Well being busted up with a broken ankle and lots of time on my hands, I'll be dreaming about next season and reviewing things that I need to change for next year.

One of the things I discovered this year was my four wheeler, snow beast that it is, has it's limitations. There comes a point where despite it's incredible ability to claw through deeper snow than I ever thought possible, when it just won't go any further. Even with chains. I've considered tracks for it but think I'd rather go with a snow machine. I've had some older Skidoos in Alaska, a Safari and a Cheyenne. Both good machines but I didn't trap with them.

I am looking for some thoughts on a trapline machine. I know the Tundra and Skandik were really popular in Alaska with the trappers and guys just riding from point A to point B. Maybe hauling stuff to remote cabins on the trail systems. I have no interest in go fast, high marking, 100 mph with your hair on fire machines. Just looking for a good trail machine that is light. I'll be making my own trails on private ground where I have permission to trap. Right now some of the older Tundras looks like good options. I know they were a popular trapping machine in Alaska. I'm not looking to spend a fortune on a new or newer machine.

Any thoughts on machines that meet my needs, light, capable of pulling a sled with gear and great dependability? Thanks in advance.

How deep of snow you travelling in.
I always love it when the watercrossings freeze and we get enough snow to switch over from the bike to the ski doo.
can run way longer lines on a skidoo cause of the speed and all the gear you can put in the sleigh.
By the end of the season here we are looking at 3 feet of snow some years so pretty much need a wide track to break trail.
If you only get a couple feet or less you could likely get by with one of the older 15 inch long track.

It varies from one season to the next but the areas I will be using it traditionally get knee deep to a little deeper. Some years, like two years ago they had close to three feet but 18"-24'' is the norm. And I may get a wild hair to run a marten line in future seasons and then we'd be looking at 3-4 feet but likely on groomed or existing trails.

The Tundra and Yamaha Bravo are classic trapping sleds, I personally used Bravos for years and they can haul a load but they can't haul a load and break trail at the same time. Not sure what your conditions are snow wise. The biggest problem nowadays is getting parts for those older sleds and it's not getting any easier. An older 500/ 550 widetrack or Tundra would be a good choice. I had a 550 tundra many years ago and it could break trail and pull a load and a friend of mine had a 500 skandic wide track and it was a good machine. They were making the newer tundras in the 550 for awhile but I don't have any experience with them but I would think it would be a good sled. None of those are as light as the old tundra or bravo but then again you can always bring a rop-a-long for one of the heavier sleds which is what I do now that I'm running skandic widetracks.

Beware of buying "mountain sleds" made for deep snow. Most have smalker heat exchangers under them for weight reduction and rely on a larger volume of snow to do the cooling. Riding them slower and pulling a load might give a guy over heating problems.

I am and probably will always be an Arctic Cat man so a Bearcat is what I would look at, they would be clutched and geared for work not play. Parts can be found online even though the current big scare is Arctic Cat is closing, no one will give up the adtermarket parts business of a 60+ year old sled company.

My $.02 worth.

I doubt you'll find a light sled anymore. I have a newer tundra and it is TIPPY. You can't just sit on it and ride, it even on some fairly good trails. I would recommend a touring type smowmobile that is made to just sit on and go and requires no riding skill.

…how old are you, or rather how old is your back? I have very strong opinions on the comfort of older sleds, I find them extremely painful over long distances. Newer sleds, I am only familiar with skiddoo, are much more upright and more comfortable. No sleds are light anymore, and there are big tradeoffs, an old tundra is loud, smelly, shakes itself apart, and uncomfortable. That said they are also light, nimble, and extraordinarily capable. My best advice would be to try out some sleds first.
Last I’ll include my persistent advice to skip the pogo suspension on a Tundra or Skandic and buy an Expedition. Vastly more stable and in my opinion just as tough and capable.

I’m 65 and as my dad always said, “that’s my boy, strong as an ox and every bit as smart.”

I’m in really good shape barring this busted ankle. Strong but my back is somewhat sensitive at times but I’ve been bouncing around all season over broken ground with a four wheeler and my back hasn’t complained. That’s why the older Tundras appeal to me. At 355 pounds for the 94 I’m looking at I know I can wrestle it or rope along it out. I might even mount a four wheeler winch on it.

My old Cheyenne was a great trail machine. Light and could pull a pretty good load. Loaned to a friend who used it to haul too many loads of too much drywall into his cabin. That was the end of my Cheyenne. It ended up sold for parts.

I had a Safari for a short while before we moved back down from Alaska. A good old sled that ran well. I didn’t get to use it a lot but it was dependable.

This x100. My RMK will pull stuff, but you really need to keep a lot of snow flowing through the tunnel or it overheats. Absolutely sucks on anything resembling a groomed trail, overheats even with ice scratchers down unless you're going mach 3 lol

I’m not even a Mach 1 kind of snow machiner.

You definitely want a utility/trail type sled, powder machines need snow for cooling, as stated above, and they're not tuned for putting around with a heavy load cruising from set to set, they're designed to throw snow and make high marks, you'll foul plugs and build carbon all day using one on a trapline

X2

Your options are old, light, uncomfortable and 2 stroke or newer, heavy, more comfortable and either 2 or 4 stroke. The only option I know for comfortable and light is the 06-09 Tundra 300, which were a great machine (the 06 had a different clutch in it, which I heard had some issues, but my experience has all been with 07 and 08s) but are rarer than hens teeth to find, and if you do they are likely to have a million miles on them. Pretty much the only people who bought them in this country new were houndmen or trappers. The newer bigger machines are heavy, but they will pull more and break trail better than the old Tundras. Bravos were extremely popular in Alaska, but I've never seen one here, Phasers were very common and long track Phasers were what most of the guys ran who didn't opt for a Tundra in the past. The 550 that they went to putting in the Tundra is a real good, reliable motor; but it drinks gas like an alcoholic drinks beer. Personally I like the new 4 strokes, quite, great on gas, and reliable, but probably out of your price point.

If you want a Bearcat like RJ recommends I have a 2012 wide track, 4 stroke with the workhorse gear kit in it I would sell you, but it is an absolute tank. It is only light compared to a pickup, it weighs more than your fourwheeler.

Looking at specs on the Bearcat I can't find any site that lists a weight. I'm not too worried about comfort. I am concerned about weight. My runs are not long and I'd be off and on so often that I'd get a chance to stretch each time I made a set or dealt with a catch. The only Phazer I was ever around was one I borrowed for a bison hunt. It seemed like it only wanted to run wide open. It didn't seem to want to run slow. The ground I'm running will already have my four wheeler tracks through the snow until I can't go anymore. Trail will be already broken. Unless we get a hug dump early.

I was never impressed with the Phazers, seemed like the guys running them were always having to tinker with them constantly. Yeah, Arctic Cat doesn't list a weight for it on any of their specs, but I found a plac on the tunnel where it was listed in kilograms, and if I remember correctly when I did the conversion it was over 800 pounds.

20 inch wide track and 4 stroke would make 800 pounds sound about right, most of the 2 strokes with 15 inch tracks are 600-ish pounds. I think they made a 570 fan cooled 2 stroke version of the Bearcat too. Might be harder to find but it would be a lighter sled with no coolant and heat exchangers on board, from what I know of that engine it is reliable, and cooling would be better on crusted over hard pack snow at low speed too, just a thought.

I don't have any western mountain riding experience, but have put over 20K miles on trails in Maine, The Adirondack Mountains, and the UP of MI, and ditch banging here in PA for 40 years , that is to say I have fixed a lot of stuff I have broken!

I love my 2012 TundraLT. 550 fan is basic, no liquid cooled. 1.5” lug regular width long track with Pogo suspension and narrow ski stance gets through tight spots and great for opening trail through bush & deep swamp. I would’ve ripped off A arm suspension with some of the stuff I’ve bounced through. Gotta learn how to drive them tippy buggers though. I’ve had it sideways through the swamp and still going. It’s light, but long track certainly adds weight but I need it. I’ve gotten stuck, but I just unhook the sleight and back up, reverse is wicked! Or, I just flatten snow in front and lift the track onto some good snow. Older Skandic’s are heavier with the high/low tranny but can really haul some weight. I needed one yesterday with buddies son on the rear sleigh skids, I swear he’s close to 500lb now….good grief!…lol
Hard on fuel, but I sure like it.
I think my next machine (hopefully not soon) will be a base model Expidition LT. Local CO bought one last spring brand new for $16000 CAD. I think that’s cheap for a machine like that when you look at other prices.
Check out lynx too, they’re an off shoot of bombardier, but I think they all come with a heavier rear suspension.

I have heard the Lynx sleds require a lot of body english to maneuver them, but I don't know personally.

Consider your local dealer support too when choosing as well. Unless you plan on all your own wrenching a good dealer can weigh on your decisions.

A trusted local dealer or good mechanic is a good point. I bought my quad based on that, and also why I’ll sadly never own a Honda ATV.
Customer service.

My SWT with a 24" track the same length actually weighs less than the Bearcat (not a lot), but is harder to tip back up because that wider track and the way the weight is distributed. It also tips much more because it is a foot narrower. On the plus side it fits between trees and around gates where the wider Arctic Cat doesn't. And with low range and that track it really takes work to get it stuck, most times you aren't actually stuck, you are just leaned and pointed in a direction you don't want to go.

Yes the 570 Bearcat is much lighter and reliable (an outfitter I work for has one, we have lion hunters ride) and no worries about overheating. Also fuel consumption is not as good as a four stroke but much better than the Skidoo 550, unfortunately they also have a shorter track and while that makes it more nimble it does not do well pulling a sled unless it is on a well packed trail.

Interesting they put a shorter track on the 570, I did not know that. It kinda defeats the purpose of a utility sled. I ride a 129 with all custom shocks, it is incredible on trails, drastically less impressive in deep snow, as expected.

I will specifically say 600 Ace expedition sport has been amazing for me. I had a 600 Ace tundra before this with 9000 miles on it. Ran great when I sold it. There is no comparison in terms of ride, the non-pogo from end is absolutely wonderful. I have literally never wished I had the pogo. The tundra is unbelievably tippy. I mean not kinda tippy REALLY tippy. Which is ok on a 250 lb sled, not so great at 650lbs.
This is an excellent comparison of the two - not totally current but
Close enough.
https://www.dootalk.com/threads/tundra-lt-600-ace-vs-expedition-sport-600-ace-side-by-side.534238/