I've been wanting to get an inexpensive snowmobile, mostly be used to pull a sled ice fishing or trapping. Don't need anything fancy, just want reliable.

I've considered

Skidoo elan- pretty old and decent ones still bring good $
Skidoo freestyle 300- not very common, worried about parts
Skidoo mxz 440 fan cooled around 2000 ish- seem decent?

I'm open to anything, dealers for everything locally.

I bought my Tundra II LT R new in 2002 and have had to do NOTHING to it. It has been bullet proof. If you can find one, that would be my recommendation.

Yamaha Enticer 340 is a pretty reliable sled that’s easy to work on and lots of parts around. Not as many parts for the 400 and 300.

The Yamaha Bravo 250 is a great little sled as well but a little harder to come by than the Enticer 340.

Used tundra

I've looked for tundra, haven't found any that are under $2,500. I was hoping to find something in the 900 to 1500 dollar range, Facebook marketplace is full of options in that price range.

Not local but I've git two 95 Yamaha phasers for sell with an offload trailer.

You get what you pay for.

Thanks, there's so much available locally It's not worth traveling.



Probably but the sled will get such limited use that its hard to justify the premium. The amount of decent looking 500 to 1500 dollar sleds is massive and its going to rain next week, hoping to get a rainy day deal.

Most of what you see in that price range is junk with many problems.

A couple years ago I would of agreed with you and you may be proven right still but right now there is just a plethora of snowmobiles for sale here, almost anything from the 90s to 2005ish is 500 to 1500ish

Buddy just purchased a Skidoo Olympic for $1200 for beaver trapping. They are out there but getting harder to find.

Got one now I paid $500 for.Have now put another $700 into it.I have stopped putting anymore money into it.Going to buy a brand new tundra in two years after my truck is paid off.

Your wife will be angry if you get a snowmobile and she gets a vacuum.

The Tundra's sure seem to hold their resale value far better than most sleds. That may be something to keep in mind.

I can afford the snowmobile since I fixed the wife's vaccum. Plus the business is buying a snowmobile, not me personally, we need it for one job on a lake.

For that price point just look for any of the 4 major brands in the 90s or 2K’s in the 340-550 class. I would look for a 2-up or some model with a 136-144” track. Lots of “touring” type models available and they’re generally a cheaper price point than the utility specific ones. For $1500 you can get a decent one. I highly recommend getting one with reverse (which most touring sleds came with).

If you get there to look at it and you start questioning the sled and the condition…..just walk away and don’t be tempted. You’ll find a nice one within a few weeks. Happy trapping! ScottW

I've had good luck with the older Arctic cats and ski-doos. I want a fancy sled one of these days, but I paid $600 for my powder special 600 and I've had it 8 years, rebuilt it and swapped reeds once. I have an older ski-doo with the 583, I don't even know how many miles are on it (a lot) and I've never so much as replaced a spark plug

I have 2 of the Yamaha 250 Bravo’s in inventory. Absolutely bullet proof and about 4x more stable than the Tundra !

Not if you take her for a ride on the snowmobile.

Never heard of a bravo before but I looked them up and it seems perfect. If your selling these pm me

No, PM me first Cory!! If you can find a nice Bravo for $1500 BUY IT! Happy trapping! ScottW

Takes to long to obtain them to part with them. But they are out there !

Seems the Bravo’s are far more popular in Canada and the Tundra had a large Alaska following.

Check Facebook marketplace and move on them when they are advertised ! Better yet to find the Long Track/ Trapper model.

I gave $200 for a very nice one that needed a new track. Fortunately I had a track in inventory I believe I paid $275 for. I bought another one that had been overhauled for $700.

I currently own both a Bravo and Tundra R. Both are excellent. Get ready to pay at least 2500 for a decent Tundra. Finding a really good Bravo is like winning the lottery.

This one is for sale in Iowa if your interested, I don't have time to to that far.

Cory’s are the long track version which is what I want. Happy trapping! ScottW

if you are not looking for fast , would a snow dog be an option to get you and gear around ?

I haven't been in snowmobiles in a while but they were taking 2 directions , go fast or pull hard and there was a lot of go fast sleds and not a lot of pull hard sleds , the pull hard sleds were for work and held their value , the go fast sleds not as much


around here most people are actually running ATVs on the ice with studded tires or chains , they get a little better low end pull and work more year round.
if deep snow is an issue maybe not as good

You should drive up the ALCAN with a trailer and haul back my 6 BR250Ts and a couple Elans and I will throw in am Olympic for free.

Mid to late 80s Yamaha Enticer 340s came in a long track version with reverse and a “T” model with lower gearing for pulling and taking hills without spinning. I don’t think the bravo came with reverse option but it’s light enough to throw around by hand.

old skidoo 300 or 350

Here’s one of our Enticer long tracks with reverse. Cutting wood on the river. This one is a trapper model so it has lower gearing for towing. My sons long track Enticer is a standard long track, it has a higher top end but spins out more on hills and when towing.

I drove several tundra's in succession in Alaska and Idaho. Last one I had (LT-R), put nothing into it in 5 years of running it on the trapline (except windshields), and sold it nearly for what I paid for it. Always got me home. I've also had Polaris' and have learned to walk because of 'em. I do agree the Bravo is worth looking at, but do yourself a favor and beef up the steering system.

Jack

It’s a lot easier to find a yamaha enticer 300 or 340 twin cylinder than the 250 single. The 250’s have reached near cult status with the vintage racing crowd, they were so good they had to have a yamaha only class. Despite their popularity they are fairly reasonably priced with the exception of the factory race models. We have several of the exciters and find they are near bullet proof.

I have a a 1987 Polaris Indy 400. Been using it for the past 6yrs ice fishing. Only problem Ive had was rotted fuel lines and a leaking radiator cap. Best part is, in WI it is considered an antique, so registration is only 5$(vs the normal 30$) and it is exempt from needing a trail pass.(I haven't ever taken it on any trails anyway) It doesn't get a lot of use, but is reliable when I need it.

I have two 1981 Elans and they are great for early season rough conditions. I have only walked home once ! One I had rebuilt after 30 years and the other one is all original with about 500 miles on it. They are simple, reliable, and you can get them in an airplane.........not that you would want to do that in your case.

I also have a 1996 Tundra 2. . Also very reliable.
The Yamaha Bravos do have a reputation as being bullet proof and there are many very old ones still running around here. The Bravo seems to be a lot harder on your body than the Tundra if you are in rough terrain or on it for long periods of time

You couldn't pay me to take a Tundra II. I'm probably an expert mechanic on them though.

I know this post will get a lot of hate but here is an option for you, a Snow Dog. Owning snowmobiles and this I prefer this for many reason that fit OUR needs. Cost, no licensing, no insurance, a work horse will pull ~1200lbs, weights 250lbs, not a part on them I couldn't build, bearings you can get at any implement dealer, don't need to go 50mph or go to the top of the summit @ 10K feet. Snowmobiles if somethings wrong it costs big money to get fixed to much high tech stuff you don't need to get from A to B. Also can use year around snow, ice mud, sand, dirt it can be used not like snow machine that needs snow. Small compact stores with little space.
We use ours for hunting, fishing, trail rides, trapping and hauling timber out on sleds. Not for everyone but it checks every box for our needs for 2 to 3 months of each year.

The late 80's Yamaha Enticer 340 long tracks were very dependable machines. You can always get them to run, easy to work on when out in the bush too.

Never seen one; Temu or Alibaba? Just kidding...sort of. Where do you get them?

A factory in Iowa USA!!!

I bought through a Scheels store in Fargo ND. They shipped it to me in central northern Montana for 3200$ to my front door. Has a 4 stroke gas 14 HP engine. I couldn't find one that year everyone was sold out of the plain jane model and found one there bought sight unseen.

seem more and more of these on Lake Winnipeg ice fishing......simple just like 1970 snow machines were

Were't they two strokes?

the current snow dogs are 4 stroke air cooled nearly identical to what would be on a large walk behind snow blower.

I don't have one , I have looked at them

here is a video of one being used as a moose mover

Or Skidoo Skandic and only cry once.

Those snowdogs would likely be ok on a packed trail or before the snow gets too deep.
They cant break trail in deep snow.
The place that was selling them here went belly up.

I appreciate all the suggestions, I'm going to look for a bravo, tundra or similar. Had a close call with a skidoo today, guy was putting a free sign on a good looking sled at the end of the drive, I stopped and looked and the motor was in pieces, thought I was gonna get lucky

Reliability of.a.used sled boils down to who the original owner is

You wouldn't want to buy a sled from me. They get used.

A decent BR250 long track Trapper was listed and sold in Elk River, MN for $1000 this past week.

There is currently a nice clean Bravo short track for $1200 in Brainerd, MN.

Free is a good price if you know how to rebuild them.

This one looked like the motor was pulled apart 10 years ago and left in pieces. There's so many cheap decent sleds around its not worth trying to fix that mess.

If anyone in MN sees a deal on a bravo or tundra send it to me please, the bravo long track for $1,000 would of been ideal

If it was the same model as the one you eventually buy it would be good to have a free one for parts

If it'd been a bravo, tundra or similar I would of scooped it up, it was just a run of the mill 90s skidoo trail sled. I missed a running elan for $300, missed a running bravo for 600, both looked good from pics and videos but sold really fast. I set an alert for Facebook marketplace so anytime someone post a bravo I'll get a notification, after reading about the bravo I kind of have my heart set on one.

Anyone have an opinion on this sled? I think it's a 136" track, looks to be in good shape, he says in the add it starts then dies, been in storage 2 years. Hoping this may qualify as a discount tundra?

It is basically a skandic 380 . It is a heavier tundra, when tundras were singles.

Get that stuck once and you will pay the neighbor kid to take it off your hands. That is if you survive the heart attack !

Thanks. My snowmobile knowledge is basically zero. I have dreams of running a "huge" marten line (and getting all 2 of the allowable marten) on a snowmobile. Also have 3 lakes 2 miles away that I can fish. I'll keep searching for the bravo.

LOL!!! Any of those snow machines you get stuck I would leave them right there till July. I never been around a snowmobile that isn't heavy and awkward to maneuver in butt deep snow by hand.

You get overflow on those lakes?

Not really, certainly in the spring but not in the winter.

I have been manhandling small machines out deep snow for over 30 years. Todays machines get buried, big trouble!

Nice to get off the beaten path in MN Marten season.

With the season change most Forest Road travel became impossible to access any other way.

Don't understand the comment on getting the 380 stuck. I ran a 380 skandic for about ten years and got stuck seldom and when I did it was very easy to get out, unless on overflow. Very dependable machine and likely your best bet given the parameters You describe. That said I won't be giving up My expedition or tundra 600 ace's any time soon.

Our conditions are even close to the same. Other than the NE corner of MN we don't get deep snow very often. Last time I can remember is 1997. Overflow isn't a problem, when I do have a problem with slush it's because I'm riding my 570. It's little underpowered and doesn't have studs.

The 380 Ski Doo pictured above is not a heavy sled and the reason it would get stuck is it's a little under powered.

I wouldn't trade my 440 bearcat for a bushel of the bravos, on lung tundras or elans. Or my so called big heavy 570 or 1100 fourstroke. If I get them truly stuck and if I do it's because I wasn't paying attention, I can put the winch on.

Here is last years conditions, and was late February.



Donner had less snow if any. Keep in mind Dirt, the OP lives in what i call northern Iowa. They get some snow but it tends settle or even melt. Most of these guys are riding around the back forty, down a groomed trail or a wind swept lake or a forest service road. In those conditions I wouldn't trade my four stroke tank of a bearcat for a bushel basket of the aforementioned machines. I've said many a time for a true trapping sled my 440 bearcat is the best I've owned of all the bearcats I've owned. the rest were wide track and a bit heavier with the ride forward design. The reason is the weight, with that said other than muskrat trapping in sloughs I wouldn't go back.

I realize cost can be an issue so we go back to the old standbys. Personally I think in our conditions, even more important than weight considerations is the machine needs reverse. Reverse will get one out of most jams and if one is trailering much well that is self explanatory.

If a guy can wait, I'd look for a late nineties early two thousands 440 bearcat or equivalent, fan cooled, reverse and long track. That will go trough every thing and more than 99.9 percent of Minnesotans riding conditions.

If anyone doesn't believe me, ask Rally if he would go back from his Skandic.

May I ask why?

I'm interested to see if your perspective is the same as mine.

Why on the 380 comments or why on not wanting to go back?

The 380 skandic needed to be geared lower to deal with heavy deep snow. The front end had a lot of drag. I didn't mention it because I know you guys don't get crap for snow.

Usually inexpensive and reliable don't go togather unless you are very lucky and find the rare one that does.Unless its someone who is selling something that don't know what they have, there is a reason why the snowsled is being sold so cheaply.

When you say snow sled, I'm thinking of a jet sled or toboggan, we call them snow machines or sno-go's. Or just sleds.

Most are sold here because they never get used, we sometimes have winters without enough snow and if you don't haul them up north or go on the lake it's ppointless. There's many 90s snowmobiles here with less than 2,000 miles that are mainly just garage queens.

is your expedition a 600 Ace or a 900 Ace? Happy trapping! ScottW

It's 2017 600 been very happy with it, plenty of power routinely haul 500 LBS. or better. I have heard that the 900 gets better mileage but I like to keep the weight of the machine as close to 500 pounds as I can.

I have not made a recomendations because I didn't have all the parameters. You could probably get by with a short track. Air cooled. I can't address reliable. Like any piece of equipment, if it moves, it breaks. Old short tracks generally have little demand.

Found an artic cat panther 550 fan cooled 136" track with 850 miles and appears in good shapefor $1,500 could anyone speak to the panther?

The skidoo I posted did not have reverse, the cat does.