Electric golf cart for farm use?

[Texas PaPaw]

Anybody using an electric golf cart in the pasture? Have seen them with lift kits and ATV tires. Look like they might be really handy for light duty chores such as minor fence repair, putting out mineral and checking cattle. Wanting to hear from anyone who has experience using them in their pastures.
Any maintenance issues?
How do they compare to atv/utv's in maintainence cost, if you have or had both?
What brand of cart do you have?
Would you buy that brand again?
How long can you run on a battery charge?
How often do batteries have to be replaced?
Any other considerations, either pro or con?
What would you do different regarding your cart if you had it to do over again?
Any other suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Beefy]

when i took an interest in the cows and took over checking on them as my duty when i was about 9 i had a golf cart that i used to do that. it was a three wheeled golf cart and consequently pretty bumpy! the batteries (it had 6) didnt last very long, maybe a couple of days if i didnt use it much. it didnt go fast at all, and wouldnt even make it to the very back of the farm a lot of times without giving out of juice. and i got it stuck a lot.

it was good and safe for me starting out as a kid (although i ran it into the pond) but i would much rather have a four-wheeler or other type atv for doing any work. you can go fast OR slow on those and golf carts just arent for workloads.

my honda 300 fourwheeler is a 91 model and i cant complain. had very few issues with it.

 

[Brute 23]

I looked into battery powered golf carts for hunting and stuff because they can be bought used for less than a grand. The battery life was horrible. When you start putting people and extra weight it goes down hill in a hurry.

Find a local cart dealer and go talk to them. If you can afford it, find a good used Kawie Mule. The smaller Mules in 2wd can probably be bought for less than $5K brand new. Good used honda Ranchers and other atvs can be bought for $2500 or so. You will be far more happy. ;-)

 

[tom4018]

Battery life will depend on their care. 5 or more years with good care is not unheard of, but you have to take care of them. Vibration will really hurt them if your ground is rough. Proper use and charging procedures will increase their life but I could not see usingf a electric cart on a farm of much size.

 

[Brute 23]

Does any one know the actual time on a set of batteries? I think its like 4 or 6 hours on decent batteries.

 

[dun]

Does any one know the actual time on a set of batteries? I think its like 4 or 6 hours on decent batteries.

Probably just enough to get you way out in the boonies and only part way back in

 

[saltbranch]

I use one @ work, not sure of the brand, will look tomorrow. I use it daily @ work with a facility of 4 buildings on roughly 7 acres. I am constantly running between buildings all day, figure a 10 hour day. The main thing is to charge batteries every night..according to dealer we bought them from. When we bought the 2 used units they had 4 yr old batteries, they lasted maybe a another yr. Replacement cost was right @ 700.00 for the batteries for each cart.
Initial cost for cart was 2200.00, replacement batteries after a year of use -700.00...been driving them for 2 yrs on that plus electricity cost to recharge batteries.
I have taken the one I use @ work up to our property, oh yea I like it much better than our 4 wheelers. Just the fact its so quiet, the one I use I have put 500lbs in the bed(spot where the golf clubs go)
Be sure to understand there are no skid plates like the UTV's or 4 wheelers, so if you plan to go offroad into brush type stuff, you might have problems. Or just add the skid plates if you buy one. If you need a 4x4 one search for badboy buggies.
If your talkin about just going out in the fields and puttin out feed or lookin at the cattle, I would think a stock golf cart will do you well.
My wife and I have rode up on more deer and other wildlife than we could have on the 4 wheelers.
We are in very sandy soil, a stock cart does great,I have added the no flat tire goop in them.

 

[Beefy]

thats true, they are very quiet. i once accidentally ran up on a woman peeing in the bushes before either one of knew what was going on. man was that embarrassing..

 

[Tim]

I have had an electric golf cart for about ten years now and bought it used. It is a 1992 Club Car model and does have the lift kit installed. In the ten years I have had it I have replaced the batteries twice. The first time the batteries that came with the cart only lasted about one year, read reached life expenancy, and I got about 5 years on the next set and this set I have about two years on them. Yes you need to make sure that the batteries are secured, kept full of water and charged regularly.

My gold cart has a top cover, a fold down windshield and a bed behind the seats which makes it great for hauling all my fencing stuff, feed and fence poles ocassionally. I have used it as a piece of ranch equipment, taken care of it, but not treated it like a golf cart to ride around the golf course or concrete roads.
Now as far as the golf cart for ranch use it has been good to me but the ranch has not been good to the golf cart. The cart is not designed to run over rough pasture and I have had numerous weld and body repairs made. I will probalby buy an ATV when the golf cart wears out but until then the golf cart keeps plugging along.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

Thanks for all the responses. They pretty much confirm what the dealers have been telling me. I understand Club Car carts have an aluminum frame where the EZGO and Yamahas have a steel frame. Have seen used Club Cars with cracked/welded frames. Seems they not as durable for off golf course use as the steel frames.

One other question? How do the 4 wheeled carts ride in the pasture?

Thanks again

 

[saltbranch]

The one I have at work is club car, pretty much the basic golf course rental model, thats where the 2 we have came from.THe Golf course traded them for new ones according to the dealer we bought from. Thats what I was told this AM when I called the salesmen and asked some questions about our 2 carts.
Has 8- 6volt batteries. Its no where near as fast or as strong as a 250(our smallest ) 4wheeler or the bigger UTV. IT will not go the same places offroad either or atleast I wont take it into the high water crossings ( we use to have that before the drought).
Also the "basket, framed with angle iron" the the batteries sit in, does not have a bottom, the bottom of the batteries are exposed to the terrain you drive on. As far as actual run time hours, I really cant say- I do work 10 hr days and I am in the cart alot. There are alot of days when the cart does not get plugged in for an overnight charge like it shouldand its run the next day with no issues.
My wife and ran it alot during each day we were at our property, charged it at night. IT wont just up and quite on ya, it will start running slower than "normal" when the pedal is wide open, thats when you know for sure a charge is needed.
There are alot of aftermarket hotrod items for them if your in the electric know how. Lift kits for offroad etc too. Did I mention how qiet they are :cowboy:

 

[saltbranch]

I know for sure the battery box is steel on the one I use, saw the rust when I replaced the batteries. As far as use in the pasture, it seems to ride OK, not as smooth as a 4wheeler I dont think. Thats comparing 2 different critters.The one I use is in stock golf course form though, tires and all.
My Uncle just bought a UTV, think was called Rhino from the JD dealer on clearance. Has the Honda motor, dump bed,2wd for 6600.00, looked pretty sharp.

 

[saltbranch]

I stand corrected, the one I use is an EZ GO, the other one is a Club Car. I know the CC is faster!

 

[TheBullLady]

We had one years ago. The battery life wasn't too bad as long as you charged them regularly, and it was easy to start. But it was slower than heck, which wasn't a good thing if you needed to get somewhere in a hurry. And it wasn't very good out in the rough pasture, especially if it was muddy. It would get stuck in a minute, and not much power to get unstuck.

I have to agree with the previous poster.. I think you would be a lot happier with a used Mule. You can find one pretty reasonable right now, as many folks are needed to get rid some of the "toys".

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

FWIW...

Golf carts were designed and powered to run on smooth ground with 1" high grass...lol. Also small diameter wheels.

Have you considered one of those used Japanese "Mini Trucks" instead? Most are selling between $4000 and $5500. 2WD or 4WD and have "regular" type engines.