Slide Kicks, Anyone tried them?
- Thread starter aueland
- Start date
Side Kicks
I put a set on my sled last weekend (std. tip). They dont have the downward preasure of the Holz, but it provides a fair amount of spray. So far I like them. Worth the $$
G .
I put a set on my sled last weekend (std. tip). They dont have the downward preasure of the Holz, but it provides a fair amount of spray. So far I like them. Worth the $$
G .
S
Slick
Well-known member
Sorry guys, gotta give a negative report on this product. Maybe with the carbide tips they'd work better, but if you ride hard icy trails, the regular tips provide no-where near enuff down force to provide sufficient spray. Tried them in a couple different places on the rail, still not adequate. Great not having to worry about back-up issues, but if you're not getting the carbide, I'm afeared you're gonna be dissapointed. With carbide, I'm sure it'll be better but I'll see when I get em on.
Like I said, sorry, I wish they'd have worked for me.
Like I said, sorry, I wish they'd have worked for me.
A little update on some slight improvements....
The Slidekicks have a new outter covering to help the flex in cold temperatures and they have been shortened to aid in down force. So far this seems to help when on very icey conditions with the steel tip.
Slick-Thanks for your input. It all helps to make things better. When you say they were not adequate, are you saying that you overheated and wasn't getting sufficiant lubrication? Just curious because some have said similar when in fact the spray produced was adequate, just not as much as a spring style.
The Slidekicks have a new outter covering to help the flex in cold temperatures and they have been shortened to aid in down force. So far this seems to help when on very icey conditions with the steel tip.
Slick-Thanks for your input. It all helps to make things better. When you say they were not adequate, are you saying that you overheated and wasn't getting sufficiant lubrication? Just curious because some have said similar when in fact the spray produced was adequate, just not as much as a spring style.
S
Slick
Well-known member
Baked off a set of sliders in snow that should have been sufficient with the scratchers down. I believe with the old style the sliders would have lived. No engine heating issues were evident.
Hey don't get me wrong, I love the product, couldn't wait to get em on, but think they maybe need a little tweaking.
If you shorten the cable, wouldn't it make it tend to stick straight out, thereby making it worse. If you can suggest anything to make it work better, let me know we got about 3 people with the same comments in our riding group. Thanks.
Hey don't get me wrong, I love the product, couldn't wait to get em on, but think they maybe need a little tweaking.
If you shorten the cable, wouldn't it make it tend to stick straight out, thereby making it worse. If you can suggest anything to make it work better, let me know we got about 3 people with the same comments in our riding group. Thanks.
I
Insaneboltrounder/sjohns
Well-known member
any canadians want a deal on a set with the carbide tips? i have a extra set i dont need. pm me. sj
Hey slappy - did you not read the three pages of posts before typing?
c'mon man, looks like most say they work and are happy with them! buy two pairs you missed my xmas gift this year.
c'mon man, looks like most say they work and are happy with them! buy two pairs you missed my xmas gift this year.
Not impressed thus far.
I have the newer improved version, with about 5 rides in both deep and trail conditions. This totals maybe 50-60 miles.
There isnt a great deal of downpresure, however the newer versions are better then the old.
I have had one side bounce off the trail and ride on the track, yeah I was impressed. Had then come off the rails in deep snow. Had one come off the rails and get twisted pushing it through one of the windows in the rail, thankfully to no ill will. And understand it was not the mount that twisted becuse it was not tight or improperly installed. The cable itself twisted. It took lat the machine over with a pair of pliars to get them out.
Do they kick up snow on the trail, yeah. Can you stop and back up with them, yeah. They also do alot of other neat tricks too.....
If I had it all to do over I probably would buy regular scratchers. I find myself checking them alot more then the old style, making sure thier up or down. I know on real hard pack they are useless. While the carbide upgrade whould help I also fear it would eventualy turn my 15" wide track into a 14".
I am going to give a little more time to grow on me, but i fear that was $60 down the drain ?
I have the newer improved version, with about 5 rides in both deep and trail conditions. This totals maybe 50-60 miles.
There isnt a great deal of downpresure, however the newer versions are better then the old.
I have had one side bounce off the trail and ride on the track, yeah I was impressed. Had then come off the rails in deep snow. Had one come off the rails and get twisted pushing it through one of the windows in the rail, thankfully to no ill will. And understand it was not the mount that twisted becuse it was not tight or improperly installed. The cable itself twisted. It took lat the machine over with a pair of pliars to get them out.
Do they kick up snow on the trail, yeah. Can you stop and back up with them, yeah. They also do alot of other neat tricks too.....
If I had it all to do over I probably would buy regular scratchers. I find myself checking them alot more then the old style, making sure thier up or down. I know on real hard pack they are useless. While the carbide upgrade whould help I also fear it would eventualy turn my 15" wide track into a 14".
I am going to give a little more time to grow on me, but i fear that was $60 down the drain ?
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Try SummitSeekers scratchers. After what Ive put mine through Im starting to think they are unbreakable. Im sure a lot of others will agree. There are countless problems with the cable style but the only problem with the spring loaded is reverse. Sounds like a no brainer choice to me.
Thanks for the good word on my scratchers. I am still offering a three month warranty on any broken springs. I will hopefully have my spring steel "reversible" scratchers perfected soon. I do hear that the improved cable scratchers work good too!
T
Trinity Taz
ACCOUNT CLOSED
We would like to hear from you guys if you are having troubles.
We have about three times as many out this year than last and so far the consensus has been that they work well -and as advertised, with about a 2% complaint ratio (which have been handled promptly and resolved).
-What many dont understand is that the Slidekicks (or rather the polypropelyne coating on them) gets stiffer as it gets colder, meaning that they dig harder as the snow gets harder due to freezing. At 20*F, they have about the same resistance to flex as the traditional style but at 32-40*, they will tend to be more flexible and therefore do not have the same amount of downpressure.
We recommend that you do not have them down in this condition as there is little need for scratchers in these temp ranges anyway because of the softening of the snow due to thawing. If you do choose run them in this temperature range you will see drop in their performance.
We wish we could say that the Slidekicks will even work on the moon, but that's obviously not the case. In our design considerations we have had to aim for a narrow temperature variance window in which the Slidekicks need to operate, if we make them stiff at above freezing temperatures, the coating will tend to crack at 0 degrees, simple as that. It's just the nature of plastics.
If any of you want to go back to the spring style and put up with a total loss of your investment every time you break a set, there are many companies out there making them and we would be happy to refer you to them.
Happy new Year!
We have about three times as many out this year than last and so far the consensus has been that they work well -and as advertised, with about a 2% complaint ratio (which have been handled promptly and resolved).
-What many dont understand is that the Slidekicks (or rather the polypropelyne coating on them) gets stiffer as it gets colder, meaning that they dig harder as the snow gets harder due to freezing. At 20*F, they have about the same resistance to flex as the traditional style but at 32-40*, they will tend to be more flexible and therefore do not have the same amount of downpressure.
We recommend that you do not have them down in this condition as there is little need for scratchers in these temp ranges anyway because of the softening of the snow due to thawing. If you do choose run them in this temperature range you will see drop in their performance.
We wish we could say that the Slidekicks will even work on the moon, but that's obviously not the case. In our design considerations we have had to aim for a narrow temperature variance window in which the Slidekicks need to operate, if we make them stiff at above freezing temperatures, the coating will tend to crack at 0 degrees, simple as that. It's just the nature of plastics.
If any of you want to go back to the spring style and put up with a total loss of your investment every time you break a set, there are many companies out there making them and we would be happy to refer you to them.
Happy new Year!
I
IdahoMike
Active member
I had them on my apex last year, two rides and they damaged my rails from bouncing off the trail. Looked like someone took a center punch to my rails about fifty times. Not impressed
This is not what I wanted to hear,
as I just purchased a set of these to put on my wife's new sled. I figured these would be a good call for her because, she doesn't ride a lot, and I would'n't have to worry about her backing over them, like the steel ones. The last thing I want is for her to beat the crap out of her rails on her new sled.I will post once I get them installed and give a review.
I am not trying to compleatly bomb on your product. I was giving my opionon on them. I still think you have a neat product, much improved over last years. But......they still have thier issues, and to be fare, all scatchers do.
One thing, there needs to be a better way of keeping them up on the rails. I liked the old style eyelets that were included over what is now used, nothing ?
By design your right, however in field use you are dead wrong! What you are assuming is that they are in thier nuetral position when they are cold. While mine are stored on the rails bent far back. I have noticed the colder they are the less down presure they have. To me it seems the cables are less flexable when cold and have more "Memory" from being stored higher on the rails ? This is where your product struggles and the wire version excels, until you forget and back up!
So as you describe it they get stiff due to cold temps and they are hooked on my rail, How is that going to help downpressure ?Have them on 2 sleds with eyelts for non use. Work good, but less snow on rail than spring units I have.
We run them down a lot & will be using locktite to keep ends from vibrating loose and turning! We lost one end this winter.
Haven't bent these backing up!!
No track or rail issues, but have kept an eye on them. At slow speeds not as much snow on track, better over 35mph! My wife likes 25-35mph??
Will buy a set for another sled when I need them!
We run them down a lot & will be using locktite to keep ends from vibrating loose and turning! We lost one end this winter.
Haven't bent these backing up!!
No track or rail issues, but have kept an eye on them. At slow speeds not as much snow on track, better over 35mph! My wife likes 25-35mph??
Will buy a set for another sled when I need them!
