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ol_mike Offline OP
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Originally Posted by cwh2
Run a 156x16" tundra or a 156x24" skandic for a bit, and I doubt you'll think so fondly of the elan.

That sled above doesn't look that bad. Never seen one though. I have little arctic cat experience and it isn't good, so that would be a a tough sell for me, but that doesn't mean much.

The AC 400cc engine is based on the 800cc twin cylinder that is supposedly a reliable engine.
I can't find a bad word about the ArCat, Blast ,, but who knows...?


PRESIDENT TRUMP 2024/2028 !!!!!!!!!!


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The people wringing their hands over Trump's rhetoric don't know what time it is in America.
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Mike,

That's an insane price on that machine. It won't be ideal for trapping and wood chores either.

I think of where you're coming from, and where you're going. You won't have the many years of mechanical knowledge around snowmachines.

You won't encounter extreme enough cold to worry too much about 4 stroke reliability.

In the off season, look for a basic 600 ace tundra used or new.

The pogos won't catch brush, and the low-speed torque and clutching in fkn awesome.

The quietness and fuel economy can't be matched.

Small, maneuverable woods bombers are what u need for trapping.

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Somebody mentioned Elans. Yep,they were as simple as they come. I've owned a few of them. They are so simple, it only takes a couple days to rebuild the engine, chain case and carb.

Fun is an understatement.

Putting on a fkn seat cover was the hardest part:

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Las mentioned a bravo. Yep, they're awesome little woods bombers. When I was working in the water treatment plant up in kobuk, I sure saw a lotta bravos up there, especially with fuel prices above $12 a gallon.

Fun fact: if you put a bravo up for sale, it will end up with a bush pilot or cargo pilot in less than 48 hours........

I'm not a brand loyalist, I've owned all brands. But you'll see me bashing yammys off trees, breaking trail with a tractor trailer tire.

One overlooked gem, is the "in between a bravo and vk 540"

It's called the enticer 2. Bombproof 408cc fan cooled twin Ceramic coated pistons, can haul heavy and not burn up motor. As light as a tundra r, bomb-proof chain case/w reverse gear. The ORIGINAL pogo doesn't catch brush.

Tekei carb, with a secret survival weapon: two venturis for the two pistons. Can set left-side piston slightly richer to keep it cooler when towing hard.

Tekei choke circuit so strong, will pull start at 50 below zero, don't even need a primer button.

Upgraded to 1.5 inch paddle track and wider plastic skis, I invite ANY fkn blowhard with the latest/greatest $14,000-$20,000 ski doo to see if they can follow me in the woods. Your cowling plastics will be in pieces


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Ol’ Mike, have you ever considered putting tracks on an ATV. I have gone the sled route for hunting lions and hate the reliability of sleds in general. I suck at maintenance and it seems like anything that doesn’t get used regularly is a PITA when it is time to use it (outboards, snowmachines, rototillers, log splitters, etc).

I went to a fuel injected 700 grizzly on tracks and my Skandic is now for sale. The ability to use it year round is a big plus to me and being fuel injected it has been good about starting in the cold. My buddies carbed 660 flat won’t start below zero.

I have a tracked Yamaha Rhino as well and it has good utility but the quad seems easier to maneuver and I can get two on a trailer.

The main downside is they absolutely drink fuel with the tracks.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


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If I had consistent snow conditions the sled would make a lot of sense but I live in the windy part of Montana and have a lot of bare ground, to drifts and back to bare ground type situations.

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What part of Idaho? Idaho is like 10 different states in one when it comes to terrain and weather. A tundra is a great work sled, but not so much on big pulls....and depending on where you are, big pulls might be unavoidable.


Originally Posted by BrentD

I would not buy something that runs on any kind of primer given the possibility of primer shortages and even regulations. In fact, why not buy a flintlock? Really. Rocks aren't going away anytime soon.
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ol_mike Offline OP
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[quote=ol_mike]Just looked at some of the low-mid level Ski Doo's , the 600cc , 2-cycle efi @ $10K looks good.

''Boy-Howdy that 4-stroke engine sure adds a lot of weight.''




My comment on the 4-stroke weight, has to be a typo [error] Ski-Doo website shows 575lbs. for 600efi 2 stroke,, 620lbs. for the 900cc 4 stroke, & ""698lbs.""" for the 600cc 4 stroke. Very very likely 598lbs.
Saw that last night but didn't look at the 900cc 4 stroke weight, I thought WOW 123lbs. more than the 2 stroke, > I was tired.

Last edited by ol_mike; 12/04/22.

PRESIDENT TRUMP 2024/2028 !!!!!!!!!!


Posted by Bristoe
The people wringing their hands over Trump's rhetoric don't know what time it is in America.
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ol_mike Offline OP
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Originally Posted by high_country_
What part of Idaho? Idaho is like 10 different states in one when it comes to terrain and weather. A tundra is a great work sled, but not so much on big pulls....and depending on where you are, big pulls might be unavoidable.

Not exactly sure, - central, maybe Challis area, I also like the look of things up around Dworshak reservoir, right in the middle of wolf country.
Hunting/trapping predators big and small until I kick the bucket.


PRESIDENT TRUMP 2024/2028 !!!!!!!!!!


Posted by Bristoe
The people wringing their hands over Trump's rhetoric don't know what time it is in America.
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That's country where you will want more power than you're used to. Elevation for wolves is gonna eat a big piece of the power you have experienced in Alaska. The good news is there's a groomed trail not terribly far away in those areas to save on the trip in and out.

I'm farther north but similar terrain and 60 miles in our area is a long long day.


Originally Posted by BrentD

I would not buy something that runs on any kind of primer given the possibility of primer shortages and even regulations. In fact, why not buy a flintlock? Really. Rocks aren't going away anytime soon.
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Mainer in Alaska, I wouldn't mind buying a ''good'' old sled and overhauling it, I've had it in my mind to buy a new one.
I'm going over an old dual sport 1980 kawasaki kdx-250 2-stroke right now, it has 748 original miles on it, 42 years old. Yes '748' miles.
I'm tired of the sky-high prices and BS these days, $5500-$5900 for a honda trail 125cc, $6000+?+? for a yamaha tw 200?

I put new plastic, new tires/tubes, oil change, new air filter, grips etc., painted a few things on the KDX. Poured a few drops of premix down the spark plug hole when putting a new plug in and kicked it twice. Spark arrestor was off [getting painted] kabooom ping ping said the old 250 motocross bike engine. Put a smile on my face.

Anyway, I had forgotten how much I enjoy working on stuff, so an old VK or? whatever might be a good project for me.

MedRiver, hello , no I haven't given a tracked quad any thought, sure looks like a great machine you have.
I looked at 'tracks' for motorcycles, pretty pricey, $6-$7,000. I have a 2001 honda cr-500, I don't think it would make a good trapping hunting bike, laf.

Of all the new sleds, I'm liking the Skandic 600 Ace as recommended


PRESIDENT TRUMP 2024/2028 !!!!!!!!!!


Posted by Bristoe
The people wringing their hands over Trump's rhetoric don't know what time it is in America.
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ol_mike Offline OP
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Originally Posted by high_country_
That's country where you will want more power than you're used to. Elevation for wolves is gonna eat a big piece of the power you have experienced in Alaska. The good news is there's a groomed trail not terribly far away in those areas to save on the trip in and out.

I'm farther north but similar terrain and 60 miles in our area is a long long day.


I'm not in Alaska, I asked in this sub-forum because Alaskans likely know their stuff about 'winter equipment'.

I have to get a better handle on where the deer/elk [wolf/mountain lion food] migrate to and the terrain there.

Last edited by ol_mike; 12/04/22.

PRESIDENT TRUMP 2024/2028 !!!!!!!!!!


Posted by Bristoe
The people wringing their hands over Trump's rhetoric don't know what time it is in America.
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Just checked on-line price of the Sport - about $9200 MRP. More up here. There is a guy with last years model, pretty much unrun, wanting to sell for $14K.He has a couple add-ons. Told him I'd give him 10. If he s willing to come down, I might go 11. or a bit more.

No idea what he paid for it, but almost certainly too much on the pandemic prices. Not my problem.

Last edited by las; 12/04/22.

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Have you spent much time in the areas that you’re considering?


If you take the time it takes, it takes less time.
--Pat Parelli

American by birth; Alaskan by choice.
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ol_mike Offline OP
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Originally Posted by ironbender
Have you spent much time in the areas that you’re considering?

Not a huge amount of time, I lived in Meridian, ID. near Boise, I hunted/camped up east of McCall, and around Stanley, ID. .


PRESIDENT TRUMP 2024/2028 !!!!!!!!!!


Posted by Bristoe
The people wringing their hands over Trump's rhetoric don't know what time it is in America.
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Originally Posted by ol_mike
Mainer in Alaska, I wouldn't mind buying a ''good'' old sled and overhauling it, I've had it in my mind to buy a new one.
I'm going over an old dual sport 1980 kawasaki kdx-250 2-stroke right now, it has 748 original miles on it, 42 years old. Yes '748' miles.
I'm tired of the sky-high prices and BS these days, $5500-$5900 for a honda trail 125cc, $6000+?+? for a yamaha tw 200?

I put new plastic, new tires/tubes, oil change, new air filter, grips etc., painted a few things on the KDX. Poured a few drops of premix down the spark plug hole when putting a new plug in and kicked it twice. Spark arrestor was off [getting painted] kabooom ping ping said the old 250 motocross bike engine. Put a smile on my face.

Anyway, I had forgotten how much I enjoy working on stuff, so an old VK or? whatever might be a good project for me.

MedRiver, hello , no I haven't given a tracked quad any thought, sure looks like a great machine you have.
I looked at 'tracks' for motorcycles, pretty pricey, $6-$7,000. I have a 2001 honda cr-500, I don't think it would make a good trapping hunting bike, laf.

Of all the new sleds, I'm liking the Skandic 600 Ace as recommended
Several times we have tried to help side by sides with tracks get out of mudholes, rivers, creeks, tundra, and snow. On average the recovery produces damage in the mid $4k range... Would consider them a bad joke in the vast majority of the country we hunt.

I can absolutely see their value in the described windblown modest snow areas... but not where we run. Last year we marked trees at snow level. Flags turned out to be 20' above grade in our moose camp.


Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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The 600efi Tundra or Skandic would be a good option. I’d stay away from the 4strokes in the mountains of Idaho. You are looking at 10 - 12k…the new base price for utility machine these days.

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If it were me, and I admittedly don't know your exact circumstances, I'd look at older iron. I like, know and trust some of the older rigs, all fan-cooled. Things like:

- Polaris Indy Lite GT
- Ski-doo 550 Freestyle Backcountry
- Arctic Cat 440 Panther

I'm at the age and condition where I appreciate the weight and size of these machines much more than some of the newer stuff. Those with clamshell hoods make any necessary tinkering easier. If you don't neglect regular maintenance, they are simply reliable.


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Behind the yammy, an arctic cat bearcat 340 with reverse. The fan cooled 340 was the most fuel efficient utility sled I've ever used. I've owned all iterations of the older Bearcats. Bearcat was the most comfortable of rides.

The low gearing and work-machine clutching were excellent.

Fan cooled suzuki motors. Crank Seals and case halves will get leaky over time. No biggie:

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Polaris,
I've mostly run machines with the 488 fuji twin. Mono block and piston port. No Reed valves, mono block design means less gaskets for things to leak.

The widetrack lx had a very stout low gear, started easily at 50 below zero temps. I'd haul mostly building materials, and 3-4 people at a time. Never once had problems with that high/low/reverse/neutral transfer case!

I did burn one belt hauling two 8 foot long freight sleds full of building materials in one load. Trail was drifted, and I pinned it wide open throttle for about 3-4 miles. Belt got too hot.

The other polaris hauled fuel oil and firewood. It was a polaris trail 500 (fan cooled 488).Clutching was a little soft for heavy loads.

My son would haul the camp gear and gas with a tundra 250:
[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

Polaris trail 500:

[Linked Image from i.postimg.cc]

Last edited by mainer_in_ak; 12/05/22.
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If you are tall , old or have any back problems the newer sled geometry is better.
Shopping for one myself - upright rider position is on top of my list.
Good luck.

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