Electric Push Carts - To Remote or Not to Remote?

[Slowcelica]

On 10/29/2021 at 10:37 PM, Zippo said:

I have a somewhat different opinion from @DaveP043and @iacas. I've got about 270 miles on my Zip Navigator now and I absolutely love the remote. I've tried the cart just using the handle controls but it just does not work as well for me. It might be different if I could dial in the exact speed I needed and if that speed would automatically change when I needed it to with the different conditions but it doesn't. With the remote I can send the cart ahead of me towards the ball at a reasonable speed and then slow it down as I walk up to it. I can run it left or right around dips or sprinkler heads or mounds while I can take whatever path I want. I control the cart, it doesn't control me.

I am so used to the remote now that I can operate it with either hand and seldom have to think about it. It's become second nature and I can carry on a conversation while walking down the fairway and the cart is never in my or my playing partner's way. I can run the cart over narrow bridges using the remote without any problem. I really enjoy being able to slow the cart down as I approach the green and pull my putter with the cart still moving forward and I can send it on around to the side of the green that I'll be exiting from while approaching my ball and reading the putt.  If I decide to exit the green from a different side I can easily and quickly bring the cart around to me.

When at the tee or hitting from the fairway I usually place the remote on the cart seat, pull my driver or other club, hit the ball then put the club back in. I pick up the remote and I'm on my way. Any time I'm going to be away from the cart I either hook the remote clip on the top edge of my pants or stuff it in my pocket.

The buttons on the remote are flush with the surface so you have to push them in to activate a function. There's very little chance that you could "butt dial" a function on the remote but, just in case, there is also a "lock" button on the remote which disables all the cart functions except the "unlock" key. It's now also second nature after I've stopped the cart to push the lock button before it leaves my hands. Then, as soon as I've picked it up my thumb goes to the unlock button and we're off. Again, all this button pushing sounds much more complicated and takes more time to tell you about than it does to actually use it.

As to charging - when I get home I bring the cart battery and remote into the house. The cart battery gets plugged into its charger and the remote gets plugged into a USB cord attached to the computer. I usually also am plugging in my Arccos Caddy Link and my rangefinder as well. The few times I've forgotten (or been too lazy) to plug the cart battery or remote in at night they've still lasted me through the round the next day so it isn't much of a problem.

I'm not sure if you can tell or not but just in case - I love, love, love my remote and, as they say, when I go they'll have to pry it from my cold dead fingers!

I’m with you, I have a regular push cart but it has an attachment on it that looks like a hoverboard. It only has remote control and I can’t see not having one, especially up hills. I love the remote, as for hills I have “wheelie bars” that Kees it from tipping back.

[Double Mocha Man]

On 10/29/2021 at 7:37 PM, Zippo said:

I have a somewhat different opinion from @DaveP043and @iacas. I've got about 270 miles on my Zip Navigator now and I absolutely love the remote. I've tried the cart just using the handle controls but it just does not work as well for me. It might be different if I could dial in the exact speed I needed and if that speed would automatically change when I needed it to with the different conditions but it doesn't. With the remote I can send the cart ahead of me towards the ball at a reasonable speed and then slow it down as I walk up to it. I can run it left or right around dips or sprinkler heads or mounds while I can take whatever path I want. I control the cart, it doesn't control me.

I am so used to the remote now that I can operate it with either hand and seldom have to think about it. It's become second nature and I can carry on a conversation while walking down the fairway and the cart is never in my or my playing partner's way. I can run the cart over narrow bridges using the remote without any problem. I really enjoy being able to slow the cart down as I approach the green and pull my putter with the cart still moving forward and I can send it on around to the side of the green that I'll be exiting from while approaching my ball and reading the putt.  If I decide to exit the green from a different side I can easily and quickly bring the cart around to me.

When at the tee or hitting from the fairway I usually place the remote on the cart seat, pull my driver or other club, hit the ball then put the club back in. I pick up the remote and I'm on my way. Any time I'm going to be away from the cart I either hook the remote clip on the top edge of my pants or stuff it in my pocket.

The buttons on the remote are flush with the surface so you have to push them in to activate a function. There's very little chance that you could "butt dial" a function on the remote but, just in case, there is also a "lock" button on the remote which disables all the cart functions except the "unlock" key. It's now also second nature after I've stopped the cart to push the lock button before it leaves my hands. Then, as soon as I've picked it up my thumb goes to the unlock button and we're off. Again, all this button pushing sounds much more complicated and takes more time to tell you about than it does to actually use it.

As to charging - when I get home I bring the cart battery and remote into the house. The cart battery gets plugged into its charger and the remote gets plugged into a USB cord attached to the computer. I usually also am plugging in my Arccos Caddy Link and my rangefinder as well. The few times I've forgotten (or been too lazy) to plug the cart battery or remote in at night they've still lasted me through the round the next day so it isn't much of a problem.

I'm not sure if you can tell or not but just in case - I love, love, love my remote and, as they say, when I go they'll have to pry it from my cold dead fingers!

Right, but is there a button on the remote that'll whip you up a gin & tonic, on a moment's notice, when you need it the most?

[xrayvizhen]

I just completed my 2nd round with the B.C. XR8. I find myself enamored with the remote for some reason. I'd estimate I used it 80% of the time, the only exception being when threading my way between bunkers, going over bridges/streams and severe up & downhill slopes. 

I'm very happy with what I bought. With or without the remote, highly recommended..

[xrayvizhen]

I'll continue this thread, specifically on the Bat Caddy X8R, since I started this almost a year ago, although it was a different subject. I'd like to pivot to a service issue related to the Bat Caddy and if a moderator wants to move it somewhere else, that's fine. 

After less than a year of use, my Bat Caddy is broken and I've started a service ticket with them and we'll see how cooperative they are in taking care of the problem as it's still under warranty. The upper "cradle" (if that's what it's called - the part that the upper portion of the golf bag rests in) sheared off where it connects to the upper arm of the unit. It's connected by what looks to be a couple of screws and a rivet that do not look to be easily replaced. I'm not sure where it happened but I noticed it as I was taking it out of my trunk this morning when I arrived at the golf course. 

Anyway, I'll follow up with a report on Bat Caddy's service in case anyone is interested in their after-sale support.

[Double Mocha Man]

5 minutes ago, xrayvizhen said:

I'll continue this thread, specifically on the Bat Caddy X8R, since I started this almost a year ago, although it was a different subject. I'd like to pivot to a service issue related to the Bat Caddy and if a moderator wants to move it somewhere else, that's fine. 

After less than a year of use, my Bat Caddy is broken and I've started a service ticket with them and we'll see how cooperative they are in taking care of the problem as it's still under warranty. The upper "cradle" (if that's what it's called - the part that the upper portion of the golf bag rests in) sheared off where it connects to the upper arm of the unit. It's connected by what looks to be a couple of screws and a rivet that do not look to be easily replaced. I'm not sure where it happened but I noticed it as I was taking it out of my trunk this morning when I arrived at the golf course. 

Anyway, I'll follow up with a report on Bat Caddy's service in case anyone is interested in their after-sale support.

Hope you cc'd this to Bat Caddy.  For a little leverage.

[Hohjoe]

2 hours ago, xrayvizhen said:

Anyway, I'll follow up with a report on Bat Caddy's service in case anyone is interested in their after-sale support.

I have an X8R, so I would be interested in how the support group responds.

[xrayvizhen]

Following up, I got an email response from Bat Caddy this morning. Despite the pictures I sent they were a bit confused about what was actually broken. They assumed it was the upper "cradle" or bag support bracket that was broken and offered to send a replacement part.  It's not that though. It's the point on the upper section of the unit where the bracket is riveted / welded / bolted to the frame.

So I placed a phone call, spoke to a nice tech support guy who I asked if he had actually looked at the pictures. At that point he did look and then said that I would either have to ship the whole thing back to California at their expense or I could bring it to their service center in Allentown, PA, about an hour and 15 minutes from my house, where they could probably get me in and out of there in a couple of hours. So that's what I'm going to do. One of the main reasons I bought the Bat Caddy, as opposed to MGI or any of the others, was based on the location of their regional service center. 

So, their response so far has been pretty good, once I got them on the phone, and I'll follow up again with another post here at the end of the week to report on how this all turns out.

[iceman777]

my kids bought me a QOD for my 70th.  Love it. I dont trust myself with a remote. Too much water on my course. Im sure Id  send it right in a

pond. Its a fantastic cart by the way.

[Double Mocha Man]

On 8/29/2022 at 1:30 PM, xrayvizhen said:

... and I'll follow up again with another post here at the end of the week to report on how this all turns out.

Oh oh, guessing it "didn't turn out"... (or you got busy playing too much golf)

[xrayvizhen]

Sorry, I forgot to follow up. Life got in the way.

My warranty repair was accomplished within 15 minutes. I brought my Bat Caddy to the company's service center in Bethlehem, PA where they quickly identified the issue and fixed it, no questions asked. Other than the fact that it broke during normal use, which does concern me and I will be thoroughly putting it to rigorous use for the remaining year of the warranty period, I'm very happy with the company and the service I received.

Edited September 9, 2022 by xrayvizhen