Advice from my dad: Never buy from a rental place.
Cost of snowmobiling
- Thread starter Cowbell
- Start date
S
snowmobiler
Well-known member
the poor ride beeter sleds,eat ramen noodles and syphon sled gas.
the rich eat steak and to snobby to ride around with poor sledders.
u pick.
the rich eat steak and to snobby to ride around with poor sledders.
u pick.
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I had steak flavored ramen once... does that count???
I'm broke as SH**, but don't ride a beater... it's WHY I'm broke!!! 
Most of the guys I see with the fancy trucks, trailers, and sleds are older and have had that time to establish themselves and many own succesful businesses. The young guys like you and I get by with cheaper trucks and cheap decks or trailers. I am on the verge of buying a new sled but am really not sure I can stomach the $16k for it. It really has me thinking about trying a t-motion in my current sled and toughing it out for another season. There is a lot of money to be saved if you can buy a year old sled that was taken care of unfortunately I can't find any XM's for less than full retail.
Can't think of anything recreational that cheap - well maybe walking ... skiing, biking, hockey, boating, etc. all add up.
Too bad re the blown motor ... start with good equipment new / lightly used and regular maintenance .... buy sleds at end of season or in the summer when some wants out and needs cash for next fix ... do your own work where possible and then trade up as finances permit ...
Not necessary to have latest & greatest to have fun ...
as for me ... business owner on salary and yes, have 3/4 diesel and some gear for work that helps out ... but I don't smoke, play lotto, drink regularly (make up for it from time to time though), don't eat out or have 4 double doubles per day, do most of my own repairs (on everything), buy used equipment (cars, trucks, sleds, bikes, etc.)
Biggest issue for me is lack of snow! Live at sea level on the east coast and am getting pissed off with having to trailer ... best when you can leave from the house.
As for the guys making $$$ who have new everything ... start adding it up ... from where I stand a lot of them probably don't own any more of their gear than you ... bigger mortgage pmt / truck pmt, trailer pmt, sled pmts, etc. more money in but more money out with a hell of a lot on tick! Likely the exceptions are the young guys living with mom & dad with no wife / kids and all their income to spend on themselves ......
Get out and enjoy the snow even if its on a 15 year old bravo or tundra.
Too bad re the blown motor ... start with good equipment new / lightly used and regular maintenance .... buy sleds at end of season or in the summer when some wants out and needs cash for next fix ... do your own work where possible and then trade up as finances permit ...
Not necessary to have latest & greatest to have fun ...
as for me ... business owner on salary and yes, have 3/4 diesel and some gear for work that helps out ... but I don't smoke, play lotto, drink regularly (make up for it from time to time though), don't eat out or have 4 double doubles per day, do most of my own repairs (on everything), buy used equipment (cars, trucks, sleds, bikes, etc.)
Biggest issue for me is lack of snow! Live at sea level on the east coast and am getting pissed off with having to trailer ... best when you can leave from the house.
As for the guys making $$$ who have new everything ... start adding it up ... from where I stand a lot of them probably don't own any more of their gear than you ... bigger mortgage pmt / truck pmt, trailer pmt, sled pmts, etc. more money in but more money out with a hell of a lot on tick! Likely the exceptions are the young guys living with mom & dad with no wife / kids and all their income to spend on themselves ......
Get out and enjoy the snow even if its on a 15 year old bravo or tundra.
S
snowmobiler
Well-known member
I had steak flavored ramen once... does that count???
WHY I'm broke!!!
middleclass.LOL
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freeflorider
Well-known member
Figuring it all out
Money! That's what makes this world we live in so much fun. The poor look up and say how can he afford that...the rich look down and say why can't he afford it and for the majority of us we say glad I'm not poor but dam it would be nice to be rolling in it.
For the most part I find people get in over there heads trying to keep up with one other, it takes a life time in some cases to reach what your seeing out there and for some it comes super easy. Bottom line is buy what you can afford, love what your doing and stop looking over that fence.
In my case I've been doing this a long time and have the ability to possess all the greatness you see. My toys are new and Im still fixing. One thing for sure is I had more fun 25 years ago riding my old $400 1976 arctic cat 440 with the leapord skid seat cover then I'm having now...those were great days, fixing ,getting stuck and taking the entire day to reach a place that we now can get to faster in reverse. Try to enjoy the ride no matter what your on. It may hurt now but looking back in years to come you'll laugh and say oh boy remember when...those were great days!
Money! That's what makes this world we live in so much fun. The poor look up and say how can he afford that...the rich look down and say why can't he afford it and for the majority of us we say glad I'm not poor but dam it would be nice to be rolling in it.
For the most part I find people get in over there heads trying to keep up with one other, it takes a life time in some cases to reach what your seeing out there and for some it comes super easy. Bottom line is buy what you can afford, love what your doing and stop looking over that fence.
In my case I've been doing this a long time and have the ability to possess all the greatness you see. My toys are new and Im still fixing. One thing for sure is I had more fun 25 years ago riding my old $400 1976 arctic cat 440 with the leapord skid seat cover then I'm having now...those were great days, fixing ,getting stuck and taking the entire day to reach a place that we now can get to faster in reverse. Try to enjoy the ride no matter what your on. It may hurt now but looking back in years to come you'll laugh and say oh boy remember when...those were great days!
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sfarms
Member
First off I am a farmer and I am one of the go to guys for the pulling pickup but that is because it is a piece of equipment on my farm that I use in business and works well at play also.We have made many trips with the sleds on a utility trailer or even in a livestock trailer as well, just using what's available.Some of the fellas I ride with don't have heavy duty towing rigs because their lifestyles don't require them and thats fine,One day they can drive to the ball game or whatever.Life is to short to always keep score.
Mentioning the most expensive sport topic,Have you ever owned a boat?OMG!Expensive to buy and like other toys that are tuned for performance,they are finicky.Everyone knows what BOAT stands for right?Break Out Another Thousand.
One last thing is everyone goes through easier and tougher times.Before I was married with children I had two sleds,One short track for the trails and one mtn sled for the trips west,both nice.But today I have one RMK I ride for everything and make due,but wouldn't give up the family any day.
Mentioning the most expensive sport topic,Have you ever owned a boat?OMG!Expensive to buy and like other toys that are tuned for performance,they are finicky.Everyone knows what BOAT stands for right?Break Out Another Thousand.
One last thing is everyone goes through easier and tougher times.Before I was married with children I had two sleds,One short track for the trails and one mtn sled for the trips west,both nice.But today I have one RMK I ride for everything and make due,but wouldn't give up the family any day.
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trinitypowder
Well-known member
Can you justify snowmobiling? No. Is it expensive? Yes. Do I care? NO!! It might cost more than meth, but at least it isnt hard on your teeth
Sledding for me is therapy. I could pay to see some whack job twice a month for a 
visit........or I can 
myself up with a quick rip through the forest. I, choose the latter
Sledding for me is therapy. I could pay to see some whack job twice a month for a visit........or I can myself up with a quick rip through the forest. I, choose the latter
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Try airplanes
Seriously though, sledding is an expensive sport. Our kids are grown, and farming has been good of late. The Redhead is highly placed in an international company and gets to telecommute. Wasn't always this way though, in the end you do what ya can.
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orange2
Member
Started out with a loan on my first new sled, a 95zr700, basically traded every year paying the trade diff outta my pocket and after a cple trades no more sled payment. Back then I was jumping from trucking job to trucking job,lived cheap and made good money for the most part. Jump ahead to the last 10 years farming and by taking some chances and making pretty good marketing choices I have put myself in position to do what I want to do. Would not have been possible if dad hadn't farmed and had a good reputation in several communities. Was able to get an operating loan and rent some ground. The first few years I almost quit several times, low prices and some family trouble, but I stuck with it and we farm enough that with the good crops and prices I have made some serious money
i have ridden something all my life. when i was first married we had 3 kids right away. i had to buy broke down stuff and fix it myself just so the whole family could ride together. we might not of had the newest equiptment but i had great pride knowing that everything we had was reliable and got care second to none. we would go to the coast and stay until past dark on sunday not getting home till past midnight and having to go to work at 6am because it took every last dime i had until i got paid again to go and we wre gonna get every last ride in we could.
my kids learned to take care of what they had and i slowly would upgrade our stuff. by the time our oldest was a teenager i bought our kids the first new quads we had ever owned. always made sure the little woman and the kids were taken care of before me. taking care of your own is not just a saying.
didn't get MY first new quad until my youngest was 12 and MY first new sled until he was 14. now they are all grown and i can buy what i want. my newest quad is a 07 and i bought a hold over 12 sled this year. have decided 10k is my limit for what i will pay for a sled, to me they just aren't worth anymore. i drive a 97 accord and i have a 2000 truck. not here to impress anyone. the only opinion i value more than my own is my wifes. i really couldn't care less what anyone else thinks, i know what makes me happy
my kids learned to take care of what they had and i slowly would upgrade our stuff. by the time our oldest was a teenager i bought our kids the first new quads we had ever owned. always made sure the little woman and the kids were taken care of before me. taking care of your own is not just a saying.
didn't get MY first new quad until my youngest was 12 and MY first new sled until he was 14. now they are all grown and i can buy what i want. my newest quad is a 07 and i bought a hold over 12 sled this year. have decided 10k is my limit for what i will pay for a sled, to me they just aren't worth anymore. i drive a 97 accord and i have a 2000 truck. not here to impress anyone. the only opinion i value more than my own is my wifes. i really couldn't care less what anyone else thinks, i know what makes me happy
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orange2
Member
That's one detail I left out, I have never been married and have one kid. I am a there is always something better around the corner so relationships don't last, even in high school I said I would never marry. To be quite honest everyone in my family seems to struggle with relationships. Thought the current gf was maybe the one who would change that, but 7 months in and things aren't going so great anymore. She is a struggling single mom, always short of money, I offer to Help and she seems to resent me for it. I have never rubbed it in her face, I hate seeing her unhappy. I gave her a few hundred for Xmas and helped her fix car with 200k on it. Anyway, that got nothing to do with sledding so I will shut up lol
keep it coming...I'm taking life notes! (refer to age)All the sleds I have I bought with burnt down motor or needing track etc. I have fixed them and enjoy doing it. My sleds are older sleds but paid for. As it would be lots of $$$$ to outfit my wife and kids and grandkids. But it is well worth the time and money as we enjoy sledding as a family. Makes winter fun. Thats the only way I can afford to go is with the older sleds but they do what I need them too. Buy the way they are all moded a little
. So save and play
. So save and play
You just have to make friends with a guy who has a lot of money, new pickup, and new trailer. That's what I did, now I have a nice ride to the mountains. We split the cost for everything between everyone that goes (keep it fair). In the end it's all in good fun and if you can't have fun in life what's the point of living.
I only buy used sleds(in the summer when they are cheap), split traveling costs with friends. Been needing new snow pants for years but would rather spend the $ riding! Its all a trade off.
A lot of the guys I know with sleds are farmers. Typically the winter is the most opportune time to take a break and they have diesel pickups or semi-tractors (yes, I do know one who pulls his trailer with a semi-tractor) to pull their trailers with. I have money but still don't know if I want to fork out that kind of money for the sport. Living in Iowa, I would get to the mountains 2 or 3 times at the most per year. It's hard to justify. I don't know of any folks that aren't semi-well-off that travel from Iowa to the mountains. Attorneys, engineers, farmers, etc... As another stated, if you want it bad enough, you will find a way to make it happen. Funny I say that, because whenever I want my wife, she doesn't let it happen!
I completely understand where your coming from. First got into sledding borrowing or riding buddies sleds when I was younger then in high school saved up enough to buy my first sled (02 polaris 700). Did all the wrenching on it myself or with friends that knew what to do. Went to college in Montana and picked up a 05 rev 800 and dumped tons and tons of money into it. Always pinching my penny's year round to trick my sled out. Sold that got a screaming deal on basically a brand new 08 M1000, again dumped money into it (still my current ride). Thinking I'm going to make the plunge to snowchecking a new XM and keep it stock, enjoy the warranty and trade it in every 2 years.
All that being said I have always worked hard all summer long and quit riding dirt bikes and prioritized my hobbies to afford to ride sleds, and even at that I'm always strapped during winters. But there are few things in life that bring me the joy that sledding does so I will do what I have to in order to keep riding. I'm also fortunate enough to live in a place where I have numerous riding areas within a 20-60 minute drive.
All that being said I have always worked hard all summer long and quit riding dirt bikes and prioritized my hobbies to afford to ride sleds, and even at that I'm always strapped during winters. But there are few things in life that bring me the joy that sledding does so I will do what I have to in order to keep riding. I'm also fortunate enough to live in a place where I have numerous riding areas within a 20-60 minute drive.
M
more snow
Active member
Been sledding for 20 years and spent tens of thousands of dollars on the sport. I have been snowbiking (Timbersled Kit) for 3 years now and only end up spending a fraction of what I was spending before on sleds. Less gas for the bike (3gallons per ride), much smaller (low cost) truck to haul bikes in back of (much better mpg), not trailer to buy/store/maintain, no belts to buy, no 2-stroke oil, very few repairs (more reliable), snowbikes doesnt depreciate as much each year. Cheaper operational cost all around!
