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Tartan Golf Qwik Fold and Cruiser GX Push Carts - REVIEW


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Tartan Golf Qwik Fold and Cruiser GX Push Carts - REVIEW

An Official MyGolfSpy.com Review

 

Qwik Fold

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Cruiser GX

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Aesthetics and Innovation (10 Points)

Both of the carts are very well styled. They come in multiple colors, including some like purple that are not available from other manufacturers. The red paint on the Cruiser GX is amazingly bright and attractive.

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The Qwik Fold looks a bit similar to the Clicgear, which I think is a great looking cart, so score some points for the Qwik Fold there.

 

 

The two pushcarts represent different ends of the innovation spectrum. The Cruiser GX is a basic model that, although well designed, is not that ground breaking in that design. It does gain points for the simple breaking system and quick release wheel systems, although the front wheel removal is a bit more involved than the rear ones. The Qwik Fold cart definitely scores more innovation points. The obvious innovation point is the folding and unfolding mechanism of the cart. Although I don't know that I ever folded or unfolded it in one second, I was able to fold or unfold faster than any other cart I have used. Points are also scored with this cart for the simple breaking and wheel removal systems.

Aesthetics and Innovation Score: Qwik Fold= 10/10 Cruiser GX= 8/10

 

Ease of Use (10 Points)

Both of the carts are very easy to set up and attach your golf bag to. The Cruiser GX uses a buckle and strap system while the Qwik Fold used a more bungee and hook system. There are strengths and weaknesses of both strap systems. The bungee system is easier to attach, but a bit more difficult to adjust than the buckles.

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The bag sits nicely in both carts, but the top bag holder seems just a bit high in the Cruiser GX.

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Perhaps this is just a case of bag and cart miss-match, but the Nike SQ Tour bag fits great in other carts, including the Qwik Fold. One other bag issue with the Cruiser GX is that there is a bit of sliding with the plastic base of the bag and the bag holding base of the cart.

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I did just crank down more on the strap to secure it, but I think that I may add piece of grip tape to the cart base to reduce sliding.

 

Both carts rely on the strapping system to stay secured when closed. While this does work, I really wished there was more of a latching system of some sort that really clicked into place when the cart closed. I just felt that sometimes they wanted to unfold after I picked up the folded cart.

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Ease of Use Score: Qwik Fold= 8/10 Cruiser GX= 7/10

 

Performance

As you can see, both of the carts fold up nicely, but do take up more space in the trunk than the Clicgear or the Sun Mountain Microcart. If space is truly a premium, the wheels can be easily removed from the carts, although those wheels still need to go someplace. While attached, the front wheel of the Cruiser GX does take up more space, and as mentioned previously, its removal is a little more involved.

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On the course, both carts perform very well. Both carts are stable and easy to push on the course. One mistake that I made was not making sure that the front wheel was aligned on the Qwik Fold cart before taking it out on the course for the first time. Thankfully, once I got home and used the supplied hex wrench, aligning the front wheel was very straightforward. I also had to align the Cruiser GX, but I was smart enough to do this before heading to the course with that cart.

 

One of my favorite things to do with a three-wheel cart it to give it a strong push and send it down the fairway on its own. The Qwik Fold passed this “test”, rolling nicely along after a hard shove. The Cruiser was not quite as nimble, tipping backward on me the first time I did it. Not quite what I was looking for. The center of gravity is just a bit higher in the Cruiser GX and may have led to the tipping. I did try it again, with a little less vigor, and it rolled out fine. Now I realize that solo rolls after a big push is not the designed use of the cart, but I like doing it and I do think that it gives some insight into the stability of the cart.

 

The only real shortcoming that I see in the carts comes in the area of the console. The push bar is super-comfortable, with the finger slots feeling very natural and ergonomic.

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But for me, it was a bit downhill from there. The console on both carts seemed a bit small to me. The Qwik Fold's console interior is larger than the Cruiser GX's but they both come up a bit short when compared to the Sun Mountain and Clicgear carts.

 

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As the Cruiser GX is not really a competitor with those carts, shortcomings in the console are forgivable. The Quik Fold is almost in the price range of those premium carts, however, and as such direct comparisons are valid. Perhaps if I had not used the other carts, I would have been more satisfied with these consoles, but I can't avoid the comparison. One example that really stands out for me is the mesh net that hands under the console.

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I appreciate that it gives extra storage space, but I found that accessing the net was a bit tight. The nets found in front of the consoles on the Clicgear and the Speed Cart are much larger and easier to access.

 

Adjusting the console height was easy on both carts, but the three position options on the Cruiser GX are a bit limiting.

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The middle position was fine for me at 5' 11”, but it didn't feel quite as comfortable as the console position achieved on the Qwik Fold. As with some of the other features though, the Cruiser GX is a lower end cart and as such will not have the same range of features.

 

Both carts come equipped with a foot break located on the left wheel. The break holds the cart in place and easily engages and disengages by pressing on it with your foot. While the mechanism is excellent, I did find the break a bit more awkward to engage than the hand brake levers found on other carts. Perhaps this awkwardness will lessen as I use the cart more frequently.

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After listing these shortcomings, I want to reemphasize that both of the carts were very comfortable to push around on the course. Getting your clubs from hole one to hole eighteen on the course is accomplished without issue, and actually with ease. I do think that the console on the cart is important to discuss though as that is the part that you physically interact with on the course.

Performance Score: Qwik Fold= 54/60 Cruiser GX= 48/60

 

Value (20 Points)

Both carts are solid performers on the course and represent great value. The Cruiser GX sells for around $99 shipped from multiple online sources. I think that this is about right for the features of this entry-level pushcart. Pricing on the Qwik Fold is a little harder to judge for me. These carts run about $190 online. This places the Qwik Fold in the neighborhood of the premium Sun Mountain and Clicgear pushcarts. You will save some initial cost by going with the Qwik Fold, but you will be missing some of the superior features (console in particular) found on those carts. You will need to decide if the $50-ish to go with the other carts is worth it.

Value Score: Qwik Fold= 17/20 Cruiser GX= 18/20

 

Total Score: Qwik Fold= 89/100 Cruiser GX= 81/100

 

Summary

While neither the Qwik Fold or the Cruiser GX pushcart scored at the top of the pushcart category, I do believe that they are definitely worth considering when shopping for a three-wheel cart. Although the Cruiser GX lacks some of the luxury found in the high-end carts, it definitely competes well with the other carts in its price range. The simple folding mechanism of the Qwik Fold is worth trying out first hand. Unfold it in about a second, slap your bag on it, and you are off to the first tee.

Volvo Intorqueo

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  • 4 weeks later...

Good review and thanks Dave. Always interested in push carts! This doesn't look like it stacks up very well to the Clic Gear though. Perhaps it isn't trying to.

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