them at camp all the time - there are about 4 of them. They were originally bought for older couples or handicapped people to be able to get around the rough terrain at camp but all the kids use them!!!! I've only used them once to get from check points to monitor them in a long-distance game we were doing.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Practically everyone in my neighborhood has them. My suggestions:

Get one that will carry 4 people
Be sure to have head lights on it for night driving
Gas does have more get-up-and-go than electric (ours is electric and very slow) - that being said, I don't know much about the gas ones other than they smell
Install a rear-view mirror or two so you aren't constantly looking over your shoulder to see if someone is behind you (I have the round ones that just stick on and I have them on the L and R frame
A windshield is nice. Block the cold wind in winter and lets air through in the summer. Great if you get caught in the rain too.

That's about all I can think of right now.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Not to mention you're going to have to wear pants, with a white patent leather belt, that have the waistband so high that you have to pull down the zipper to sneeze.

 

[Tara1021]

my mil got one for mothers day. they put it on a trailer and take it to the beach house. that was the whole reason for getting it since everyone down there has one, but it has come in handy for going back and forth to my sil's house who lives next door (they're on property, so it's a little hike in the rain). it's electric blue w/ metallic flecks in it. I don't know how much they paid for it, but it is brand new.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Is this what you're thinking about?http://www.ezgo.com/shuttle/images/popup-shuttle2x2.jpg

 

[TwinGirlsMom]

OK, have to admit: I don't get it! Are neighborhoods really infested with these? I can see if people live on large properties but what's the point to drive it around in a neighborhood?

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

Because they're easier to get in and out of than these:

Not to mention, easier to park.

 

[katie0128]

OK, have to admit: I don't get it! Are neighborhoods really infested with these? I can see if people live on large properties but what's the point to drive it around in a neighborhood?

THAT is what I was thinking! I can't even imagine the terror kids around here would cause if they had golf carts! Of course, I don't live in a gated community either, but still... YIKES!

 

[pamperedlinda]

OK, have to admit: I don't get it! Are neighborhoods really infested with these? I can see if people live on large properties but what's the point to drive it around in a neighborhood?

I know what you mean, my stepmom used to drive one just to go get her mail (@ 200 yards from her door!)

My neighborhood is rather unique though. I live in a fly-in community, which means that it is technically an airport with homes and everyone (most everyone) has an airplane. Now, it doesn't look like an airport and it isn't a manned (controlled) area (which means that there isn't a tower here, everthing is visual) and our runway is a grass strip instead of a paved one. It's pretty cool living here. I'm not the pilot of the family and I really don't like going up in small planes either - DH is the pilot and he's actually building his airplane . Since it is designated as airport, the airplanes actually take priority over cars here - so we don't have mailboxes infront of our house (some planes have to use the road to get to the runway area) Our mailboxes are at the entrance to the community which is just over a mile from my house. We also have pretty large lots too so it makes it real convenient when visiting neighbors. Plus, is so much easier to maneauver a golfcart that a vehicle around the planes here.

Here's an areal view, I live sort of in the middle to the left on the picture,

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc293/lindachild/Mallardssm.jpg

 

[Chef_2_Four]

We have one! Some guy put in a golf cart "store" in our town. We got a gas one for free just because my FIL barters with everyone. He said that if he could get enough people to come buy one from him that he wanted that one and the guy said ok. So we got it. We have 3 acres and we ride the kids around. The city is thinking about putting cart paths in. We can ride them on backroads around town. we love ours!

 

[PChefPEI]

Here's my two cents....we own a golf course and have a fleet of about 20 cars. Some electric, some gas. We don't really like the electric ones, 'cause they're a pain to charge. We often have them die in the middle of the golf course, especially the ones that are needing batteries replaced! They have 6 batteries in them, so when they need replacement, if can be quite expensive. Also, depending on what you're going to use it for, they don't have as much power as gas cars. We have a beverage car that needs to be gas because of the weight it has to haul. The upside of electric cars though is that they are quiet.....but, in my opinion, that's the only upside!!!

There....that's my two cents!!

 

[Teresa Lynn]

All of our homes are on 1 acre or more lots and we don't have sidewalks

Literally almost all the families with small kids have one. they let them ride all over. I have never seen a little red wagon in my neighborhood, very few bikes
Some of them even have coolers mounted and they fill them up with sodas and snacks and cruise all day long!!

The craze came about within the last 2 -3 years by then I had teen drivers
Our kids did have a go cart when they were younger.
The first time my daughter drove it she had my neighbor who was in her fifties at the time with her..... they were all over our backyard and then Ashley headed toward our pool. My neighbor asked her if they should turn and she said I don't know it's the first time they've let me drive...

 

[chefann]

You do need to check local ordinance on golf carts. Many municipalities do not allow them on the street, because they're not street-legal, and don't allow them on sidewalks, either, because they're motorized.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

I think our neighborhood would mainly be ok with them if they would follow rules. they fill the seats with kids and pets then have 2 or 3 hanging on the sides. They have no respect for the stop signs or other cars on the street. and they drive down the middle of the road oblivious to traffic

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

In other words, pretty much like they drive a car. You're better off with a gas engine for the reasons PChefPEI stated, although a gas engine requires maintenance. The other reason is that gas powered carts make more noise - people hear you coming but they won't hear you in an electric cart.(Electric cars, like the Prieus, are coming under fire these days because pedestrians can't hear them coming and tend to step in front of them.)

 

[jrstephens]

The man has not called me back, so, at this point it may not matter at all. And here I had gotten all excited about finding one I could afford, . Maybe he will call me back later.

I am going to call another place today that my boss got a used one from.

As far as my neighborhood goes, it is a small rural neighborhood. Has about 15-20 houses. No side walks, just small streets.