Trojan golf cart batteries: T-105, T-875, T-1275 and the rest

Trojan golf cart batteries come in three voltages and seven or eight model numbers, and the only one that matters to you is the one that matches your tray. Six-slot 48V carts take the T-875; eight-slot Yamaha 48V carts and all 36V carts take the T-105; four-slot carts such as the RXV take the T-1275. Buy a set of one model from one batch and you have bought what the dealer would have sold you.

This is the brand page in the batteries section. The 48 volt battery page explains why trays come in six-8V, four-12V and eight-6V layouts, and the battery calculator runs a Trojan flooded set against lithium over ten years using your own miles.

How to read a Trojan model number

Trojan’s golf cart batteries are named by voltage and rough capacity. The first digit or two is the voltage: T-1xx is 6V, T-8xx is 8V, T-12xx is 12V. The rest of the number is a loose stand-in for capacity, so the T-105, T-125 and T-145 are three 6V batteries in rising order of amp-hours and height.

Every one of them sits in a “GC” case: GC2 for 6V, GC8 for 8V, GC12 for 12V. The footprint is about 10 by 7 inches across the lineup. What changes between models in the same voltage is height, and height is what you measure before buying anything taller than the base model.

The lineup

Model	Volts	Capacity (20-hour)	Case	Weight	Height	Set price, about
T-105	6V	225Ah	GC2	62 lb	standard	$1,140 to $1,500 for six; $1,520 to $2,000 for eight
T-125	6V	240Ah	GC2 tall	66 lb	about half an inch taller	$1,260 to $1,620 for six
T-145	6V	260Ah	GC2H	72 lb	about an inch and a half taller	$1,440 to $1,860 for six
T-875	8V	170Ah	GC8	63 lb	standard	$1,260 to $1,680 for six
T-890	8V	190Ah	GC8H	69 lb	about an inch taller	$1,500 to $1,920 for six
T-1275	12V	150Ah	GC12	82 lb	standard	$1,200 to $1,560 for four

The 6V line goes into 36V carts as a set of six and into long-range Yamaha 48V carts as a set of eight. The 8V line is the six-battery 48V set in most Club Cars, the EZGO TXT48 and most Yamaha 48V carts. The 12V is the four-battery set in the RXV and the 2004 to mid-2008 Precedent. The 6-volt, 8-volt and 12-volt pages compare each against the other brands in its class.

Taller models: more range if the seat closes

The T-125, T-145 and T-890 are the same footprint as the base models with more lead stacked higher. The T-890 gives six-slot carts about 12 percent more capacity; the T-145 gives a Yamaha or a 36V cart about 15 percent more. On a four-seater that is two to four miles per charge.

The catch is clearance. A standard GC2 or GC8 is about 11 inches tall to the top of the case, and the terminals add an inch. A GC8H or GC2H adds another inch to an inch and a half. Most Club Car DS and Precedent trays take the tall batteries. Many EZGO and Yamaha trays do not, and a seat that will not latch is the sign. Measure from the tray floor to the underside of the seat frame and subtract two inches for terminals and cables before you order.

AGM and lithium from Trojan

The Reliant AGM line puts sealed batteries into the same GC2, GC8 and GC12 cases. No water, no acid, better behavior when the cart sits. Capacity drops 10 to 20 percent against the flooded version of the same case and the price rises about half. They need a charger with an AGM profile. For a cart used a few weekends a month, AGM is often the set that is still alive in year five.

Trojan’s lithium is sold as a 48V battery in a GC2 footprint rather than as one big pack. Each is about 2.7 kWh, and you put two or three in parallel in the existing tray. It is a tidy install because nothing has to be fabricated, and it is Trojan’s dealer network standing behind it. It costs more per kilowatt-hour than the packs on the lithium guide, and that page is where to compare before you decide.

When a cheaper brand is fine

Trojan’s edge is thicker plates and a denser paste, which translate to more cycles before the plates shed. That edge shows up under hard use: a cart that does 15 miles a day, gets run to the last bar and climbs hills. If that is your cart, Trojan is worth the 20 to 30 percent premium and the testing page will probably show the set still healthy in year five.

If your cart does three miles to the clubhouse and goes on the charger every night, you will not use the margin you paid for. Interstate, Duracell and Deka golf cart batteries all come out of East Penn and are good batteries; Crown and US Battery are good US-made alternatives at a similar price to Trojan or a little under. Owners report a year or so less from the East Penn brands under daily use and roughly the same life under light use. Spend the difference on a watering kit and a good charger, both of which add more years than the brand name does.

Which Trojan for your cart

Cart	Voltage	Layout	Trojan model
Club Car DS to 1994	36V	Six 6V	T-105, or T-125 if the seat clears
Club Car DS 1995 and later, Precedent mid-2008 and later, Onward, Tempo	48V	Six 8V	T-875, or T-890 on most DS and Precedent
Club Car Precedent 2004 to mid-2008	48V	Four 12V	T-1275
EZGO Marathon, Medalist, TXT to 2009	36V	Six 6V	T-105
EZGO TXT48 2010 and later	48V	Six 8V	T-875; check clearance before T-890
EZGO RXV	48V	Four 12V	T-1275
Yamaha G14, G16	36V	Six 6V	T-105
Yamaha G19, G22, Drive, Drive2	48V	Six 8V standard; eight 6V on long-range carts; four 12V on most 2007 to 2010 Drives	T-875, T-105 for eight slots, T-1275 for four; T-125 rarely clears

The fitment pages for Club Car, EZGO and Yamaha have the serial plate locations if the year is in doubt.

Install and the first month

Buy the set together and check the date code on each post; they should match. Install in series following the 48 volt diagram or its 36V equivalent, torque the terminals to about 8 foot-pounds, and charge fully before the first drive. Check the water level after that first charge and top up with distilled water only to the fill line.

A new flooded set does not reach full capacity until 20 to 50 cycles in, so do not judge range in the first two weeks. Water monthly, charge after every use and follow the maintenance routine, and a Trojan set will give you what you paid for.