When did golf carts and side by sides become so common?

[tmschuller]

We bought a nicely customized golf cart from a guy in Ohio several years ago. I don't know what their laws are/were but it still had the Ohio license plate on it and I received the Ohio title for it when I bought it. Not a special license plate either but a standard one as you'd see on any passenger car.

Here in Morgan county it's legal on most county roads with a relatively short list of no go roads. I suppose I could drive it all the way to Camby (10 miles) to get my hair cut in a couple of hours.

We originally bought it due to the antique engine show that SWMBO's family is into and we attend each year. It quickly morphed into a compound support vehicle for tree trimming, weed spraying, etc. We're on 4 1/2 acres so probably the line between useful and just a toy really but it earns it's keep the other 361 days a year we're not involved in the tractor show.

I do have a 24 hp Honda Vtwin I'd like to put on it one of these days. . . . . .

Is the tractor show in Jay county or ? Just curious. Always wanted to go to one.. it’s good that you adapted it for other purposes.. same here. Spraying pastures and hauling wood. Pulling the manure spreader.. that Honda motor ought to make a difference!

 

[Ingomike]

The more things change the more they remain the same…

 

[Hawkeye7br]

I live in town and use our golf cart (or designated teens) mostly at the range to paint targets at 100-240 yards. I HATE when another shooter wants to walk to the 200y targets because they "want the excercise", making everyone wait for him to saunter down and back.

Anyone can drive a cart, it is much faster than walking, and doesn't tear up the grass with repeated trips. In town, I run it to the grocery store 2 blocks away, and when we hanker for ice cream, wifey and I use the nice wide sidewalks that I help pay for and we take a nice slow ride to the DQ (walk up only) a mile away. Everyone gives us a thumbs up when I silently wheel into the car parking spots. For me, it's about being responsible and knowing the limitations. If there is a 6' wide lane for mopeds and bicyclists, I should be able to travel it too.

 

[Shadow01]

So…. Are we as gun owners really going to take a VERY small number of casualties / injuries and use that number to restrict other people from enjoying things………?

I don’t care about people enough to worry if they may be a casualty.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

According to every country song made in the last ten years this is a sure recipe for You should be beating them off with a stick!

 

[ancjr]

My great uncle had a jeep that he would plow and harrow with. I've never seen anyone actually doing any work other than hauling small items with a SxS/UTV.

I wouldn't want to be in a Jeep or a SxS that didn't have a cab and heater in the cold weather.

 

[Mij]

My two cents, I couldn’t live without my feed cart. Club Car utility vehicle side by side, 4 in lift, hvy. duty suspension, 10x22 in. turf tires. 48 volt, hi-torq motor. 23 MPH, No heat, open cab, roof only. Utility bed. Absolutely quiet, shooting on the range, fence work, run dogs, cutting wood, haul feed, six square bales, haul deer out of field after harvest, move cattle, and a million other things. 20 miles on a charge. Plug in every night. Wife takes it to town in summer for groceries with city permit. 25 bucks a year. It pays for itself in fuel time and labor cost. I use it 365 days a year.

 

[mmpsteve]

My two cents, I couldn’t live without my feed cart. Club Car utility vehicle side by side, 4 in lift, hvy. duty suspension, 10x22 in. turf tires. 48 volt, hi-torq motor. 23 MPH, No heat, open cab, roof only. Utility bed. Absolutely quiet, shooting on the range, fence work, run dogs, cutting wood, haul feed, six square bales, haul deer out of field after harvest, move cattle, and a million other things. 20 miles on a charge. Plug in every night. Wife takes it to town in summer for groceries with city permit. 25 bucks a year. It pays for itself in fuel time and labor cost. I use it 365 days a year.

Curious how the electricity cost to charge would compare to gasoline or diesel. Don't get me wrong, we have a 48 volt golf cart on our Southern Property, and use it all the time, just have no clue what it cost to run.

I know the batteries are not cheap to replace. We've replaced ours once.

.

 

[Mij]

Curious how the electricity cost to charge would compare to gasoline or diesel. Don't get me wrong, we have a 48 volt golf cart on our Southern Property, and use it all the time, just have no clue what it cost to run.

I know the batteries are not cheap to replace. We've replaced ours once.

.

Don’t think you would see much difference on a monthly bill if you didn’t use it. Most of your electricity bill is BS fees. Kw. hours are cheap.

 

[wcd]

We have a Polaris ranger sxs. I have about 5 acres of mostly wooded property, with a decent length paved driveway. I use the heck out of it hauling chainsaws, using the winch on trees, and i plow with it in the winter. I go "road farming" with the kids and dog on occasion. The county roads out by me are not busy, at all.

Road farming?

 

[KokomoDave]

I thought road farming is drinking beer in the planter / harvester / drill?

 

[femurphy77]

Is the tractor show in Jay county or ? Just curious. Always wanted to go to one.. it’s good that you adapted it for other purposes.. same here. Spraying pastures and hauling wood. Pulling the manure spreader.. that Honda motor ought to make a difference!

The one we go to is in Rush County, it's the Pioneer Engineers Club, first weekend in August.

 

[actaeon277]

Road farming?

Them roads aren't going to grow themselves.


I wouldn't mind a "gator" or "side by side", if I had a place to ride them.

 

[Mij]

I thought road farming is drinking beer in the planter / harvester / drill?

Think straight rows!! = More yield per acre. Planting & Picking.

 

[Ingomike]

My great uncle had a jeep that he would plow and harrow with. I've never seen anyone actually doing any work other than hauling small items with a SxS/UTV.

I wouldn't want to be in a Jeep or a SxS that didn't have a cab and heater in the cold weather.

You don’t have quality winter gear? Some warm work Carharts? They are great work horses…

 

[ditcherman]

Think straight rows!! = More yield per acre. Planting & Picking.

No, more corn in a crooked row, don't you know?

I resisted spending the money for a good sxs for many years, when everyone in my industry had one in the field to help install drain tile and do gps surveys. They are the cost of a decent truck, or were. I have a 4 seater dump bed Ranger now, durability remains to be seen, already done some wheel bearings and seems the thing is put together pretty cheap. Windshield and rear window help tremendously, we're already dressed for winter when we're out there. The help all love it in the field, and therefore it has paid for itself, end of story.
I will say 40 mph feels completely safe to me on it, the county roads we're on are probably 45 mph limit anyway. Not that the cars are really doing that...
If you want something tough get a Kubota, but they're slow and heavy.

 

[ancjr]

You don’t have quality winter gear? Some warm work Carharts? They are great work horses…

I'd just get a utility ATV for here. UTV is too big anyway. But If I'm going big, I'm going to get options.

 

[Mij]

No, more corn in a crooked row, don't you know?

I resisted spending the money for a good sxs for many years, when everyone in my industry had one in the field to help install drain tile and do gps surveys. They are the cost of a decent truck, or were. I have a 4 seater dump bed Ranger now, durability remains to be seen, already done some wheel bearings and seems the thing is put together pretty cheap. Windshield and rear window help tremendously, we're already dressed for winter when we're out there. The help all love it in the field, and therefore it has paid for itself, end of story.
I will say 40 mph feels completely safe to me on it, the county roads we're on are probably 45 mph limit anyway. Not that the cars are really doing that...
If you want something tough get a Kubota, but they're slow and heavy.

The shortest dis between two points is a strait line dis=fuel, cost ratio. If crooked rows were the answer every farmer in the US would be planting in snake rows. Their not.!!!. Time on engine = fuel cost = more cost. = less money per acre. And less yield per acre ratio.———JMO,——-no every farmer in America. Respectfully that method doesn’t seem to be the common practice. Now double that come harvest. Can you follow the planter come time to pick, I doubt it, missed crop = less bu/ acre. Course I’m not the brightest bulb in the box, might be why I’m not Monsanto. But I do get by.

I can’t speak to ditch work, the county deals with my drain tiles. 95% tile. 5% open ditch. But you D*** Well better believe they tax the h*** out of me for it. I’ve got a good relationship with the contractors that do the work. Some of my tiles are the old concrete type no locking just butted up against each other. I lose a bunch of topsoil every spring. They will usually bring a load of good topsoil after a repair. Had one three yrs. ago, a main, cut three fences, I had to pay for fence repair. But it saved me about 3-4 acres of grazing pasture it was worth it to me. It’ll last for 20-30 yrs. Old concrete broke every year. A 3 yr. increase tax. Money well spent. Look at Kobota or JD. JD seems to have better trade in value, scratch that, private sale value. it’s late gotta head up. G’luck

 

[ghitch75]

very popular on my place i have 3 side by sides 2 4 wheelers and a mini truck....

 

[ditcherman]

The shortest dis between two points is a strait line dis=fuel, cost ratio. If crooked rows were the answer every farmer in the US would be planting in snake rows. Their not.!!!. Time on engine = fuel cost = more cost. = less money per acre. And less yield per acre ratio.———JMO,——-no every farmer in America. Respectfully that method doesn’t seem to be the common practice. Now double that come harvest. Can you follow the planter come time to pick, I doubt it, missed crop = less bu/ acre. Course I’m not the brightest bulb in the box, might be why I’m not Monsanto. But I do get by.

I can’t speak to ditch work, the county deals with my drain tiles. 95% tile. 5% open ditch. But you D*** Well better believe they tax the h*** out of me for it. I’ve got a good relationship with the contractors that do the work. Some of my tiles are the old concrete type no locking just butted up against each other. I lose a bunch of topsoil every spring. They will usually bring a load of good topsoil after a repair. Had one three yrs. ago, a main, cut three fences, I had to pay for fence repair. But it saved me about 3-4 acres of grazing pasture it was worth it to me. It’ll last for 20-30 yrs. Old concrete broke every year. A 3 yr. increase tax. Money well spent. Look at Kobota or JD. JD seems to have better trade in value, scratch that, private sale value. it’s late gotta head up. G’luck

Hey bud I know it was late but the crooked row thing is a joke we’ve been making for generations (literally) to excuse our crooked rows. Straight rows were a point of pride among old farmers. Now we just hit a button and they’re pretty straight.
We’ll burn 20-22 gallons per hour planting and cover 37-39 acres an hour, not counting turning and fill time, so driving a little crooked isn’t a factor for fuel, just pride.

Just worked on a county tile that was installed in 1894, not great but still working, we intend to have at least a hundred year life out of what we put in.
If you’re really loosing topsoil every year you can probably just dig down and cover up the wide cracks, except for the occasional broken tile. But at some point it becomes more economical to just replace with new.