CaddyTrek R2 Smart Robotic Electric Golf Cart Bag Caddy

First of all, yes, it works just like it says.THE BUILD:The fact the there is nothing like this on the market at a comparable price point made me nervous. I figured good electronics, crappy cart OR decent cart, crappy electronics. I WAS WRONG. The quality of build is outstanding. The more I mess with it, the more I respect their engineering decisions. The welds are solid, the materials are light and strong. The design prevents you from overextending the wires and protects the sensors as well as their alignment. The plastic tightening knobs and folding clip are clearly high quality and heavy duty. The straps that hold the bag are durable, easily adjustable and functional. These smart engineers also made the parts easily interchangeable and provided simple and easy to follow how-to videos for replacing these if things get worn out. The remote is ultra light and you do not even feel it clipped to your pants. The button layout is well thought out and the follow button that you need the most is huge and right in the middle, no need to see the controller.THE FUN PART: Playing with it :)First round I went in the heat of the day to the cheap muni in town in hopes to play by myself and get acquainted with it. Paired up with 3 dudes that all birdied the first hole. Needless to say I was forced to play fast and efficiently with it. I used remote mode for the first few holes just to keep up pace of play. In remote mode it is easy to drive, easy to steer, minimum button pressing as it holds a line really well. This is important because you absolutely have to be comfortable using remote mode around the greens and between tees.Finally got some honors around hole 6 and figured I would give the follow mode a try. Beautiful! Instantly worth every penny. Walking down the course thinking about my next shot and enjoying the breeze on my face. That being said, using follow mode (like anything new) requires a learning curve. As I approached my ball I stopped and turned to grab a club and the cart jerked backward and sideways before I realized that I should have hit the stop or follow button before I turned back away. As a physics teacher I understand the benefits and limitations of both EM and Mechanical waves (which caddytrek uses for communication between remote and cart) so I understand why the order of operations instructions are so specific with this unit and why the cart jerking was a result of my mistake. Within a couple holes it was second nature to reach back and hit the button as I was stopping near my ball. 2nd round I played with it was second nature to use in ALL modes and made my game so much more enjoyable. Usually by whole 16 I am huffing and puffing pushing my cart to the uphill tee box. I was fresh, with water left in my Yeti on the 17th tee both of the rounds I have used this cart.ACCESSORIESScorecard holder- Cool as hell. The shape of the mount is generic so you can also use some accessories from some other companies. (i.e. ball holders, item bags etc.)Cell Phone Holder - Works great for my iPhone with decent sized caseDrink Holder - Nice insulated inside, nice material (should be white).CaddyBelt - See CUSTOMER SERVICE belowUmbrella Holder - Did not work for me. I read and watched a ton of reviews about this cart that all say that the holder was great. I found the holder on amazon sold separately and the reviews are not good. I replaced it with this product and so far it is very strong:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHY6LWXH?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_detailsRecommended - Got these for my rangefinder. One on both sides of cart.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4V7QBTP?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1CUSTOMER SERVICEAll reviews of the customer service I read were stellar and I found the exact same thing. My package did not include the caddybelt accessory and when I contacted FTR they shipped one out the same day.THE BAD (so you know they didn't pay me)I wouldn't consider any of this bad but maybe things you should be aware of before buying.There is a learning curve. I walked for several years before ever riding in cart. Learning where to park the cart so that you walk less, understanding 90 degree rules and etiquette between driver and passenger knowing when to take your wedges and putter or have your partner do it... is not as complicated as I'm making it sound, but it does take a round or two to figure it out if you've never done it before. If you are not willing to learn and have a little patience than there is not a "follow" cart on the market for you.Either read the manual or watch the videos (PREFERABLY BOTH). FTR provides such good information for potential issues. The course I play is between 2 car dealerships, 2 cell phone towers, and a freeway. There is 1 hole (16) that provides a lot of interference. On hole 16, I was frustrated that follow mode wasn't working correctly for a couple minutes before I realized what was happening. You can either change frequency or go to remote mode. Went to remote mode, problem solved. Follow mode working great again on next hole. 2nd time I played it started acting weird on the same hole, learned from previous time go to remote mode, problem solved, working great on next hole, no time lost. If I hadn't read about potential interference in the manual or seen that video I would have been much more frustrated.Know where the STOP button is. Anything weird happening, hit STOP.SUMMARYI would buy this again and again! Thank you FTR for making something so awesome at such a fair price point! I will be playing more golf than I used to and will be enjoying it more.

I have played about 10 rounds with this buggy and so far I love it.Was close to getting a kangaroo hillcrest when I found the carrytrek buggy. Most walkers at my club use the kangaroo and some have been in service for 15+ years. Took a chance on the Caddytrek as I did not like having to work the remote constantly and the weight of the kangaroo meant I would pretty much be leaving it at the club and would not have access at my other clubs when traveling.So far so good on my decision to go with the CaddytrekPros1. Follow feature. Love that you really don't need to think about your clubs. Quick push of a button when you stop to take a shot, approach a green or bunker and you are good to go. Buggy will follow you slightly to the left and 2-3 paces behind. Bridges and paths are are easy to navigate. Basically any place you can take an electric cart you can navigate without thinking about the buggy. Just walk on right side of path or bridge and all is good.2. Size and weight. Folds small enough and is light enough to carry in the trunk of my car. Not something I could have done with the kangaroo. Tip..remember to pull the battery before folding else you will need to unfold to attach to the charger.3. Battery longevity and power. Easily lasts 18 holes. Climbs steep hills and brakes going down steep hills nicely.4. If price is an issue, the Caddytrek is $1000 less than the Kangaroo.Cons1. I have had it slip climbing a steep hill when it is wet. Walking slightly slower up the hill seemed to resolve this problem.2. The 5th wheel is critical for use. Don't forget to extend it our you will tip over the buggy.3. The screw holding the 2 part 5th wheel assemble together failed on first use. Glad I did not loose the spring that is part of this. I recommend replacing this with a longer screw before your first round. No problems since replacing.4. You don't save a lot of steps with the follow feature. Pretty much need to think of it as a push cart walk to the best place to leave it when teeing off or putting.5. Controlling as a remote cart as opposed to following takes too much time. Not a fault of the buggy. But.. A pain once you are spoiled by the follow feature.1 follow feature is fantastic. Follows me across bridge without thinking about it as long as it is wide enough to accommodate a riding cart. Follows slightly left of where you are walking and about 3 paces behind..

DO NOT PURCHASE THIS! I have only used mine a few months and the motors are alreadyworking. Trying to reach customer service is a dead end with no call back. I purchased two of them and if you bought one be sure to keep the original box. They use that as a loop whole to not return it.