Sled or wheeler

[_Brad_]

3-wheeler!

[Surface Tension]

Along with the deep snow we have up north theres a deep slush. Hands down a sled would be my choice for getting around. That slush is going to pack in where ever it can.

With a sled it'll be the tunnel and suspension. The sled will keep going all day long like that. Still you can't park it like that in sub zero temps without clearing out some of that slush first.

An ATV is going to collect that slush and freeze on the under carriage and it will high center you. It'll also be be packed in drive axles and wheel wells not to mention engulfing the whole machine in a thick layer of slush. Now you have switches, cables, and electrical connection freezing up. Once that whole thing freezes your hosed. It happens and I've seen and heard of half a dozen cases so far where that ATV was left stranded on the ice. It a great machine to get you into some nitty gritty places but it can leave you stranded there too.

If your going to play on the ice this winter up here with an ATV my best advice is to leave the plastic toy shovels at home and bring a shout steel shovel suitable to knocking off ice from your ATV. You should have a steel bar long enough to knock ice off hard to get at places like drive axles and wheels wells when they freeze up too.

Not only are sleds designed to get thought that crap they do it while floating on top at a high speed.

I've seen the tracked ATVs in deep snow going across the lake, actually I heard them long before I saw them.

It was baffling, I noticed the high RPMs at a long distance away. These vehicles were traveling at about 5 miles per hour as they inched past me with RPMs seemingly maxed out. They might be fun to putt around on but long distance travel in deep snow a sled can't be beat.

I have an ATV and a sled, all situations are covered. This year with snow and slush right off the bat the ATV will sit at least till late ice when/if the snow on the lakes has melted.

You don't have to buy new. Pick up one of each used.

[rockman]

On second thought,after reading your reply,maybe tracks are not such a great idea.I did not consider the slush factor at all.I do know how things in the areas under the atv get messed up because of driving in mud sometimes, so it only makes sense when driving in, or bogging down, in the slush.No thanks, I don't need that hassle.I will have to find a used sled, and adapt to our 'real winter'.

[SomethingFishy*]

I have seen zero issues with an atv with tracks in slushy freezing conditions that you would not encounter with a snowmobile. With most atv tracks you will gain 3-5 inches of ground clearance and will have a much longer and wider footprint.

[landscaper]

2008 rhino 700 with EFI!!!!!!

i have an 07 660 rhino and that is the best thing i ever bought for ice fishing...soon tracks!!

[MuleShack]

Hey Fishy,

send me an email when you get a chance...(its in my profile)...i seen you got tracks on one of your wheelers.

I want to ask you some questions about them...ie: which brand and how long you had it etc.

[EyeSkater]

I considered tracks for my Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI 4x4....until I found out my max-rpm top speed would be about 25 mph. That's ok if you just have a mile or so to ride, but we have ridden as much as 25 miles in one day on the Great Lakes in puruit of big walleyes. Tracks mean a comfortable rpm yields a speed of about 10 or 15 mph and that won't cut it for me.

'Eye-Skater

[MuleShack]

Eyeskater,

I just noticed the "branch name" under neath your screen name...I never seen one that said "Stranger"

Is that one step up from Anonymous?

About the tracks....my mule only goes about 25-29 mph any way, and i dont think I ever drove it over 20 on the lake. They say it will loose MPH with the tracks on, so i'm guessing my top speed would be around 20 anyway.

The biggest lake i'd be on would be Mille Lacs and 10 mile trip at the very most would be 1/2 hour...I can deal with that.

It's still on the wish list.

[EyeSkater]

Hey Muleshack:

I dunno why this site calls me "Stranger". All my friend's wives call me "Handsome"!

If those tracks didn't take so much speed off the top end I would already own a set. I researched them 2 years ago. I know a few guys with them. They love 'em when the going is rough, but not so crazy about them under fast conditions. I hope you can get 20 mph out of them...even so, that will be at relatively high rpm. The tracks make noise too...not at all quiet like rubber tires. It's partly the sprocket-track drive, and partly the track action on hard surface. They make an absolutely awesome-looking package don't they?

'Eye-Skater

[MuleShack]

Eyeskater --- Look, your fixed!!

I'm looking at the northern MN company and if i am lucky enough to be able to save up for them next year...i'm probably going to drive up there to see if i can get a hands on demo or test drive them to make sure it is what i want before dropping that much ching.

On their videos on line, they sure make them look invincible..but like you said you can hear the rpms going on the machines.

Later.

[aanderud]

That's my problem too. I could most likely afford a single used sled, but then a trailer and a place to store it add cost and inconvenience. Maybe I can store a sled over at Dtro's house??

[Sandmannd]

 Originally Posted By: Sandmannd

Well I brought it up to the boss (the wife) and she was [PoorWordUsage] with me. Too many toys and wanted to know where I was goig to store it. Didn't really have an answer since we are kinda running low on space. But dang I wants me one.

OK after beggin, pleading and doing the normal as the boss stuff, she is letting me do the trade. I have found a good trade for a sled which I'm probably going to go with. It's a two up so that will be nice as well. Also, all I can find to deal on are 3 wheelers in my trade range and I don't know that a 3 wheeler would be what I want.

I did find a 90cc 4 wheeler that I could pull a trade on that is a 2004, but do you think that is big enough for what I want to use it for? It might be more of a racing wheeler than a fishing one.

[BigWadeS]

Congrats Shane, hope the deal goes through for you, can't wait to help get some use out of your toys.....

[Sandmannd]

Yea Wade, would be nice. Hopefully it goes through. I just had to throw out the puppy dog eyes and beg like a dog. Not to proud to admit it, and it will be worth it.

[Shack]

I hope you can work something out. Man, something is better than nothing.

Good luck!

[Sandmannd]

Ok, so I should be getting something in a short time. Question now is, where do you get the rigid bar to attach to your Otter and hitch to your ATV or sled?

[MattNy]

I think i saw them at fleet farm.... otherwise you can get one off of http://www.otter.com

[Sandmannd]

I posted this on the snomobile forum, but wanted to see if I could get some responses from you guys.

Posible Sled for me.

[markr108]

Personally, I'd get the wheeler first. You'll get much more use out of it. If I'm going to make payments on a machine, I can't justify making payments on something I'd only get to use 3 or 4 months in a good year for snow. With that in mind, with the wheeler payed off now. I'd refinance it for a set of tracks long befor I'd buy the sled. I've seen them for around 3000. You can use them 12 months out of the year too. Don't get me wrong. Snowmobiles are a lot of fun too. I've had several. I was never able to get one that didn't require as much repair time as riding time though. If you can afford to buy a good snowmobile without finacing it, well that may be another story too. I've also got chains on my wheeler. I've broken through the crust into six to eight inches of slush several times this year and with the chains, it just keeps on going. I also had two sleds hooked up behind it while going through slush one outing this year. Worsed that happened was one time I had to unhook the sled. Drive the wheeler back up on top of the crust and use the winch to get the sled back up to the wheeler. The slush freezing up on the machine has never been in issue with mine either. Just park it in the garage and let it melt off after I get home.

[Sandmannd]

markr108, I would rather have a wheeler, but what I'm looking to do is trade my laptop for one. I haven't run into any that within that mark or people that want to do that. I have found a couple of sleds. So far, this is the best sled I've seen that is willing to trade. No out of pocket for me, that's the only way the wife would approve it. I've found 3 wheelers I could trade for, but I don't like them all that much. If I could find s 4 wheeler that I could trade for I would jump on it.

[Sandmannd]

I have a lead on another sled as this one isn't read yet. Here's the scoop on it. Which one would you go for. More for ice fishing than anything but trails wouldn't be bad either.

1996 POLARIS ultra, triple, ONLY 2600 AND SOME CHANGE MILES ON IT. i GOT IT IN A BARTER, BUT HAVE LOST INTEREST IN IT. GOOD TRACK, AND AFTERMARKET SKI'S. FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN IT IS A BARGAIN. It was sitting since 2002. I HAVE IT REGISTERED TILL 2010, AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE TRAIL PASS I HAVE FOR SCOTT COUNTY, ALSO GOOD TILL 2010.

[anyfishwilldo]

Given the choice, I'd go with the Polaris. Larger motor, and newer susp, although, I'm a wheeler guy.

[markr108]

Sandmannd, If you can find a decent sled for the trade you're talking, go for it. It took me many years to get to the point I could finance the wheeler. Before that I had several snowmobiles that, as I mentioned before spent as much time being repaired as being used. I'd stay away from the three wheeler too. I had one of those too. It was worthless in snow. Six inches of powder and it wouldn't move. I never did try chains on it. That may have helped. Actually, if I could find a good deal on a snowmobile I could buy without financing, I'd probably buy it just to have to use once in a while. Good luck in your search. If I should stumble accross one that the owner is willing to make the type of trade you mentioned, I'll let you know.

[Sandmannd]

Uggg it's getting frustrating. Had one that a dude was putting together and then ran into too many problems so he is selling it for parts. Had another that kept email me to meet him. I told him I was free Saturday and he said to call before I came over. I called him three times today and didn't return my call. Couple of people called and wnated a brand new out of the box laptop which I would just by the sled. I'm thinking I might do a trade for a 3 wheeler at this point. lots out there and I get a lot of response from them. But how do they do pulling a sled. I had one ten years ago and had fun with it, but will it do anything for ice fishing?

[MuleShack]

Hey,

Just one word of caution with the 3 wheeler.

My brother has 2 of them, an 82 or 83 200 4 stroke and a 250 two stroke.

He says he cant get parts to repair them anymore. Just make sure to check the year and look around if anyone carries parts.

Hate to see you get an obsolete machine that can't be fixed.

Granted, if it's newer then you might not have anything to worry about.