It took us months to finally choose an electric golf buggy because every time we went online, we read something new about a motor or battery that would confuse us even more. We know how confusing the search for a motorized golf push cart can be and so we wanted to lay out the most important things we learned as we shopped for our first electric golf caddy cart.
WARRANTY
- We strongly believe that when making an investment in an electric golf buggy that will carry your bag hundreds of miles over several years, the most important factor is quality. Have you ever bought an appliance only to find out the warranty costs nearly as much as the product? Or maybe you bought a $1,200 phone from a company (we won’t mention any names, but it rhymes with scrapple) who then asks if you want to buy a protection plan?
An electric golf buggy manufacturer who offers a three-year warranty on every part of their motorized golf buggy obviously has confidence in the structural integrity and durability of its parts and components. We suggest reading the fine print of the warranties of these electric golf buggies before you purchase your electric golf buggy.
BATTERY TYPE
- With the exception of cheaper electronic golf buggies that offer the heavier and less efficient lead-acid batteries, most major electric golf buggy brands sell lithium-ion batteries. A combination of factors such as the caddy's weight, bag weight, how hilly a course is and what the battery’s amp hours (aH) and voltage are, will dictate how long it should last on a single charge. Because there are so many variables outside of the golf caddy manufacturer's control, we suggest you just look at what the company advertises the lithium battery is capable of powering.
The QOD electric golf caddy battery is 18aH and 14.4V, and this will allow you to use the battery for 36 holes in a single day. We cannot guarantee this will be the case for all three years of your warranty due to individual variables, but we know this will be the case for quite some time should you properly charge you battery.
MOTOR
- All motorized golf buggy brands offer a motor that is capable of handling the terrain you'd expect to see on a typical golf course. There may be some variation in the technical specs of the motor size, but this is usually due to the weight of the cart, whether or not it has a remote control, and the size and type of battery the electric golf trolley was designed for.
The QOD’s motor is 180 watts and we have taken it up the steepest hills you can find on a golf course without any issue at all. We feel it’s a safe bet to assume every caddy on the market can climb all of the hills you will find on a golf course. The question then becomes, how long will it last? Which brings us back to the golf caddy's warranty.
FRAME
- We find there to be a very common theme amongst leading manufacturers of electric golf buggies, and that is aluminum welds made by hand during the manufacturing process, and shortcuts taken on cheaper plastic compounds. These hand welds are susceptible to weak joints from welding errors, and the cheaper plastics will more easily crack, scratch, and fade over time. A powerful motor and long-lasting lithium-ion battery are great, but what if the entire foundation holding the bag cannot handle the inevitable wear and tear it will face over the years of folding and unfolding, bumpy terrain (in those rare moments we miss the fairway), and of course the various weather conditions all of us diehard golfers find ourselves playing in from time to time? The QOD electric buggy cart is built from a durable nylon 66 compound which makes up the molded pieces, aircraft-grade aluminum for the sliding tubes and axle pieces, and stainless-steel bolts and connectors holding it all together. This ensures integrity throughout the entire electric buggy and is why the manufacturer has no problem offering the 3-year warranty on the golf buggy and battery.
TO PLAY REMOTE OR TO PLAY GOLF?
QOD was designed with the golfing purist in mind. It's intended to be a reliable electric golf buggy that will help you to play your best because you no longer have to exert any energy carrying or pushing your golf clubs, but yet you still get to walk the course and think about your next shot as you approach your ball.
We have used every type of remote golf caddy on the market and regardless of how many thousands of dollars we spent on the motorized trolley, instead of playing golf we always ended up “playing remote”. Trying to steer a buggy in between a cart path gets old after a while, as does clicking left and right with your thumb, swinging with a “garage-door opener” attached to your hip, losing your remote, forgetting replacement batteries, and annoying your playing partners as you accidentally run it across their line of sight and slow down play.
The QOD electric golf buggy does not have a remote control and we find having one less thing to think about, lose, or break, is a good thing when we’re playing a game as easy as golf is! However if you are intent on using a remote controlled electric golf buggy there are plenty online to choose from, we would just recommend looking for a caddy cart and battery with a great warranty and easy to access customer service.