Questions regarding first snowmobile

[fredspence]

I’m sure this question gets asked a lot. Sorry in advanced. But looking to purchase my first sled this year, a used model. I get that it’s all about how it has been taken care of, which seems to be hard to tell. I have a few questions, at what mile range do you like to see with a used sled? I see a lot of listings for a sled with 3000 miles but a new engine with maybe 200 on it. Any oppositions to purchasing one with a rebuilt engine? My second question is, should I stay away from turbos? It seems like a lot of used ones have them. Lastly, how do you decide on what track length? 155vs 163?

For reference, I’ve been out 4 times. All on a RMK pro 800 163. And I really liked it. I don’t necessarily like trail riding. I like to rip in the open snow. A bit of a Adrenalin junky. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[BigAir]

DO NOT buy a turbo as your first sled! Far more likely to injure yourself and/or the sled. Plus, unless it is a factory turbo, it will exponentially increase your chances of having problems. Even a factory turbo has more chance of having issues, just because it has more components that can go wrong than a naturally aspirated one.

What is your budget? If you plan to ride a lot and have the money, I would look for something under 1000 miles. If budget doesn't allow that, I would look for something that is under 2000 miles. Personally, I wouldn't buy anything over 2000 miles, unless your budget is less than $4000 or you can a sled that was truly only wife/girlfriend ridden.

Track is dependant on riding style and personal preference. A 155" will be more playful, but also more likely to get stuck. A 163" will allow you to ride slower without getting stuck.

 

[Bradley T]

fredspence, you ask a great question. The challenge I find is that although the sleds engine may have been replaced and only has 200 miles on it, the sled itself still has 3,000 + miles. This means that the track, gears, suspension, drive train.... everything has high miles. This being said, I am not afraid of buy a sled with 3,000 miles IF the sled has been maintained correctly. If it has been stored in a garage or enclosed trailer? what type of oil has been run through the sled? Are there any aftermarket items (this can cause issues... not always but it can)? Who was the original driver... a women, child, or a teenager? All of these questions would go into my decision on if it is a good deal. The bottom line, you can't afford to buy a new sled and think it is snow worth but when you are several mountain ranges back in, your sled goes down. There isn't a crystal ball that will tell you what sled you should purchase but do the 'sniff test' and if it doesn't feel right, seek other options. One other food for thought... too many people purchase sleds that aren't the right fit for them. What I mean by that, if you buy a sled that pushes you, you won't learn and grow as quickly as buying a sled that you can push to its limits. too many people feel that an 800 or a turbo is the first sled they should get when in reality, the best riders I have ever been with have started out on sleds that allow them to push the sled to the max and learn how to push their sleds instead of the sled pushing them. I hope this makes sense. Good luck!

 

[christopher]

DO NOT buy a turbo as your first sled! Far more likely to injure yourself and/or the sled. Plus, unless it is a factory turbo, it will exponentially increase your chances of having problems.

Strongly Agree!!

 

[BeartoothBaron]

The mechanical stuff, number of miles, etc. isn't something you can put a number or hard and fast rule on. My Pro has about 5000 miles on it: top end has been done by me, plus a couple times before; bottom end was all-new a 1500 miles or so before I got it, and a lot of other stuff was fixed or upgraded before I got it. It's in as good a shape as much newer sleds with around 1000 miles - just to give an example. On Polaris stuff, I'd expect a top end to be overdue around 2000 miles, but if you're looking at a sled that's been lightly rode (probably a wife's sled) and well taken care of, it might still be in good shape. I'd be really careful of a sled that just had the top end done: nobody does that just before they sell it just because. I think what often happens is a cylinder goes down and the owner does the bare minimum to get it back running and sell it before it has a chance to blow again. It might be fine, it might have fuel/electrical/intake gremlins waiting to take it down, or the cylinder might just be too rough and it goes down again. I'd rather buy an original sled that I think is due for a top end and do it myself. That's probably a lot if you're new to sleds, but if you do a lot of wrenching already, it's not that complicated. Now, if you're talking to someone who seems to know their stuff and is really open about the sled's history, I wouldn't say to avoid a rebuild. A sled like the one you've rode can be a pretty good deal, but they're not the most predictable in terms of reliability. Anything is going to be a roll of the dice when you're on a budget. I totally agree with avoiding a turbo: there's plenty of time to upgrade to that later, if you need it.

 

[christopher]

. I'd be really careful of a sled that just had the top end done: nobody does that just before they sell it just because. I think what often happens is a cylinder goes down and the owner does the bare minimum to get it back running and sell it before it has a chance to blow again

Bigger than life!