Electric carts - remote vs no remote

[Z1ggy16]

For those of you who have powered carts, do you find the remote worth the extra cost? 

 

My course now charges $21 for crappy gas carts and I play about 25-30 rounds a year, so it adds up. I've been debating a powered push cart for a long time but I think next season I'm going to get one. It seems that entry models w/o remotes can be had for around $400 whereas having the remote can increase cost by 50%. 

Edited October 7, 2023 by Z1ggy16

[caniac6]

I like the remote. Takes some getting used to. I still put my hand on it around water, and steep uphills.

[bluedot]

The only reason NOT to have a remote is cost, plain and simple.  Walking down the fairway with hands free is just really enjoyable, and the remote also lets you walk straight to the green and send the cart around bunkers and toward the next tee.

 

There ARE things you have to learn with a remote; staying away from drains, careful crossing cart paths, basically stuff that could tip it over.  But having a remote is just better than not, period.

[Z1ggy16]

36 minutes ago, bluedot said:

The only reason NOT to have a remote is cost, plain and simple.  Walking down the fairway with hands free is just really enjoyable, and the remote also lets you walk straight to the green and send the cart around bunkers and toward the next tee.

 

There ARE things you have to learn with a remote; staying away from drains, careful crossing cart paths, basically stuff that could tip it over.  But having a remote is just better than not, period.

That's kind of what I figured. 

[Z1ggy16]

So the question now becomes, what is the best budget remote option? Bat caddy xr3, Alphard V2, other?

[bluedot]

20 minutes ago, Z1ggy16 said:

So the question now becomes, what is the best budget remote option? Bat caddy xr3, Alphard V2, other?

The Alpard, but it depends on what you currently have.  If you have a good push cart already, especially one with a swivel front wheel, the Alpard is your cheapest option.  BUT  there are a couple of things to remember about the Alpard, as good as it is.  You will ONLY have a remote; there’s no handle control.  Guys that use the Alpard don’t think that’s a big deal, but it’s something to consider.  Also, IF you get the front wheel attachment to convert a fixed wheel push cart to a swivel, the push cart does NOT fold up as easily or as small. That said, the reviews on the Alpard are great.

 

I have a buddy who got a Bat Caddy and it’s done well for him.  My recollection from when I was researching before buying a Zip Navigator is that the Bat Caddy doesn’t have a gyroscope, which I think is another thing worth a bit of extra money.  But that’s me.

[doctorgriffo]

I use the Motocaddy m7 and love it - a bit spendy, but with the remote you can send it down the fairway to your ball and by the time you get there it has the yardage up on the screen and you are ready to go. When you get the green, you just pull your putter and sent it off towards the next tee.

[clinkinfo]

4 hours ago, Z1ggy16 said:

For those of you who have powered carts, do you find the remote worth the extra cost? 

 

My course now charges $21 for crappy gas carts and I play about 25-30 rounds a year, so it adds up. I've been debating a powered push cart for a long time but I think next season I'm going to get one. It seems that entry models w/o remotes can be had for around $400 whereas having the remote can increase cost by 50%. 

 

 

I've had both with and without.

 

I think the remote is worth it if you're going to walk in the long term.  There's little benefits with it that make it better.  For example, you can move the cart to the next tee box while others are putting, and keep pace of play good. Or move it to the area where you walk off the green.  It's nice to be able to do it while other stuff is happening.

 

Also the cost isn't that simple sometimes.  The remote carts generally also have gyros and more advanced tracking.  This is also super helpful if your course isnt flat.  It can be hard to trust sending the carts without remotes forward along uneven ground, because sometimes they drift badly with the hills.

 

Best of luck!

[Z1ggy16]

9 hours ago, clinkinfo said:

 

 

I've had both with and without.

 

I think the remote is worth it if you're going to walk in the long term.  There's little benefits with it that make it better.  For example, you can move the cart to the next tee box while others are putting, and keep pace of play good. Or move it to the area where you walk off the green.  It's nice to be able to do it while other stuff is happening.

 

Also the cost isn't that simple sometimes.  The remote carts generally also have gyros and more advanced tracking.  This is also super helpful if your course isnt flat.  It can be hard to trust sending the carts without remotes forward along uneven ground, because sometimes they drift badly with the hills.

 

Best of luck!

Yes I would say for the most part is not flat! There's 36 holes and 9 of them are very hilly and then there's 9 that's pretty flat and 18 has a little of everything. 

[596]

Electric no remote

Electric with remote

Electric with remote/follow

 

Those are the options. Price basically doubles with each upgrade.  I use a Stewart follow and the guy I play 3 days a week has a Cartrek remote. He's dying to upgrade to the Stewart follow.  Price difference is the big factor. As you move up in price I believe the price change is worth every penny. 

Edited October 8, 2023 by 596

[bluedot]

I know it’s easy to spend someone else’s money, but one way to think about the extra cost associated with a cart with a remote, gyroscope, etc, is what it cost prorated over the years.  If it’s a $500 difference, yes, that’s a big up front cost.  But if you use the cart for 30 rounds a year (which isn’t many rounds, really) for just 5 years, your per round cost is $3.33, which is less than the cost of one premium golf ball.  
 

If you were going to rent either of two electric carts for one round, one with or one without a remote, and the cost difference was $3.33, which one would you choose?

[scotty_2987]

14 hours ago, bluedot said:

The only reason NOT to have a remote is cost, plain and simple.  Walking down the fairway with hands free is just really enjoyable, and the remote also lets you walk straight to the green and send the cart around bunkers and toward the next tee.

 

There ARE things you have to learn with a remote; staying away from drains, careful crossing cart paths, basically stuff that could tip it over.  But having a remote is just better than not, period.

Bluedot is spot on. Remote all day. I like having the cart out in front of me so I can keep an eye on it. Played one time and a group in front of me all had follow carts. First hole one of the guys head cover fell off of a club and he never knew it. Of course we picked it up for him but he would have never known with it behind him. Another one of the carts kept acting up and turning left all of a sudden and he would have to walk back to fix it every so often. Got very annoying. If I had one following me I would probably spend more time looking back checking on it. 

[Ripper212]

15 minutes ago, scotty_2987 said:

Bluedot is spot on. Remote all day. I like having the cart out in front of me so I can keep an eye on it. Played one time and a group in front of me all had follow carts. First hole one of the guys head cover fell off of a club and he never knew it. Of course we picked it up for him but he would have never known with it behind him. Another one of the carts kept acting up and turning left all of a sudden and he would have to walk back to fix it every so often. Got very annoying. If I had one following me I would probably spend more time looking back checking on it. 

Yup. Our course rented follow carts for one season. Nothing like walking way uphill only to find that your cart never followed and was still back at the tee!!

[nitram]

Remote.

 

You'll have buyers remorse if you buy one without a remote.

[596]

Not gonna argue the follow feature, but I have zero problems with mine.  It's always 6 feet behind me when I turn around.  I've had it for over 4 years now.  

[clinkinfo]

2 hours ago, Z1ggy16 said:

Yes I would say for the most part is not flat! There's 36 holes and 9 of them are very hilly and then there's 9 that's pretty flat and 18 has a little of everything. 

So I have the motocaddie m7, and it's decent at the hills, nothing like the older electric cart that I had which couldn't stay straight to save its life.

 

But a playing partner has the MGI navigator, and his cart is freaking amazing at the hills. His will just stay straight no matter what.   

 

The motocaddie still has a little drift when the bag is not balanced, so with the remote you can fix it, without a remote i think it would get annoying. The MGI though just goes straight.  I think it has a gyro inside.

[RSinSG]

Yes remote.

 

I think the Zip Navigator AT is a great option. Costco sells them new, or if you’re in the US you can get one of Costco’s returns from www.Kaddymart.com. Several of us got ours there at a good discount and the carts are like new.  Some poor schmuck came home with a shiny new cart and his wife made him take it back probably.

[Z1ggy16]

36 minutes ago, clinkinfo said:

So I have the motocaddie m7, and it's decent at the hills, nothing like the older electric cart that I had which couldn't stay straight to save its life.

 

But a playing partner has the MGI navigator, and his cart is freaking amazing at the hills. His will just stay straight no matter what.   

 

The motocaddie still has a little drift when the bag is not balanced, so with the remote you can fix it, without a remote i think it would get annoying. The MGI though just goes straight.  I think it has a gyro inside.

I don't have MGI money lol I'm going bat caddy or Alphard, bc I have a matching push cart already. 

[bluedot]

40 minutes ago, clinkinfo said:

So I have the motocaddie m7, and it's decent at the hills, nothing like the older electric cart that I had which couldn't stay straight to save its life.

 

But a playing partner has the MGI navigator, and his cart is freaking amazing at the hills. His will just stay straight no matter what.   

 

The motocaddie still has a little drift when the bag is not balanced, so with the remote you can fix it, without a remote i think it would get annoying. The MGI though just goes straight.  I think it has a gyro inside.

This is purely from memory and therefore perhaps incorrect, but I don’t think the Motocaddy has a gyroscope.  That’s always made it a bit of a mystery to me as to why MGS, whose testing methodology I respect, consistently gives its highest rating to the Motocaddy.  To me, the gyroscope feature with the remote is a BIG deal.

[clinkinfo]

56 minutes ago, bluedot said:

This is purely from memory and therefore perhaps incorrect, but I don’t think the Motocaddy has a gyroscope.  That’s always made it a bit of a mystery to me as to why MGS, whose testing methodology I respect, consistently gives its highest rating to the Motocaddy.  To me, the gyroscope feature with the remote is a BIG deal.

 

I think you are correct, motocaddie doesn't have a gyro.

 

I agree, and not because it's an opinion, I see the difference side by side all the time as we go across the same course.  The MGI is WAY better, and stays straight always.  The motocaddie struggles a bit at times.  

 

[Z1ggy16]

1 minute ago, clinkinfo said:

 

I think you are correct, motocaddie doesn't have a gyro.

 

I agree, and not because it's an opinion, I see the difference side by side all the time as we go across the same course.  The MGI is WAY better, and stays straight always.  The motocaddie struggles a bit at times.  

 

My guess is the x3r and maybe even Alphard doesn't have one at that price point. 

 

But if I'm always behind it with the remote, I could correct it when it goes off course I guess. I have to concede somewhere because I can't afford the $1400 price tag of some of these top models.

[bluedot]

24 minutes ago, Z1ggy16 said:

My guess is the x3r and maybe even Alphard doesn't have one at that price point. 

 

But if I'm always behind it with the remote, I could correct it when it goes off course I guess. I have to concede somewhere because I can't afford the $1400 price tag of some of these top models.

Actually, the newer Alpards DO have a gyroscope, along with a downhill speed control feature, both of which are a big deal imo.  
 

I think the Alpard is a great device; I thought long and hard before I chose not to buy.  I wasn’t trying to save money, plus I play a LOT, walk almost all my rounds, and at 71, golf is my thing for however long it lasts. I’m glad I went with the MGI, but I think the Alpard would have worked fine for me.

Edited October 8, 2023 by bluedot

[NJBigFish22]

Remote no question.  I have the Alphard and it’s great, the gyroscope is an added bonus at the price point. Alphard does have a follow feature called the sidekick, I have thought about adding, but I prefer the cart in front of me.  

[clinkinfo]

5 hours ago, NJBigFish22 said:

Remote no question.  I have the Alphard and it’s great, the gyroscope is an added bonus at the price point. Alphard does have a follow feature called the sidekick, I have thought about adding, but I prefer the cart in front of me.  

 

Yeah, having owned electric carts for a while I don't understand the follow feature at all.  In the northeast, its much more comfortable to have it out in front where you can see it, with the remote in hand.  What you don't realize is, sometimes weird things make them tip or go wonky, like going in a sprinkler head hole or something.  With an umbrella up, they can also be a bit top heavy. So seeing that it might tip is very helpful.  If it's behind me, I'd just hear it crash over.

[absoludicrous]

I have the Alphard and I prefer the remote. You can get the wired and wireless add-ons for extra, but I prefer using the remote. The only issue I’ve had is that the battery life has degraded over the 1.5 years. I use typically for 18 holes every week. The good thing is that the battery is replaceable. I replaced the front wheel swivel kit on my Clicgear 3.5. It added some height to the cart and now my tonneau cover on my truck can’t completely close. 

 

On the course, I have no issues outside of the battery issue I mentioned, but I can still get 18 holes easily. I used to finish the round with 3 out of 5 lights on the battery indicator. Now it’s 2 out of 5, but I don’t typically play more than 18 at one time. I may pick up a spare battery if I see it on sale for Black Friday or some other sale.

 

If I didn’t have a cart, I may have looked at an MGI or some other cart. But I have had my Clicgear for 10 years now and it’s still going strong. It doesn’t take more than an extra 2 minutes to put it together before the round and break it down after. I get a lot of comments from playing partners, but I don’t really care what strangers think. I also get a lot of questions from people interested in it. I would recommend it if you already have a cart that’s compatible.

[Z1ggy16]

11 hours ago, absoludicrous said:

I have the Alphard and I prefer the remote. You can get the wired and wireless add-ons for extra, but I prefer using the remote. The only issue I’ve had is that the battery life has degraded over the 1.5 years. I use typically for 18 holes every week. The good thing is that the battery is replaceable. I replaced the front wheel swivel kit on my Clicgear 3.5. It added some height to the cart and now my tonneau cover on my truck can’t completely close. 

 

On the course, I have no issues outside of the battery issue I mentioned, but I can still get 18 holes easily. I used to finish the round with 3 out of 5 lights on the battery indicator. Now it’s 2 out of 5, but I don’t typically play more than 18 at one time. I may pick up a spare battery if I see it on sale for Black Friday or some other sale.

 

If I didn’t have a cart, I may have looked at an MGI or some other cart. But I have had my Clicgear for 10 years now and it’s still going strong. It doesn’t take more than an extra 2 minutes to put it together before the round and break it down after. I get a lot of comments from playing partners, but I don’t really care what strangers think. I also get a lot of questions from people interested in it. I would recommend it if you already have a cart that’s compatible.

I do indeed have a compatible cart. It's just a matter of if the x3r has a gyro or not, since that would still be cheaper than the Alphard. 

[bluedot]

4 hours ago, Z1ggy16 said:

I do indeed have a compatible cart. It's just a matter of if the x3r has a gyro or not, since that would still be cheaper than the Alphard. 

I think it's pretty safe to guess that if there IS a gyroscope, it'll be mentioned in the list of features for any cart.  If it isn't mentioned, it probably ain't there...

[Z1ggy16]

1 hour ago, bluedot said:

I think it's pretty safe to guess that if there IS a gyroscope, it'll be mentioned in the list of features for any cart.  If it isn't mentioned, it probably ain't there...

I checked all the bat caddy features for all models and it's not even mentioned on the x9r.

 

I'll just have to email them.

[clinkinfo]

To be clear too, for those who don't have experience with electric carts.  Yes, with a remote you can adjust the path of the cart BUT, what you don't realize is, the way the remotes work on them is to stop or slow down one wheel to make it turn.  Each time you turn, even a small adjustment, the cart will slow down or come to a compete stop.  So if you are on a very hilly course for example, coming across a side hill, it can get very frustrating because the cart keeps wanting to drift downhill and every time you adjust it back uphill, you're stopping it or slowing it.  It doesn't take long before you are walking past it because it's going too slow.  

 

That's why you're hearing many of us saying a gyro is important on hilly courses.  It's super annoying to have to keep correcting the direction, only to slow and stop the cart in the process.

[RSinSG]

On 10/13/2023 at 7:09 AM, clinkinfo said:

a gyro is important on hilly courses. 

Having one is almost as important as having a remote. 
 

Yesterday one guy I occasionally play with was struggling with his ZIP Navigator AT trying to use the handle to steer it around a green that sloped down into a lake. Like lane assist on a car, the cart’s gyro was resisting his attempts to control the cart. I pointed out with this cart if you want to manually control the cart don’t use the remote- use the control on the handle as it disables the gyro. It makes a difference.