Snowmobile question

[Guest]

I would like to buy a snowmobile to be used just for ice fishing, but I do not have a clue on what to get.I do not want to spend a lot of money on a new one but I also do not want to be to cheap as to not get a dependable machine. Can someone point me in the right direction on what I should look for and how much I will probley spend. Thanks for your help.

[kwkfsh]

You can make most any sled work if need be. If you are going to buy a used one try and find one that already has a hitch and a rack on the back, that will save you some time and money and the sled will be much more funtional. If you are going to be doing any off trail or deep snow work then by all means get a long track. You may also want to put some sheetmetal screws in the track lugs for traction on icy surfaces (cheap and effective).

[Steve Foss]

Ice cube:

Kwkfish is on the money.

Some other considerations. Go to a couple dealers who stock snowmobiles (and service them). Tell them what you're after and ask them what they'd recommend. Some will just recommend what used sleds they've got on the lot, but some will tell you the best used sleds to look for.

Obviously, if you plan to tow ice fishing gear you're after dependability and staying power, not brute speed. Tell the dealers what you're after. And talk to some guys who service sleds of all makes. They know what holds up and what doesn't, and if you get to know some of them, they may keep their eyes out for a sled like you're talking about.

I've got a buddy who works the parts counter at a sport and marine dealership, and he found a nice used Yamaha sled for $800 that had been gotten on the cheap and rebuilt by a mechinic. Those deals are all over the place.

Also, there are plenty of used sleds in most Northern or Midwestern daily newspaper classified sections. You can find a sled for $1,500 to $2,000 or a bit more that's five to seven years old and still has lots of life left it it. If you don't know sleds, then you won't know whether the model numbers in those ads are for speed demons or workhorses, but you can educate yourself a bit and find out.

Main brands up north: Polaris, Skidoo, Arctic Cat.

Good luck, and have fun.

[kwkfsh]

Skidoo makes a model called a tundra and a line called the skandic. These are utility sleds, long track, racks and hitches. The tundras might be a little hard to find in Mn. but are a great sled for icefishing and will go anywhere in the deepest of snow. They are the lightest longtrack made, have a super torqey single cyl. eng. and will pull just about anything you can hook to them. They are only about $3500 new so you may be able to find a late model for a very good price. But keep in mind this is not a go fast sport model. top end is about 50 mph. For a better dual purpose machine take a look at the skandic line.

[Guest]

Thanks Guys, Your input is a big help, I think what I will look for a machine around a $1000 bucks or so.I looked at one Sunday- 1987 phazer,440,elec.start with a two sled tilt trailer.The guy just had it gone over and had the paper work to prove it.
He wants $1500.00. A trailer would cost about 4 or 5 anyway, plus this is ready to go. It also had a hitch. He said I could put sheet metel screws in the track for better traction on the ice. Is that True ??

[Guest]

No thats not true. guess what happens when those come loose. studs are nice but you're not really goin to need them unless you're pulling something bigger than an otter sled.
I took the studs out of my track when all the new laws in MN came into effect.

[kwkfsh]

You can put sheetmetal screws in your track and they will rarely if ever come loose. I did this for years when I lived in alaska on summit 670 mountain sleds that were pumping out about 115 to 120 hp. You just screw them in the top of the track lugs. You just have to line them up so they don't hit the tunnel protectors or if you dont have tunnel protectors you will have to add some. Otherwise when you bottom out they will chew the livin **** out of your tunnel. They will give you fantastic traction without the expense, time, and cost of installing studs. The best ones are the ones they make for atv tires with the cut heads. Just remember you cannot run studs on some trails and the sheetmetal screws may be considered studs. I would usually put about 150 in a 136" track and maybe lose 2 or 3 in a season, on a sled that was run hard, hard, hard in the moutains ( lots of full throttle going vertical).

[HOGEYE]

I just purchased a 95 cougar 440. Has extended track, studded, reverse, two-up seat, electric start, tow hitch, handle bar warmers and only 1500 miles on it for only $1000.

[Surface Tension]

On lakes I wouldnt worry about studs.
Worry about slush. A long track or a long paddle track and enough HP to rip through. Go with a 95 or newer for much better suspension. Plus the tunnel and rails sit up off the ground higher giving you less hangup on the slush.

[Guest]

I find that to be completely nuts. Why in the world would you put sheet metal screws into a thousand dollar track and then run it on a seven thousand dollar machine. Runnin it in the mountains would be less stressfull on them. But when driving the sled on glare ice or occasional flat surfaces would be rather hard on this mindless innovation. Either do it right or not at all. you ever fixed an exhaust line with a tin can? (yup, thats a metaphor)

[Fish Toys]

Putting any kind of studs in you better know what you are doing! Studs tear up everything, tunnel, liquid cooled it will tear the cooling apart. If they aren’t put on right and if you are trail riding and some of them fly off hitting your friends behind you? OUCH! For the bolt on studs make sure they stay tight. It also depends on what you are going to use the sled for. Trail riding they are hard on the trail. Pulling & working the sled they might be a must to have and wouldn’t need that many. Drag racing your sled on ice the carbide studs is a must and the more the better! Oh and also riding on ice carbide scags will help you have better control of your machine. Carbide studs & scags are the way to go. Carbide will last a long time as opposed to sheet metal screws. Also if we don’t get any snow on this mirror like ice your Hyfax is going to heat up and cause lots of drag and take power to ride. Don’t know what to do about that. I’ll have to ask the younger brother that question. Hmm he drag races his sled on asphalt!
Now being a few of us have you confused good luck on your choice of sleds and options.
“FISH”
www.icesaws.com

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http://www.icesaws.com/

[Guest]

Well I don't think I will try the sheet metal screw trick after all that.But I have made up my mind on the sled. Longtrack,96 or newer,440 or bigger. I did check out the Skandic on the Web, cool machine, base price still more than I want to pay.I have never seen a used one in the paper or on sledcity.com so people must hang on to them or they just don't buy them because their not fast and sleek looking. I sure liked the machine and the equiptment that comes standard.

[kwkfsh]

All the people who tell you that you cannot use sheet metal screws have obviously never tried them. They do work very, very well when you need some extra traction such as on glare ice. As far as putting them in the track it won't hurt the track at all. We ran these in paddle tracks ( 11/2 to 2" paddles ). You screw them into top of the track lugs. This is much easier on the track than drilling or cutting holes in it to install studs. Put 100 studs in a track and you will add 10 to 20 pounds of weight to it, whereas 100 srews will only add a pound or two to it. Plus you will probably save over $100 vs. studs. As far as running in the mountains being easier on anything, all I can say is mountain riding is'nt easier on anything. The screws will not take the place of studs but for the times when you need that extra bit of help getting some traction they can be a godsend. As far as this being a mindless innovation i'm sure there are thousands of ice racers ( cars, atvs, bikes ) who would take exception with that mindless statement.

[Guest]

When I meet an ice dragger out fishing next to me I'll make sure to ask him. And I'm sure you run into ice similar to that of a lake running a moutainside. Been there.

[Guest]

i picked a 95 scandic for 1200.00 last winter it is a great sled for towing not the fastest thing in the world but it gets the job done.
what do you guys do on bare ice to keep the hifax from overheating

[Guest]

Not much you can do. Replace them every couple hundred miles? I've never heard of any solution.