Looking to Upgrade my Mountain Sled - Help Please

[Escmanaze]

huh?

I also want a new sled and I feel the same way.
I luv my M its the best all around sled that can do it all.(especially down hill sidehills)
the Pro can sidehill the steepest slopes but lacks in the power department and boondocking. (The Pro overheats to easy too)
XM has good power, boondocks well, sidehills all right but its still wide and rolls over to easy on the trail.
the 13 proclimb LE was the most fun boondocking sled I have ever ridden! It climbs well also. Pounds the moguls like no other sled ive ridden too. Its a heavy sled that does not like steep sidehills! (Snow did NOT stick to the running boards at all)

If all the 'issues' with the proclimb have been resolved with the 14 that would be my first choice.
if I went with polaris it would have to be the standard rmk so it wouldn't over heat all of the time.
I like skidoo but I think they need one more yr of refinement before I can consider it.

So the Pro sidehills great but lacks in boondocking. The PC is the most fun boondocking sled ever but it's heavy and does not like steep sidehills.

What kind of "boondocking" are you doing that doesn't involve a heavy amount of sidehilling? Have I been misunderstanding the word "boondocking" all these years?

 

[snowmobiler]

smoothest running engine wins.

 

[Jeff C]

smoothest running engine wins.

I wonder how Grandma will weigh in on this topic?

 

[snowmobiler]

this is gramma.go doo or sit in the truck.

 

[XFIRE800]

I had a 12 proclimb and now have a 13. If anyone mentions 2012 in their proclimb discussion just disregard it. The 13 is a completely different sled. Funnest sled i have ridden and the 14's can only get better. I spent considerable time swapping betweent he pro and proclimb the last couple years and i haven't second guessed my choice. I love the pro, but i just like the proclimb more. I spent a little bit of time on the xm last year and wasn't sure about it. It had similar power to the cat, but i thought the 2.6 p claw made it pull harder. The cat got up on the snow better than the xm i rode and the proclimb definitely felt a lot more comfortable. The xm is leaps and bounds above the xp, but i still like the handling of the proclimb and pro quite a bit more.

 

[m8braaaap]

I had a 12 proclimb and now have a 13. If anyone mentions 2012 in their proclimb discussion just disregard it. The 13 is a completely different sled. Funnest sled i have ridden and the 14's can only get better. I spent considerable time swapping betweent he pro and proclimb the last couple years and i haven't second guessed my choice. I love the pro, but i just like the proclimb more. I spent a little bit of time on the xm last year and wasn't sure about it. It had similar power to the cat, but i thought the 2.6 p claw made it pull harder. The cat got up on the snow better than the xm i rode and the proclimb definitely felt a lot more comfortable. The xm is leaps and bounds above the xp, but i still like the handling of the proclimb and pro quite a bit more.

it was those of us who bought and fought with the 12 that made the 13 better,pal!!!

 

[Dabull]

I lost all confidence in the pro climb after five belts in 200 miles. Absolutely love the sled just not convinced they have it fixed. Bought a pro and went last season without a problem just pull and go, still on the same belt. I have to admitt I like the pro climb chassy better but have no confidence in those clutches. Ride them all and go with the one that feels good to you.

 

[Frostbite]

Once again, great advice guys!

I think the reason I keep leaning toward the XM is there are deals to be had out there on them. Since there were virtually no changes made between the 2013 and 2014 XM, I am fine with a 2013. I have found a few new ones for $10,500 with a 3 year warranty and one used one with less than 200 miles for $9,000ish and one year of warranty left.

Cat made so many positive changes for 2014 that I just couldn't settle with a 2013 and I would have to buy a 2014. That means $11,950 for a Snopro or $12,250 for a Limited 153' in our area.

So, the Doo would save a bunch of money over the Cat (even if they are a year older). However, I am seriously considering taking your advice and waiting until I get the opportunity to ride them all before deciding. Maybe the old M8 will get a chance to spin that 2.6' Powerclaw for another season yet?

 

[summ8rmk]

So the Pro sidehills great but lacks in boondocking. The PC is the most fun boondocking sled ever but it's heavy and does not like steep sidehills.

What kind of "boondocking" are you doing that doesn't involve a heavy amount of sidehilling? Have I been misunderstanding the word "boondocking" all these years?

Maybe I don't know the definition sorry.
I thought the boondocking was everything else besides sidehilling and hill climbing?? (Not including trails)

cats will pull the skis up in the air when pulling out of ditches and climbing while hitting bumps and that is a lot of fun for me. I love being able to pull some long wheelies when I want to.
the pro keeps the skis down and makes the sled 'feel' like a 550 fan.
Im not trying to bash the pro, it climbs and handles well but it 'feels' like it has a lot less power and that takes away the fun factor for me.

my buddies pro and my cat are very close in every aspect of ridding but mine pulls some awesome wheelies and 'feels' like it has 20 more HP. But we both make it to the top of the hill and through the nastiest of ravines and sidehills.

if u have not ridden a 13 cat with he 2.6 u really nd too! Ur shoulders will be sore from holding on if u have any type of setup snow.

I really want to be on a skidoo they are my preferred sled manufacturer and dealer but I would rather have the best handling sled for the way I ride. Right now that is my 09 M.(except on the trail ouch)

 

[summ8rmk]

Lol

boondockingWeb definitions(boondock) A brushy rural area; To camp in a dry brushy location; To stay in a recreational vehicle in a remote location, without connections to water, power, or sewer serviceshttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/boondock

 

[summ8rmk]

This is what I found with google and how I would describe it. I guess I separate sidehilling and hill climbing but I should include it??
http://www.snowmobilefanatics.com/forum/topic/41794-what-boondocking

 

[RobertTrivanovic]

Maybe I don't know the definition sorry.
I thought the boondocking was everything else besides sidehilling and hill climbing?? (Not including trails)

cats will pull the skis up in the air when pulling out of ditches and climbing while hitting bumps and that is a lot of fun for me. I love being able to pull some long wheelies when I want to.
the pro keeps the skis down and makes the sled 'feel' like a 550 fan.
Im not trying to bash the pro, it climbs and handles well but it 'feels' like it has a lot less power and that takes away the fun factor for me.

my buddies pro and my cat are very close in every aspect of ridding but mine pulls some awesome wheelies and 'feels' like it has 20 more HP. But we both make it to the top of the hill and through the nastiest of ravines and sidehills.

if u have not ridden a 13 cat with he 2.6 u really nd too! Ur shoulders will be sore from holding on if u have any type of setup snow.

I really want to be on a skidoo they are my preferred sled manufacturer and dealer but I would rather have the best handling sled for the way I ride. Right now that is my 09 M.(except on the trail ouch)

If you want a sled that wheelies there's no comparison to a doo. Unless you have a turbo.

 

[Frostbite]

I wish the manufactures would have an outdoor demo day with all the new mountain sleds available for demos similar to the spring snowshows where all the manufactures have their brand new sleds on display.

Polaris is the closest with their demo day promotion. I have done that and ridden a Pro for the day but if I could have hoped off the Pro and compared it to an XM and Pro Climb back to back, so much the better.

However, I am concerned that whichever manufacturer had the sled dialed in best for that particular day would sell more sleds than the others, and the snow certainly wouldn't be fresh and undisturbed as we would all prefer for mountain sled testing.

I wonder if local dealers would be willing to orchestrate such a demo in their respective areas? Hum???

 

[Jaynelson]

^ Myself and 2 friends coordinated 1 demo each last year (cat, doo, pol obviously) and went riding together on the same day so we could switch around. It was a great comparison, tons of fun, and not that unreasonable IMO. I sold cars for years and never expected anyone to buy something without a test drive....

 

[Escmanaze]

hmm

This is what I found with google and how I would describe it. I guess I separate sidehilling and hill climbing but I should include it??
http://www.snowmobilefanatics.com/forum/topic/41794-what-boondocking

Very interesting summ8rmk. If people in MN and WI think that they are even able to do boondocking, then according to them, you might just be right, maybe it could be totally separate from sidehilling. I've always considered the steep and deep tree areas to be the ultimate form of boondocking, but I suppose that is the problem with us snowmobilers making up our own words right? Nobody really knows what they mean!!!

 

[Jaynelson]

In BC we just call it sledding

 

[Escmanaze]

back on topic

Sorry I kind of took us off topic for a minute there, but I am actually very excited to hear your review if you are able to ride these sleds over the winter. I assume you are sitting it out now for one winter with the involuntary retirement, so I can't wait to hear your review of all 3 of them when you ride your buddies' sleds. I'm still fairly loyal to the M chassis, so I'm hoping to ride all three of them myself this winter as well and see how everything stacks up for me.

 

[Frostbite]

Thanks Escmanaze.

I will have more time to ride my M8 and I will be hounding others (nicely) to see if I can perhaps take a short ride on their new pride and joy. That can be awkward.