Fan-cooled or liquid-cooled for ice fishing?

[Hookmaster]

I'm thinking of getting a used snowmobile for ice fishng. I'd like a 2-up with reverse and electric start. The main question is what would perform better fan-cooled or liquid-cooled? I have very little experience with the pros and cons of either. Again this would be used almost exclusively for ice fishing in temps above 0 degress.

[juddH]

Personally, I would never buy a fan cooled. A liquid cooled will perform a lot better in my opinion and they are faster. Fan cooled sleds will not well if it gets too warm out, where liquids will run in 60 degree warmth. I would go with the liquid if it were me,

[mamohr686]

I think it depends on what kind of conditions you use it in. The advantage of a fanner is that if there is not a lot of snow on the ice, your engine will stay cool. In a liquid cooled model, snow must be kicked up on the heat registers under the sled for the coolant to be kept under normal operating temps. If your using a fanner without any snow on the ice you will put a lot of wear on the hyfax slides and will have to replace them often, unless your going to use some aftermarket ice scratchers that kick up ice/snow on the slides. It seems like with the weak winters we have been having, your better off with an ATV. You can use them year round and they also have lots of accessories to carry your gear (including the ice auger).

[Hookmaster]

10-4 on the ATV. But with a winter like this a snowmobile is better. Also you can get used ones way cheaper than a used 4-wheeler.

[Dahitman44]

Won't matter much if you are careful. I have had both but the liquid is always smarter. IMO.

[Hookmaster]

So if there is little to no snow the liquid-cooled sled won't be cooled and the slides will wear. With a fan just the slides will wear unless you put some scrapers on. It looks like the nod goes to the fan-cooled.

[Kyle Sandberg]

I had a fan cooled. Worked good for what we used it for. Plus, with the fan cooled, theres one less thing that can go wrong.

[farmfishing]

I have both and never have had any problems with the fan getting warm. I have ran my everest up to 40 degrees on millacs and nipigon over 9000 miles on the old girl. It has out lasted all my newer models. I have seen lots of two up models with reverse fore sale fore less than 800 much cheeper than a used four or three wheeler.

[juddH]

If there is snow, liquid is the way to go...they will out perform any fan any day! How often are you going to be snowmobiling if there is no snow? Also, my neighbor swears by fan cooled and he has more trouble with them then anybody. He finally went out and purchased a liquid and said he will never buy a fan again...But it's what ever you prefer, if you like fans, then buy a fan.

[Hookmaster]

Farmfishing, where have you been seeing the used 2-ups?

[Hookmaster]

This would be an ice fishing sled so it could be used a lot with little snow. I don't need a lot performance-wise when pulling a flip over fish house. I need dependability. A wheeler would be nice and I will probably get one in the future but the easiest/cheapest buy would be a used sled.

Thanks for all the replies.

[GoggleEye]

I have a liquid cooled, but if you are strictly using it for icefishing............fan.

[mechanictim]

The fan cooled will get you farther on bare ice or really hard packed sun glazed snow.

For either sled, on icy conditions studding the track or finding one with studs already on would go along way to keeping control of where you are going or stopping.

[fishingforester]

 Originally Posted By: mechanictim

The fan cooled will get you farther on bare ice or really hard packed sun glazed snow.

Second that, and not an uncommon condition to be had in recent years. If we don't have snow kicking up onto the heat exchangers, she ain't cooling too good. I grew up with a 340 fan and it would have had plenty of power to pull a flip over.