Gas golf cart vehicles were originally designed for use on the golf course, carrying two or four players and their golf clubs with less effort than the usual method of walking. This is particularly of concern to the senior golfer or a golfer with restricted mobility.
Manufacturers soon discovered that the gas golf cart was suitable for many more uses beyond the golf course and offered several advantages over traditional ATV’s. A golf car is now classed by many in the industry as a "utility vehicle" as its usage has spread from the golf course, to hunting, farming and to other commercial and personal uses .
Typically a standard golf car is restricted to less than 15mph, weighs 900-1000 pounds and measures 4' x 8' x 6' high. This makes them extremely safe to operate and easy to maneuver over rough terrain, unlike ATV vehicles.
Although they have a lower maximum top speed than an ATV, this is more than offset with the carts increased carrying capacity and flexibility in its the range of use. Buyers will often purchase a cart for one particular purpose, but quite quickly find it is suitable for many more tasks and wonder how they ever managed without one!
In many applications these "utility vehicles" are practically the same as a standard gas golf cart, but have extra seating or a flat bed on the back for carrying equipment or supplies.
As gas golf cart design can be very flexible, manufacturers are producing utility vehicles based on them that are suitable for a variety of applications.
However, all vehicles fall into two basic categories, standard gas carts for personal and golf use and commercial or industrial models.
A normal gas golf cart has seating for two players, or sometimes even four players, and storage compartments for their golf clubs.
Many of these carts can be fitted with a vast array of different parts, accessories and upgrade features by the manufacturer, such as drinks holders, rain protection canopies and GPS navigation units.
Personal carts sold by manufacturers are very similar to a standard golfing cart, but lack the golf specific features that are not required for driving around a private community or neighborhood. For example, the storage racks that hold golf bags are usually replaced by storage space for groceries and other bulky items.
There is an ever increasing market for these types of personal gas carts for use as private transport. Many retirement communities are golf orientated and actively promote cart use by residents as they can be driven straight from the residents home to the first tee.
An increasing number of small island communities shun the larger road car in favor of the golf car for their residents primary transport method.
For these types of communities golf cars provide an some added safety benefits, as unlike a normal road car they are much nimbler to drive and they are speed limited.
Gas golf cart utility vehicles have an almost limitless number of uses, from a senior citizens personal transport around a retirement community to a hunters’ cross country ride with seating for four.
You should approach buying a golf car or utility vehicle the same way you would consider buying a car. The first consideration is to decide exactly what you expect out of the gas golf cart or utility vehicle.
Outline the type of terrain that the cart will be used on, how many passengers you will need to carry and the potential hauling capacity. The power of the engine will also be a consideration, a cart with a low power engine will be suitable for driving four passengers around an airport, but will not be up to the job hauling a few thousand pounds of top soil around a hilly golf course.
If you need to travel over rough terrain or farm land then a utility vehicle with uprated longer travel suspension and off road tires would be required. Uprated stronger suspension will also assist when lugging heavy loads as some utility vehicles can shift close to 2,000 pounds.
Another aspect of a load carrier, or burden carrier, is the type of bed you will need when carrying your cargo; a simple cargo box with low sides and a tailgate that makes it easy to lift items into the car or even a large capacity dumping bed ideal for depositing soil or other material.
The gas golf cart has fallen out of favor to the electric cart for use on the golf course due to increased environmental concerns, such as noise and smoke pollution. This provides the prospective buyer with a huge advantage in the used cart market as there is a plentiful supply of gas carts throughout the dealer network.
Many dealers offer a used gas powered cart for sale as refurbished or "as is". Whether you choose a refurbished or "as is" cart will depend on your budget, as the dealer refurbished carts are more expensive.
A refurbished vehicle will generally have been inspected, cleaned and mechanically overhauled by the dealer before it is ready for sale. A dealer will offer a gas golf cart of this type with a short warranty period offering the purchaser some peace of mind in case there is a mechanical fault during the first month or two of ownership.
Refurbished models can sometimes be specified with extras, such as different upholstery, wheels and storage capability. If these extras are within the budget, it will allow the buyer to tailer the refurbished cart to exactly their needs and will work out to be more economical compared to a new model.
The dealer will install these items at the time the refurbishment work takes place, but will cost extra above and beyond the basic price of the refurbished used cart.
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