Golf cart as a tug...

On Saturday, June 23, 2012 11:14:52 PM UTC-5, Bastoune wrote:
Is there a difference between gas and an electric golf carts to tow gliders on the ground at a grass strip? (fuel and electricity are both available)? What would be the prefered motorisation if one was looking to get a used one for a club? Would an electric golf cart batteries last an afternoon at the field (assuming new batteries)? Thanks!

We use electric. No problems with batteries, and we have to tow back to launch point after every landing. All grass field.

Carts have no trouble towing gliders or towplanes, and last all day.

Easy to control speed down to a creep, fast enough to go to far end of field in short time, powerful enough to carry 4 people, sandbags, ballast weights, etc.

We plug them in every night to chargers in hangar.

Highly recommended.

I don't have much experience with the gas ones (other than on a golf course), but they did not seem as well suited to slow towing as electric carts.


Kirk
StLouis Soaring Association

Here's how I geared down my gas cart (1998 Club Car) for use at the airport..

(http://www.cartpartsplus.com/machini...5268c3d9c0a 9)

It can crawl really slow and there's no problem with maintaining a slow speed when towing gliders. There's a couple of small rises at our field as well, and it has no problem climbing them. It doesn't go very fast (maybe 10-12 mph), but it's way nicer then having to maintain batteries and chargers.

Food for thought...

The Soaring Club of Houston uses four EZGO electrics and have had good results. They are mid 90 to mid 2000 models and all are series type carts. There is an excellent site http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/electric-ezgo/ that gives all sorts of information about carts. I am the golf cart maintenance person and it really helps to have one person in charge. They do take work to maintain and keep running well. The battery fluid level must be checked and filled at least once per month and all connections need to be tightened at the same time. The most important thing to keep the batteries going the longest is to keep the carts on the charger (each cart has a charger) as much as possible during the working day and then to make sure they are fully charged at the end of the day. Our batteries usually last 5 - 6 years.

ASW27 BV

We tried gas pwered golf karts for a couple of years but they couldnt take
it. The transmissions fell apart every 3 months.
Now we use John Dear diesel Mules. Much more robust and in low gear will
pull a K21 through boggy ground. Two years on and they all are reliable.
Lasham uk 59,000 movements ayear.

Thanks all for your input and insight on the topic!