Yerf Dog thoughts

[Mixap]

What’s everyone’s advice on Yerf Dog? Well made, easy to repair or are they cheap and always something to fix? Does this seem like a decent price, says it starts upon the 2nd-3rd pull. This is my first time buying and just wondering if it’s worth spending an extra $800 on something like a Trailmaster and will it last longer or am I just spending more money on parts. Any help is much appreciated!

 

[Denny]

The Godfrey’s were great karts. That one is too expensive though. $600.00 seems about right though.

 

[panchothedog]

The Yerf-Dog will be the more dependable and easier to work on. Thats a little steep on price. Roll bar padding is nice, but that is way overboard. No point in putting it on the luggage rack. It will never have reverse or electric starting. It's a go kart, not a car. I have owned two Yerf Dogs. Still have one of them. Good simple rugged kart. Every one of my 5 grandkids have beat on it for years now.
I think I have replaced one front wheel bearing ( common $6 item ) and removed
and straightened out one bent tie rod. Very happy with mine, and I own 4 karts.

 

[Mixap]

Thank you both! Everything I have been looking at seems high here! Is $600 to much of a low ball. Would $700 still be a good deal? I like that you said they are rugged and easy to work on! Thank you!

 

[panchothedog]

$700 would still be a good price. Do the 2 helmets come with it. Are they in sizes that you or a family member can use? If yes then that could add another $100, but only if you can use them. If you have kids who will use it, absolutely mandatory to have helmets.

 

[Mixap]

I believe they do come with it and it sounds like you suggest wearing the helmets while driving. Is it law or just dangerous enough to require helmets? I guess they put the roll bars and padding on there for a reason!

 

[panchothedog]

It isn't really that dangerous, but neither is riding in a car. And we all wear seatbelts. Where we go, to a state off road park, it is law. I never let my grandchildren drive without one. You can replace a kart, not so with a young one.
FWIW the two Yerf-Dogs that I purchased used I paid $650 for one, and $850 for the other. Both were in decent shape and ran good. The one that you posted a picture of looks a bit nicer than either of mine.

 

[Mixap]

It isn't really that dangerous, but neither is riding in a car. And we all wear seatbelts. Where we go, to a state off road park, it is law. I never let my grandchildren drive without one. You can replace a kart, not so with a young one.
FWIW the two Yerf-Dogs that I purchased used I paid $650 for one, and $850 for the other. Both were in decent shape and ran good. The one that you posted a picture of looks a bit nicer than either of mine.

Thank you for the advice, so true, you cannot replace them. I will now make them wear a helmet!

 

[Mixap]

Does this seem like way too much? It looks brand new and I can’t find anything under $1000 that does not have rust on it.

 

[Hellion]

That Yerf Dog 3203 looks mint but is it $1600 mint? Too much for my taste. Maybe I'm missing out on current trends. Is Fall 2023 a seller's market and not a buyer's market right now? Someone is looking to cash in on a Christmas sucker.

Either that was a garage queen or someone went wild with a "restoration" and called it a 2023. Seat is original; those are the first to go from hard usage and years of use....

 

[Hellion]

Most of us here like buying them dirt cheap and fixing them up so those exorbitant prices are way out of many folks' comfort zone. It's just the way we are

 

[Mixap]

The video showed it start with 1 effortless pull! Is $1600 crazy? He said he would do $1500 but can’t get him any lower!

 

[Mixap]

Most of us here like buying them dirt cheap and fixing them up so those exorbitant prices are way out of many folks' comfort zone. It's just the way we are

I wanted to get something that would last and that I could learn on repairing slowly that is easy to repair. Don’t need all the bells and whistles but I see a lot with rust all over and that seems like a bigger job than the rest of it.

 

[panchothedog]

Did you miss the one with the helmets for $1000. That kart and this one are almost the same. The other one probably still had the original Tecomseh
( spelling ) engine, where this one has a new predator engine. It will be a LITTLE snappier with the predator. That kart hasn't been built for at least 10 years. So it is not a 2023. BUT it sure looks like it is. I have never seen a prettier one. From the dates on your thread, you have obviously been looking for a while now. As mentioned by Hellion it is steep, but then neither he nor I know the local market where you live. If you missed the other one because someone else bought it out from under you while you were thinking about it, or trying to negotiate, well then it's a bit of a higher market where you live. You'll never find a nicer one. Someone did a remarkable job restoring it, or it was put in a time capsule the day it was purchased new. I would rather have the Dog for $1500 than the Trail Master for
$1800 that was in your very first post. Guess it comes down to how bad do you want it.

 

[Hellion]

The video showed it start with 1 effortless pull! Is $1600 crazy? He said he would do $1500 but can’t get him any lower!

That's not the original engine, but the Predator engine is nothing special and they all start on the first pull. All China/Honda/Briggs OHV slant cylinder engines start easy. You can tell that engine is basically brand new, so that's nothing. Big whoop.

 

[Hellion]

My advice is buy what you like, buy that kart that speaks to your heart.

Most of the karts and buggies pictured in this thread and discussed on this forum, regardless of manufacture/country of origin, are absolutely ran into the ground; they are ran hard/put away wet and absolutely trashed and all the problems we hear about are from people who bought one used and are trying to get it running again and troubleshoot the problems. If you buy one and take care of it and probably most importantly store it indoors where field mice, rain and inclement weather can't have their way with it, it will last many many years.

Those Chinese fully suspended buggies have a lot of nice features, lights, forward/reverse, electric start and so forth. . . . .

 

[panchothedog]

Yeh, and those Chinese buggies with all the bells and whistles are loaded with nightmarish problems. You've been on this forum long enough to have seen the countless requests for help with the electrical problems with these things. A go kart should be a simple dependable vehicle. Not a rolling convince complex ready to drive you crazy when it inevitably breaks down.

 

[Mixap]

Did you miss the one with the helmets for $1000. That kart and this one are almost the same. The other one probably still had the original Tecomseh
( spelling ) engine, where this one has a new predator engine. It will be a LITTLE snappier with the predator. That kart hasn't been built for at least 10 years. So it is not a 2023. BUT it sure looks like it is. I have never seen a prettier one. From the dates on your thread, you have obviously been looking for a while now. As mentioned by Hellion it is steep, but then neither he nor I know the local market where you live. If you missed the other one because someone else bought it out from under you while you were thinking about it, or trying to negotiate, well then it's a bit of a higher market where you live. You'll never find a nicer one. Someone did a remarkable job restoring it, or it was put in a time capsule the day it was purchased new. I would rather have the Dog for $1500 than the Trail Master for
$1800 that was in your very first post. Guess it comes down to how bad do you want it.

I did miss out on the other one! My market is not good and have to travel at least 4 hours one way to get anything cheaper. I did not want to spend that much but it’s been slim pickings on something that can fit a growing boy. Are there any other brands you would recommend that are not to small and are basic, sturdy and easy to repair. Most I see out there have a length of 36 inches from the pedal to the back of the seat. That is what my son is at now but he’s growing like a weed. Thanks for your help’

 

[BaconBitRacing]

Anything Manco, Ken-bar, Carter Brothers, Yerf-dog, and a few other American made kart manufacturers made is good. which ones fit your criteria is a different story. All these karts are very sturdy, easy to repair, and fairly basic. If there's one piece of advice to be given, stay away from China karts. Most China karts come with gy6 style engines that have horrible wiring.

 

[Mixap]

Anything Manco, Ken-bar, Carter Brothers, Yerf-dog, and a few other American made kart manufacturers made is good. which ones fit your criteria is a different story. All these karts are very sturdy, easy to repair, and fairly basic. If there's one piece of advice to be given, stay away from China karts. Most China karts come with gy6 style engines that have horrible wiring.

That’s good to know, I always try to buy American made products! Thank you for the info!