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While not necessary primary mean of conveyance for hunting-many do use snowmobiles to access areas to hunt.
I was talking to a lad-who was considering buying one.He has concerns with engine maintenance. He said-snowmobile engines rev high , and due of this, engine needs to be rebuilt every 300 hrs or so.
There are kits pre made to suit....
I find this strange....but i have zero experience with them machines.
Any experience with this,or similar-snowmobile related high maintenace item?Thanx
I know of 25-30 year old Yamahas that are still running strong today. As with anything else, if you abuse them, you will pay. With proper maintenance, snow machines will last years. I’ve had three Yamahas over the years, with no concerns whatsoever..
Since I was 11,my family have had snowmobiles of every make,but,mostly after owning the "rice burners",we've all stuck to SkiDoos. I've found that the more high end and technically complicated,the higher the ownership maintenance costs along with the frustraion level of constantly requiring more work than I thought they were worth. I sold my last machines two years ago mostly because of low snow levels around home and the amount of travel time (2 hours minimum) it took to ride for a decent weekend away. I could no longer justify 2 machines sitting idle for 10 months out of the year,so,I used the money to buy a new motor for the boat,instead. If I wanted to buy another machine,I think I'd look for a new one,but,an ordinary utility workhorse with relatively easy and low maintenance. I'm thinking a SkiDoo Tundra.
I have a 2018 Ski-Doo Tundra LT 550f.
For my use it's perfect.
Good luck on finding one though.
Tundra's sell as fast as they appear.
With modern oil it seems like engines are lasting far longer than in the 80s/90s Era at least when it comes to the performance models. I haven't had a sled in years, but 8-10 thousand kilometers used to be ready for the scrap yard but these days I've heard of machines with double that mileage and never touched a thing.
Keeping them from overheating and letting them warm up sufficiently when the temps are very low I couldn't see a utility sled needing engine work at 300 hours. Although it wouldn't surprise me if they recommend it on higher performance machines.
Unless you get a lemon, you should have many years of trouble free use of your snowmobile. I had a Bombardier Elan that was over 30 years old and never had any problems.
My elan will be 50 years old next year. 250 twin with original motor I'm pretty sure. Runs like a tophttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e0fbb80b40.jpg
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If your looking for something to putt around on, the old citations and enticers will never let you down. They also won't require your first born to buy like the ones made today for only a few weeks of enjoyment. If you plan on making all day runs or have a bad back like me you might want something a bit newer with better suspension. Something like a polaris xlt with a nice ride and isn't a belt burner and very reliable. At least mine was and wish I kept it. We had a few high performance sleds years ago. Mach Z, motoski ultrasonic, vmax4. Fast but more trouble than they're worth. Maybe not as dependable as an ATV as I haven't been stranded on one of them in 40 years, can't say the same about a sled.
The new 4 stroke machines are as bullet proof as can be. I sold my 2017 skidoo 4 stroke when I gave up riding but it was by far the most comfortable to ride and most reliable machine made since those old elans and enticers. Yamahas are just as good
If you just want go ice fishing and cruise the bushes, you don't need much of a machine. A two or four stroke will give you lots of kms without major service if you perform simple annual maintenance and don't abuse them. Same principals as atvs or outboards, really.
able to hunt grouse and rabbit and see many moose on my sled
Agree that the season is limited and it seems a little counter intuitive to have an expensive piece of hardware that really only sees 2 or 3 months a year in service but (and this is a big one) even pushing 60 years old and having ridden sleds for close to 50 years they are just too damn fun. Way more fun than an ATV IMHO. As long as i can afford it i will keep sledding. As for reliability i have also always been a "Doo" guy. Currently own 2 with the 4-stroke 900 ACE engines and quite happy with them. Regular oil changes and belts are all that i have ever done and they start and run better than my truck.Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
Started my grand daughter riding then when she was 2 and she is now 5 (and lives with us) and every day after school it is "Poppy can we can go snowmobiling today?" She has more hours on the sled at age 5 than i had at age 15. Hey favorite expression where sleds is concerned is "it's not fun unless you go fast" she than adds "Momma goes slow but Poppy knows how to go fast." Regardless of the cost i can't/won't trade that for anything.
Momma and the grand daughter posing:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a85e3674_h.jpg
I am fortunate to have both, an ATV and sled but if I could only have one it would have to be an ATV for its versatility. All seasons usage for the most part in my neck of the woods.
I have used my sled on occasion ice fishing if the snow is deep. If your needs are strictly for ice fishing than as others mentioned there are some reasonable options out there