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Can am tracks #7770321
01/12/23 10:05 PM
01/12/23 10:05 PM
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 64
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Thayne Offline OP
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Thayne  Offline OP
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How many people have experience with any side by side with tracks for trapping in snow mountainous conditions?? We have a can am defender and I would rather buy tracks and be able to use that machine 12 months than buy a snowmobile. Mostly wanting to know about float in powder and breaking trail. After I get my route established and get the trails packed im not worried about the rest.

Re: Can am tracks [Re: Thayne] #7770330
01/12/23 10:15 PM
01/12/23 10:15 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,509
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
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martentrapper Offline
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martentrapper  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,509
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
The ones I have seen with tracks are more tippy. The tracks elevate the CoG and thus make the vehicle more susceptible to tipping. I would assume mountain areas would entail some slanted trails.

Re: Can am tracks [Re: martentrapper] #7770334
01/12/23 10:21 PM
01/12/23 10:21 PM
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 64
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Thayne Offline OP
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Thayne  Offline OP
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That makes sense. I definitely wouldn’t go on most trails around here as they’re all to narrow for my side by side, it’ll be mostly main roads in the foot hills and groomed roads in the winter.

Re: Can am tracks [Re: Thayne] #7770549
01/13/23 08:41 AM
01/13/23 08:41 AM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,465
Idaho
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bearcat2 Offline
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bearcat2  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,465
Idaho
They are huge, won't fit in a lot of places, and guys on snowmobiles will cuss the ruts you make, particularly if you go through when wet and it then freezes. Way slower than a snowmachine, much harder to look for tracks from, also. But you can put a cab on a side by side to keep you out of the elements. If you are going to put very many miles on with tracks on, figure on replacing all your ball joints, tie rod ends, and wheel bearings every year.

Also, not sure about your area, but in this area, besides not physically fitting, the big side by sides like the Can Am aren't legal to drive anywhere you can't drive a pickup. Although with tracks they are legal to drive on groomed trails like you mentioned.

Re: Can am tracks [Re: Thayne] #7770730
01/13/23 11:57 AM
01/13/23 11:57 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 123
Alaska
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Super Wide Offline
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Super Wide  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 123
Alaska
They suck for what you want to do. You are right, the hard part is breaking trail and your not floating anywhere but straight down in deep snow. It's going to cost a lot, before and after the repairs. Get a giant warn winch, extra battery system and few friends to go with you each day, bring lots of food and water. Your going to need a group of people on stand by, so you can call for rescue. They must have a front end loader and heavy chains. They have to drag your machine out. That's going to do a lot of damage in itself.

If you can get it turned around in your tracks, get back to the trailer and don't come back. The locals will not be happy to see what you did to the trails or roads. If it breaks down on the trail overnight, they will light it on fire and put the fire out with bullets. Welcome to Alaska. Lessons are not free.

Get a beater sno-go and go have some fun trapping instead of the pain and money your going to spend driving around in a heated baby crib doing everything but trapping.

martentrapper and bearcat2's points are correct as well.

Your last statement is incorrect. You should be worried about the rest. It's not worth it. Good luck, hope it works out, listen to the locals if nothing else.


My Super Wide will pull your broken down 4 stroke, up a hill backwards, with you on it!
Re: Can am tracks [Re: bearcat2] #7770776
01/13/23 12:51 PM
01/13/23 12:51 PM
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Thayne Offline OP
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Thayne  Offline OP
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Yeah I wasn’t going to take it on any trails as I said they’re to narrow, but it definitely makes sense about the replacement of components every year if using the tracks a lot so I’ll probably not do that then and just buy a sled. The tracks cost just as much as a ski doo tundra or a Polaris voyager so I’ll just end up buying one of those instead of buying a tracks. I’m not a mechanic so I’m not going to deal with worn out components every year.

Re: Can am tracks [Re: Super Wide] #7770781
01/13/23 12:54 PM
01/13/23 12:54 PM
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 64
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Thayne Offline OP
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Thayne  Offline OP
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Joined: Aug 2018
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Originally Posted by Super Wide
They suck for what you want to do. You are right, the hard part is breaking trail and your not floating anywhere but straight down in deep snow. It's going to cost a lot, before and after the repairs. Get a giant warn winch, extra battery system and few friends to go with you each day, bring lots of food and water. Your going to need a group of people on stand by, so you can call for rescue. They must have a front end loader and heavy chains. They have to drag your machine out. That's going to do a lot of damage in itself.

If you can get it turned around in your tracks, get back to the trailer and don't come back. The locals will not be happy to see what you did to the trails or roads. If it breaks down on the trail overnight, they will light it on fire and put the fire out with bullets. Welcome to Alaska. Lessons are not free.

Get a beater sno-go and go have some fun trapping instead of the pain and money your going to spend driving around in a heated baby crib doing everything but trapping.

martentrapper and bearcat2's points are correct as well.

Your last statement is incorrect. You should be worried about the rest. It's not worth it. Good luck, hope it works out, listen to the locals if nothing else.

Re: Can am tracks [Re: Thayne] #7770782
01/13/23 12:55 PM
01/13/23 12:55 PM
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Posts: 64
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Thayne Offline OP
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Thayne  Offline OP
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Yeah I’m definitely not going to spend the money on tracks, seems like a giant (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) ache when all I want to do is trap. I also don’t have a lot of buddies to call for backup so I need something way more reliable.

Re: Can am tracks [Re: Thayne] #7770875
01/13/23 02:01 PM
01/13/23 02:01 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 981
Alaska Northwestern
That Fool Offline
trapper
That Fool  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 981
Alaska Northwestern
They don't float on the snow like a snowmachine would. You will need to groom the trails where you are going and the trails will need to be made very wide. You will still make ruts and get stuck. It wont work well unless you have dedicated trails that you will ride on alone. If you are going to get one, make sure to have come-a-longs and jackets to get unstuck.

Re: Can am tracks [Re: Thayne] #7770903
01/13/23 02:30 PM
01/13/23 02:30 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
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drasselt Offline
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drasselt  Offline
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
Maybe poking around out in the desert prairies running 2 tracks with windblown snow but not serious snow country. Shredding trails is a losers game.


you can vote your way into socialism, but you will have to shoot your way out.
Re: Can am tracks [Re: Thayne] #7771044
01/13/23 04:23 PM
01/13/23 04:23 PM
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 1,363
Custer Co, Idaho
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sneaky Offline
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sneaky  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 1,363
Custer Co, Idaho
I know quite a few people running tracks who haven't had to replace any ball joints, tie rods, or bearings. All in how you use them. That being said, to a man they all say the same thing, keep them off of sloped or slanted trails or roads. Side to side traction is poor with them. Going straight up or down something they are fine, it's the off camber stuff that gets them in trouble. The gear reduction from running tracks means you burn a lot more fuel, and you go a lot slower. A snowmobile will run off and leave anything on tracks. If you're looking for a dedicated trapping sled get a widetrack. If it's going to be a dual use machine get a standard width track, just know they'll be limitations on how much you can haul on one of them.


Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand
Re: Can am tracks [Re: sneaky] #7771190
01/13/23 06:30 PM
01/13/23 06:30 PM
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 64
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Thayne Offline OP
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Thayne  Offline OP
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Joined: Aug 2018
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Originally Posted by sneaky
I know quite a few people running tracks who haven't had to replace any ball joints, tie rods, or bearings. All in how you use them. That being said, to a man they all say the same thing, keep them off of sloped or slanted trails or roads. Side to side traction is poor with them. Going straight up or down something they are fine, it's the off camber stuff that gets them in trouble. The gear reduction from running tracks means you burn a lot more fuel, and you go a lot slower. A snowmobile will run off and leave anything on tracks. If you're looking for a dedicated trapping sled get a widetrack. If it's going to be a dual use machine get a standard width track, just know they'll be limitations on how much you can haul on one of them.
I’ll definitely just bite the bullet and get a dedicated trapping sled and that way I can trap marten in the pines and cats too. I think a track kit on my can am would limit me to less places then I would like. So I’ll most likely just get a skandic and call it a day so I don’t have to worry the limitations.

Re: Can am tracks [Re: Thayne] #7780981
01/24/23 09:57 AM
01/24/23 09:57 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 194
MT,Wy, ID,NV
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hdwolfer Offline
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 194
MT,Wy, ID,NV
Don't buy a Skandic. Unless you're 6' tall and can handle a bull moose by yourself. We had one rode nice after we put the wider skies on. Other wise it was like riding bucking bull. You never knew when you'd tip over. Going slow trying to manhandle one was a pain. Now the Tundra is nice and agile with the wide front skis you get rid of tipping over.
We put tracks on the CanAm Defender nice to have a heater and not get covered with snow. But it won't go in deep powder, very hard on all the components. Just blew the secondary clutch out of it. Been in the shop for 2 weeks now. They are way too slow and cost money and money and more money. Blowing the clutch can also be directed to the miles on the machine too.

Get a sled and go have some fun.

Re: Can am tracks [Re: Thayne] #7781521
01/24/23 09:35 PM
01/24/23 09:35 PM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,465
Idaho
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bearcat2 Offline
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bearcat2  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,465
Idaho
The newer skandics handle much better, but they still suck in truck ruts and aren't as easy to handle as a Tundra. They will go more places in deep powder than a Tundra though. You do learn to think before diving off into stuff that you used to with the little sleds running one, because you can't manhandle them around, but I can pull a sled through stuff with my SWT that I would be stuck in a Tundra without a sled. Everything is a tradeoff. The Expeditions are supposed to handle better than the Skandics, but I haven't rode them so I can't verify. The wider ski stance is nice for stability, but I take my Skandic through places where the skis are rubbing trees on both sides, or going around gates where there is a vertical dropoff on the downhill side where the wider ski stance simply wouldn't fit. I had an Arctic Cat Bearcat and it had the wide ski stance, very stable, but it wouldn't fit some of the places I take my Skandic or I took my Tundras.

Re: Can am tracks [Re: Thayne] #7782120
01/25/23 03:01 PM
01/25/23 03:01 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 238
ME.
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WBG Offline
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WBG  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 238
ME.
I run a 2017 expedition also have a tundra sport, both have the 600 ace. The tundra does a good job and as previously stated will go through some tighter trees but in deep snow the expedition gets the nod hands down.

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