Several years ago we were just like you, shopping for a new electric golf caddy. It took us months to finally choose a caddy because every time we went online, we read something new about a motor, a battery, or a feature that would confuse us even more. We came up with this electric golf caddy buyer's guide to help you find the electric golf push cart that is right for you.
There are two types of battery used on electric golf caddies - the newer lithium-ion batteries and older lead acid batteries. With the exception of cheaper electric caddies that offer the heavier and less efficient lead-acid batteries, most major golf caddy brands now only sell lithium-ion batteries. Lead acid batteries weigh around 25 lbs. and rarely last more than 18 holes on a single charge. They are much cheaper than lithium batteries, but you'll end up paying more in the long run because they don't usually last more than 100 cycles before needing to be replaced. Lithium-ion batteries can last well over 500 charges if properly cared for. Many factors, such as your bag's weight, how hilly a course is, the quality of the battery cells, amp hours, and voltage will all dictate how long the battery will last on a single charge. The Amp Hours and Voltage you see listed on battery specs refer to the amount of power capacity they have, and how long the caddy can deliver that power. After years of testing, QOD's manufacturer found the perfect combination of amp hours to voltage which allows the QOD to last 36 holes on a single charge. The QOD's 18aH, 14.4V battery weighs just 5 lbs. However just because another battery may have similar specs does not mean it too will last 36 holes since this is all dependent upon the caddy's size, weight, and efficiency of power usage.
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 and not make a lot of noise while doing it. 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 powerful enough to climb the steepest hills you will find on a golf course regardless of the size and weight of your golf bag.
The frame and materials used on electric golf caddies has the most effect on a cart's weight, but also on the cart's durability. Many manufacturers will use plastic connectors to join their frame together, and while this may save a few ounces in weight, it also makes the joints more vulnerable to cracking, loosening, and fading over time. A lot of electric golf trolley manufacturers will also choose to just weld the aluminum tubes together as it saves costs on additional connectors, however these welds are susceptible to having weak joints from variances in manual execution and therefore can often crack or splinter. The QOD caddy cart is built from a durable nylon 66 compound which makes up that 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 trolley and is why the manufacturer has no problem offering the three-year warranty.
The first electric golf trolleys we ever purchased were remote controlled golf carts. But what we thought was a luxury quickly became a nuisance because instead of playing golf, we needed to “play remote”. Steering a caddy between a cart path gets old fast, as does clicking left and right with your thumb all day, or swinging with a “garage-door opener” clipped to your hip. Losing the remote or forgetting spare batteries is frustrating, but annoying your playing partners by accidentally running the caddy into their line of site is simply embarrassing. We love the idea of playing golf "hands-free" as if there was a real live human caddy walking along with you, but the fact is we are still a long way from having an electric golf caddy that acts like a personal robot.
When shopping for any item with moving or electrical parts, it's always a good idea to take into consideration what happens if something does go wrong. The length and coverage of a warranty says more about the manufacturer’s confidence in their own product than any words could. While many companies will hide their warranty in the back of their website somewhere, we are proud to offer what we consider to be the best warranty in the world. The warranty on the QOD covers three years on the entire caddy as well as the battery, and all service requests are handled by our team in the USA located on both coasts of the country. Please click here to read the details of our warranty.
For many golfers, size and weight are not critical factors in buying an electric caddy, they are just "nice to haves". For others with small cars, limited space in their trunk, those who travel to the course with a friend or spouse, or even store their caddy in their golf club locker, a caddy that folds down easily and becomes very compact is much more important. Most companies will provide the size and weight of their caddies in easy to find places on their website. But we also recommend looking for photos of the caddy in its folded position as many companies do not mention the fact that the caddy needs to be disassembled and the accessories removed before it can "fold" down. As we're sure you know by now, the QOD is the smallest electric golf caddy in the world and it folds down quickly and easily. When folded, it is only 13" high, 14.5" wide, and only 17.5" long. It weighs 26 lbs. and ALL of the accessories will remain attached when folded so you'll never lose or forget your accessories again. This video demonstrates how easy it is to set up and fold down the QOD Golf Caddy.
There are many online businesses that specialize in what is called affiliate advertising programs. These companies build websites, write blogs, create videos, etc. all in an effort to rank higher in internet search results so that if a customer likes what they see on their website post, they will click a link that takes them to another website such as Amazon, Ebay, or often times the company who actually sells the product themselves.
TRUTH: Companies that create these “Review” websites get a commission on every sale that is generated from someone who purchased an electric golf caddy directly after visiting their website.
Sadly, we know for a fact many of these review sites have never touched an electric golf push cart before, and most likely, never played golf before either. Read our blog to find out more about electric golf caddy reviews.
We are always happy to help you find a caddy that is right for you. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us any time. And if you'd like to read more details about the QOD, you can visit the product page by clicking the button below.
SHOP OUR SALE