Electric Buggies- need advice

Is there a general consensus on which electric buggies are reliable and which ones suck? Do you need 4x4 or is a lift kit and mud tires enough to keep you from getting stuck since they're so light? I've always used four wheelers at our previous lease but it looks like an electric cart could be an option at our new place.

I've had all different kinds - just modified regular carts, bad boy buggies, 4wd, 2wd, 36v, 48v etc. Currently have a Beast 2wd 48v. I don't like the 4wd b/c it just means another motor on the front axle to have problems with. If you have a lot of muddy areas, maybe the 4wd is worth it. Mine has a winch and I can only think of 1 time in the last few years where I got stuck and had to use the winch and I was somewhere I shouldn't have been. The Beast I have currently has been the best cart I've owned. My opinion is a 2wd 48v with a lift and tires is all that's needed regardless of if it's a branded unit or just a modified golf cart - pretty everything else you might want on there can be added on as an accessory - so just find the best deal you can on a cart in good shape. If you are handy, then just find a 48v cart, order a Jakes lift kit and wheels/tires and a folding back seat and a few cans of spray paint and you will have all that you will ever need.

Stay away from electric buggies. they sound cool at first until you have to swap out the 8 car batteries in it at $160 a piece or if one of the 2 $800 controllers go bad. nothing on them are cheap.

All my experience has been with EZGO carts. I had an old model resistor cart that I used over 15 years. I would stay away from those. In the modern carts that use a controller, you will find the TXT style and the RXV. The RXV is an AC cart and I've heard a lot of folks praise them. But understand this before you buy one - they are extremely complicated and it's difficult for a shade tree guy to keep them up. My uncle bought one and really likes it, but if he has a problem he loads it up and takes it to the dealer to get it fixed.

The TXT style has both series carts and PDS carts. Some have compared the series carts to tractors; they are generally slower than the PDS, but can work well in certain areas. I have owned a couple of the PDS styles. With a 500 amp.controller and 22" tires they will run about 25 mph. You can convert a 36 volt to 42 or 48, but I'd look for one that was 48 already. I am not much of a mechanic, but so far I have been able to keep mine up myself without taking them to a dealer.

Carts get a bad rep because so many have been lifted and fixed up to look pretty, yet underneath everything is still stock, just like it was on the golf course. The only question about one of those is when it's going to die, not if. If you are gonna lift one and put on big tires, the electrical components have to be upgraded. Fix it up properly, or buy one already fixed, and it should be very reliable. I have always gotten either 7 or 8 years out of my battery packs, but I treat them right. That is an expense that works out to about $100 a year, and you can't get out of paying that.

I will second the Beast 2 we 48 volt. Mine has been bullet proof. Had a big money 4 wd Stealth which I literally gave away it was such a piece of crap. Thank gawd Obama paid for half of that one

X 3 on the Beast 48. I have the 2wd with a winch. I’ve been stuck a few times, but the winch takes care of it. No major issues with mine, knock on wood. Still original batteries and going on my 5th or 6th hunting season. That being said, running it year round does wonders for the batteries. I hunt on it deer and turkey season and play golf 3-5 days a week during summer. If you don’t have terrible rutted up roads, electric is awesome for slipping in and out.

Polaris lithium

I was anti electric till I rode in a buddys a couple times. He has a lifted ezgo with upgraded controller and what not. We use it to make covert runs to the beer store all the time.

buddy of mine just got a beast 48 ….frickin awesome the thing is way nicer than a reg golf cart and a whole lot more powerful ...I got a 48 volt marshell that is strong as an ox ….batteries are only about 110 bucks each and I've went thru 4 sets in 13 years.....8 volt batt x 6 at 110 each that's 660 plus tax x 4 sets that's 2640 plus tax divide by 13 years that just over 200 bucks a year in running costs plus the little electric it costs to charge it up....

I'd go with a bike. You can buy a $300 electric bike motor on amazon and put it an a standard mountain bike

I'm not a fan of electric buggies of any brand. I believe you get FAR better reliability and functionality with regular gas ATVs!

The hype about them not scaring deer and being quiet is super exaggerated! I've seen FAR more problems with the guys that use them than gas ATVs.

Buy a Polaris EV. No other electric compare to them. Nothing has a better ride!

I have BB that is close to costing me as much in repairs as it was when I bought it new. I don't see 4wd as being necessary the power to weight ratio on a 2wd cart should get you anywhere. I do like the electric cart concept just don't buy an over engineered piece of junk like I did, even the dealer if you can call him that is not willing to work on it.

best advice right here.

Loving ours. As with all electrics, you have to take care of the batteries.

never needed 4x4 on my cart. drive smart and you don't need it. . stay away from bad boy buggy electrics they seem to be in the shop more than others . I have road up to plots in the electric and saw deer and turkeys before they saw us...that's never happen on a gas utv or 4 wheeler....never.

I drive a Polaris EV at one of the properties I visit. Pretty impressed by it's speed and range. Landowner pulled up to where I was taking down a hog trap the other day, there was a noticeable whine as it was de-accelerating coming off the hill. Still much quieter than any gas UTV. If they made a 4 seater I'd probably trade my 800 crew.

I have owned several and know quite a bit about them. The one I currently have I built from a junked frame and body. You can’t use stock motors, controllers, battery cables, solenoid or suspension if you want a cart that will truly operate as an off-road UTV with the ability to get you most places. They are not a substitute for a 4 wheeler in my opinion. I own both. Gas power for work, hauling and long distance use. Electric for light foot print and killing the heck out of stuff.

Nothing more deadly on a turkey. Nothing.

I suggest an ezgo cart. (2 options : series cart or PDS) I prefer the PDS cart as I can control the braking of the cart on declines with the regen brake. Important In hill country
Plum quick motors. I run a crocodile
Alltrax 600 and up controller
Contacting switch vs solenoid
2ga or larger battery cable wires. I use welding cables.
Alltrax control switch (necessary to custom control regen on motor)
Make sure this is all on a 48 volt or 72 volt system.
I have coil over shocks and springs I rear end and about to install an independent suspension on the front
A good charger is also a must. The ones that come with stock carts are crap- I use an onboard charger that just plug up an extension cord
Trojan or US Golf batteries are the best and will last you longer that others
Lots of extra fun stuff hanging of the cart

My cart will pull the front wheels off the ground when you hit the gas. I personally will never go without another one.

Sounds like you know what you are talking about! What kinda onboard charger are you using? I was leary of those because I thought it would be hard on one with an off-road cart. I have a DPI, but it could need replacing at any time.

yelkca280 definitely knows what he is talking about. Here's a link to a build I did on one https://buggiesgonewild.com/showthread.php?t=138140
No way I will ever have a DPI again. Have a Lester Summit II 650w now and it is working good.

Edit: If I was going to just buy a ready made one it would be The Beast.

Anything without independent suspension is not fun to ride around on. Check out the Tracker off road EV.

E Z Go express 4x4.

Preacher, I have a Lester summit 2. I was not able to use the open space in the battery compartment opposite the controller because I use an separate 12 volt auxiliary battery to run all my extras. Cart batteries are for running the cart only. So I had to make some slight modifications with a little bar stock to fit it in the cart. I also removed the male end of the charger cord and fitted it with an outlet made for use on RV’s and motor homes. All I do is throw an extension cord in the truck when I take it on a trip.

Thanks, I just looked it up, and it appears to be fine charger. It will probably require some fabricating to make it fit mine too. I will use the DPI until it dies.

You better. The new DPI is junk.

drive smart and you don`t need it? lol thats hilarious

Stay away from Bad Boy Buggies as stated above. The shop I help out at won't work on'em because they are so hard to get parts for and are generally considered expensive junk. We turn them away unless it's something simple. At some point you can put so much money into a stock golf cart with controllers, 4WD, lifts, lights and motors that you will need to refinance the house..SHEESH!

Doing the upgrade work yourself will save some money but retail price on upgrade hardware is not exactly cheap. The Beast seem like solid carts from the specifications but I have no personal experience with them.

I have a Beast I purchased from a member here in Feb 2013.
Only electric cart I've had. Replace the batteries in 2019.
Had to replace the controller due to possibly lightening hitting the shop about 4 years ago.
Had to replace 2 of the cables as well, as I let one of the connections get loose and almost burned up a battery.

I took the larger tires off it and put it on smaller tires on it right away, as the larger tires aren't needed on our place and I felt it would give me more miles and less strain on the cart.
It will spin the tires and throw your head back if you want.
It's 2wd but the rear differential is locked, and it makes a big difference.

Best advice I can give is to check the water levels in the batteries regularly, and don't ever let the level get low enough for the lead in the battery to be exposed.
Keep the batteries and terminals clean.

I'd buy another if needed.

God Bless,
David B.

I had under $3K in the Black Beauty when I put it together in 2014. There isn't much on it that hasn't been upgraded except the motor. I left this one on 36 volts, but I have clocked it at 26 mph with the GPS. It's been stuck a couple of times, but the winch gets it right out. It has a 500 amp controller, and it's turned down to 80% because of the stock motor and it still being 36 volts. It could be upgraded to 48 volts with just new batteries, but I doubt I will ever do it.

This is an easy cart to work on yourself. I didn't try to make it pretty, but it does all I need it to do.

can I borrow it. Will try not to let the canbreak rattlersnake bite the tyres

I made it as ugly as possible so that nobody would ever wanna borrow it. Or steal it. It has worked so far. I think the rattle can paint job has really helped.