Having had great success with the Motocaddy S1 Digital and Motocaddy S3 Pro trolleys, the M1 takes the design further as it folds down to a smaller size and also has a built in GPS device holder and charger.
The key feature of the Motocaddy M1 PRO electric golf trolley is the compact size when folded. Using a simple 1 to 5 numbered clip system, the M1 PRO folds up and down pretty easily and the key to the compact nature is the fact the front wheel folds down too.
The handle can also be adjusted through a range of 30cm from the horizontal to suit the height of the user and this makes the trolley much more comfortable to manouevre with the controls at the right level for your hands.
The numbering on the coloured clips is not the most stylish feature but it does help guide you through the order in which you fold the trolley for the first few goes until you get the hang of it (see the video below). The trolley frame on the standard model comes in a black version or an alpine white version.
Once folded there is a clever fabric lifting strap for you to pick up the M1 Pro to put it in your car, which is a good example of the attention to detail and thought that has gone into this design.
Compared to the Motocaddy S range of trolleys, the M1 PRO is 40% or 37cm shorter when folded and that helps when transporting it.
Given the compact claims I was concerned about the stability of the M1 PRO trolley, but the width of the wheelbase is pretty similar at just 3cm narrower than the S Series trolley on the left below.
The battery tray is a little bit lower than the S-series and this lowers the centre of gravity to help the stability from the slightly narrower wheelbase. Taking it across a very sloping fairway it was as stable as any model in the market and you should not have any problems with this.
The other key feature is the excellent pop-up cradle for holding a GPS device or phone. It is located on the frame and has an adjustable pair of padded clamps to adjust to fit any width of device up from 4.4cm up to 7.5cm.
There is also a USB socket inside the cradle for charging your device from the main battery which is a great idea. With the price of a GPS cradle accessory for the S3 being around £20 range it is great to see Motocaddy include this as a standard feature on the M1 Pro and hopefully others will follow suit.
The handle houses the now familiar Motocaddy dial that controls the trolley's 230 watt motor. To stop and start is just a push on the dial and then it is very easy to control the speed with your thumb up and down through the 9 speed settings.
There is a very good automatic distance function which is perfect for sending the trolley 15, 30 or 45 metres to the next tee whilst you head to the green to putt out. This can save a lot of time during the round, even if you do have to learn to watch out for slopes and bunkers.
My only gripe is that the hard front edge of the handle does not feel as comfortable as it could be. The shape looks a bit like something from a 1970's sci-fi series. The padding on top is fine, but something more akin to the shape of your hand like a bicycle handlebar grip would be better.
Aside from the battery charge indicator there are no more functions on the screen and this makes it very easy to use. It also simplifies the display, which Motocaddy has been guilty of cramming with non-essential information in the past like distance measuring functions.
There is a choice of lead-acid or lithium battery options and whilst the lithium is more expensive, it is well worth the investment as it charges quicker and is much lighter to lift in and out of the trolley.
The lithium battery also comes with a 5 year guarantee and has the added benefit that you can fold the trolley down with the battery in place and when you get home you can even charge the battery without removing it from the trolley. An excellent idea if space is at a premium.
The battery tray has a univeral connector and can also fit an aftermarket battery if your Motocaddy battery reaches the end of its life. This is a good feature that future-proofs your trolley as sometimes customised connnectors mean you have to buy an original replacement or even a new trolley.
The elasticated bag straps are very easy to stretch round any bag and and manage to clip in place most types of golf bags, including a full size tour bag. If you get the official Motocaddy cart bag then it has a the EasiLock pin system on the bottom that locks the bag in place on the footplate above the front wheel for an even better fit.
Finally there is a easy to adjust front wheel clip so that makes adjusting the angle of the front wheel much easier than having to get the spanners out. It's almost a standard feature now on trolleys, but being able to easily straighten a drifting trolley is one of the big things manufacturers have to get right.
Motocaddy M1 Pro DHC Trolley Review
In February 2017 Motocaddy added the DHC or Down Hill Control function to the M1 Pro trolley. This enables you to control the speed of the M1 Pro as it descends down slopes so that it does not run away from you.
This is achieved by using a limited slip differential gearbox in the 230 watt motor and fixed wheels that do not have clutches and therefore won't free wheel.
The motor has sensors inside that can tell if you are going up or down a slope and it then manages the power to the wheels to let you and your M1 Pro amble down even the steepest slope.
On very steep slopes the trolley may want to start moving when stationary, but if you push the P button above the screen then an electromagnetic solenoid Parking Brake is applied that holds the trolley rock steady and puts a P on the display.
In my view, the DHC is one of the best features you can have on a trolley and unlike the S1 2016 DHC Trolley the M1 Pro has both this and the Automatic Distance Function.
These are the two best features on a trolley for me and combined with the compact nature of the M1 Pro makes the DHC one of the best electric trolleys in the market. It comes in a graphite colour frame with a lithium battery as standard, so it is well worth the extra £50 investment over the standard model.
Motocaddy M1 Pro Summary
Overall, apart from the Blake's 7 handle, there is very little to dislike about the M1 PRO trolley. The features it has are well thought out and easy to use without being hidden behind a splurge of other information.
The compact folding frame and GPS holder are 2 excellent reasons to buy this trolley and if they are key for you, then it will be worth the extra investment over the S-Series trolleys.