Golf carts

Going on 5 years with our 8 volt batteries. Yes, they are more expensive (about $100 a pop) than 12 volt but we drained and flushed them out last fall and added distilled water and alum and they are as strong as new.

rtaylor0830 wrote:
I am thinking of getting a 2008 Yamaha golf cart with 4 12 volt batteries, my question is I heard the 6 8 volt batteries are better, if I will be just using it to cruise the campgrounds will I be ok.

Better in the sense that you will be able to travel farther with the 6-8 volt combo than the 4-12 volt setup.

6-8 volt battery packs have more stored energy.

Are six volt or 12 volt better?
Well that is kind of a mixed question 10 years ago it was easy to answer but today, In part due to that Golf car you are considering it's becomming more confused..
The most common battery, PERIOD, is a 6 Volt GC-2 Golf Car battery, this is a DEEP CYCLE battery designed specifically for golf cars but useful in many other applications where you need fewer peak amps but more total usable amp hours.

In the past it was very very hard to find 12 volt batteries in the DEEP CYCLE configuration.. Though MARINE/deep cycle (note case) is very common.

Today you can get 12 volt GC-12's These are DEEP CYCLE just like the GC-2, so there is no advantage to GC-2 over GC-12 save for this: Cost.

Again the GC-2 is the MOST COMMON lead acid battery, thus the cost per unit is lower. But G-12's are getting there. and fast. And may well get there by the time you need new ones.

4 - 12's are cheaper to replace than 6 - 8's...

As they will be in series, it does not matter.
The only good thing about 12s is that you could charge them one at a time with a standard charger.

Matt

Had a 2006 Club Car with 4, 12 volt batteries. No problems. Had a Monaco motor home with 4, 6 volt batteries. No difference to me. Maybe something technical, but the 4, 12's were fine for campground cruising.

How do you define better? Faster to charge? Slower to discharge? Cheaper?