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Snomachine recommendation #6593067
08/12/19 11:39 AM
08/12/19 11:39 AM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154
Alaska and Washington State
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waggler Offline OP
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waggler  Offline OP
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Alaska and Washington State
I'm shopping for a used machine that will do well towing a Siglin Sled up steep grades in deep and often wet snow. I expect that on occasion I may have to pack the trail first. Fuel consumption is not an issue, I will not be traveling long distances with this sled.
Any suggestions?


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6593163
08/12/19 03:05 PM
08/12/19 03:05 PM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,117
AK
F
FL cracker in AK Offline
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FL cracker in AK  Offline
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AK
I like my Skidoo Tundra.


Psalm 34:6
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6593228
08/12/19 05:56 PM
08/12/19 05:56 PM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,117
AK
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FL cracker in AK Offline
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AK
The bigger the machine, the harder it is to get unstuck in deep wet snow in steep grades. And it will get stuck eventually.


Psalm 34:6
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6593272
08/12/19 06:54 PM
08/12/19 06:54 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154
Alaska and Washington State
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waggler Offline OP
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Alaska and Washington State
I have a Tundra that I have towed a Siglin on before, but on fairly flat ground.
I dont know how it would do on steep ground towing building materials though.


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6593545
08/12/19 10:55 PM
08/12/19 10:55 PM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,117
AK
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FL cracker in AK Offline
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AK
The 600 Ace is anaemic, the 600 Etec is pretty strong. Never had one with a 550. I liked my Tundra Extreme. It would pull.


Psalm 34:6
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6593603
08/13/19 01:23 AM
08/13/19 01:23 AM
Joined: Jan 2008
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Alaska and Washington State
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waggler Offline OP
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I suppose I could google it, but how many cc is the Tundra Extreme?


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6593608
08/13/19 02:34 AM
08/13/19 02:34 AM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,117
AK
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600 Etec is what the Extreme comes with.


Psalm 34:6
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6593740
08/13/19 09:34 AM
08/13/19 09:34 AM
Joined: Jan 2008
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Alaska and Washington State
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waggler Offline OP
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^^^^^
Yikes!!! With the experiences my friends have had with Etec outboards I'm skeptical.


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6593764
08/13/19 10:10 AM
08/13/19 10:10 AM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
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white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
X10


Mean As Nails
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6593818
08/13/19 11:20 AM
08/13/19 11:20 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,135
Armpit, ak
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Dirt Offline
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Armpit, ak
Viking Proffessional
Bearcat 4 stroke.

If you have trees, put on winch up front.
You want a machine that weighs more than your load.


Who is John Galt?
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6593859
08/13/19 12:48 PM
08/13/19 12:48 PM
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,859
Northwest Territories
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muskrat411 Offline
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Northwest Territories
Do not get a VK540 I'm not sure what they did to them or if Yamahas quality control has just slipped this far but they took a great bullet proof machine and made it into a junker. Mine has had engine trouble from the first week and now I have not seen it for nearly a year while they try fix it. Stan Zuray seems to like his though. Great for deep snow and hauling wood. Slap it into low gear and you can drive up to which ever tree you want. then haul it out even on fresh trail. I really missed it when it broke down in November. I had to go back to the Tundra 550, good machine but it can not pull wood out of the bush like the VK.

Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6594108
08/13/19 08:24 PM
08/13/19 08:24 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154
Alaska and Washington State
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waggler Offline OP
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^^^^^^
Were the Vikings a good machine at one time? If so, what year model did they go bad? I like the idea of a low gear.

Last edited by waggler; 08/14/19 12:19 PM.

"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6594499
08/14/19 11:54 AM
08/14/19 11:54 AM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,421
Yukon
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yukon254 Offline
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Yukon
I wouldnt touch an e-tec. I had the 600 ace and wide track and it had all the power I could have ever used. Didnt like the electrical system though. The best trapping sled I have ever had is my Arctic Cat bearcat widetrack with the 570 2 stroke engine. Its been bullet proof. I have seen quite a few low mile used ones around reasonably priced lately. Thats what I would look for. I bought the arctic cat version of the VK540 last year and other than a fouled plug and hard starting in the cold its been OK but I dont have many miles on it yet.

muskrat I heard this summer that the engine they put in these new 540s is not the same engine the old ones had??


do unto others as you would have them do unto you

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Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6604687
08/28/19 04:11 AM
08/28/19 04:11 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 446
Southeast, AK
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rosscoak Offline
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Southeast, AK
I have a bravo for sale in Juneau
1800. Ready to roll.

Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6605881
08/29/19 10:09 PM
08/29/19 10:09 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,292
Downeast Maine
scalloper Offline
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Downeast Maine
I have a Beat Cat 570 XT 2015 I like very well. My only complaint is no low range. The new ones have low range. Its been very dependable


There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6626276
09/26/19 11:59 PM
09/26/19 11:59 PM
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 113
Tanana, Alaska
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Stan Z Offline
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Tanana, Alaska
My newer Yamaha VK540 does well with big loads and deep snow in low range - but a lot of machines can be said to do that. Got some tough miles on it now but can't say about the test of time but have one from the 1970's and one from the 90's and they are all the same. Engine quality may be poorer in the new ones as mentioned above but they are exactly the same on the outside. What I love about this machine and this is especially after owning a Yamaha 4 stroke (which I loved in some ways) is I can put my hands literally around any component like the engine, transmission, single carb etc and the hood is an easy 1 piece open up with no funky connectors to deal; with at 40 below. All that is worth a little extra gas and even quality (which I haven't seen a problem with so far). The components like the engine and transmission are still the same and interchange from the 70's model. Carb is different. If I lived near a dealer I may have kept my 4 stroke but as it got a few years old the thought of pulling the engine (and a world of other garbage) to get at simple components needing work was not fun to think about.

Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6626606
09/27/19 12:14 PM
09/27/19 12:14 PM
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,859
Northwest Territories
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muskrat411 Offline
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Glad your VK is still working out for you Stan. I still have not seen mine, they are waiting for a warranty engine to arrive from Japan. Change the track on the Tundra and see if I can get one more year out it I suppose. going to miss the VK come wood cutting time, especially if we get a big load of snow.

Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: muskrat411] #6628971
09/30/19 01:10 AM
09/30/19 01:10 AM
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 113
Tanana, Alaska
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Stan Z Offline
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Posts: 113
Tanana, Alaska
Good to hear they are giving you a new one but having to wait for one from Japan sounds not good. Think they'd be one at some dealer? Well good luck when it comes back.

Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: rosscoak] #6629141
09/30/19 10:12 AM
09/30/19 10:12 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,135
Armpit, ak
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Dirt Offline
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Armpit, ak
Originally Posted by rosscoak
I have a bravo for sale in Juneau
1800. Ready to roll.

[Linked Image]


[Linked Image]

He don't want no "Little Engine That Could".

Last edited by Dirt; 09/30/19 10:23 AM.

Who is John Galt?
Re: Snomachine recommendation [Re: waggler] #6643790
10/19/19 11:26 PM
10/19/19 11:26 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,154
Alaska and Washington State
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waggler Offline OP
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I'm still looking for a wide track.
I found a late 90's Polaris Indy 500 Wide Track, has low range, reverse, etc. Anyone have any comments on this machine.

Last edited by waggler; 10/19/19 11:26 PM.

"My life is better than your vacation"
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