Snowmobile opinion

[canoeing north]

Would like an opinion on which snowmobiles would be recommended for using in deep snow , non trail applications that you would find in northern Ontario or Quebec . If you were to snowmobile into an isolated area ,making your own trail and wanted to be able to get back out without too many problems , what would be a good sled in your opinion or experience ?

Thank you

[xeon]

New or Used?

[ecmilley]

any of the utility sleds would do the job i am partial to yamaha but thats my opinion.

sleds to look at ar yamaha vk professional

ski-doo skandic, polaris bearcat i think it's called all have wide long tracks and wide skis all good faetures for back country adventures

[DRIFTER_016]

And how much snow in the area you are going to use it.

Where I am there is usually no more than 3 feet of snow on the ground and my 700# 2 up cruiser has no problems with getting stuck.

I don't know how it would do in the mountains or breaking trail in areas where the snow is really deep.

The utility sleds offered by all the manufacturers while not exactly sporty are very good in deep snow and breaking trail.

[Dara]

Strictly snow a skidoo tundra is good. You can't tow a lot and if you get into the slush its a bit underpowered.

 

The yamaha vk540 or vk professional is like a bulldozer but can still do 90mph...wide to get between trees though.

 

A wide track skandic is good...mountain sleds too.

You gotta pick a price point and also decide a bit more what you want to do with it...fishing or boondocking

[Eazy]

550 Skandic SWT!...........Reliability of a two-stroke, fan-cooled motor, has a pull cord ( which the Vk Professinal does not, to my knowledge)...just all-around the best machine out there for off-trail applications..

[12footspringbok]

arctic cat bearcat

 

There fixed it for ya.

 

By the way if you want to get in and out from far remote places stay away from arctic cat, but that just my opinion and you asked.

[Eazy]

There fixed it for ya.

 

By the way if you want to get in and out from far remote places stay away from arctic cat, but that just my opinion and you asked.

 

Yah, it's either you love Cats or hate 'em eh??.......Had a 2004 400 Cat 4-wheeler, absolute piece of junk!

On the other hand, presently own a 1995 550 Prowler, with 6500 miles on it, runs great, good trailbreaker, best machine I ever owned hands down!

[carll2]

love my 2010 ski doo summit 800r long track...get me everywhere in the chest deep snow i want to go...personally for deep snow ive had 4 stroke yamahas and i didnt like them...

id go for

-scandik

-polaris wide track

-bearcat

-tundra lt

-expedition xu

-summit

-polaris rmk

 

depends what exactly your using it for and what snow conditions

[canadadude]

Skandic swt or a tundra (snow shoe of the north)

[redneck666]

There fixed it for ya.

 

By the way if you want to get in and out from far remote places stay away from arctic cat, but that just my opinion and you asked.

 

well, people have their own opinions on cats but the common thing with them is coils, or so i've heard and read. yamaha sleds are a good one too, yamaha fx nytro m-tx 15" x 153" track, reliable and my friend owns one thats never let him down yet. another one is arctic cat mountain cat 800, once again another good sled so i've heard but i dont particularly go on word of mouth. ski-doo summit is another great one! i know from personal experiance with that beauty.

 

find a reliable sled with some good power, a long track and throw a nice paddle track on and you shouldnt have too much of a problem. you'll be able to come to a dead stop pretty much anywhere and be off again, best idea is do your research and find the sled that peaks your interest but a nice paddle is usually the ticket provided you have enough power to turn it haha!!!

 

forgot the assault rmk beauty of a sled and she gets the work done!

Edited January 15, 2010 by bigredneck

[canoeing north]

I would be looking at used and would want to be able to break trail in 4-5 feet of ungroomed snow . I would think that 4-5 feet should be the approx. upper limit north of Tamagami . I was hoping that a ski-doo touring longtrack 377 / 440 / 500 fan cooled would be good enough as it could also be used for trail riding and are not too heavy . But having said that I would lean toward the utilty side more than trail riding .

Thank you

[redneck666]

well, 500 fan cooled would be in your best interest. im not that into speed but its nice to have when your just playing around. if i was you i'd go for more of a liquid cooled approach with mixed gas, oil injectors have attendency to fail, like my 1993 safari 503 the drive gear in the oil injector stripped and seized up my engine but its not a big mess just new pistons and rings. my oil injector in my 1992 safari 462 liquid cooled is still great and that is a good reliable sled so far. my 1981 citation 377 is just a short track, lol i just keep the momentum going with that sled while im breaking trails and she goes, best part is its nice and light.

[redneck666]

i should add that me and my buddies were breaking trail in about 3-4 feet of powder just for fun, they each had 1991 polaris indy lite gt 340's wtih long tracks and i followed behind on my 81 citation 377, had no problems except gettin stuck on a hill not carrying enough momentum haha.

[Sinker]

We break our trails with Alpines, then pull groomers on them with Yamaha VK's. The alpines will go anywhere, and the VK's will drag anything. No problems with any of them.

 

S.

[BUSTER]

used ARGO with tracks

[Fisherman]

WTH, get a Sea King, they break down more often than any snowmobile and you'll never have the Prime Minister want to ride in it, matter of fact nobody will ever want to steal it... we have 2 Skandic 550F's at work, not fast, so far pretty reliable.

[pike slayer]

i would not want to be going anywhere remote on a ulitity sled unless there was a winch bolted to the thing. they are under powered and will leave you digging and walking if you get yourself into a nasty ditch or steep hill. i highly recommend a mountain style sled with atleast a 600cc liquid motor and a 144" 2" paddle track. carl12 has my dream sled with the 2010 summit 800r grrrrr jealous! i have a 2003 polaris rmk 700 and i love it, it goes anywhere. those skandics and VKs are amazing sleds for pulling an ice shack out onto the lake and great for loading piles of gear on it but hey what are sleighs for and mountain sleds usually have long tunnels and they come with all sorts of add on storage like gas racks and gear racks. i've pulled out them amazing tundras out of holes that they couldnt seem to make it out on their own. and for reliable well theres no snowmobile truely reliable and you should always be riding with someone else. some sleds and models are known to be better then others, gotta do your research on certain models before buying to find out its "known problems" good luck on whatever you purchase.

[mjack 7]

Whatever sled you get make sure it has a minimum of 1 1/4 " LUGS on it or forget it. Any less and in deep powder you'll be in trouble or you'll pull yours arms out getting unstuck . Been there done that ..

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

skandics are sweet if you only have to drive in a straight line! in the bush, where there's tight corners they kinda suck.

tundras are decent but bog down sometimes because like dara said, they are underpowered.

 

it's hard to pick a machine these days. i've been looking for a new sled lately but so many of the newer models are designed more as racing sleds than they are practical bush machines.

 

i like yamahas, and have been trying to find a yamaha venture 2 up. impossible!

[archie_james_c]

Throw the idea of a Utility sled out the window and buy a MOUNTAIN sled. Summit, RMK, ect. Get a 144x2 or bigger and GOOOOOOOO

[DRIFTER_016]

i like yamahas, and have been trying to find a yamaha venture 2 up. impossible!

 

 

Ahhhhh, you wouldn't like it any ways.

I found mine at a Yamaha dealer.

I only have 45 more payments and it's mine!!!!!

You can have one too, for only 15K!!!!

 

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

i'm looking for a used one but not many people sell them. those that do are wayyyyy overpriced just because it's a 2 up. gorgeous sled.

[DRIFTER_016]

i'm looking for a used one but not many people sell them. those that do are wayyyyy overpriced just because it's a 2 up. gorgeous sled.

 

I haven't seen a used one for sale up here since I moved here.

I think people hold on to them.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

there's endless arctic cat and polaris' for sale though! i wonder why?

i'm a yammy guy myself.