I worked at the local golf course for 8 &1/2 years and we had gas service vehicles, but battery ones for playing the course. The gas had their place, but it was not on the course. There would be oil leaking on greens, gas dripping on the greens and of course they would be out of gas every time you turned around. They require oil changes, oil checking, gassing them up and all the usual maintenance items.
I am very partial to the electric carts my self and own 2. One is a 1988 Yamaha G-2 series 36 volt resistor coil unit, (Read old school) which I use for my tow and push vehicle. If I burn up the control mechanism overloading it, the whole resistor coil unit is only about $50.00 max. The other cart is a 36 volt,1990 Ez-Go with the electronic controller set up. This unit is a little faster and goes much further on a charge, but I don't do any pushing or pulling with it because a controller for it is $400+ if you let the magic smoke out of it. So it is more for running around the place or granddaughter and her friends to ride on. I just replaced the batteries in the Yamaha. They were 7 yrs old and still able to go, but got weak very quick. Yes,batteries need regular maintenance such as cleaning and applying a terminal corrosion protector to terminals and cables and anywhere the acid starts corroding. Batteries need the water level checked and replenished after you charge them and not before so they won't overflow. At this monthly battery service, you need to check to see that all connections are tight and not corroded. One of the most misguided errors of owning a battery cart is the notion that you only need to recharge them occasionally. Using a deep cycle battery to the point of being 50% discharge does it great harm and may shorten the life of it by about 10% each time it is done that way. Battery carts need the P&P rule adhered to faithfully. That rule is that when parked, you need to plug it in if you are going to be stopped for more than 20 minutes plug it into the charger. The rule at my place is if you use it more than 5 minutes you plug it into the charger when you finish. I limit children to 30 minutes continuous ride time before charging again. Riding children would be definitely easier with the gas carts. Another mistake people make often is taking off in the cart and not letting the charger charge till it cuts off. Chargers whether 36 or 48 volt units have a voltage sensing board that decides when the batteries are fully charged and it shuts the charger off. Most chargers also have a timer that limits the charger to around 16 hours to prevent more damage. As batteries age they do become weaker and it will take longer to charge than the new batteries will. Batteries benefit from specific gravity testing also. If the gravity is low, they sometimes need a little extra charging from an automotive charger on that individual battery to bring the S.G. reading to around the 1.250 point.
The batteries are in fact expensive and good ones start at over $100.00 each, but if you treat them good I find they give good reliable, quiet service and always crank when it is cold outside. Parts for a gas cart are by no means cheap either. If you have to replace the ignition on a gas cart and use OEM stuff, because there are very few aftermarket parts available it will cost you in the neighborhood of $3-5 hundred dollars and the fuel parts are very expensive also. Drive belts are very pricey also. In closing I feel that both gas and electric have their own places, but mine is electric. I have had a couple of gas carts and eventually replaced them with electric. As for the question of gas vs electric, it boils down to personal preference and what you will use it for most times. Some people swear by one and swear at the other!
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Today's Featured Article - History of the Nuffield Tractor - by Anthony West. The Nuffield tractor story started in early 1945. The British government still reeling from the effects of the war on the economy, approached the Nuffield organization to see if they would design and build an "ALL NEW" British built wheeled tractor, suitable for both British and world farming.
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