Choosing a Golf Cart Battery You Can Count On

Now that the weather’s finally turning warm, it’s time to take out your golf cart and get to work on your game. Before you hit the green though, let’s take a moment to talk about your golf cart’s battery. After the long winter, it may be necessary to replace the battery. Read on for our battery buying tips along with valuable information on battery maintenance.

Calculating Voltage

The first thing you’ll want to pay attention to when replacing your golf cart’s battery is its voltage. Golf cart batteries are lead acid batteries available in 6, 8 or 12 volts. The average golf cart requires four to six batteries in order to operate (occasionally you’ll encounter a golf cart that requires eight). When purchasing a replacement, be sure to check the operating voltage of your specific golf cart model.

The easiest way to find this is by consulting the owner’s manual. If you no longer have it though, don’t worry, you can easily calculate the correct voltage by counting the number of acid holes on one of your current batteries (the number will either 3, 4 or 6). Multiply that number by 2 to determine your battery voltage. Then, simply multiply that by the number of batteries found in your cart to determine the voltage your golf cart requires.

Find the Best Battery to Fit Your Cart’s Needs

Voltage is important in helping you determine the batteries you need for your cart, but when looking at the battery’s overall performance, you’ll want to pay attention to the battery’s amperage. The amperage of a battery measures its power capacity and tells you how much power your battery will put out while it is in use. That means, the higher a battery’s amperage, the longer your battery will last on the course. Another valuable tool often used in measuring battery performance is amp hours (abbreviated Ah). An amp hour is the rating used to tell you how much amperage a battery can produce for exactly one hour.

With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best batteries for your needs. If you’re looking for a 6 volt battery, we suggest the 6 volt Duracell Golf Cart and Scrubber Deep Cycle Battery. It offers 115 minutes of high reserve capacity power at 75 amps, to help you stay out on the course a little bit longer.

Another great option is the Magna Power AGM 6V Golf Cart Battery. The Magna Power battery is an AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) battery. It provides 190Ah (amp hours) at a 20-hour rate, and unlike traditional flooded batteries which require regular maintenance, AGM batteries are completely sealed, making them spill proof and resistant to vibrations.

Does your cart require a little bit more power? The 8 volt Duracell Golf Cart and Deep Cycle Battery is designed to withstand regular discharge and recharging cycles. This flooded deep cycle battery will provides you with 165Ah at a 20-hour rate. For 12 volt needs, we recommend the Magna Power 12V Deep Cycle Golf Cart Battery. This 12 volt flooded battery offers 150Ah at a 20-hour rate. Plus the twist and release vent caps makes it easy to top off the battery’s electrolyte (which we’ll get into below).

Battery Life and Maintenance

The average life cycle for a sealed lead acid battery is 5 years. In order to get the most out of your battery, it’s important to keep up on regular maintenance, particularly if you are using a flooded battery. Flooded batteries have lead plates inside them along with an electrolyte liquid made of a mixture of water and sulfuric acid. In order to maintain your battery’s performance, you’ll regularly need to top off the electrolyte solution with distilled or deionized water.

Regardless of your battery type, it’s also important to inspect it from time to time for visible signs of damage. Cracks, bulges or burn can put a serious strain on your battery and shorten its overall life. If you do find yourself with a dead golf car battery, you can recycle it by bringing to any Batteries Plus Bulbs location. Visit our site for more information on the types of batteries we recycle.

Still have questions? No problem. The associates at your neighborhood Batteries Plus Bulbs can answer them for you and assist you in find the best battery for your needs. Or, browse our selection of golf cart batteries online, where you can shop for batteries by golf cart brand. It’s a fast, easy way to find Club Car golf cart batteries, as well as batteries for E-Z-Go, Yamaha and other major manufacturers. Plus, while you’re there, be sure to check out our assortment of golf cart chargers to help keep your new batteries going strong for years to come.