TESTED: MOTOCADDY M3 PRO TROLLEY

11 March 2022

Motocaddy has continued the impressive evolution of its award-winning range of electric trolleys with the launch of the new M Series, which contains four new models for golfers who prefer to save their energy for playing shots rather than hauling their golf bags around.

Space is at a premium in everyone’s lives these days, especially in most golfers’ over-crowded garages and garden sheds, so first up it was impressive to see that the footprint of the M3 Pro, as with the other three models – the M1, M1 DHC and M5 Connect – has been reduced by just over 10 per cent on the S Series. It also features a built-in stand, which enables it to be stored upright, saving even more space.

The trolley itself is neatly constructed, and boasts the smallest chassis unit I’ve ever seen on a power trolley. The lime colour trim gives it a sporty look, while the key components have a solid, well-made feel to them. The rubber dual-handle grip, which is height-adjustable, is especially comfortable, while the power dial and buttons are all within easy reach and straightforward to operate.

Erecting and collapsing the trolley takes a few minutes to master, with various lime-coloured handles to unlock and lock, but once you’ve done it a few times, it soon becomes second nature. The front wheel automatically folds neatly under the chassis, which is a nice design touch, and it’s an easy-to-carry unit when folded up.

The wide wheels are simple to attach and detach, and are clearly marked ‘L’ and ‘R’ to ensure they correctly engage with the drive shaft. I think I would prefer a less ‘plasticky’ tyre, although that seems to be the industry standard these days and is clearly more durable than rubber.

Other useful design features include Motocaddy’s Easilock bag-to-trolley connection system, which removes the need for a lower bag strap if you have a Motocaddy bag, although it has one anyway in case you’re using another brand. There’s also an added security measure with a pin code required to unlock the bag from the trolley.

The handle unit features a small digital display screen, which offers battery life, the time, and shows distance measurements for drive, round and life, as well as a six-step distance control function for when you want to send the trolley on ahead. There’s a USB charging port for phones and GPS units, and the screen will display notifications for missed calls, text messages, emails or a range of app alerts.

The speed dial offers nine settings, with the ‘6’ setting offering my kind of comfortable walking pace on a flat surface. Powering up to 8 or 9 was required on uphill sections, but it proved easily up to the task, even with a heavy tour bag on board (and probably more than 14 clubs).
That effortless power is down to the new 28V lithium battery, which is not only appreciably smaller and narrower than most other lithium batteries (although it is much deeper), but is also more powerful, with even the standard model I tested managing 36 holes with ease on a single charge. The increased capacity also means that the battery doesn’t have to work so hard to get the same power to the wheels, so that it will extend the life of the battery in the short- and long-term.