New MAchine

[nube]

Well, I am looking into a new snow machine. I figure after taxes and selling my yotes this year I might have enough if I am lucky. Not sure what to do. My old Skandic is a tank and likes to dive left or right and under the snow. It is heavy and likes to get stuck in any decent snow that was not previously driven over on the line. Royal pain in the butt. I am not interested in another skandic I don't think. I like the TundraLT and the Expedition Sport. Thinking the 600 ACE with it. Things I don't like on the Tundra will be the Tippiness and the thing on the expedition sport the arms that might get damaged with some bushwackin the odd time. I am not sure what to do. Does anyone have either machine and can give me some info on your experience in deep snow conditions? Any other sugestions for a machine will be noted as well.
Thanks

[Hydro1]

I have no first hand experience as I will be buying my first next season. However I am really considering one of these Polaris snowmobiles. From what i have read they are as dependable as snowmobiles come.
What I like are the 9.5" ski's.
Might be worth taking a look?

http://www.polaris.com/en-ca/snowmobiles/indy

[Tfng]

I'm not particularly familiar with all the new models. My last experience with a Tundra was a 1988 model. When I buy another machine for trapping and fishing it will be fan cooled. Icy conditions and heavy loads at slow speeds overheated my liquid cooled sled several times last year.

That tippiness should translate into good maneuverability once you get a feel for it.

[skidderman]

A couple yrs ago I spoke with a fellow that went from the skandic to the expedition. Reason he said is the skandic was too tippy. Just going by what he said. My brother in law has the polaris 600 wide track. I've been with him a few times & I think it's a good machine. I wish I had one myself. I did have an 08 polaris 500 wide track & liked it except that in slush an extra 100 cc's would have been helpful as well as fuel injection.

[Mikkwa River Trapping LTD]

I would seriously consider the new skandic we have compared then it real tests next to vk540 and the new tundras. The 24 is very stable and it pules more than a vk540 also the 600 ace has crazy fuel efficiency and we never had problems starting it even in 35 below. Also our neighbor has a Polaris iq wide track and he absolutely hates it in the bush as it is so wide. As for the tundra it a great trap checking sled but not a very good work sled, also when your breaking trail it's a lot more work to keep it on line than the skandic .

[mark-edmonton]

My partner uses a expedition and I ride a vk540.

I like my vk, it's a good work sled! The expedition does well out there, but I break all the trails with my vk

[rockymountaintrapper]

i rode a tundra Lt 600 ace for two seasons and absolutely hated every minute of it after each season i was debating to enter the broncriding contest at the stampede i now own a 2015 scandic wt 900 ace so far i put just over 700 km on it and absolutely LOVE it and there is a lot of snow and many hills around here put some skiskins on and your skis will not get burried i was looking into the expedition i don't like there frontend as it pushes snow and tends to get tangled up in sticks stumps and branches so far never got stuck with my scandic touch wood

[mark-edmonton]

The front suspension on the vk is very trapping bush friendly!

[rockymountaintrapper]

i don't find the new scandic tipsy at all it s also very manouverable it is only about a foot longer than my 07 tundra and it is xtremly reliable and POWERFULL i pulled a moose through 3 feet 0f fluffy snow for over a mile

[nube]

I just did some measuring on my old skandic. My front ski skins are 7 inches wide and my track is only 15". I am thinking I need wider ski skins for sure and I was expecting the track to be wider than 15"??? The lugs on it are only an inch as well on the track. Do you think making some changes will help that much?

[Bushmonkey]

Originally Posted by nube

I just did some measuring on my old skandic. My front ski skins are 7 inches wide and my track is only 15". I am thinking I need wider ski skins for sure and I was expecting the track to be wider than 15"??? The lugs on it are only an inch as well on the track. Do you think making some changes will help that much?

I didn't know some skandics came with a 15 inch track.. I thought they were either 20 or 24.

[Mikkwa River Trapping LTD]

Originally Posted by nube

I just did some measuring on my old skandic. My front ski skins are 7 inches wide and my track is only 15". I am thinking I need wider ski skins for sure and I was expecting the track to be wider than 15"??? The lugs on it are only an inch as well on the track. Do you think making some changes will help that much?

Some of those older skandics weren't true skandics they were basically a touring sled branded skandic

[AlbertaAl]

I bought a new 2011 Yamaha Venture 4 stroke which has about 400 km on it today - it does everything for me and only downfall is that it's "tippy" and almost impossible to get back on its track...but I succeded getting it back on-track when panic over-took me.
It's very fast..powerful, lots of tourque, easy fuel maintenance since it burns straight gas and no oil to add...change oil like your car engine in the off season.
It also steers on a dime which is good for running between trees and fences.
Very comfortable... and nice storage rack on the back...

[AlbertaAl]

I'd bought this new POLARIS FST TOURING and sold it a year later because it was a tank to turn in the snow combined with being very tippy.

[mxz1997]

The new Tundra and Expedition all have 16" wide tracks. If you get the 154" track you won't have any problems no matter how deep the snow. It would be pretty simple for me. If your line has lots of bushwacking/handcut narrow trails, Tundra. If you got nice open trails its Expedition. A lot of things are over-exaggerated on the Internet. I have a Tundra, it doesn't always just tip over. I have an Expedition as well and have no issues yet with bending A Arms. You will be happy with either machine

[nube]

Well I went to the dealer and he said I need a skandic. I know Tork will say I told you so lol
The machine is a total beast. It weighs a ton and is huge. Kinda like riding a clydesdale for a riding horse lol
I really don't like it but he assured me I would not get stuck and if I did I just hit reverse and get out. Easy to say. He says the Tundra is a great machine but if I get stuck the 16" track spins easily and will bog down. He said the Tundra or Expedition sport will work for me but I will have to really ride it if I am going in a lot of deep snow and moving at a slower pace. Thats his 2 cents.

Prices I can get are real good for 2016's
Skandic WT 600 ACE $11900 plus tax
Tundra LT 600 ACE $10 700
Expedition Sport 600 ACE $11 000 plus tax

Still not sure what to do. It was nice to see the machines though and sit on a few of them. The Skandic was outside and fired right up after sitting there all winter

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by mxz1997

The new Tundra and Expedition all have 16" wide tracks. If you get the 154" track you won't have any problems no matter how deep the snow.

You must not have much snow where you're riding. I've had 163" 2 1/2" mountain sleds out with me beside the Skandic and they still get stuck. Oh sure with lots of spinning and leaning you can get around in 6 feet of powder but you won't have much of a trail when you're done.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by nube

Well I went to the dealer and he said I need a skandic. I know Tork will say I told you so lol

Well there you go sir

I still think you should come up and try them both in some real snow.

[MartyM]

Nube which dealer did you go to and are you within a couple hours drive of Bonnyville?
T&T Powersports is an Arctic Cat and Yamaha dealer in Bonnyville and have a huge sale going on currently. Terry goes above and beyond for his customers when it comes to service, repair or needing parts. He has been a standup guy and no b.s. It's been hard to find great customer service in the province these past couple years with the fast and busy economy. Search the Snow and Mud forum and you'll find he is highly recommended.

http://www.ttpowersports.com/

[MartyM]

T&T's website has a new 2015 Arctic Cat Bearcat 2000LT listed for $7569 and a Bearcat 2000XT listed for $8659.

[alcesalces4]

If you found your skandic to be to tippy its unlikely you would like the tundra LT as it only has a 32inch wide ski stance. Skins on a tundra Lt would help some but i doubt it would be as wide (stable) as your skandic. The expedition sport should be as stable if not more than your skandic and have better deep snow abilities. From the time i have spend on an expedition sport i find it to be fairly nimble and provide a nice ride especially when moving at a faster pace. The skandic wt will not have as plush of a ride up front but will tow better and when you combine the extra 4 inches of track and "boat hull" it has an advantage in the deep snow. It really comes down to what kind of riding you will be doing and what you place your priorities on. I was in the same boat last year when i was buying and went back an forth for quite some time. Since i ride fairly slow most of the time I decided the WT's ability to crawl around in deep snow and tow when in low gear better suited me than the plush and nimble ride of the expedition sport. One thing i did not take into account is that with the wider ski stance the expedition sport is easier to carry a passenger with. Best of luck

[mxz1997]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

You must not have much snow where you're riding. I've had 163" 2 1/2" mountain sleds out with me beside the Skandic and they still get stuck. Oh sure with lots of spinning and leaning you can get around in 6 feet of powder but you won't have much of a trail when you're done.

I agree the mountain machines with the 163" track will not go where a Tundra with a 154" does. The mountain machines cannot crawl, so they spin to get going and then get stuck. I put on 100 kms on the trapline this weekend and 25 of that was new trail down a creek. Most places had 4ft+ of fresh soft snow. I took my little tundra R and it couldn't break trail but the 156" Skandik with 15" wide track had absolutely no problem.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by mxz1997

I agree the mountain machines with the 163" track will not go where a Tundra with a 154" does. The mountain machines cannot crawl, so they spin to get going and then get stuck. I put on 100 kms on the trapline this weekend and 25 of that was new trail down a creek. Most places had 4ft+ of fresh soft snow. I took my little tundra R and it couldn't break trail but the 156" Skandik with 15" wide track had absolutely no problem.

In your previous post you had said with the 16" wide 154" track on the tundra you wouldn't have to worry about getting stuck with any amount of snow. My comment about the mountain sleds was that no matter, what you can get them stuck.
In the end it comes down to personal preference. If you are chasing coyotes in the farm land I'm sure anything will work. If you have a line on the west side of the province were 6 feet of snow isn't out of the question then I would go with the best you can afford.
Once the trail is broken and beat down then almost anything will work, but if I get 3-4 feet of snow overnight while I'm at the cabin I want to make it home.

[nube]

Well said Tork. It is the deep stuff that scares me. I think a lot of guys think they go in deep snow when really they don't. Not saying they are lying about it but some areas of this province gets dumped on. The problem I have is that most guys say a Tundra will go through the deep stuff just fine. Then others say the track is too narrow and u will get stuck. If you go fast enough you can go on almost any machine and stay on top lol I was doing fine with my little citation 300 all year after I broke the main trail and did a lap on it every 2 weeks it was fine. Every time I wanted to explore new ground my Skandic wouldn't make it 200 yard down a trail and get stuck , and I mean stuck. I felt scared and useless with that machine. The question is will a modern day 16x154" track make a big difference and be fine? Million dollar question for me untill I ride a machine and try.
My buddy said he will lend me his Skandic next time I go up north. I might take him up on it and give it a go. I got till April to make a decision at least

[Red Bullets]

You might want to find one of these old timers and rebuild it. haha

Considered a used bombardier snowcat with a blade? You'd have the nicest trails to travel.

[Mikkwa River Trapping LTD]

Our neighbours have Bombi lol man it pulls

[357xp]

Nube, your million dollar question.......
The dif between your current machine and a new tundra lt or expedition with the 16x154 is night and day, plus the 154's have the articulating track which really makes a big dif backing up in powder.
If your line isn't in the mountain region then that should be all you ever need.

Fyi, I took a new skandic with the 600 ace for a ride on the line, nice machine alright, BUT, to me it feels like a cow. Can't maneuver as well as with the standard width machine.

[mxz1997]

Just for reference, here is a pic of the snow depth. My Tundra R with it's 139" track couldn't go here and I had to break a trail, but for a 154" by 16" machine like my Expedition Sport it is no problem.

I have tried a Skandic WT with 600 ace on different traplines twice. It will haul a heavy load through deep snow better than a Tundra, but I didn't like it because it just isn't maneuverable enough.

[Wydtrak]

I have both a 2015 Tundra Xtreme and a 2013 Tundra Lt 600 Ace. The Tundra Lt Ace is what you need. It will stop, back up, and turn around in 5 ft of snow with out any trouble. The Ace takes a little getting used to, as the power comes on different, more like a quad. I put ski skins on both and it made a big difference for diving off trail. The Ace is my wife's sled and for slowly picking your way through the trees or breaking trail it is awesome. They go where the others can't. Just my 2c.[IMG][/IMG]

[Typical]

Nube The best machine you can ever buy is an Argo with tracks and also if you do get the enclose cab also. This machine will go anywhere, anytime of the year. And will also keep you warm.
the 6x6 is an awesome machine, you most likely won't need a trailer to carry your supplies.