Converting an Old Golf Cart into a Supercharged Power Plant.
This might be my new favorite farm tool. With a little wiring and an awesome inverter from SunGoldPower, I convert my old golf cart into a lithium powered beast! So excited to have this added to my arsenal of tools.
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0:00 Intro
0:34 Lithium batteries
1:07 Inverter intro
2:35 Inverter teardown / inspection
5:42 Wiring
11:28 Testing
18:15 My better half
18:46 More testing
20:41 Frankencart uses
27:02 Outro
Thank you to SunGoldPower! And here is the link for this awesome inverter: shrsl.com/3m1qb. I hope you enjoy the video, and have a great weekend everybody!
Great job testing the inverter! Decent price for what you get too!
You have way more faith in those plastic grommets that are factory installed than I do. I would heatshrink the connections you added to the wire and put cable clamps in the holes, because it will also take strain off the circuit board connection.
Yes. As I watched. I was thinking where's the heatshrink.
Same
I would put some of those PG strain reliefs there so the wire is supported by the housing, not the circuit board. The ones that screw into the enclosure with standard electrical lock nuts, and have the rubber gland that clamps down on the cable.
That double plug "suicide" cable is against most codes and regulations. As you mentioned, it can be very useful for specific people under very specific circumstances. If you find yourself asking out of the blue: "Do I need this?" you are not those people! This is for specific purposes only and needs to be safely stored after use, the exposed prongs will electrocute.
Those specific people with specific circumstances are more specific than some people might think. Most of the people that *think* they have such a special case can better solve their problem using a generator transfer switch and a regular cable. That, or hardwire your temporary solution without using plugs. Long story short: If you have a generator, install a transfer switch instead of creating a suicide cable. And should I ever find myself in need of one, I'm sure to disassemble it as soon as I'm done using it.
I also noticed the circuit boards seem to have conformal coating on them, which helps minimize corrosion and reduce environmental effects. So yeah, looks like they aren’t taking short cuts on that build.
in my limited experience, sample review pieces always have top notch quality. its retail sale pieces where corner cutting takes place especially for Chinese manufacturers
@@lordjaashin I could see that. Question is if they expect you to open something like this
For anyone looking to add/improve waterproofing on circuit boards for devices that are outside often, CorrosionX and especially CorrosionX HD work really well for preventing water damage to electronics
At first I was like "Oh boy, another gimmick." Actually, I am damned impressed. Just be careful with the suicide cable. Always plug into your load and then into the power source. You holding onto that live plug with bare ends before you plugged into the barn had me squeamish!! Unless the inverters output was in the off-state. Couldn't tell. Honestly, the inverter in the UTV being powered with the LiPO has so much utility. Dead quiet, light weight, no fuel cans, etc. Super awesome actually!!!! There is something to be said about working on a job site without the drone of a genset for hours on end!! Generator is still cheaper in the long run but, its a lot more to deal with and it can be cumbersome. This is a lot easier to work with. Both have pro's and con's but I am liking this none the less!!!
You are correct. It would have been safer to do connect them in the opposite order. I often work with live wires and breakers, so I'm fairly comfortable with it. Maybe too comfortable? ;-) Honestly, I wish I had done it the other way for the video. I was already doing something sketchy, at least I could have done it in the least sketchy way possible!
“I got the hole dug and everything!” 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
John, Loved your review on the inverter. I am jealous of your property and setup of all your buildings. The size of your land is fantastic, the open fields surrounded by trees, and that pond is to die for !! You have the perfect setup !!!! Your knowledge base of so many things is almost intimidating !!! Plus, you have the skills to put your hands on any project and get it completed ! My hat is off to you !
Electrician here: With lithium batteries, you want to get a large resistor to use as a precharge resistor when connecting the inverter in order to charge up the capacitors. This will prevent the batteries from damage with the initial draw from the capacitors. For a 6 k inverter you want to use 4/0 cable to lower the resistance for the surge capacity, and also try and keep the positive and negative conductors as close as possible for as much as the length as possible. Taping or zipties is fine. The farther apart the conductors, the higher the resistance. Keeping them as short as possible helps too.
"The farther apart the conductors, the higher the resistance." -- Don't you mean impedance? I assume the problem is the magnetics from a large loop of cabling, or am I misunderstanding?
@@chuuni6924 Depending on how the conductors are laid out, you'd have to be concerned with both reactance and resistance....... so, yeah. I guess impedance would be a better "blanket" term for the issues.
That said, I'd just run 2 welding cables (#4 cable, like GoCoyote said - they aught to be fine). Stick them in a wire loom or maybe a long piece of heat shrink and call it good. Edit: I would NOT however use jumper cables. A lot of them, even the big, high amp ones are copper plated aluminum conductors.
@@chuuni6924 In DC circuits, it will actually be self inductance that causes the resistance. Here is a fairly cogent explanation from an old Trace engineering manual. When current passes through a conductor a magnetic field is set up around the conductor. As this magnetic field builds, it induces voltage in any conductor that is close by, and it induces a voltage in the original conductor. The voltage induced into the original conductor is called self-inductance, and tends to oppose the current that produced it. The magnitude of the self-induced voltage is proportional to the size of the loop formed by a wire. The larger the loop, the larger the self-induced voltage. The positive and negative battery cables in a system are in reality only a single circuit (wire), and so the inductance of the battery circuit depends on how the cables are physically positioned or arranged with respect to one another. If battery cables are separated by a distance, they have much more inductance than if they are close together. If the two battery cables were coaxial there would be virtually no induced current flow since the magnetic fields would cancel one another. However, we don’t have coaxial battery cables, but we can approximate them by taping the cables together every four to six inches. When the cables are taped together, the magnetic fields around each battery cable tend to cancel each other. When cables are separated the magnetic fields add together and increase the inductance of the battery cables. If you aren’t convinced that taping battery cables together helps reduce inductance, consider the following table of information collected by Trace Engineering. We tested two sixteen foot long #4/0 AWG battery cables connected together at one end and parallel to one another. Table 8, Battery Cable Inductance Distance Between Battery Cables Inductance in micro-Henries Taped Together 3.3 12” Separation 6.0 48”+ Separation 8-9 The above table shows that with only a foot of distance between the battery cables the inductance almost doubles, and at four feet between cables the inductance is almost three times the inductance of cables taped together. Since the induced voltage in a conductor varies as the inductance times the rate of change of current in the inductor, the induced voltage may be three times greater than it would be if cables were not taped together. For more advanced readers, consider flyback effects and the induced voltage spikes can get into the thousands of volts range if the battery were suddenly removed from the circuit (worst case). These induced voltage changes cause ripple in the battery cables and must be absorbed or filtered by the filter capacitors in the inverter. This ripple will lead to eventual premature breakdown of the filter capacitors and performance loss in the inverter. In addition to the problems mentioned, the induced current opposes the applied current (battery current) which directly causes a loss of inverter performance as greatly reduced efficiency. To avoid this problem, route your positive and negative DC cables in parallel, as close together as possible. Secure the cables against movement with clamps or straps every 18 inches. Avoid routing conductors near heat sources such as dry exhaust or furnace piping. Avoid chafing sources such as steering cables, engine shafts, and throttle connections. Hopefully this information gives a much more realistic and clear idea of why battery cables should be kept short and close together. Maximum performance is the goal of any well designed power system and the details such as this will help achieve the goal.
@@GoCoyote A Flyback Diode could be used in case of battery removal.
for farm craft you have some pretty good professional tools
I came across your channel about a month ago. You do great work. You're an innovative and intelligent problem solver. Your videos are organized and contain excellent content. With regard to the soft spot in your driveway. You may be able to completely solve the problem of the sinking substrate without having to use any concrete. If you were to dig the area out 10-12 inches deep, removing the dirt and small debris, then start filling the hole back by adding a layer of stones 6-8 inches deep, 4-6 inches in diameter. Pack that down then put 2-4 inch stones in, fill the hole to within an inch of your top level. Then top it all off with 3/4 inch crush and run (3/4 inch stone mixed with finer stone dust) before doing your final tamping. The technique has worked well for me on my farm in the mountains of WV, where I have a half dozen seeps all over the property. These little spring often make the ground a messy quagmire that you can hardly walk through, much less drive a vehicle. The large stones at the bottom make a sturdy base that spreads the loads out without sinking... and the progressively smaller stones will fill in and lock the larger ones below in place. The Crush & Run packs down flat and hard preventing surface erosion. I hope it was helpful. Keep the excellent videos coming!
What a fantastic view at the end. Forest and fields for miles. You live in a beautiful part of the country.
The weak link isn't the batteries, it is the fan that draws saw dust, bits of grass, fuzzy tree stuff, etc, into the heat sinks and plugs them up.
That can be mitigated with some worn out scotch brite pads and some double sided tape though.
Not if the fans blow out and or you filter the air intakes.
I gotta say it again: Best channel on KZhead!!! Definitely my favourite channel. The variety of content / projects is always fascinating. Never a dull moment. 😎👍
That last shot made it all worthwhile. The best of America. The land, the people and the natural beauty. Amen.
Awesome review. This thing is a beast !! Thanks for explaining things in a way that I can totally understand. I’m sure I’ll see more of this rig in future videos.
You might wanna rename the video title to something like 'SunGoldPower inverter review - teardown, setup and testing'. Might get a lot more views from people comparing different brands and options. I remember when I was building my off-grid system I would've killed for an in-depth video like this. Well done man ^^
I have the same battery cable crimper and it has saved me a boatload being able to make up my own cables
FYI, I have a Miller 211 investor mig welder. It will run on 120 or 240. I bought a HF 3500 generator to run it on 120v to work on some shipping containers. The inrush would overwhelm the HF generator. I was using .030 wire. Done a little digging and Miller says a min of 7k to run the 211 on a generator. I ended up with the HF 9500. It runs it with no problem. It is over 250lbs so I move it with my tractor. That inverter running your welder is impressive! Thanks for taking the time to make these videos. I’m like you in another state. I get into equipment repair and restoration. I enjoy watching your videos way better than the depressing stuff on TV thanks again!
I have the SunGoldPower 3KW Inverter charger for my offgrid cabin. It's a real beast. I can run my 12" chop saw no problem and the vacuum cleaner works a treat. I also love that when I fire up the backup generator it detects the power and auto switches to a batter charge and auto switches it's output from inverter to what the generator is sending. No more flipping switches when going between power sources! Now about the suicide cable.... I'd strongly recommend a proper cutover switch (the kind that switches the fuse box between either grid or inverter/generator) that way you could have a male NEMA plug on the wall and use a conventional cable. Right now you are 1 mistake from a 230V heart-stopping experience.
10:05 Ultimate NeverEverEVerMakeThatCable! Nice build for real.
I'm Very Glad the Wife did not go along with grabbing those wires. Your wife Jen is a Very Smart and Pretty Lady, 🤩John. Your one of my favorite channel's always something new and you learn things.
Nice, setup, now you need a large solar panel, with charge control on the cart roof!
I don't know much about inverters but that looks like a nice piece of equipment. Your videos are always informative and entertaining
Nicely done. That thing works great!
Looks like the inverter would fit nicely in a cabinet, might be worth building one to shield it from the elements. Great video as always
I know you don't have time to read your comments. But, here I go. I came across you a year ago after watching a young man by the name Andrew Camarata. He could be your son, and yes that is a complete. Your math knowledge and extreme level of common sense with wood working and that dang lathe are off the chart. Your hobble attitude will take you far. I only wish I could meet the ones that raised a fine young man. I thought my father was, as both of you would say, " A Jack of all trades but a master of non". As hard as this is to say, that statement is fair for him AND me. You my friend are truly a Sensei. I don't use that term lightly.🙏
I have know idea why it connected me to one of my sons online game names. My name is Kevin Clewis. Didn't what any misleading information.
I am going Lipo on my buggy/ trailer combo. Very good content, enjoyed. Thanks from the UK.
"Oh a horse is a horse of course, of course, unless of course that horse is Mister Ed." I could have helped it, but didn't want to.😄 Might I make a suggestion on cement mixing, get a gas mask to prevent any of the cement ingredients from getting into your lungs. A dust mask is alright, but can allow some particles to go around the mask. Fantastic review, gave me several ideas for some around the farm work I should get done. Thanks for the video.
Johnson! I hear it every day!!
You look like breaking bad teacher 😅
Impressed it ran that evolution chop saw
It's always fun to see what you are up to around the farm. I don't understand power and wattage. But I do trust your opinion after watching your channel and getting to know you. Great video as usual!
Thanks for reading my mind.
@@johnhamilton9229 lol
Here in the UK I found an old PTO driven concrete mixer - put it on my Agrotron 85 - 3pt.... Thing can make huge batches of concrete and I reverse the tractor to where I need it. NOTE - You might need to add front weights 😂😂
Its my understanding that that "RV" cord you made is called a suicide cord, as you said in the video... if you don't know what you're doing, don't do it. But good video none the less.
Wow It's the Boss, She is amazing. Golden Blonde hair. We now know what she looks like. Your a lucky Guy, Mr. Farm Guy
The Arial view of that last is just stunning all that gorgeous green @FarmCraft101
Your wife seams like a nice lady for putting up with your antics.
Damn man I haven't been watching your channel but for about 3 days now and I've watched a bunch of your videos and I'm totally impressed with your knowledge and I'm even more impressed with the fact that you have all the tools and cabinet shop machine shop, and all the equipment. You rock dude.
Agree100% I thought my shop was bad-ass his put's mine to shame!!
Like your thorough review and uses for the inverter... BUT no suicide cord!
This is such a good idea, Have a massive battery in the golf cart that can be used instead of hanging in the wall that are rarely used, You are onto a winner here,
Thanks for another vid. Like them a lot. And the drone footage of the farm was awesome. You've got a beautiful place. Cheers. 🍻😁👍
I started watching your channel yesterday and with that old Jonson and and this video today this is amazing to run a welder like that I'm sold
What a great place you have 😊 Started following you a while ago, Now I'm working my way backwards in the archive 😅👍 Nice channel 👍👍🤠
I've got that same welder. Had it since 2007, still going strong. I love it! I've ran several hundred pounds of wire through it. I've had to rebuild the microswitch in the trigger twice now, but its so easy, and it's the only problem I've had with it. That inverter is extremely useful! I would love to be able to weld anywhere. One thing I'm looking to build eventually is a mobile skid with my welder, plasma cutter, and air compressor on it. Load it into the back of my truck and fix offroad rigs when we're out in the middle of nowhere beating the wheels off our trucks haha! I have a 6.5kw generator, but im unsure if it will be able to run my plasma cutter... that thing is a beast.
super system and delightful koi too !
That is a handy dandy inverter ! Hell yeah 💪
Great drone shot at the end. Beautiful and well done
That would have been nice to have had when I had my RV. Actually it had a fairly nice inverter that I became very familiar with the first year I used the RV. I was heading to Cape Charles in late April in 2015 and charged the series of coach batteries by first disconnecting each and individually charging.. The charge went well and I was being very careful by labeling all the wires so that when reinstalled all went well. Things did not go well. Somehow I swapped ground with positive. I spent the next week pulling everything out from fridge to heater to range hood so that I could rewire everything that had melted in the few minutes it was incorrectly connected. The only good thing is I really new the systems by the time I was done and the truck part of the RV was on a separate system and suffered no Ill effect. I do remember being impressed by the fridge. Until then I had never seen a cooling device that ran on propane complete with a pilot light. I kind of remember the fridge ran on some principle involving ammonia but it sure cooled well and I remember being impressed by the full details plus they are very expensive were I to have had to replace it.
suggestion for the farm, first get an old plastic truck bed liner- cut off the sides, bolt an angle across the front and attach chains to make a sled for dragging behind the golf cart. Roll that mixer on it and go. No lifting. Rake leaves on it, dirt, or mulch. My wife’s favorite tool behind the golf cart, even the wheel barrow goes on it.
If you think the carb. Is empty think twice. Remove the bowl and you will be surprised how much fuel is left. Once fuel level drops below pick up, engine will turn off. Check the bowl!!!! I have to do the bowl empty every year as I only use mine for hurricane season here in Florida. You have a good show, keep it up. Thanks Gary
Nice custom break out cord @FarmCraft101
Looks very good as I would expect for a free item sent for review.
Excellent combo.
Hello from Moosomin, Saskatchewan, Canada great videos thanks for sharing
You are the type of man who could be dropped off at a junk yard with proper tools and you would end up driving home in a amazing self made tank put together from a variety of cars, trucks, water heaters etc lol. You have mad skills bro.
Hell that jump lead is foookin dangerous!
You've got a slice of paradise there
Good ole Ed Johnson. Wasnt much to look at, but word around the ladies is he packed the heat.
Oh sweet I could use this inverter for welding on 240 that is impressive 👏 wow and that massive compression well over 7000 watts
Great report.
Read his comments before making comments that he has already covered…… Greetings from Tasmania Australia 🇦🇺
Awesome review!
Now you need about 400watts of solar on the roof, to help keep the battery charged!! Maybe get 4x 30-50 amp hour, 4s batteries to go with it, to give more run time, maybe a lean-to made with solar panels to park it under, maybe a receptacle to use the power when not in use, keep a fridge or freezer running for free!
Wow it ran the planer that is impressive at 8200 watts
Been interested in solar n inverters for off grid areas. This video did help
Cool! Love the outro, Jon. Quite a slice of heaven you’ve got there. Awesome!
That looks like a really nice bit of kit. I was nearly killed by a back fed consumer unit (fuse box) so please take care. If you're looking for video content I'd really enjoy a video looking around the farm.
You have probably gotten this suggestion elsewhere in the comments, but as an added precaution, I would try and further isolate the inverter from vibratory loads (of driving around the farm) in the back of your cart by mounting it to that white board on rubber feet that give additional shock absorption to further prolong its lifespan.
Nice thumbnail :-) And Video of cause. Thanks for sharing. Weekend Stuff
Might not be a bad idea to get a Pelican type case to store and transport the inverter it, it would keep it protected from accidental drops and vibration during transport. When you get to where you're using power just pull it out and hook it up, could even make a hanging bracket to mount on the ROPS under cover and above dust kicked up from tools and the ground.
Just discovered your channel this morning from this video. I'd say thanks, except I now see too many hours I'm going to get sucked into going over a lot of your older content. I love the inverter tied to the cart idea. Yes, others have pointed out that a generator is going to be the most economic investment for the same portable power. But if you are like me and have begun investing in a solar powered property, each item that requires only the sun to run quietly is a step away from being dependent on volatile fuel prices. I also get it, there is a large capital investment, and it takes years of use to make up the cost of a fossil fueled appliance + fuel used. But I can't make my own fossil fuel and each step that I can get away from importing power sources gives me more independence from the politics of bringing power of any kind to my property. Plus, once set up, the convenience of power from the cart that brings you to the worksite is just awesome.
Good work brother thanks much.
Great review 👍
You're like Ron Swanson. You know what you're about
Not the video i searched for but exactly what I needed
It helps to put De-ox in the cable lugs before crimping them, cuts down quite a bit on future corrosion. Some heat shrink over top and it should last about forever.
Would need to heatshrink those things. That stuff is a "grease", right? If it is that stuff can be messy.
Dude! How big is that farm? Those drone shots are awesome! Love that you dug the hole in advance but the wife wasn’t having it. Not today at least. The inverter review seems objective and honest. The tests were great. It does seem like a very large device. More meant to be pad mounted or mounted to a wall. Nonetheless, it seems to have done the job around your farm. All those tools you tested were actually very appropriate because those are good for practical and common use. Say hi to Jen from the 301,000 of us. Keep up the good content!
Good morning from Southeast South Dakota
Yes I watched all three installments.
Nice setup, maybe make a rack to get the inverter off the EZ goès bed so you have the full use of the bed again.
So very useful a piece of equipment
Nice looking inverter. The real test these days is how clean the output 60hz is. Meeting high wattage specs isn't too difficult with current standard components, but how much they bothered with the output filtering is what separates the good from the bad. Most electronics are much happier without the interference on their power supply, and even the power grid wants cleaner than the average cheap inverter will put out. Dirty inverter output is polluting the grid, cheap solar systems are messing with the grid so much as to dirty the power on the whole neighborhood. The trick is most don't know about this, and don't have the tools to measure what they have. Minimum required is an O'scope and knowing how to use it. Due to this there are many manufacturers putting out 'value priced' inverters that don't bother with providing quality filtering.
I just found out about these things called tarp straps. Made of rubber with a hook on each end. I'll bet you could use some to keep that mixer from tumping out of your trailer.
Love your channel, stumbled on it from your video installing the Generac gen set. BTW, your clamp-on meter is not designed to measure around the extension cord like you had it. You have to break out the hot and neutral and clamp around a single conductor.
14:46 that's always the best test parameters, lol 🤘
Adding a Frequency drive to the sander may could enable it to run on that Inverter since it could provide a soft-start. And having a battery on wheels is a nice idea! Just please get rid of the suicide cord. Saving the cost of a lockout and proper socket isn't worth accidentally hurting oneself or a linemen. Especially since by modifying the lockout already present in your breaker panel and moving the solar inverter breaker to the bottom left corner is most of what you'd need. (At least for that panel)
The suicide cord is the least of his problems ! The inverter is for indoor use only and wont last long at all ! what a shame.
Ha ha “I got the hole already dug and everything dang it”! That was funny!
9:29 this socket look like a face 😂😂
Thanks for the reel review not just take it out of the box and plug in your cell phone 🤣🤣🤣
Hahah the you and jen parts lately are golden. That badly cramped cable make me a bit nervous tho. Keep it up!
Greetings from Pakistan! I thought you are Diresta’s brother🤓، I love watching your videos with great interest. Your commentary is awesome and very clear to understand. Please keep posting videos though these are very technical and of high level.
you could make that golf cart better by putting a big solar panel on the roof, like engineer 775 has done.
I suspect it would make very little impact in reality. It looks and sounds like a great idea but once you do the math on what solar could potentially offer (even best base) vs charge time, it's almost pointless.
@@nfavor how often does he use it? in the meantime, it can charge from the solar panel.
I build fast electric carts, you had me really going at first seeing the main title... Cool video though, nice inverter...
That is a rather cool voltmeter
I just bought my quick disconnects like yours offline from Amazon and they came with caps... I take it yours didn't?? Nice ending to your video and a nice looking family you have there sir. My wife and I had 5 children ourselves and now we have 6 grand children. God Bless. HOOAH!!!
you need add some heat shrink tubes on the cables - it will be look 1000% pro :D xD
seems like a strong inverter, but overall cost, when considering batteries, its hard to beat a stand alone gas generator on a gas golf cart for a portable power station.
You still have to factor in maintaining the generator and gas motor. This there's only a few things that can go wrong instead of however many parts that the motor has.
What sort of gas you using, LPG, methane, natural gas from the well? What type?
@@linmal2242 well I would use the same gasoline the cart uses. They have big tanks.
Sweet inverter. I was squinting with the compressor. The inrush current must have been crazy. Most generators struggle
Super cool! 👍👍👍
impressive!