Snowmobile -or- Snowmachine?

[Moose-Hunter]

In my travels around the upper midwest and Canada, I've noticed some people refer to ski directed, tracked, snow going transportation as snowmobiles, while for others it's a snowmachine.

It seems to be a matter of geographic location. Or is it an "age" thing. Is there a dividing line? Your thoughts?

[lawdog]

I can't say I know anyone that calls em Snowmachines. Lots of people I know just call them sleds...

[minneman]

Ive heard "snowcats" quite a bit up nort.

[hanson]

I call it my Sled or my Cat.

I'm not a fan when people ask if you are going Ski-Dooing. Sort of like Jet-Skiing I guess.

[afroman]

hey i have noticed the same thing. My wife is from northwestern ontario and they all refur to the sleds as "snowmachines" it drives me nuts. here in manitoba most of us call them "sleds"

[Hemlock]

Well, I haven't travelled the world, but I've lived in Manitoba, Minnesota, and now NW Ontario. In my "travels" I've gone from being born and raised calling them "Skidoo's". Seems to me everybody in my home town in Manitoba called it "skidoo" We're going "skidoo'n" What kind of skidoo do you have? " A Polaris" Kinda funny.

Then in Minnesota it was a 75/25 split with most people calling them "snowcats", the other 25% calling them "sleds" or "snowmobiles".

Here in NWOntario, it is definately a "Snowmachine". It's a bit of a mouthful. I.E. "No, Jim isn't home today, he's out snowmachining"

It's definately a region specific issue. Toban's can be defended if you were to compare it to calling a facial tissue a "Kleenex". They were the first company in this case to come out with the product and the name sticks. Skill saw, Xerox machine, to name a couple more examples.

Good question, sorry I wrote so much.

[TV BOY]

A friend of mine moved to Alaska a few years ago. While talking to him recently he was telling me that he was going to get a snow machine. I asked,"did you get a ski resort or something!?" "what do you need to make snow for?"

He was refering to a snowmobile. I had never heard the term "snowmachine" before.

[cloudfisher]

Most of the time I just refer to it as a "sled" or snowmobile. Where my wife is from(Hallock area) they use "Snowcat". I thought "cats" were afraid of water..be it liquid, frozen or white.

[SnowAngel]

Here in Ely, MN they are referred to as snowmobiles or snowmachine. "What kind of machine do you ride?" is often said.

Here's one for you.... anyone remember the term 'biling (snowmobiling), as we're going 'biling today. It was common in the early 1970s.

[let it snow]

I'm originally from Hallock also and yep, we went snowcatting - in the ditches and on the Red River! Boy we were living! Some went Ski-Dooing too....now we "sled" in God's Country - Kabetogama, Ash River, Crane and Rainy! 4' of snow this season! Life is good!

[fivebucks]

It was exclusively Snowmachine when I lived in Alaska as was mentioned earlier. It's kindof like "POP" or "SODA" except MN is the only place it's "POP" that I know of.

[Tully]

Up here in East Grand Forks, it was snowcat when I was a kid. Now it is sled. Hanson, my buddy has a "sled" just like the one in your avatar.

Tully

[PERCHJR]

"SLED" and of course "ARCTIC CAT"

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD FISHING!!!

[hanson]

Tully,

I just switched up my Avatar the other day to this one, an old rear engine cat. How cool is that!!

I had my old SnoJet at the Waconia gathering a few years ago and some old guy came cruising by me on one of those old rear engine sleds. Too cool is all I could think of.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Where I live for the last 2 years they've been called "Those things taking up space in the garage because there isn't any snow."

[LocalGuide]

I refer to my "Sled" as a "Piece of dump that always has something new up its pipe to p*$$ me off." But SO FAR this year the think has been performing pretty good so I'm happy with it so far.

Like you noticed earlier, I refer to them as a "Sled." I have a 95 Z440 Cat. It pretty much has a new engine in it now as I've replaced it all. In the future I wouldn't mind calling it either Ski-dooing or Arctic Catting with a new sled.

[hanson]

My "Piece of dump that always has something new up its pipe to p*$$ me off" just snapped the recoil rope 2 miles out on the lake this weekend. Go figure. It couldn't have done it before the trip started now could it.

[LocalGuide]

Don't worry your not alone here. I forgot to mention that on mine I broke my plastic cover on the gas cap gauge. Well as you would know snow or water can leak in through that. So I tried going to the nearest Cat dealer to get any cap and they didn't have ANYTHING! I was kind of shocked.

But for a quick fix I just put a plastic glove over it and then wrapped duck tape around the top. It sealed the tank so good that it couldn't breathe . So now I have a vapor lock type of deal if I don't unscrew the cap every once in a while. And on top of that I broke that little cable for the hood when you open it up. I cant remember the name, its the one that protects it from breaking off when your upset and throw open the hood.

[Dennis Steele]

I have been calling snowmobiles "snowmachines" for years. Never been to Alaska and havn't spent that much time in Manitoba. I think I picked it up from an uncle that had "snowmachines" when I was a kid. He is from Albert Lea area.

[chunkytrout]

I think I heard it from my uncle in Montana. "Trackski" That was a new one for me. We call em snowmachines or sleds.

[bwtrout]

I just watched an excellent documentary on PBS regarding the history of snowmobiling. Dang short term memory! I believe that when the first one was invented with the rear engine it was made by Cat? So they started out as Sno-Cat's. I could be way off. Then the engines moved to the front and other company's started up.

[bwtrout]

Chunky, considering the vintage we ride I think we 'more often than none' call them "YOU NO GOOD !@##@#$%**!, please start, it's a long walk home!"

[hanson]

bwtrout-

Actually the first snowmobile was not made by Cat. I'm kind of bumming on that since I'm a cat fan. I'll have to check some of my VSCA mags at home to be sure but I think we're talking about an Autoboggan as being one of the first. Polaris Sno-Traveler was also a very, very early snowmobile. Now that I'm thinking about this, I think I'm wrong on both of those. I'll post back tomorrow or later this evening if I can find something out.

[bwtrout]

I'm talking about CAT (I believe they were the ones who came up with the track concept) the heavy equipment company, not Artic cat. I think Artic cat joined the game as soon as the engines moved to the front. Polaris might have been the first company to market the front engine snowmobile?

[Hemlock]

Not Bombardier eh?