2014 Snowcheck - E-start or no E-start?

[AZ800]

Ehhh, are you buying the sled for you or your wife?
I'll definately get e start for my wifes next sled. Once she gets tired I get to start her sled the rest of the day. The hardest part is she never seems to park close enough to me! Dammit.
Guess I paid good money for the lightest sled out there and wouldn't pay more to make it heavier. The amount of effort expended compared to riding and diggin out is negligible. Plus I like simplicity.
Maybe when I pick up golf and shuffleboard as hobbies I'll get a e start sled!
No ofense meant to the OP. If you wante start $400 seems quite reasonable.

 

[Powderforlife907]

You start your sled a dozen or more times a day, why would you pass up a great option because something else around it may, might, could someday or maybe never break or fail?

A

It's not what's it close to its the fact it adds so much weight to the sled. Plus that's one more thing to go bad down the road.

 

[capnkirk]

i wouldn't put it on my sled, for the same reason others have stated, the weight! These sleds pull over so easy to begin with, why add the extra pounds. But then again i am only 34... maybe 16+ years from now i will be adding E-start as well. Untill then i want my sled as light as it can be! But you have to do whats best for you.

 

[likkerpig]

Here's my take on the weight thing. You're still as light or lighter than the other 3 manufacturers just not AS light as you could be. It's a personal decision, for 400 why not if it's what you want and can afford it.

 

[tb800]

The common trend is: people that don't have e-start don't like it or think its not needed. The people that have it like it!! I have it and love it!

 

[Skeld]

I have got on board with e-start and dirt bikes, as with those it doesn't seem to add as much weight and also it can save you from having to stop in the event of stalling. Also some places it's hard to get in position to kick the bike over.

With sleds I don't see it being worth the weight gain. These motors only need to be pulled over about half the distance of the recoil rope before they fire once warmed up. And batteries and cold don't get along that well IMO.

 

[cateye5312]

Ehhh, are you buying the sled for you or your wife?
I'll definately get e start for my wifes next sled. Once she gets tired I get to start her sled the rest of the day. The hardest part is she never seems to park close enough to me! Dammit.
Guess I paid good money for the lightest sled out there and wouldn't pay more to make it heavier. The amount of effort expended compared to riding and diggin out is negligible. Plus I like simplicity.
Maybe when I pick up golf and shuffleboard as hobbies I'll get a e start sled!
No ofense meant to the OP. If you wante start $400 seems quite reasonable.

No offense taken. When I got tired of starting my wife's sled I installed E-start on it. When I got tired of starting my daughter's sled I installed E-start on it as well. That's how I know it costs $900 to do! I am now the only one riding without E-start since my son got my wife's old sled and I purchased her new one with E-start. I would never buy another sled for my wife without it.

There's some great opinions on this thread. I keep leaning both directions!
Guess I'll have to make a decision at some point!

 

[HenkeEdge]

I dont have ES on my Pro-RMK.

One good thing with battery on the snowmobile is if you have GPS. Than you can run it even if sledge is turned off. And probably easier if you want to convert headlights to xenon.

Otherwise just for starting I dont need one and its just one more thing that can fail or freeze up and break. How long life span for a normal battery, 5 years?

I´ll say if you have rearview mirrors and a double seat on the snowmobil and is 50+ get ES, otherwise don´t

 

[icerider600]

My 2012 was my first Poo and my first E-start also, the little added weight is nothing for me! Now that I have had it, I wouldnt go without it!! This is just my opinion.

Dallas

 

[mtnsledder]

I installed e-start on my wife's 800 Pro over the summer since she was having a hard time starting it last year. With a 2 lb. Li Ion battery the e-start kit can't weigh more than 10 lbs on the Pro.

I recall weighing e-start kits with lead acid batteries before installing them on Edge and Dragons and they were more like 22 lbs back then. Half that weight was the battery.

 

[Chubbydog]

I've had E-start on my sled back in 07. At the time, I absolotuly loved it, and said I'd always have one. Then I ordered my 08, and didn't get it. Like others have said, when your stuck in a bad place, or have to roll it over, it sure is nice. Also, after you get home, and you wanna unload it out of the trailer into the garage, and they just don't start as easy. Mainly because your worn out. I'm still up in the air this year on weather I should order one or not. With Doo, it's a free option to go along with the 3 year warranty. Makes it real tempting again.

I never noticed the weight before. I'd say go for it if your thinking about it. IMO, the pros outweigh the cons.

 

[mud99]

It's awesome, the weight is not enough to notice.

The battery polaris puts in is too big, you can swap to a size 9 battery for $50 which is half as heavy.

It's great having a backup to the pull starter or vice versa. Pull starters and electric starters both break! Having a backup is a good idea.

Also, if you run any electronics on your sled like GPS, a battery is almost a must.

 

[mud99]

Also, if you don't like it, someone will swap it out with you for more than $400, so it's a no brainer getting it on a sled.

 

[1Fast68]

How long do that batteries last?

The cost up front is $400, but if you have to buy a battery every year or two that adds to the cost of ownership. So curious how long they survive in the real world?

 

[SNOWCASE]

Battery Life

I have the lite weight batteries and one has lasted 6 years and the other 5 years. Have not had to charge them or even put on a drip charge over the summer. Have had zero problems and love them. even on the coldest days no problems. I am a fan.

 

[Reg2view]

I have three sleds with and a pro without. Frankly, if you can afford it, do it, with one caveat - if you are flipping primaries around, you need a ring gear on every primary (few do this, and a backup without a ring gear is no big deal). Weightwise, unless you are CB, you'll never notice it, you have way more weight in your tunnel and skid with snow, especially if you li-on battery it. No offense to those you don't have it, just a question of personal preference and complexity, not performance. The advantages are well noted - multiple systems (there is a third - strap on primary), off camber, COLD TRAILER, cold morning, resale, etc. It is another thing to maintain, battery, starter, ring gear do fail, and move around if you wrench on your own sled. Having had both, worth it if you are even questioning having it. You'll likey.

 

[Timberview01]

There is a member on here, Murph, maybe... he is a rep for a battery company and had some really good input on a post last season regarding batteries. Recommended a gel type for weight and reliability if I remember correctly.

IMO, get the ES. If you can feel the 20 (+/-) difference you are a better man than I. I carry that much in my avy pack...

 

[jbunce]

Why get a 14? go to the dealer in the summer time and pick up a 13 with e-start tell them you dont want it and get it for free. not only do you get a brand new sled for a good deal you get e-start which only weighs 7 lbs if your that worried about 7#s go on a diet 7#s is nothing, like every one says you dont notice it true they are easy to pull over but recoils do fail to so 3 ways to start a sled is way better the 2 in im opinion. As for the 14 why spend 4g more for a sled with different colours your not gaining anything else if you really want to spend all that money buy a 13 and put that 4 grand in to mods to lighten it up even thou it doesnt need it.

 

[jims68]

e-start

Haven't had electric start since my 85 phazer which had it when I bought it with 5600 miles! Should of been wore out and was when I took it off 1000 miles later! Now present, bought a 13 pro with the e-start. Love IT! Ran a connection to battery with a fuse to the goggle holder and put a cigarette recipticle for a boat in and now my cell phone is fully charged and warm at all times. I can also re-charge my GPS at will also. It is fun when someone is pulling there arse off next to you and you reach up and barely hit the key vroom! Yes 90% of the time these new sleds start on 1 or 2 pulls but this last weekend I seen everyone in our group pull there arses off at one time or another! Usually after getting stuck! My dealer told me there is a little trick you can do with it also. Guy here uses it on steep decents to slow himself down and flick it sideways, restart and go back up again. Tried it on a couple of decents and does work but snow was heavy and set up at Yellowstone let alone tracked all to hell to do any flick-arounds like he was talking about! I want my motor running most of the time and need both hands on handlebars not reaching up to re-start! We had bigger problems with lost suspension bolts, I'll running ski-doo and a pro with V-Force reeds breaking! Didn't know you can MaGiver SkiDoo reeds into a pro!

 

[cateye5312]

After realizing this weekend that my rotator cuff really doesn't enjoy yanking on a pull rope anymore I will be getting E-start.