Electric UTV vs Golf-Cart?

[CV428]

Our new shop is going in next month. It's about 150' from my primary garages, all downhill. I plan on keeping my tool boxes in the climate-controlled garage attached to my house for the time being. I don't mind walking up the hill and back a few times to get tools, but it becomes a hike after a few trips, especially on a 100+ degree day. We have a diesel tractor, but I hate the idea of firing it up for 15 second trips- I try to only use it when I am going to get some seat time.

I'm looking into entry-level electric UTVs and even golf-carts for the trips back to the house to pick up food, drinks, and tools as needed. We also have some woods trails about 1/8mi long leading to a creek and pond, but there are two steep hills that I don't know if a golf-cart would be able to drive up without momentum (maybe 15 degree grade for about 50', then it smooths back out). The tractor does them just fine and safely though. I've been making a little camp site down at the pond and would like to be able to bring the family down there for fishing and campfires on nice days. The trail is smooth, not rocky or anything.

Any recommendations? How "off-road" worthy is a typical golf cart? I've only ever used them in the pits at drag strips.

 

[racecougar]

What is a gawk cart? I Googled it and came across a bunch of stuff that is ****.

A normal golf cart isn't particularly off road worthy. That said, they certainly can be customized. What is the budget here?

If this is the shop, and the garage(s) near the house are just garage(s), doesn't it make more sense to move the tools to the location where work will be performed?

 

[CluelessPro]

Modern golf carts with tires that have some meat are more offroad friendly than most imagine. You would be completely fine with a golf cart. If you want to test your theory run down to the local golf course and "play a round" or just "play-around"

 

[mike93lx]

I think gawk cart refers to the lifted "golf carts" that are rolling around so many suburban neighborhoods today.

I'd want something with a bed

 

[racecougar]

All I can say is don't Google that while you're at work.

Those suburban mall crawler golf carts have to do better off road than a standard unit.

 

[dcg9381]

Any recommendations? How "off-road" worthy is a typical golf cart? I've only ever used them in the pits at drag strips.

What's the budget? A "golf cart" can be big bucks, especially when they get into larger sizes.. They are different levels of mild off road capable (at best 2wd), but most of them are designed for hills.. If you do electric, I'd highly recommend modern Life04 batteries.

At some point you're spending enough money on a "new" golf cart to be able to cover a "used" SxS. The SxS is superior in every way - towing, off road performance, build quality, speed, and just being built to have the **** beat out of it.

I have a buddy with a "new" Yamaha 6-seat golf cart. It's beautiful. But it cost just as much as my (used) Polaris Ranger 900 and the Polaris does everything better than the Yamaha. Polaris has a dump bed, can tow 2000 lbs, and will run over 50mph on street tires down to the local (rural) restaurant. With a select-able locker, 4wd, power steering, seat belts, and a real roll cage - I'm biased.

I get the draw to electric, but with a modern EFI machine, you solve a lot of problems. Other than change the fluids, the only maintenance I've done is replace a fuel pump.

The big draw (to me) for golf carts is in areas where they are inherently or semi-street legal and SxS may not be...


FYI - Diesel SxS sell at a massive reduction in price where I am... No one wants 'em except farmers.

There are electric SxS, but these seem to be one-trick ponies with zero support.

 

[jack stand]

This sounds exactly like a golf cart job and I'd suggest your same thinking to a sxs as you rationalized correctly for the tractor, (15 second trips).
The GAS golf carts are quiet and reliable for this type of use as an option if you cant find an electric one.

 

[CV428]

What is a gawk cart? I Googled it and came across a bunch of stuff that is ****.

A normal golf cart isn't particularly off road worthy. That said, they certainly can be customized. What is the budget here?

If this is the shop, and the garage(s) near the house are just garage(s), doesn't it make more sense to move the tools to the location where work will be performed?

I appreciate the heads-up on that... I assure everyone that my "gawk-cart" joke was G-rated. We used to call them that when we lived in a jam-packed neighborhood and everyone would roll by, slow down and stare at everyone else doing yardwork or working in their garage.

Budget, maybe $2500-3k for something used in ok condition. Since I have the tractor, I don't need a dump bed on the cart. There are diesel SxSs/UTVs like the Kubota RTV, but it just wouldn't get enough usage to justify ICE. Electric would be more "get in, go, stop after 15-30 seconds, don't worry about heating up fluids"

As for the location, the new shop won't be fully insulated and climate controlled for a few years, so I'm leaving all the tools in the attached garage. The new shop will just be tractor storage, long term project storage, and maybe welding/sanding/woodworking since it's away from the daily drivers.

 

[charbar]

What's out there for electric UTVs? Only one I am aware of is the Polaris Ranger EV but then again I've never looked/paid attention to any electric UTV. Definitely not going to get a Ranger EV in your price range, but 2500-3000 would buy a decent golf cart around here all day long....

 

[dcg9381]

What's out there for electric UTVs?

Polaris makes one ($29k). John Deere makes one too.
Support / service? I bet these are red-haired step kids that can be bought at a huge discount if you wanna go that way.
As I said, a diesel polaris (used) has fallen off the price cliff here because they won't run over 30mph.

 

[ATC]

Sounds like a perfect use case for a golf cart. And from what I've done with one on the golf course, they are very capable offroad
No need to lift it if your trail is maintained...just put some more aggressive tires on it.

Just be careful where you park it and the state of the batteries and charger. We just had a golf course nearby have its cart garage burn down overnight...losing all their golf carts in the fire.

 

[ddurrett896]

Yamaha Quietech Golf Cart (gas). Good on gas, super quiet and if you get a PTV they will run 25 MPH if you need it around town. Absolutely love mine!

 

[ericm]

Short trips are hard on gas or diesel engines. Electric does not have that problem.

There don't seem to be any major well known UTV manufacturers making affordable battery UTVs. Polaris made one, with lead acid batteries, that was priced around $12k a few years ago. Lead acid would be fine for around a small ranch or farm. But now it's a $29k lithium battery unit with more power and longer range... which isn't needed around a small farm.


There are some small manufacturers like Hisun that have affordable electric UTVs. But I worry about the parts situation now and 10 years in the future.

 

[oldtractors]

I have a Yamaha G1 (2 stroke). It is 40 years old and not lifted. All stock except it does have ag tires on the back to get through mud. I have even put tire chains on it for a particularly snowy/muddy swap meet I went to. Any golf cart will be fine for your case. Electric will be perfectly fine. But you may have to spend big bucks at some point to put batteries in it. It still might be cheaper than maintenance on a gas cart.

 

[Badhabit]

I bought an old electric golf cart that needed batteries. I cheated and put 3 RV batteries (36v). It doesn't have the jam that new GC batteries would have especially on hills but for my purposes it works perfectly. Electric carts that need batteries go cheap.
H

 

[nadogail]

One job i had kept a Taylor Dunn Flat Bed industrial cart, it was built like "a tank", despite their best efforts the maintenance crew could not kill it.

 

[Nofries]

All I can say is don't Google that while you're at work.

Those suburban mall crawler golf carts have to do better off road than a standard unit.

Just had to search (cause work doesn't care) and was surprised it spins and *****.

I vote "Golf" cart, should work. BTW both are rechargeable.

 

[racecougar]

Just had to search (cause work doesn't care) and was surprised it spins and *****.

I'm hopeful that work doesn't look too closely.

I vote "Golf" cart, should work. BTW both are rechargeable.

 

[LopezBart]

Golf carts are ubiquitous at Burning Man, and are often hideously overloaded with people, decorations, etc. They're amazingly resistant to abuse. Most are the gas powered ones that start as soon as one presses the accelerator. Here are two modified golf carts passing by each other:

 

[mike93lx]

Just had to search (cause work doesn't care) and was surprised it spins and *****

I just searched and didn't get any fun results

 

[dcg9381]

I just searched and didn't get any fun results

Clearly you missed "**** tent".

I did a dig on "used" Polaris UTVs, they're more F'd than diesels on resale. And those are nationwide, locally, 25% of original value. But expect zero support.

Depends on your tolerance for drama, turn key, etc. A GC with LiFe04 is an easy win. And it might be worth taking a lifted GC and converting to modern batteries....

 

[LopezBart]

Clearly you missed "**** tent".

The **** dome collapsed during setup in a big windstorm this year. Wags are referring to this as an erection failure.

 

[Firebrick43]

One job i had kept a Taylor Dunn Flat Bed industrial cart, it was built like "a tank", despite their best efforts the maintenance crew could not kill it.

We had a fleet of them as well, both truck and the three wheel buggies.

They were great on pavement and as you said, unkillable, unless acid from the batteries took out the frame. They used ford 8” rear ends on the smaller ones and 9” rear ends on the larger ones.

They were absolutely worthless off road though. No ground clearance on the rear end, hard rubber tires have no traction on wet grass.

 

[denis4x4]

I have 3 golf carts (one gas) and an electric UTV. Paid $1500 for a Melex (made by Club Car) in excellent condition a couple of weeks ago. Took anything related to golf off of it and added a crate to hold stuff. There are several good sources for accessories on line. Best battery source I've found is O'Reilly's.

 

[Snapped-off]

The **** dome collapsed during setup in a big windstorm this year. Wags are referring to this as an erection failure.

Did they reroute all interested parties to the Herpes Hut?