New to Snowmobiling. Looking for 1st Sled.

[TWA]

I would ask around the place you live for a recommended dealer! Talk to friends or other riders in your area. Not sure what your mechanical ability is but all the older sleds have issues. I love my M8 but i'm also not afraid to tear it apart in the summer to make sure everything is in great shape for the season. If your not that into working on your own stuff a great dealer can make or break your season!

My mechanical ability is pretty good, but at the same time I don't want to be working on my sled as much as I am riding it.

I like the idea of possibly new/used/leftover for a few grand more and getting a warranty with it. I think I am learning towards that right now, unless a deal jumps at me that I can't pass up.

 

[powderpilot]

Welcome to the sport!!!!

Sounds like you could get an XP within your budjet, but expect to do a top-end if it's got over 2,000 miles on it. Cats are a little more bullet-proof, but the chassis is a little out-of-date. I have no experience with Polaris in your price range, but have heard a lot of horror stories.

I learned on an XP, very fun sled and easy to learn on. Now on a Cat, and it's also a blast. You will learn to ride and love whatever you choose, and since you're not switching chassis, it should be easy for you to start on any one of the three.

The only other thing to add is that the XP was NASTY to wrench on!!! Expect to drop the motor for even minor issues.

 

[kbl6z]

My vote is for the rev. Its a great chassis. 05 and 06 are the best years of the rev.

 

[WyoBoy1000]

Uuhhhhh, WHAT????

Thats a different forum. BWAHAHAHAHA

Seriously though, I started out on an 07 Ski Doo REV Summit and loved it. I've ridden an early 2000's Polaris RMK and they sit very low to the ground and are difficult for a newbie to maneuver. Arctic Cats also sit lower to the ground than a Doo does. The Doo sits you up high and allows you to tip the sled over and gives you more leverage since you and the handle bars sit taller. Its all a matter of how you like your balance, low to the ground and a little wider or tall and narrow and a little more tippy. All the sleds have their demons, Doos are notorious for needing clutch work and exhaust valve updates. Cats have issues with their diamond drives and Polaris' just have "issues" in every respect of the word.

Completely false statement right there, the taller the sled and handle bars only means the sled has more leverage over you, so you take a 500lbs sled vs a 200lb guy which one do you think is going to win. If you want me to go into it and prove it I can but that thought is a complete fallacy. I have ridden them all and when it comes to steep backcountry riding you want your bars lower. I am 6'6" and always had bar risers until I went with a 6" riser and couldn't ride to save my azz, so I started cutting it down lower and lower every time, I now have an adjustable riser and it stays in the lowest position, it gives the most maneuverability and control, so unless I am beating the trail for a lot of miles, then I will rise it a little to take some of the abuse off my back. The actual height of the sleds are nearly the same if you want to change that then buy a seat.

My mechanical ability is pretty good, but at the same time I don't want to be working on my sled as much as I am riding it.

Then you want a 09 or newer M800

 

[shelbwyo]

Seriously though, I started out on an 07 Ski Doo REV Summit and loved it. I've ridden an early 2000's Polaris RMK and they sit very low to the ground and are difficult for a newbie to maneuver. Arctic Cats also sit lower to the ground than a Doo does. The Doo sits you up high and allows you to tip the sled over and gives you more leverage since you and the handle bars sit taller. Its all a matter of how you like your balance, low to the ground and a little wider or tall and narrow and a little more tippy. All the sleds have their demons, Doos are notorious for needing clutch work and exhaust valve updates. Cats have issues with their diamond drives and Polaris' just have "issues" in every respect of the word.

Thats not very accurate advice there...

First of all, i learned to ride on a 97 polaris and i got the hang of riding it around pretty decent. Just because a sled is older doesnt mean its hard to ride, they are all just differenet. With any sled you have to be able to adjust like stated earlier and make that sled do what you want it to do. So its hard to say whether one sled is easier to ride than another... As far as sled issues, every sled has their problems, but that is just part of the sport you have to be able to work on your sled and understand how to make it work properly. And the last rag on polaris is worth the letters on the page, their 800's are a little sketchy but there are people that have not had any problems, the ones that do just get on here and let the whole world know about it, the 6's and 7's are great machines...

My best advice would be to ride all the sleds your interested in if possible, that way you can pick out what YOU like about them, but since it is the off season you may just have to pick one and go and upgrade or change if need be. If you are new i bet that whatever sled you buy you will be able to adjust to and be happy with

 

[Bkinz]

Thats not very accurate advice there...

First of all, i learned to ride on a 97 polaris and i got the hang of riding it around pretty decent. Just because a sled is older doesnt mean its hard to ride, they are all just differenet. With any sled you have to be able to adjust like stated earlier and make that sled do what you want it to do. So its hard to say whether one sled is easier to ride than another... As far as sled issues, every sled has their problems, but that is just part of the sport you have to be able to work on your sled and understand how to make it work properly. And the last rag on polaris is worth the letters on the page, their 800's are a little sketchy but there are people that have not had any problems, the ones that do just get on here and let the whole world know about it, the 6's and 7's are great machines...

My best advice would be to ride all the sleds your interested in if possible, that way you can pick out what YOU like about them, but since it is the off season you may just have to pick one and go and upgrade or change if need be. If you are new i bet that whatever sled you buy you will be able to adjust to and be happy with

What sledwest said is totally accurate. The newer styles of sleds compared to the trailing arm sleds are easier to maneuver around. Although learning how to ride the older sleds then getting on the newer ones will make you a much better rider in the long run, teaches you things that you wouldnt have picked up as need to know skills.
Just my experience.

 

[eyefish123]

In your post you said you would not be high marking and just plan on having fun. I got back into sleds two years ago and I said the same thing. Just wanted to ride on the logging roads where I elk hunt and trail ride. Man, was that a stupid outlook. Once I figured out what the new sleds would do it turned into an adventure every time out. You will find that you are always trying to go higher or deeper or steeper. I have found that I really enjoy boondocking. I purchased a Yamaha Nytro and have no regrets. I know I am certainly a minority here and I guess I have always marched to a different drummer but I love my Nytro. It is a sled you can gas up and go, very minimal maintenance issues. I just put a turbo on mine this last spring and can't wait until next year as I only got one ride with the turbo. No matter what you buy, they are all good but they all have a downside. You will find that it is an addictive sport and it sure makes winter go by much faster. Have fun and good luck with whatever you purchase.

 

[WyoBoy1000]

What sledwest said is totally accurate. The newer styles of sleds compared to the trailing arm sleds are easier to maneuver around. Although learning how to ride the older sleds then getting on the newer ones will make you a much better rider in the long run, teaches you things that you wouldnt have picked up as need to know skills.
Just my experience.

What shelbwyo is saying is that if you can ride then you can ride any sled. To go ride a sled and then decide can be deceiving, For example a 09-10 dragon feels like a great sled and I personally like the way it handles for what it was, but when I got back on my m1000 it did everything just as easy, but would stomp a hole in the dragon as far as performance, even though the dragon felt like it did everything great it actually didn't. But on the other hand the PRO does everything so easy it feels underpowered but will prob go farther in the backcountry than any other stock sled in some conditions, if the cat has traction there is no stopping it but in the light weight fluff the Pro is hard to beat, stock for stock. I would still take a cat because I never ride a stock sled anyway, the cat/m8 has the most potential and is by far the most reliable.

 

[go high fast]

TWA, here's what you're looking for:

http://www.snowestonline.com/forum/showthread.php?t=269401&highlight=highmark

 

[WyoBoy1000]

Nice sled but I have found 06 revs for $3500

 

[Bkinz]

I see what hes saying now. First ride out this year I rode a tm8 and surprisingly enough I liked it and felt comfortable on it. Then next ride rode mine and it felt fine as well. I guess once you know how to ride you can do it on most sleds, might just take a lil to figure out how to make each do what you want it to do.

Main thing is you find a good reliable sled that you enjoy to ride and ride often!

 

[shelbwyo]

Ya, what I was trying to say what that sleds in general all require the same basic skills and knowledge to ride... A good and helpful tip to buy a sled would be to look at what your riding partners ride. In the long run it could prove to be an advantage. Getting knowledge, advice, spare parts or just help working on your sled could be worth that extra money to buy a sled like the ones your ride with. I would bet that it would pay off in the long run