Investing in an electric golf trolley is a significant financial outlay. Even a budget lithium-powered trolley costs over £200, and a mid-range priced trolley like the Powakaddy CT6 costs over £600. It is potentially an even more considerable financial outlay than purchasing a set of custom golf clubs, and as such, you will want it to last and not break down on the golf course.
Did you know that playing 18 holes on a 7500 yards course equates to just over 4 miles for every golf round? Even if you play just 25 complete golf rounds a year, that equates to over a hundred miles on the clock. Substantial mileage can put a strain on the working parts of an electric golf trolley.
Inactivity can also be a problem, especially if you live in the UK. Winter rules often mean your trolley and battery are not in use for a few months, and correct storage becomes a consideration.
Whether through over-activity or inactivity, a considerable strain will be put on both your trolley and battery. In this guide, here at electric golf we will offer proven tips to keep your equipment in tip-top condition.
Maintaining Your Trolley
If there is something wrong with your electric golf trolley, you will soon know about it. The two most obvious symptoms that you will notice will be either the start of unusual noises or battery performance deterioration.
You may be quick to blame the battery, but in half the cases, it is shown that the issue lies with the trolley. The most common trolley specific faults include:
- Axle block issues
- Tyre problems on the main wheels
- Rotary switch
- Front-wheel bearings
You can of course do your best to pre-empt any of these issues by caring for trolley properly.
Tip #1 Periodically check your electric trolley for any deterioration
It is vital to check your golf trolley for signs of deterioration on an ongoing basis. The more you can undertake checks, the better, but even if you manage only to check your trolley when it goes into annual winter rules hibernation, it is a positive step. The following table contains a ten-point checklist that is a good starting point for proper trolley care.
| Ten Point Checklist for Checking Your Electric Trolley |
|---|
| ☑ Connect your battery and start your golf trolley with the wheels off the ground. You are looking for the wheel speed to increase or decrease smoothly when you turn the speed control dial |
| ☑ Look to see if the axle has signs of corrosion at the point where it passes through the frame. Premium trolleys will typically have stainless steel axles, but budget ones can corrode. If there is any sign of corrosion, they should be replaced. If they are just dirty and have a build-up of debris, you should wipe them with a lightly oiled cloth |
| ☑ Check the main wheels and the front mini wheel for grass or debris. It is a good idea to remove the affected wheel entirely and clean the axle of any debris. It is preferable to give the axle a light grease coating with petroleum jelly before putting the wheel back on |
| ☑ When you are checking the wheels and axles, it is also a good time to make sure the axle bearings are not worn out. The bearings should be a round shape and not have excessive play. If the axle bearings are worn, they should be immediately replaced as trolley performance will be impacted as more power is needed to achieve the same results |
| ☑ If the mini wheel at the front of the trolley is not turning smoothly or there is an excessive amount of play, it may be an indication that new wheel bearings are required |
| ☑ Check all connections to the battery and make sure there is no corrosion or damage. Additionally, look at joins in the wires that go through the trolley handle to ensure that there are no breaks or frays in any wires and that they are firmly connected |
| ☑ Electric golf trolleys typically have an on/off switch. It should be in total working order, including weatherproof sealing in good condition to ensure rain does not penetrate the button |
| ☑ A further good test to ensure your trolley is functioning correctly is to listen carefully and ensure the gearbox does not emit excessive crunching of gears or brush noise sounds |
| ☑ When you turn the main wheels in a forward direction, they will turn forwards freely but will not turn backwards without the axle turning. If the wheels turn backwards, the clutch on the relevant side may be slipping or failing. The clutches should simultaneously also be checked for any debris which, if found, should be removed. It is advisable to not grease or spray the clutch with lubricant |
| ☑ Check all the trolley joints to make sure they are tight and ensure that all the tyres are in good condition |
Video Showing Important Checks to Undertake
Here is a short video providing helpful pointers of maintaining the important parts of an electric golf trolley, the principles of which can be applied to all brands.
Tip #2 Avoid Using a Pressure Washer
It is best practice to avoid using a pressure washer to clean your electric golf trolley. The trolley is designed to cope with wet and windy conditions out on a course but not the intense pressure and focus of a pressure washer. Risks include but are not limited to removing grease that is important for turning wheels and stripping paintwork.
Instead of using a power washer, it is recommended to use a damp cloth and mild detergent to give your electric trolley a comprehensive clean. As you wipe down the trolley, it also allows you to spot small parts that may need replacing like frayed wires or are missing like straps and buckles, nuts and bolts or missing nut cap covers.
Tip #3 Find out if the fault lies with the trolley or the battery
Before confirming if your battery or charger needs replacing as opposed to a trolley issue, there are two easy tests that you can undertake and are free!
To make sure it is the battery swap batteries briefly with a playing partner or fellow member who uses the same trolley brand.
Get your charger checked by your supplier or if a playing partner or fellow member uses the same battery, see if the charger is the cause of any issues.
Maintaining Your Golf Battery and Charger
As soon as they are manufactured, Batteries will slowly start to decay due to the demands required to get the battery to power up. Batteries can underperform or fail prematurely for numerous reasons, the most common causes being:
- Accidental damage if a battery is dropped or roughly handled. It helps if you always handled your battery with care.
- Either overcharging or undercharging a battery is known as an incorrect charging regime and can affect a battery adversely.
- If a battery is used for longer than its recommended capacity, it can affect longevity, for example playing 36-holes with a battery manufactured with a 27-hole capacity.
- A faulty charger can affect battery life, especially if your charger is over five years old and sees regular use. At this stage, a new charger should be a consideration.
- You should always ensure that the trolley which the battery is being used on is always clean and well maintained. For example, if axles are not rotating freely or the trolley is overloading it causes excessive stress to the motor.
- Leaving the battery for extended periods either in a discharged condition or without charging it.
Tip #4 Avoid battery over-discharge
Both lead-acid and lithium electric golf trolley batteries are designed for a set number of holes, whether that is 18 or 36 holes. If you do not fully charge your battery for a golf round, you may be able to make it around the course; however, you are likely to cause an excessive discharge of the battery that can sometimes lead it to become irreversibly damaged.
Even if your battery is fully charged, another issue is using the battery for longer than the recommended usage. If your battery is rated for 27 holes of golf, you should not try and use it regularly to play a round of 36 holes.
Tip #5 Never buy a cheap charger
Your battery charger must be fully compatible with your battery and in top working order. Any battery charger that is more than five years old seeing regular use is likely to provide an inconsistent and inadequate battery charge and need replacing.
If you do need to replace your battery charger, do not buy a cheap replacement. This is an important electric golf trolley accessory so either buy an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) charger or failing this, buy a good quality non-OEM charger. Some low-cost chargers suffer from back discharge. Even if the mains plug is disconnected, a charge can still run from the battery pack into the charger if it is still connected to the battery even when disconnected from the mains. To avoid this issue disconnect the battery from the charger.
Tip #6 Always charge your battery as soon as you can after use.
After completing your round of golf, ensure that you fully charge your battery as soon as possible and within 24-hours. If you fail to adhere to this simple best practice charging instruction, it can lead to an unreliable and reduced battery life.
When the battery is at full charge, it is acceptable to leave it connected to the charger provided the charger is plugged in with the power on; it will happily remain in a maintenance charge mode until unplugged when you are next out on the course. If you are not due to play for a while and want to unplug the charger, as mentioned previously, make sure you disconnect the battery to avoid back discharge.
It would help if you did not charge your battery in airtight or damp conditions, and on a final note, when charging, do not leave the battery or charger covered.
Tip #7 Always store your battery in a dry and comfortable environment.
If you live in the UK, winter rules will likely require winter storage for your trolley and battery.
It is best practice to keep your battery both clean & dry. Designated winter storage for your battery should therefore be a spot that is neither hot nor cold, with a cupboard inside your house offering a great solution. Storage in all Garages, garden sheds, greenhouses or indeed, your car boot should be avoided.
Warranty Considerations – What Should I do?
Our tips and ten-point checklist are a good starting point to ensure that you can do the utmost to ensure your trolley is in good working order. Suppose there are faults or you doubt your ability to undertake a repair? Remember you should always consult the UK manufacturer warranty of your trolley to see what is covered and when a warranty risks becoming invalidated. We have listed UK warranty links for the significant trolley brands below this guide.
Final Thoughts
We hope this short guide offers you some valuable pointers for maintaining your electric golf trolley. Remember, trolley inactivity from the UK winter weather and enforcement of winter rules can cause as many issues as regularly using a trolley during the spring and summer months. At the very least putting your trolley away provides the chance to undertake a thorough clean and check of your electric golf trolley.
As an accompanying resource, if you want to find out how to clean your electric golf trolley in 5 easy steps read our article here.
Happy golfing – From Electric Golf, the electric golf trolley A to Z for consumers
FAQs
When I am not using my trolley, should I leave the battery constantly on the charger with the power on?
Today, most modern battery chargers are built to leave your battery continuously connected with the power on, which gives out a constant charge. However, it is not set in stone that all chargers have this capability, and it is best to read the instruction manual that comes with your electric trolley relating to the charger.
I am playing a short twilight round of just five holes; does this still require me to charge my battery ahead of my next golf round?
The answer to this is yes. Every time you participate in a round of golf using your electric golf trolley, the battery should be subsequently charged, irrespective of the golf round duration.
Would you consider it good practice to discharge a battery entirely from time to time?
The answer to this is a resounding no. A battery should never be discharged entirely as this risks the capacity of the battery diminishing.
Links to UK warranty terms for the significant electric trolley manufacturers:
Powakaddy: https://www.powakaddy.com/warranty-terms/
Motocaddy: https://www.motocaddy.com/uk/warranty-information
Powerbug: https://powerbug.co.uk/pages/uk-warranty