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Converting My Solar Golf Cart to Inexpensive Lithium Batteries

Hey everyone, welcome back! About five years ago, I built this solar-powered golf cart, and I’ve been loving it ever since. It’s equipped with two 100W, 12-volt solar panels that have done an amazing job keeping up with my daily chores around the property. For years, I ran it on the original lead-acid batteries, but they’ve finally reached the end of their life. So, I figured this was the perfect chance to upgrade to something better—inexpensive lithium batteries! In this video, I’ll walk you through the upgrade process, share the links to everything I used—like the solar panels, charge controller, and those new lithium batteries—and show you how this switch turned my golf cart into a mobile solar generator with a 120V AC power inverter.

Are Lithium Batteries Better for an Electric Golf Cart?

First, let’s talk about why I made the switch. The cart originally had six lead-acid batteries, and honestly, I didn’t do the best job maintaining them. These weren’t maintenance-free—you have to check the water levels periodically, unscrew the caps, and top them up with distilled water. I slacked on that, and most of them ran bone-dry. I refilled them, but I’d always assumed the acid stayed in there and you just added water. Turns out, that’s not quite right—once they dry out, the acid balance gets messed up. Then winter hit, and as you can see, several of the cases split open because they froze solid. Lesson learned!

The new batteries are a fraction of the weight. Four of them at 22lbs each is 88lbs total, where as the old lead acid batteries needed 6 of them (8 volt batteries instead of 12v) and were 68lbs each for a whopping 408lbs. Thats like two more grown adults always riding around in your golf cart. If you live in hilly terrain like I do, you now how much more effort two additional adults puts on a cart when climbing a hill.

Anode Rod Replacement – Double the Life of your water heater with a simple part!

In as little as 15 minutes, you can actually double the life of your water heater by changing out a $28 part – the anode rod. And best of all it’s an easy job that nearly anyone can do! We will take you step by step through the anode rod replacement process below!

What is an Anode Rod and why replace it?

An anode rod, sometimes referred to as a sacrificial rod, is a metal rod that is inserted into a water heater tank. It protects the tank from corrosion by attracting rust and other harmful particles in the water. It is typically made of a steel wire with a coating of magnesium, aluminum, or zinc. The anode rod acts as a sacrificial metal that corrodes faster than the tank and other metal parts around it, protecting them from damage. The anode rod should be checked and replaced periodically to ensure the longevity of the water heater. The anode rod is a metal rod that protects the tank from corrosion by attracting rust and other harmful particles in the water.

John Deere F1145 Electric Fuel Pump Mod / Upgrade

I have been mowing with a JD F1145 front mower for several seasons now. It’s powered with a 3-cylinder Yanmar diesel engine (3TN75RJ) and has been a great mower for our hilly property.

One thing that has always been a hassle though is the mechanical lift pump kept having issues. It is fed by two different fuel tanks, with a selector switch in between. This leaves a lot of fuel lines and connections for a vacuum leak. Once the lines get old and tanks get dirty it doesn’t take much for one suction leak to start pulling air into the fuel system. Then the engine cuts out and won’t restart until you bleed the air – usually on the steepest hill and farthest point from the garage!

Lithium Solar Generator Battery Upgrade

5 years ago I created a series of how-to videos for a DIY solar generator. It was very successful and one of the most watched DIY solar generator videos on YouTube. It has also received a lot of requests for a Lithium battery based version. Today we show you how to easily upgrade that system’s battery bank to Lithium (LifePO4).

Be Prepared for Natural Disasters: Create an Emergency Plan with Your Family

Depending on where you live, natural disasters may be a regular part of your life. Regardless of their frequency, it is always important to have a plan in place with your family in the event that disaster strikes. Just like fire safety, it’s equally important that your children are aware of the plans in place. Below are some basic emergency tips from Modern Survivalists to help your family be prepared.

A Homeowner’s Guide to Enhancing Safety and Security on a Budget

Modern homeowners place a premium on security and self-sufficiency. Knowing that you can retreat to your private space when you need a break from the world can bring great peace of mind. But how can you create a safe property—without breaking the bank? This guide tells you how it’s done.

Field Testing the OKMO 1000W Portable Power Station

OKMO has kindly provided me with their 1000 Watt Portable Power Station to test out and review. I was a bit skeptical of the unit at first since it was priced a little bit less than most of the competitive models. I was pleasantly surprised by its performance!

Setting up a MEP-802A Military Genset for Portable Power Needs

A good friend of mine bought a MEP-802A military genset recently. It so happened I was looking for ways to power a 240V arc welder and some larger 120V shop tools well away from any grid power hookups. I was considering renting a diesel powered welder / generator, but it turns out the military genset worked great instead.

Do It Yourself Home Energy Audit

Winter is here. Much of the country is experiencing windy bitter cold days that can sap the energy right of not only you – but your home as well! But on the bright side, you can actually take advantage of these frigid days to conduct your own DIY home energy audit. And it can cost you nearly nothing once you know where to look!

DIY – How to Convert an Electric Golf Cart to Solar Power – Part 1

If you have an electric golf cart, follow along to convert it to a solar golf cart and you might not need to ever plug it back in to charge again! If you don’t have one (yet), I am finding it super handy, affordable (and stealthy!) way of getting around the property. I highly recommend one!

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