ALaskan been there done that ended up with a busted tail bone glare ice sucks especially when it leads to open water

On my new machine I studded the track, as last year on one ride I noticed my sled was passing me....then my tail end went....

In a windy coastal town such as Nome, I just wish I HAD my windshield. Sure looks like a bush machine now though.

I bought a 1989 Tundra for $100. The engine runs good but the body is in pretty rough shape. Was this a dependable model/year? Do you think it would be worth fixing up to use as a trapping sled or would a newer machine be better. Does this model/year have any inherant problems? Are these machines still being used where you trap. Thank You for your reply.

Very good machine. Old, so normal wear and tear is probably something to look at. If you bought it for $100, and runs good, its a good deal. Way better than purchasing a brand new one, and the prices they are today.

I'm going to jump in here too looking for advice. I'm looking to get a machine and know next to nothing about them so excuse any ignorant questions. It will be used foremost for trapping and secondarily for putting around. I'm not into jumping and climbing like some of these guys around here with 1000s, but that could change I guess. The main reason I need it is when the snow makes the roads impassible I need to drag my 12 foot lund about six miles to the launch spot. Is this feasible? I asked other guys to drag me and they said their machines would just burn belts? I guess my question would be, what criteria am I looking for? If pulling power isn't directly related to overall horse power how are these things geared? Does it(pulling ability) have to do with track length, width, and tread? I'm looking for a workhorse, not a speedster.
A guy here is selling a 2004 600 RMK, but I've been told this isn't enough juice for what I want. Any and all input would be much appreciated as well as machines I might want to check out. We deal with alot of wet snow here. Also if dragging just the skiff isn't a good idea, are there some sleds with ski's that might work better?

if you are talking packed snow a 340 can tow a 12 foot lund. the things dont weight more then a couple hundred pounds empty add the weight of outboard and gear and doubt you would have over 400 pounds most days correct? a fan cooled machine would be the way to go in my mind something in the 550 class but talk to some of the guys on here with the skidoo 440 skandik LT they may say it can do the job. I would do it with my 550 skandik sport as long as it isnt wet deep sticky snow. It would be easier and better for the lund if you had a sled of some type to load it on a simple wide tobaggan made out of lumber would work with a good metal tow hitch. One year we had a real warm winter and in January three of us took off with a snowmachine and a skiff the snowmachine was a 440 panther probably about a 1980 model the skiff was an 18 foot lund with all our gear traps and a 50 HP Merc on it now we was towing on snow covered river ice and did it for 5-7 miles or more at a time when we hit big open streches of water we loaded the snowmachine in the skiff and kickered up till we hit ice again and unloaded the snogo and kept going did this 3 or 4 times till we got about 40 miles up the Nushagak into the Mulchatna river a ways. We set up a camp and put the skiff away and got the other snowmachine dug out from where we had stashed it in the fall. We trapped up there about three weeks and snow machined all the way home went back up and towed the skiff down right befor break up that was a trip I will never forget

AWESOME story otterman.

SE towing a boat is no problem, especially if you have a sled. Guys here use their machines to tow their 18-20ft 40 miles across the island on sleds. THese are not lunds but are heavy duty aluminum boats. THey tow them down in the morning on the hard snow in the spring. They leave them down there until the snow starts going away, then they wait for a cold morning and go down and pick them up and haul them back. No problems with it at all. With my old 380 I hauled wood back from the Yukon to near Bethel with no problems at all and that wood weighed ALOT more than a 12ft skiff would weigh.

hundred buck is a fine deal. if memory serves me right the older one had a problem with the track coming off. happened to me once and mine is a 97 I think. at some point since then they have a kit to put on them that is supposed to keep the track on and for the most part it works.

not saying you need the kit, but I am saying that you need to have the tools to with you to loosen a couple bolts and slide the track back on. It is not hard, I did it.

God Bless America
Trapper

we towed out a 20 ft jet boat this weekend with 1 skandic WT 550.
We towed in a truck with 2. you will be better off with a widetrack, and a 550 would be fine. Also, if you can make skiis for the trailer it is that much easier.
As far as belt slipping, it is how you tow it, a slow ride is better than a fast walk.

i thinking of buy a ski doo mxz 700cc any thoughs about this machine

I have the 600 SDI, LOVE IT!!! Not much for a trapper's sled, but fun to ride, and hauls my sled with gear easy enough. 700 is big for me, but I'm not afraid to admit I'm a sissy on snow machines.

Mine's a 96 and I love it. The track will come off if you don't adjust it tight enough and get on a side hill.

If I were you I'd look for a better body and just keep running the 89 till it quits. Then rebuild the engine. Good machines

160user loves his tundra if he could he would have a garage full of them. LOL

I've looked into a few machines and have a few more ignorant questions. I suppose I could ask a dealer, but I figure the guys that are using them for the same application I would be day in and day out would be a good place to start. I'm looking at the Skandic models of SWT,SUV,WT,and Tundras since that seems to be popular models. Where does the weight of a machine come into consideration? Just the stuck part? Fuel economy? Workability? Looking for a crash course here. I borrowed some ancient Yamaha's the other day for my trap retreival operation. A 400 LT and a 340. I pulled the little skiff with the bigger machine. It went ok on the way out, little on the weak side, but did fine with a light load and dry, cold conditions. On the way home with an additional 100lbs of traps(no wolves, bellies are too full of deer and moose to bother with my scraps) and slightly wetter snow had a bit of a time with any inclines and starting. We would push with the little machine. Overall it was a learning experience and sealed the deal, I'm buying my own machine and maybe one for the old lady. I could see where with the right sled one guy could easily do this leg of the line and then some. I had a blast. The key is to buy the right machine the first time, so I'm trying to do the leg work here. What are the drawbacks to a wide track, if any? Is the difference in body design between the Tundra and the others for manuverability? Snow conditions? I most likely will be pulling some weight with it and just doing some general dinking around on the off days. Maybe hauling around the wife since apparantly she doesn't want her own. And how much power is too much? I know guys that talk up their huge 4 wheelers and I can do all I want with my 350 Rancher4x4. Plenty of power for plowing and it can move when I want to.

bearbait and Rick Phillips- How is that Tundra working out for you? I know when you buy something like that it is tough to admit weak spots, but I would appreciate it if you could tell me things to consider? What applications and conditions are you riding? They don't give those things away as you know. Usually when I get into something I have to buy a few, try em out, and then figure out what I want ie rifles, bows, skiffs, 4 wheelers, outboards. Trying to avoid that this time.
Thanks guys.

SEWaterboy, I don't think Huperest has a Tundra. Myself and Rick Phillips have new Tundras this year. I am completely satisfied with mine, it fits my needs, so far. I haven't had it in deep snow, even up in the White mountains there hasn't been over knee high snow. I pulled a small sled full of fuel on a long trip and couldn't tell it was behind me but the load only weighed around 250# so wasn't much of a test. It is extremely light and manueverable. The biggest problem I have with it is that my feet can't go forward enough to be comfortable. I'm 5' 9" so it isn't a real problem for me but someone much taller might find it real uncomfortable on long rides.

I'm sorry bearbait. I got mixed up there. I'll read a thread and then want to respond to two or more guys and I forget what one said or mix em up. Forum FEVER! Sorry, after you posted all those dandy pics too.
You know I had that problem with leg room the other day on the Yamaha. I'm not real big (6'1") but my knees were just killing me even after that short ride. I thought maybe I was just riding wrong, that was only the third time I've ridden in my life so I like to "be up" so I can see. I'm not used to being so low to the ground. It kind of looked like the Tundra was a taller machine? I would be cruising in pretty deep stuff a lot of times and also in the trees alot so I don't know what the best machine for the job would be.
I'll change the other post.

You are right, the Tundra seat is higher which is nice because I can see tracks on the trail without kneeling. The problem is that the pockets where your feet go when sitting are too shallow and can't be extended. The Tundra is tippy, I wouldn't recomend the 300 Tundra unless you are going to use it on tight timber trails like I do. There are a couple other Skidoo models on the same light chasis with wider ski stance which may be better all around machines. I saw that there is a new Tundra for 2008, the Tundra LT, it has a 500CC engine 156" track and weighs 499#, with a 39" ski stance. It seems to have replaced the old 440lt.

Bearbait
I finally put my skid plate on my Tundra. I found a plastic supply company about 70 miles away to order the plastic from. I made it about 3 feet long to give more protection. I have some pics but I don't know how to post them. Hope I get to ride it again this year. The weather has been to hot.

Gary: If I were you I'd look for an old Elan or a mid 90's Tundra. Both should be cheap if you can find them and some of the basic parts interchange. The are simple and reliable.

Compeaus: What can I say ? I'm not surprised that you're having problems Matt. I heard there is a much better dealer in delta Junction I think. Pete may have info on that.


You folks with the new Tundras: Watch that rubber connection from carb to block. Don't know if they changed them from last year's model but every one here burned up because that rubber developed a small hole in the underside. Hot Grips failed immediately too. I hope they fixed that.

A guy here almost burned his tundra up again with the rubber getting a hole in it.