New Sun Mountain Micro-Cart Sport

[GolfSpy Dave]

 

Got an email yesterday about the "new" Sun Mountain Micro-Cart Sport. The cart is basically the same, with new color offerings. While I normally wouldn't waste your time talking about new paint, I thought this worth a mention because the Micro-cart is a solid cart. Review HERE. For some of you, flashier colors may be the tipping point for grabbing one of these. Go for it. They are excellent carts. My mom still has not given me back the one that she "borrowed".

 

 

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New Micro-Cart® Sport Adds Sizzle

 

 

Missoula, Montana – Micro-Cart from Sun Mountain is a four wheel walking cart that folds smaller and weighs less, tipping the scales at only 13 lbs. and folding down to 52 cubic inches. Micro-Cart's small folded footprint and light weight make the cart easy to get in and out of a vehicle. Also, due to the patented four-wheel design, the cart has a low center of gravity which results in superior stability on the course. Micro-Cart folds and unfolds in two easy motions and comes standard with the E-Z Latch for hassle-free handle height adjustment. New for 2013, Micro-Cart Sport adds some pizazz with a palate of eye-catching color combinations to include the likes of lime, pink, red and yellow. Micro-Cart and Micro-Cart Sport are available now with a retail price of $189. For the retailer nearest you, call 800-227-9224 or visit www.sunmountain.com.

 

 

 

In 1999, Sun Mountain introduced the ergonomically designed Speed Cart®; revolutionizing the walking cart category. Sun Mountain has continued to invent and innovate every detail of the Speed Cart, growing the line to three models. In 2009, Sun Mountain added Micro-Cart as a lighter, more compact when folded, alternative to the ever popular and still available Speed Cart.

 

 

 

Uniquely, in going lighter the inventors at Sun Mountain added a fourth wheel to Micro-Cart. The benefit of the four-wheel design is better stability on side hills and no tracking adjustments required. The four wheels come standard with low maintenance solid foam tires and adjustable front axle to accommodate the largest of golf bags.

 

 

 

Micro-Cart's lightweight anodized aluminum frame folds and unfolds in two easy motions offering variable handle-height positions and the E-Z Latch; strapless bag bracket; standard Micro-Paq for additional storage; and a console with padded valuables tray, ball and tee holders, magnetic scorecard holder, and a drink holder. The standard Micro-Cart is available in four colors (red, black, blue and silver) and the new for 2013 Micro-Cart Sport is available in bold color combinations (black/yellow, charcoal/red, black/lime and charcoal/pink).

 

 

 

For 30 years Sun Mountain has been a pioneer in the golf industry, revolutionizing golf bags, golf outerwear and golf carts. Sun Mountain's many innovations, including the first lightweight golf bag and modern stand bag, have made it the top golf bag company in North America. Within golf outerwear, Sun Mountain redefined golf-specific performance first with the windshirt, then fleece, and again with its four-way stretch, waterproof, and breathable rainwear. The Sun Mountain Speed Cart® golf push cart transformed walking carts and created an entirely new category of golf products. Sun Mountain's "Ahead of Time Design" motto drives the company to continually design and refine golf equipment. For the Sun Mountain retailer nearest you call 800-227-9224 or visit www.sunmountain.com.

[Super Tuna]

Seems like SM is slow getting the info out on these. I could have sworn I saw the alternative colours up on their website a good 4 months ago

[GolfSpy WD]

I feel like their design team looked at Clicgear and decided to do the same thing. Must be a tough job...

[Super Tuna]

I feel like their design team looked at Clicgear and decided to do the same thing. Must be a tough job...

 

Colourwise maybe. Functionally, the carts are fairly different.

[markb]

I've loved my SM Micro for the past year and a half.   It's light, it folds easily and takes up very little space in my trunk.

 

But it is has never been particularly sturdy.  The accessory pack basically pulled out all its seams in the first year and I had to have a seamstress hem them all back up.   Other little fussy fixes were also necessary over time, but I didn't think much of them.

 

This weekend the two lower aluminum support legs snapped in half making a gentle turn on a cartpath.  Repetitive stress fatigued the metal right a the bolt holes.  It's toast, unfixable, nothing to do but part it out and look for another.

 

So what do I do?   Buy another one, knowing it's on the fragile side and will only last me about 2 seasons, or look for something more robust?

[GolfSpy Dave]

FWIW, new version of the Micro (MC3) was just announced:

https://shop.sunmountain.com/2015-mc3-micro-cart-17707-detail.html

 

Will hopefully have one in for trials soon.

[markb]

I checked that out Dave and I was a little disappointed to see that the new one has LESS features than the old one.   No included accessory pack, for example.  However, I can re-use the same pack I've stripped off the old one.   I can't see much of a difference other than that, meaning I expect the same weakness of construction I have seen in the old model.   I have the Synch bag which is supposed to nest snugly in the Micro Cart frame without the need for tie-downs.  It only sorta does this and it always twists anyway, as every bag has ever done on every push cart I've ever used.  I've yet to find a combination that didn't twist without serious bungee cinching.

 

Right now, I'm considering options and here's how my thinking is going.   I like a quad cart because they fold up into a small square in the trunk and I hate how much space the tricycle carts take up.    The Bag Boy Quad looks flimsy.   The Clicgear model 8 is robust but at $300 with basic accessories it is almost double the price.  However, no one has ever faulted Clicgear's sturdiness.  Right now I'm leaning to the Ogio X4, although I've never seen one in person.   It mates to the bag, and folds with one click snugging up to the sides of the bag so that you don't take the bag off the trolley when you load both in your trunk and the cart takes up no additional space in the trunk.   This appeals to me as does the rapid folding and unfolding and the fact that I can really cinch that bag to the cart since it doesn't have to come on and off.

[GolfSpy Dave]

Of the ones you are looking at, I'd go with the Quad.

Tim has used one with a staff bag for two or three years now and it's going strong.

I will gush all day about the Clicgear 3.5, but the Model 8 needs a new bottom bracket scheme because the heavier bags just seem to twist too much.

I don't know much about the X4 save that Ogio has discontinued them. Maybe you can score a deal on one...

[markb]

Discontinued after 1 year is not a good sign, also no replacement in their inventory.   Maybe Ogio just decided to stay out of the push cart business.

[GolfSpy Dave]

That was the vibe I got when I tried to get them involved in the buyers guide this spring.

[markb]

Sun Mountain told me there is no replacement part for my broken one.  It's part of the frame.    The gal did ask, "Did you ever tow it behind an electric cart?"   Yes, I confessed, although it didn't break doing that.   Apparently, these things aren't designed to be towed and it stresses them.

 

I see that the Quad Plus actually did quite well in your MW test, taking 3rd overall, even though it didn't get a featured write-up.   Those can be had fairly cheap, I'll probably go in that direction.

[RoverRick]

I remember when golf carts had two wheels.  Soon, they will look more like the Mars Rover than the drag behind carts of yesteryear.  This one comes close.

[markb]

BTW, I found a cheap way to fix my Sun Mountain ($13) with stock aluminum tubing.  I had my eureka moment exactly one hour AFTER I won an Ogio X4 Synergy on ebay for $110.   So now I'll have two.  I'll post some brief impressions of the X4 when I get it, not that it matters since you can't buy them anymore.   But the Micro will be back in service soon.

 

And my MC looks EVEN MORE like the rover than this one, RR.  I have doo-dad extension arms for: a sand bottle, a rangefinder, a cigar holder, and an umbrella.   It looks like an Inspector Gadget mobile

[markb]

I got my Ogio X4 today.   It is a sturdy, heavy beast that has very secure mounting methods to go on the bag and not move around.  This is good since it always stays mounted to the bag.   It opens and closes in a one click motion.  It is not good for staff bags, which are really too big for it.   Once open, your bag sits more upright than with any other golf cart I have tried.  It has a weird ball and tees drawer which sports a perfect cigar stowage compartment.   Handle is very good.  Brake is iffy.   It rests and moves with a slightly bouncy, springy feel.   This might be good or it might be fragile, I can't tell yet.  It is HEAVY when connected to the bag.   I love that it stays connected, but ask yourself who plays with pushcarts?  Old duffers who wanna walk but can't carry their bag anymore.   These same old duffers probably hated hauling a 50 lb bag/cart combo out of their trunks.  Only useful for folks with SUV's or minivans.

[Kenny B]

I've loved my SM Micro for the past year and a half.   It's light, it folds easily and takes up very little space in my trunk.

 

But it is has never been particularly sturdy.  The accessory pack basically pulled out all its seams in the first year and I had to have a seamstress hem them all back up.   Other little fussy fixes were also necessary over time, but I didn't think much of them.

 

This weekend the two lower aluminum support legs snapped in half making a gentle turn on a cartpath.  Repetitive stress fatigued the metal right a the bolt holes.  It's toast, unfixable, nothing to do but part it out and look for another.

 

So what do I do?   Buy another one, knowing it's on the fragile side and will only last me about 2 seasons, or look for something more robust?

 

 

I am surprised that your SM Micro crapped out.  My wife and I have had two of the originals for more than 3 years and no problems so far. (now that I say that, it will probably break tomorrow!)  When I got them, the accessory pack was not available.  I was disappointed when the new ones came out with it, and it wasn't available as an add-on to my cart.  Sounds like it was flawed, and maybe why it is not on the new model.

 

I love mine.  It's light and easy to assemble.  The best feature is that I can get 2 of them and 2 golf bags in the trunk.  

I see that it has a 6-pack cooler that attaches, but again, it probably doesn't fit my older Micro.  

[markb]

I am surprised that your SM Micro crapped out.  My wife and I have had two of the originals for more than 3 years and no problems so far. (now that I say that, it will probably break tomorrow!)  When I got them, the accessory pack was not available.  I was disappointed when the new ones came out with it, and it wasn't available as an add-on to my cart.  Sounds like it was flawed, and maybe why it is not on the new model.

 

I love mine.  It's light and easy to assemble.  The best feature is that I can get 2 of them and 2 golf bags in the trunk.  

I see that it has a 6-pack cooler that attaches, but again, it probably doesn't fit my older Micro.  

Does your older one have little plastic hook things on the bottoms of the uprights?  If not, then you can't add an accessory pack.   Very cheaply made, all the seams ripped within six months.

 

I got the impression in talking to them that they'd seen my type of failure before.   Don't tow them behind a riding cart or they'll break.

[Kenny B]

Nope. No hooks. I called SM when the new ones came out to see if the pack could be added. The said no.

 

Maybe the earlier ones were built better. I've never had any structural problems and I have a SM cart bag that is pretty heavy. It's the MCB model and the base locks onto the cart. I am not real fond of the bag other than it fits the cart. Other bags I have used don't stay in place and I was always adjusting it doing a round. My wife has the SM Sync bag which also locks onto the Micro cart and is better IMHO.

[markb]

Nope. No hooks. I called SM when the new ones came out to see if the pack could be added. The said no.

 

Maybe the earlier ones were built better. I've never had any structural problems and I have a SM cart bag that is pretty heavy. It's the MCB model and the base locks onto the cart. I am not real fond of the bag other than it fits the cart. Other bags I have used don't stay in place and I was always adjusting it doing a round. My wife has the SM Sync bag which also locks onto the Micro cart and is better IMHO.

 

My Sync still twists and bounces out of the slot that supposedly holds it.

[Kenny B]

My Sync still twists and bounces out of the slot that supposedly holds it.

And I thought my course was rough!

Never had either bag bounce out of the slot.

[markb]

I used the X4 for the first time today and for what it's worth, I can report:

• It's very sturdily built, more so than the SM  Micro.  
• It turns funny, you have to lean on it like skiis or a motorcycle because it wants to track straight.  I find myself popping wheelies to turn it alot.
• The brake is crappy.   Maybe mine is busted, I'll have to check.   It doesn't completely stop the wheel
• The handle is really good.
• The bag sits very upright.  I have it all cinched in with bungees so for the first time it GOES NOWHERE.
• It collapses easily in one stroke, but you have to take off all your clamp-on attachments before you put it away.   For me that's a cigar holder, gps holder, and the umbrella mount.
• It's no good for any trunk besides an SUV or van.   Too big and heavy to lift over a rear sill into a trunk, which had better be completely empty cause that's all you will fit in it.   But if you have an SUV or van, it slides in on its own folded wheels like a drawer, pocket side up.

Since I have an SUV and can lift the beast, I love it.  But I can see why most would dismiss it.