Snowmobile VS 4 Wheeler ?

[Jacque LeTrout]

I'm looking forward to my second season of ice fishing this year and I will be traveling by foot due to budget. I don't mind walking but arthritis is getting the better of me and covering distance in places like Black Lake and Cha mount Bay would be easier and less painful using a motor vehicle.    I am considering purchase of either a snowmobile or four wheeler for the 2017/18 season and am starting to research now.

Which would be more practical, a four wheeler or snow mobile?   I will be located in the North Country of New York State and will fish the eastern bays of Lake Ontario,  Black Lake, St. Lawrence River bays, and other small ponds in Jefferson and St. Lawrence County.    I want to tow a sled with gear in it.   

Any insight, suggestions on any aspect of this decision would be appreciated.

[vanhln]

Four wheeler is more practical for year round activities and if you have no snow, but its cold, you'd need an ATV.  Depends on your conditions maybe.

[Jacque LeTrout]

Not much interest in the summer when I'll be boat or stream fishing

[jopes]

Just depends.  A sled with slides for the track will melt with out any snow to lubercate them.   Old 60's sleds that were bogie wheel only were find for ice machines.

[luv2fish2]

how will you get it to the lake , wheelers load easily in pickups , sleds usually require a trailer and if it's not enclosed it gets bombarded with slush and snow and road salt . in your neck of the woods i'd go sled , oh yeah i have a camp in chaumont so i fish same places only down side is bare ice for a snowmobile you have to get ice scratchers my 2 cents

[Jacque LeTrout]

I have a 4X8 open trailer and wonder if a sled would fit? I suppose a 15 minute drive to Chaumont could put a tone of salt on a sled.  Ice scratchers to get lube to the rails?  I have been warned that sleds need snow so I assume the scratchers solve the problem.  I am ignorant of sleds, are scratchers home made or purchased?

[Hookin-fish]

a 4 wheeler is nice cause one can use it year around but if you get any amount of snow they get stuck easily.a sled in my opinion would be a much better choice..depends on how much snow you normally get there.

[esox_xtm]

Your biggest question should be prevailing snow/ice conditions. if slushy conditions are frequently encountered an ATV will be useless. Even a sled will be challenged but will stand a far better chance of getting you to where you want to go (and back).

Sure, you can use an ATV year round but if you buy it "for the ice", how it preforms there should be the first consideration.

[filetandrelease]

CVG lots of factors where we live depth of snow -slush , crossing pressure cracks which can be open wet , you might want to post this question on the NY  thread , I'm up north once in a while but most of the time on Oneida and for me my tundra suits my needs much better and very seldom there is glare ice to worry about , for me where ever I go it's needs trailering  , just an ol buzzards .02

[williev18]

Im from northern VT and im assuming we get about the same weather. I accualy own both a 4 wheeler and a sled so ill try to help with the pros and cons. For starters I love my atv for around the house chores and deer season. It is also very nice for early season, its alot easier to load and unload than the sled, and handles alot better on bare ice with the chains on. Finally as a general rule a quality atv will take alot less mantaince. How ever other than last winter by mid winter the snow is deep enough to render it useless, and nothing can ruin a fishing trip faster than a stuck 4 wheeler. Now on the other hand the snow machine is much more capable in deep snow and slush. With studs and carbide ski runners they will go fine on ice, but try to hit some loose snow every now and then to cool the slides, or add scratchers. My sled is a PIA to load and unload from the truck, enough so that i bought a tilt bed trailer for it. Reverse would probably help but was out of my price range at the time. With a sled be sure to carry extra belts and spark plugs, and mine beeing air cooled i have to be carefull on above freezing days. So over all if i had to have just one to go for a whole season i would say go with the sled, and if budget allows go with a liquid cooled 4 stroke, with a long or wide track and reverse. The other option if buget allows would be a wheeler on tracks, i dont have much experence with them but others may chime in.

[NYSporty]

On those waters I'd just take my truck BL has plowed roads lol.
There is not one machine made to endure all the conditions we have in upstate NY.
I'd go with a atv with independent suspension killer chains in the back and ice racing screws in the front.
If you can put a plow on and drop it 6" off the ice no snow will stop you. I pulled 4 sleds out of slush 2 years ago.

[Whopper Stopper]

I have a Grizzly 700 with chains on the back. It does pretty good until the snow starts adding up, then it starts getting hung up. Early ice is my favorite so for much of my fishing the ATV works fine.

After the snow starts accumulating past a foot or so I turn to my Skandic sled. If you don't have slush the sled is a beast. I also use it for hauling wood out of the back 80 and with a towing capacity of around 1250 pounds I have pulled cars out with it.

Even though both are set up for ice fishing I use the ATV a lot more for year around use. I would be lost without it.

Pretty much a personal choice based on needs and wants.

Good luck with your choice. Fun times ahead

                  WS

           

[bart]

I have a 4X8 open trailer and wonder if a sled would fit? I suppose a 15 minute drive to Chaumont could put a tone of salt on a sled.  Ice scratchers to get lube to the rails?  I have been warned that sleds need snow so I assume the scratchers solve the problem.  I am ignorant of sleds, are scratchers home made or purchased?

I bought Dura Flex Ice Scratchers for my sled, perfect for absent minded ice fishermen. The ice can be wind-blown with only small patches of hard packed, thin snow, even bare at times... I figured better safe than sorry, they've had been working great for me.

[luv2fish2]

what is your budget ? that makes up most people's mind ,  used sleds can be had from 500 and up depending on what your looking for hence it's cheaper initially but if money is no object a tracked wheeler is nice i've got both there's a time and place for each just depends on the benjamin's available

[thewyler]

Quads are nice, but sleds can be had for much cheaper. ice scratchers are helpful but not necessary.

[JonPerry]

I use my wheeler & chain up when the snow gets deep. Once I start getting stuck, I fire up the sled. It all depends on the average amount of snow your area gets. I'd recommend starting out with a good used wheeler & when you can afford it, add a sled.

[SeisMec]

With the 3 day storm that we just got done with the snow is drifted in semi-hard. Not hard enough to hold up a 4 wheeler but hard enough to get stuck tight. Yesterday a neighbor tried to go down the prairie road behind the subdivision; only got 30 yards.  Another neighbor came along and picked him up so he could get his pickup, got that stuck too. Had to daisy chain them to get them all out. Time for sleds around here if the road into the fishing hole isn't open.

[Wingthing]

I live right across the River or Lake in Ontario fish Lake O & The Larry. I had the same debate 4yrs ago & settled on a sled after seeing a bunch of wheelers stuck on the ice while fishing the Bay of Quinte. I bought a used 1998 Yamaha Venture in Messina NY for $800 & put another $800 into it & haven't looked back since. A couple of things I wanted & got were electric start, reverse, windshield. I've pulled many shacks with it. I wanted fan cooled after talking to some sled guys easier for ice fishing no scratchers or leaking liquid to deal with. Take a look at what Marty drive on mountain men...it's not a wheeler lol.
Best of luck.

[soaknwet]

I'm 68 years old and I have a 1991 Yamaha snowmobile with electric start and reverse. I love it and only use it for ice fishing. But, if you're not use to snowmobiles, learn how to use it. You can get stuck with a sled and they are not easy to get out sometimes. I'm sure you will enjoy either a 4-wheeler or a sled. Good luck .

[jethro]

If you can pick your days a quad with chains is great, but there are some times when a sled is all that will do the trick. And for all intensive purposes a sled can be made to work even when there is no snow. For this reason I choose a sled as a better choice. The only times I don't bring the sled is when it is absolutely glare ice, no snow whatsoever, and in those conditions it's super easy to pull by hand and walk.

[flyfish413]

It's subjective. If it's for ice fishing only it's a simple question...sled will work nearly 100% of the time, ATV will not. There ya go. But you'll also have a machine that sits idle 9 months a year. If you have some other use for an ATV...hunting, plowing, property maintenance, trail access for fun, then an ATV might be a great compromise, but in deeper snow, things get sketchy and in slush, forget about it. That said, the kind of conditions that make an ATV useless, but will still let you get out with a sled might be the kind of conditions that you don't want to be fishing in in the first place.

[52isntbigenough]

It's subjective. If it's for ice fishing only it's a simple question...sled will work nearly 100% of the time, ATV will not. There ya go. But you'll also have a machine that sits idle 9 months a year. If you have some other use for an ATV...hunting, plowing, property maintenance, trail access for fun, then an ATV might be a great compromise, but in deeper snow, things get sketchy and in slush, forget about it. That said, the kind of conditions that make an ATV useless, but will still let you get out with a sled might be the kind of conditions that you don't want to be fishing in in the first place.

What you've said holds true for ATV's without tracks.

[MT_mulies]

I would say atv. For the purpose of mostly year round use. In my opinion a snowmobile is 5x more fun to ride. But I personally can only afford either a snowmobile or an atv. I went with the atv because generally speaking I can use it year round because it plows my driveway for me, and when I'm ice fishing I'm usually on bodies of water that don't have snow, because the wind blows it off once a week. I'm actually thinking of saving some $$$ for tracks for my fourwheeler. That way I only have to maintain 1 vehicle and not a snowmobile and atv. I know it won't go as fast as a snowmobile and might not be quite as good, but I have watched a lot of youtube videos and the atvs with tracks go pretty good in the snow. But that is a dream down the road. If I could afford it or had a place to park a snowmobile and not see it just sitting there for 9 months of the year I would definitely have both.

[Open-Handed Fish Slap]

If you can't get out there with a 4-wheeler the day will most likely suck no matter what mode of transportation you use.  I'm looking to buying a sled right now just because they seem like a lot of fun, but I'm good with my ATV.  Don't get me wrong, I've seen some cool setups on both but between electronics mounts and auger mounts and everything along those lines it seems like ATV's have more potential.  Also, you can put a plow on an ATV, and who wouldn't want a plow.

[sra61]

I'm actually thinking of saving some $$$ for tracks for my fourwheeler. That way I only have to maintain 1 vehicle and not a snowmobile and atv. I know it won't go as fast as a snowmobile and might not be quite as good, but I have watched a lot of youtube videos and the atvs with tracks go pretty good in the snow. But that is a dream down the road.

I went the ATV route also. I found a used set of tracks on Craigslist, and have enjoyed the heck out of them. Check out Craig's in the Spokane area. ATVTracks .net as there and they have a lot more of them around. I found my 4S set for $2500, which is about half what a new set would run. With the right plow you can pile snow as high as the house with the tracks. Also the psi load that you are putting on the ice is far lower than even you with your feet! So you can sell it to the Ole' Lady as a "SAFETY" feature! Really if she cares about you at all, it's a no-brainer!

[flyfish413]

What you've said holds true for ATV's without tracks.

Maybe, for the most part, but like I said it's subjective. ATV with tracks are still far from perfect...there's the cost factor, snow/ ice/ slush gets everywhere including on the driver, passengers and gear, ice builds up on critical components and in the engine bay. They are slow, harder to steer, colder (without a windshield and heated grips) and gas mileage sucks. And heaven help you if you get stuck in slush with tracks. Bottom line is snowmobiles are designed for the snow and ice, ATV's aren't. For the cost of an ATV and tracks you could also get an ATV and a sweet sled and have best of both worlds.

Like I said, it's subjective, depends on the budget, space, time, location, conditions, etc. I still say for what you'd pay for a decent ATV and a set of tracks, you could have both machines as opposed to one that's still a compromise.

My 2 cents, your mileage may vary.

[52isntbigenough]

Maybe, for the most part, but like I said it's subjective. ATV with tracks are still far from perfect...there's the cost factor, snow/ ice/ slush gets everywhere including on the driver, passengers and gear, ice builds up on critical components and in the engine bay. They are slow, harder to steer, colder (without a windshield and heated grips) and gas mileage sucks. And heaven help you if you get stuck in slush with tracks. Bottom line is snowmobiles are designed for the snow and ice, ATV's aren't. For the cost of an ATV and tracks you could also get an ATV and a sweet sled and have best of both worlds.

Like I said, it's subjective, depends on the budget, space, time, location, conditions, etc. I still say for what you'd pay for a decent ATV and a set of tracks, you could have both machines as opposed to one that's still a compromise.

My 2 cents, your mileage may vary.

1) The same cold gets at a sled rider without heated grips and windshield
2) Tracks are designed now to turn easily without EPS (they're actually curved on the edges to eliminate that problem).
3) Slush does not get on passengers or driver unless they're hanging off the machine.
4) Pulling a sled with a Tracked ATV is no more messy than towing with a snowmobile.
5) Slow is a relative term, because I can hit over 30 on the ice/snow. I'm not racing to spots. It's a utility machine, not an RX-1 (which I also own).
6) Heaven has helped. I bought a 3000 lb winch and made a come along. Drill a hole, attach come along to cable, pull. I've done it in practice, but never had to use it. Ever dig a sled out of slush?? You'd wish you had a winch.
7) An ATV with tracks is made Exactly for snow use.
8) When people talk about cost, this tells me they have never run one or owned one. Simply put, an ATV with tracks can and will go places a sled can't. I spent 10K out the door. (added accessories after). I could spend the same on a new sled. Easily. Comparing the cost of a new machine by saying you can buy 2 used isn't apples to apples. I can buy a used ATV with tracks for 6-7 and say, "Hey I can buy that sled for 11 or a used ATV with tracks and a used sled for 11." Sure you can buy crap and add up the costs to equal what you want.

But don't believe me, I don't actually own one.

[luv2fish2]

i own ( bearcat snowmobile , can am outlander 800 w/ apache tracks , and 1987 ski alpine 503) or have owned them all (six wheeler and  multiple utilty sleds ) tracked wheelers are nice but they outweigh sleds and have less flotation hence deep snow sled wins  but on glare ice the newer atv tracks have idlers and no sliders so they do not need scratchers but thats why i have the alpine it has bogie wheels . if i could only own one it would be a sled ( specifically a utility one with reverse and estart) but as flyfish  said to each his own ! my 2cents . all of them beat a 5 mile hike out lake erie with 60 lbs in tow lol

[conesuscrab]

After years of using my buddies 4 wheeler I just bought my first sled for ice fishing and trail riding.  I picked up a 2011 SkiDoo ETEC 600 GSX REV.  I am champing at the bits to get out on it.  It has electric start and reverse.  I am looking forward to being more Mobil and being able to travel around and try multiple spots.  I hope I made a good decision and we get ice and snow soon!

[Republic of Alberta]

One thing to keep in mind is cold weather starting.   My quad (brute force 750) has dam near not started a few times out on the lake, a Honda rubicon and an old Honda 300 were even worse for cold weather starting.   I use a sled now for ice fishing and leave the quads for summer use only.    My sled is a Polaris Indy with a 155" track and 550 fan cooled 2 stroke.   Much much better than the quads in every way for ice fishing including cold weather starting.....of course it did almost leave me stranded last year in a snow storm out on a big lake when I lost a cylinder due to a bad coil....lol.