Walking through a golf course can be a tiring experience. It’s for this reason that golf carts come in handy. Like other vehicles, these golf carts need the power to perform, and which is provided by the battery. As a result, the battery remains a sensitive component, and that requires tender care, especially when it comes to replacements. Costco is one of the top stores you can consider when it comes to your next replacements.
So how much are golf cart batteries at Costco? The prices of golf cart batteries at Costco range from $10 to $300. There is no exact answer to the inquiry because each cell comes with a unique price tag, based on the size and properties. Unlike other stores that stock batteries from various manufacturers, Costco only stocks one brand, the Interstate batteries.
Without saying much, here are the top cells in the store that you should consider when looking for your next replacement.
4 Best Golf Cart Batteries that Cost Between $10 to $100 From Costco
1. Interstate U1 Lawn and Garden Battery
Here is a battery made for those looking for a no-frills, all weather and generally dependable battery that they can put to good use. Interstate have even labelled it as being outrageously dependable. Whether that was a marketing gimmick or a statement of fact, it’s difficult to tell as they are truly dependable.
Here is a battery that can give you 300 cold cranking amps to start up your golf cart in those colder than normal days, more than enough to crank over the reluctant engine. If you’re looking to use it as a solar companion, this battery can give you 30 minutes in reserve capacity.
You may have had your friends or your partner tell you how they discovered a gem in one of the supermarket shelves, well, here’s a steal that you will be using several years down the road and still be in awe of how cheap it was.
Product Details:
• Brand Name: Interstate
• Item Weight: 15 lbs
• Dimensions: 7.75 x 5.18 x 7.31 inches
• Price: $32.99
• Manufacturer Part Number: 8-U-1P
• Warranty: 36 months
• Recycling: Costco accepts batteries for recycling, as long as the battery was bought from a Costco store and there is proof of purchase
• Installation and battery testing: Costco does not do battery installations..
2. Interstate 24DC Marine RV Battery
Well, the previous battery was a cute thing that was just meant to power little engines, and be a single use item. That’s not what everyone is looking for. Some are looking for something a bit more versatile enough to be used in other types of vehicles, say a boat they have waiting for them at the docks.
Here is a battery that Interstate have built to power a variety of marine vehicles. Even in the cold, it is capable of pushing out a massive 550 amps to crank over an engine that has been exposed to the weather and does not like it. In favorable weather though, the amount of power increases to 700 cranking amps.
While you’re out on the boat enjoying a lovely day of fishing, you can relax with your electronics in the knowledge that this will give you 140 minutes in reserve capacity. The battery also comes with dual posts to fit clamps and vehicles of different types.
Product Details:
• Brand Name: Interstate
• Item Weight: 41 lbs
• Dimensions: 11 x 6.88 x 9.5 inches
• Price: 78.99
• Manufacturer Part Number: 8-24MP
• Warranty: 36 months
• Recycling: Costco accepts batteries for recycling, as long as the battery was bought from a Costco store and there is proof of purchase
• Installation and battery testing: Costco does no install batteries
3. Interstate 27DC Marine RV Battery
Each battery has its own class and target market. What this means is not al batteries will be the same, and provide the same amounts of power. Some are just powerful, some are just versatile and some are meant to push vehicle owners to places they’ve never been before.
This is one of those batteries. This battery can give out 600 cold cranking amps to crank up your boat’s engines even when the weather does not want to let you have a good time. In much more favorable conditions, that power increases to 750 amps. For those who want some time to spend with their electronics, this endures power drain for 160 minutes.
Product Details:
• Brand Name: Interstate
• Item Weight: 50 lbs
• Dimensions: 12.75 x 6.75 x 9.5 inches
• Price: $87.99
• Manufacturer Part Number: 8-27MBP
• Warranty: 36 months
• Recycling: Costco accepts batteries for recycling, as long as the battery was bought from a Costco store and there is proof of purchase
• Installation and battery testing: Costco does not install batteries
4. Interstate 6 Volt Golf Cart Battery
Although it is possible for the other batteries to work with a golf cart, here is one that is specifically manufactured for that purpose. In normal circumstances, a golf cart battery does not need to start an engine, but enough power to push the golf cart without needing a recharge in between. Golf cart batteries are usually found with either 6 or 8 volts.
They are also different, in that they can power a golf cart in two different modes. This battery can provide power via reserve capacity for 105 minutes at 25 amps, and 175 minutes at 75 amps.
Product Details:
• Brand Name: Interstate
• Item Weight: 58 lbs
• Dimensions: 10.31 x 7.13 x 11 inches
• Price: $98.99
• Manufacturer Part Number: 9-GC2-UTL
• Warranty: 36 months
• Recycling: Costco accepts batteries for recycling, as long as the battery was bought from a Costco store and there is proof of purchase
• Installation and battery testing: Costco does not install batteries
2 Best Golf Cart Batteries that Cost Between $100 to $300
1. Interstate 8-Volt Golf Cart Battery
As mentioned earlier, golf cart batteries come in two different power delivery modes; the 6-volt and the 8-volt. This does not mean that the other types of batteries cannot power golf carts, these ones are just more specialized towards that role.
This battery has a reserve capacity of 110 minutes at 25 amps, and 175 minutes at 75 amps. More than enough time to get you to where you want to go and enjoy your leisure time and return.
Product Details:
• Brand Name: Interstate
• Item Weight: 61 lbs
• Dimensions: 10.31 x 7.13 x 11 inches
• Price: $111.99
• Manufacturer Part Number: 9-GC8-UTL
• Warranty: 36 months
• Recycling: Costco accepts batteries for recycling, as long as the battery was bought from a Costco store and there is proof of purchase
• Installation and battery testing: Costco does not install batteries
2. Interstate 12-Volt Golf Cart Battery
Like a leopard in the savannah, here is something that everyone knows is there but is very difficult to observe. Luckily, Costco has put one right on their shelves for the whole world to see… the battery, not the leopard.
As much as a 6-volt and 8-volt battery are adequate, who says as a human you can’t push the boundaries? You may not be able to explore Mars, but you can extend your leisurely drive on your golf cart by putting in a bigger battery.
Here is a battery that has a reserve capacity of 280 minutes at 75 amps and is rated at 150 Amp hours.
Product Details:
• Brand Name: Interstate
• Item Weight: 61 lbs
• Dimensions: 12.94 x 7.13 x 10.69 inches
• Price: $238.99
• Manufacturer Part Number: GC12-HCL-UTL
• Warranty: 36 months
• Recycling: Costco accepts batteries for recycling, as long as the battery was bought from a Costco store and there is proof of purchase
• Installation and battery testing: Costco does not install batteries
Tips for Golf Cart Battery Buyers
As a golf cart owner, you may have come across various terms all relating to your cart’s battery, but you haven’t the slightest clue what they mean. If you’re doing your own shopping, it would be prudent to understand what those terms mean before settling on a battery that wouldn’t even serve you as you intended.
1. Battery Voltage
The engine on your golf cart relies on a battery to start and run. However, that engine, or the starter, could be rated to run at a certain battery voltage. If you don’t know what voltage your cart is running on, you will need to do a little due diligence to find the right one.
The cart may have several batteries connected together to give it enough power. However, these batteries are all similar. To find out the voltage on those batteries, you will have to look at what number of caps a single battery has sticking out of the top.
There are three batteries that your cart could run on. These are 6-volt, 8 volts, and 12-volt batteries. To find out which is which, check the caps. A battery is also made up of cells. A car battery’s cell is equivalent to 2 volts output. Therefore, a 6-volt battery will usually have three caps, an 8 volt would have 4 caps, and a 12 volt would have 6 caps.
Once you know what voltage battery you need, you can then start on trying to replace them.
2. Battery Type
With man, innovation has been a part of making life better for the people around us. It can be the little things such as keeping the environment clean, or even the greater ones such as coming up with different battery technologies to serve people of different needs, or maybe even to improve the safety standards and records for batteries.
There are three main types of batteries to think about:
• Flooded Lead Acid: These are the most common type of batteries. They’re probably what you have running in your golf cart at the moment. These are usually topped up with distilled water periodically when the level drops off. These are usually the cheapest to buy and need maintenance from time to time. They also tend to last longer than other types.
• Absorbed Glass Mat: Also known as AGM, this is one type of sealed lead acid battery. The electrolyte is suspended in a fiberglass mat, which also ensure that it does not spill out of the battery. This type of battery is maintenance free as the electrolyte cannot be accessed from the outside.
This usually means they are more resistant to vibration, making them excellent for use on RVs and boats. They are also spill proof, meaning they are usually mounted in any orientation.
• Gel: This is also another sealed lead acid battery. The difference though is that instead of a fiberglass mat encasing the battery, the electrolyte is a thick, viscous paste that still allows the electrolyte to do its job.
These types of batteries are much more expensive than flooded batteries, however, they are much better for deep cycle applications. They also fare much better in warmer climates in comparison to flooded batteries.
3. Capacity
As you may already know, you golf cart may not be running on a single battery. There are a number of them connected. It might be tempting to think that this will increase the amount of power the golf cart will get, but that’s not it.
The batteries will still run at their indicated voltages. However, what will change is the capacity. This capacity is usually listed in ampere hours or reserve capacity. If one battery is rated at 100 ampere hours, then connecting four of them will result in the cart enjoying 400 ampere hours.
This increase in capacity gives your golf cart enough power to run around for longer than one battery could.
4. Energy Expectations
As you may have seen from the descriptions, those batteries do not have the same capacities. This is deliberate as golf cart owners want different things from their vehicles. Some may want them to run purely on electrical power, others may only need them to provide starting power, and so forth.
Therefore, when it comes to buying a battery, you need to take your expectations into consideration before settling for a particular model. What exactly do you want to achieve with those batteries?
One good way to start is to take a look at your current set up. What voltage do they operate in, what are their reserve capacities, their ampere hour output, their cold cranking amps and more. Note them down on a piece of paper.
From here, you can then go ahead and look at what it is you want to do. Do you want to be able to have more time out on each drive? Do you want to have the ability to start during the colder days without having to warm up the batteries?
Why Is a Battery Important?
If you’re doing this for the first time, buying a battery could be a really daunting exercise to undertake. This is because a battery is a vital part of your golf cart. And no, a battery is not just there to start the Golf Cart and then recharge for your next engine start. Your battery is crucial for every single electronic in your Golf Cart.
It’s the Battery that Powers the Electronics
Contrary to popular opinion, the alternator does not entirely power the golf cart’s electronics, your battery does. Yes. An alternator is like a generator. The amount of power generated is determined by how fast it rotates. If it rotates quickly, then enough power will be generated. If not, another source of power will be needed.
In a Golf Cart, the alternator is entirely reliant on the speed of the engine’s revolutions. When the engine is rotating quickly, more than enough power is generated to power the golf cart’s electronics and recharge the battery. When the engine is rotating slowly or idle, not enough power is generated. Therefore, the alternator’s only choice is to recharge the battery.
At this moment of low engine rotation speeds, the golf cart’s electronics will be relying on the battery for its needs. If the electronic load also increases, power needs will be passed on to the battery instead of the alternator.
This is a reason why whenever a battery is operating poorly, the electronics will also perform poorly even though the engine is running.
How to Care for Golf Cart Batteries
You’ve seen how important the battery is to your golf cart. For this reason, it’s important to take Golf cart of your battery as it goes around serving you. Unfortunately, many drivers will tend to take their golf carts to the service shop for maintenance on other parts, mechanical parts of the golf cart and forget to also maintain the battery.
Yes, the battery may not have any moving parts that will require greasing and re-alignment. They do however run entirely on one of the most basic principles of physics and chemistry. The battery is filled with acid that will need to be monitored from time to time, unless your battery is maintenance free.
There are various reasons a battery’s life may be shortened, and also killed. Of these very many reasons, only four are the most common among a great majority of battery failures.
Read this post if you like to extend your golf cart battery life.
• Temperature: Your battery is made up of acid and metal plates. From your Chemistry lessons in school, you may remember that of the many things that influence a chemical reaction, heat was at the top of the list.
An increase or a severe decrease in the ambient heat around a battery could influence its life greatly. When heat rises, the rate of chemical action increases, and thus the metal plates inside the battery are affected.
This leads to corrosion of the plates and therefore a drop in the amount of power that can be transmitted. Also, heat can lead the electrolyte in the battery to boil away, which reduces the amount of power that can be stored in the battery.
• Vibration can be excellent when it is used positively such as to alert you that your phones are ringing, or even to build roads. When it comes to batteries though, that’s a negative thing. Naturally, the battery will undergo a process known as sulfation as the battery discharges and recharges.
When vibration is added to this, the metal flakes inside the battery fall off from the plates, and thus reduce the overall capacity of the battery. Vibrations can also cause the connections to come loose, which can impact the battery negatively in several ways.
• Discharging is the absolute worst thing you could do to your battery. A Golf Cart battery is only meant to provide a large amount of power in a short space of time. It is not meant to power anything for extended periods of time without the backing of the Golf Cart’s alternator.
Sulfation occurs when the battery is discharging. Ions from the electrolyte will bind to the negative plate when they give up their charge, and they will only unbind when charge is put back into the battery. When a battery is discharged for a long period of time, this sulfation will bind to the negative plate permanently.
This will cause the battery to die as it cannot charge and discharge power. This is also the reason why whenever you leave the electronics on, you will need a jumpstart to start the engine. Although the engine may start, the battery will never fully recover from this episode.
• Short trips: Although your golf cart may be something that you may have been wanting to own a golf cart for a long time, it doesn’t mean you should turn it into a garage twin, and you should definitely not use it if your commute is short. This is because it takes a lot of power to crank over an engine.
A short commute will not give the battery enough time to recharge. If possible, go sit in traffic for at least an hour to give your battery time to recharge. Continued use of the battery on short commutes will lead to increased sulfation, and therefore shorten the life of the battery.
