Hyfax vs smitty sled

[Salmonquest]

I bought an otter xt cabin. I was considering getting the hyfax kit. I also have several pair of downhill skis and was thinking of just mourning it on those to reduce friction and protect.

Anyone think of any pros and cons?

[JiggingIowa]

I've never really found the kits to reduce friction, merely to protect. IMO a $10 pair of used skis can do the same thing. If you want to reduce friction and pull weight, you might want to consider an actual smithy sled build to set it on top of.

[wiel0059]

I always do both. To me, hyfax is a requirement to protect the sled. Even just moving it around the garage / storage can damage the bottom of the sled - not to mention getting in and out of vehicle, etc.

Smitty Sled for like $10 or $15 reduces weight and makes pulling in snow 10 times easier.

[3300]

i finally bought a set of hyfax for my fx100 flip shanty (3 strips for 29$). it move so easy now! it's also much quieter now! i have to pull it over a cement seawall and it was chewing up the bottom of the sled. i am so glad to have them on now!. it pulls so easy i was messing around with throwing it forward by the rope. taking a few steps and swinging it forward it would keep going and going. i knew it was pulling MUCH easier, but when i did that i gave me an idea how much easier it really was. i'd catch up to it and tried some thing else and put my boot on the back and shoved it with my boot and it went far too!. by hand it would slide maybe 50 to 60 feet and by foot about 30 to 40 feet.
so now i bought some otter hyfax from amazon to add to my cabelas sled. those are blue and looking forward to try it out. i bought the hyfax after ice out last season, but i know how it will perform. the hardware in the shappell was much better than the otter's kit.
i hated the sound of the sleds before and now it so quiet! also, when the cement wears out the hyfax it will much cheaper to replace than the tub. tub shipping costs are crazy!. the shappell kits is reversible too so get twice the life.

skies are wider and would help more in snow depending on how high up the tub is from the skies. that's a problem for flip tubs to have it up higher that it already is, so hyfax are narrow and not up high.

i also use a smitty sled for deep snow.put the pull rope on the front raisers, nit the ski tips. it helps it stay flat on snow that way.

[Jeffh129]

3300 , I sent you a pm

[JiggingIowa]

i finally bought a set of hyfax for my fx100 flip shanty (3 strips for 29$). it move so easy now! it's also much quieter now! i have to pull it over a cement seawall and it was chewing up the bottom of the sled. i am so glad to have them on now!. it pulls so easy i was messing around with throwing it forward by the rope. taking a few steps and swinging it forward it would keep going and going. i knew it was pulling MUCH easier, but when i did that i gave me an idea how much easier it really was. i'd catch up to it and tried some thing else and put my boot on the back and shoved it with my boot and it went far too!. by hand it would slide maybe 50 to 60 feet and by foot about 30 to 40 feet.
so now i bought some otter hyfax from amazon to add to my cabelas sled. those are blue and looking forward to try it out. i bought the hyfax after ice out last season, but i know how it will perform. the hardware in the shappell was much better than the otter's kit.
i hated the sound of the sleds before and now it so quiet! also, when the cement wears out the hyfax it will much cheaper to replace than the tub. tub shipping costs are crazy!. the shappell kits is reversible too so get twice the life.

skies are wider and would help more in snow depending on how high up the tub is from the skies. that's a problem for flip tubs to have it up higher that it already is, so hyfax are narrow and not up high.

i also use a smitty sled for deep snow.put the pull rope on the front raisers, nit the ski tips. it helps it stay flat on snow that way.

I was referring to attaching the skis to the tub in the same direct manner as the hyfax runners, it works well at 1/4th the cost. The raw hardware is very inexpensive

[jethro]

I've been performing an experiment on my Jetsled. I had originally made a set of hyfax out of the PVC trim you see at the cheepo depot and it broke after a few trips. So I decided hey, it's just a $70 Jetsled, lets see how long it takes to wear through and I'll just buy another when that time comes. By the looks of it I will probably be traveling to the lake in a flying car before it wears out and this is the cheaper Jetsled instead of the Otter. And I tow with a machine and the sled probably weighs 200 lbs full of gear. Just some food for thought.

[kasilofchrisn]

Pulling by hand and the Smitty sled is probably hard to beat.
But if towing behind a wheeler of snowmobile I would go hyfax all the way.
Besides the wear Resistance it help it track better in the snow at speed.No fishtailing etc.
Both my sleds have the hyfax and I an sold on the products. All my future sleds will get it.
I mostly tow my with my snowmobile and they work great for me.

[matzilla]

I have the Frabill Hyfax kit on my Recon and am very glad I made the upgrade. It makes the sled much easier to pull over rocks, cement, my garage, downed trees and through mud/dirt. Its a 1000000 times easier to pull over ice and through 1-4" of snow. Any deeper than that and there's no real benefit - by that point you're in the depth range where a Smitty really shines.

[3300]

I've never really found the kits to reduce friction, merely to protect. IMO a $10 pair of used skis can do the same thing. If you want to reduce friction and pull weight, you might want to consider an actual smithy sled build to set it on top of.

but it does reduce friction and BIG time! also they are reversible so you get twice the life time from them.
so 9.33$ per strip is expensive in ice fishing? i have already mentioned how well it does reducing friction.
i will add that one of my buddies has the same shanty and does not have the hyfax and we tested the difference it made by letting me swing his as hard as i could forward and it went maybe 15 feet on the same ice conditions.

the OP wanted to know if the hyfax are worth their money.
yes, they are. so is building a smitty sled for deep snow as you also said.

thanks for letting me know that adding skies to the bottoms of my sleds won't help it pull any easier in deep snow. i thought about doing the ski to bottom of the tub trick to be both a few years ago, but now i know it's not. i made the right decision for me.

btw, how does one add downhill skies that have a large hump in the middle to a flat bottom sled?
that part i never got thought out other than spacers and i know i don't want those.

[JiggingIowa]

but it does reduce friction and BIG time! also they are reversible so you get twice the life time from them.
so 9.33$ per strip is expensive in ice fishing? i have already mentioned how well it does reducing friction.

the OP wanted to know if the hyfax are worth their money.
yes, they are. so is building a smitty sled for deep snow as you also said.

thanks for letting me know that adding skies to the bottoms of my sleds won't help it pull any easier in deep snow. i thought about doing the ski to bottom of the tub trick to be both a few years ago, but now i know it's not. i made the right decision for me.

btw, how does one add downhill skies that have a large hump in the middle to a flat bottom sled?
that part i never got thought out other than spacers and i know i don't want those.

The rockers on the skis sit flat when bolted to the tub, just as they do under weight. I have no doubt the hyfax runners work great, I just feel that ice fishing has become so specialized that it allows company's to have high prices because everyone wants the next great thing. Needing a $50 runner set to protect my tub that already cost me over $100 already doesn't seem right. Not a matter of cost, just a matter of over complicating everything. As far as friction I'm sure it does actually help, I just can't really speak for it, as it was for protective reasoning to pull behind a wheeler.

[frogmaster]

The rockers on the skis sit flat when bolted to the tub, just as they do under weight. I have no doubt the hyfax runners work great, I just feel that ice fishing has become so specialized that it allows company's to have high prices because everyone wants the next great thing. Needing a $50 runner set to protect my tub that already cost me over $100 already doesn't seem right. Not a matter of cost, just a matter of over complicating everything. As far as friction I'm sure it does actually help, I just can't really speak for it, as it was for protective reasoning to pull behind a wheeler.

Yeah this   Also if pulling by hand then Smitty Sled all the way.  If pulling with Snowmobile, ATV, UTV then Skis Bolted too sled bottom ALL THE WAY.

Bless

[3300]

The rockers on the skis sit flat when bolted to the tub, just as they do under weight.

i need to see a picture of how they sit flat under a tub. it's meant to hold a foot in one small area and that's on top of that hump (or rocker as you call it). if you add some thing flat to a line with a hump in it, the hump will touch and nothing else. unless you allow the hump to push up into the sled by forcing it with bolts from the front and rear of the sled and cause the sled to be caved in at the humped area.

when a person stands on that ski, the hump is still there and his weight is spread out onto the rest of the ski is the reason for the hump.

two are saying yes to using downhill skies, so can we get pictures of these with an angle to show how the tub sits flat to a ski with a big hump in the middle please?
take the pictures from a top to bottom or bottom to top. like you do to line up boards when you buy them.
my mind can't wrap around just the words you used.

i know cross country skies will lay flat (there's no hump), but are much skinnier, but the OP wants to know about downhill skies.

thanks in advance for the pics!

[flatironfisherman]

Build yourself a smitty, you won't be sorry!

[frogmaster]

i need to see a picture of how they sit flat under a tub. it's meant to hold a foot in one small area and that's on top of that hump (or rocker as you call it). if you add some thing flat to a line with a hump in it, the hump will touch and nothing else. unless you allow the hump to push up into the sled by forcing it with bolts from the front and rear of the sled and cause the sled to be caved in at the humped area.

when a person stands on that ski, the hump is still there and his weight is spread out onto the rest of the ski is the reason for the hump.

two are saying yes to using downhill skies, so can we get pictures of these with an angle to show how the tub sits flat to a ski with a big hump in the middle please?
take the pictures from a top to bottom or bottom to top. like you do to line up boards when you buy them.
my mind can't wrap around just the words you used.

i know cross country skies will lay flat (there's no hump), but are much skinnier, but the OP wants to know about downhill skies.

thanks in advance for the pics!

I am not going to post any Pics (PITA) but I have extensive downhill ski background and have them on Frabill 2 man right now.

1. Buy the right length IF you can (because cutting them is hard and will eventually delaminate).  Min length should be length of Sled, Max length should be what fits in your vehicle.
2.  The Wider the Ski the better.  After unscrewing the boot mounting holes, fill them with expoxy.
3.  Where the boots are mounted IT IS FLAT!!!  Place a Flat Edge and you WILL SEE that the flat area can be 12" to 24" depending on Ski length.
4.  My "Flat Area was like 20" so I mounted them at these points to my Sled.  I used a 1/2" Plywood inside the Sled floor to ADD Strength for my mounting too.
5.  For Snowmobile. ATV. UTV pulling DO NOT drill the Ski Tips, just reinforce the front of the sled where the pull rope attaches.

Anybody willing to drive to Cadillac send me a PM.  You can bring camera and I will have a HomeBrew ready if you like

Bless

[Monovasia]

As the other posters have mentioned, the Hyfax kit is really to protect the tub....far easier to pull across the parking lot or on ice....the Smitty is exceptional for pulling on snow and ice....I installed the kit on my Bayrunner, very glass I did

[Bout-Time]

i need to see a picture of how they sit flat under a tub. it's meant to hold a foot in one small area and that's on top of that hump (or rocker as you call it). if you add some thing flat to a line with a hump in it, the hump will touch and nothing else. unless you allow the hump to push up into the sled by forcing it with bolts from the front and rear of the sled and cause the sled to be caved in at the humped area.

when a person stands on that ski, the hump is still there and his weight is spread out onto the rest of the ski is the reason for the hump.

two are saying yes to using downhill skies, so can we get pictures of these with an angle to show how the tub sits flat to a ski with a big hump in the middle please?
take the pictures from a top to bottom or bottom to top. like you do to line up boards when you buy them.
my mind can't wrap around just the words you used.

i know cross country skies will lay flat (there's no hump), but are much skinnier, but the OP wants to know about downhill skies.

thanks in advance for the pics!

You may be thinking of cross country skis, downhill skis are pretty flat. (wider too)

[Oldbear]

I got the hyfax to make it easier to pull which it does on a lake with no snow.  Anything more than a little snow and it still bulldozer's  it and I see no advantage other than protecting the sled bottom.  I think a smitty sled would work alot better in average to deeper snow as its normally raised up.  I don't think ski's directly on the bottom would do anything different than the hyfax.

[DR.SPECKLER]

I got the hyfax to make it easier to pull which it does on a lake with no snow.  Anything more than a little snow and it still bulldozer's  it and I see no advantage other than protecting the sled bottom.  I think a smitty sled would work alot better in average to deeper snow as its normally raised up.  I don't think ski's directly on the bottom would do anything different than the hyfax.

I agree with this statement.

[fishingful]

I have hyfax on the shanty. Only use them behind the quad or bare ice. Built a smith sled for snow. Only way to go.

[sig]

If by chance you live close to a hockey rink, sometimes it is possible to get apice of the broken boards.  they are hard plastic like hyfax. cut strips on a table saw and mount them...awsum... a lot of rinks just through broken pieces of the boards out,  check with the maintenance people.

[JiggingIowa]

If by chance you live close to a hockey rink, sometimes it is possible to get apice of the broken boards.  they are hard plastic like hyfax. cut strips on a table saw and mount them...awsum... a lot of rinks just through broken pieces of the boards out,  check with the maintenance people.

Definitely a comment from Canada, rinks are far and few between here haha

[Ice Scratcher]

btw, how does one add downhill skies that have a large hump in the middle to a flat bottom sled?
that part i never got thought out other than spacers and i know i don't want those.

I've wondered the same, haven't attached any skis to the bottom of my shanty for that^ reason

You may be thinking of cross country skis, downhill skis are pretty flat. (wider too)

Both types of skis are thicker in the middle than the front and back, like a leaf spring...

Cross country skis can and will eventually break if you pull with a machine or ride your rig down the hill leading to the lake (don't ask). Down hill skis are the only thing to consider in this discussion IMO as they are 4x stronger...

I am not going to post any Pics (PITA) but I have extensive downhill ski background and have them on Frabill 2 man right now.

1. Buy the right length IF you can (because cutting them is hard and will eventually delaminate).  Min length should be length of Sled, Max length should be what fits in your vehicle.
2.  The Wider the Ski the better.  After unscrewing the boot mounting holes, fill them with expoxy.
3.  Where the boots are mounted IT IS FLAT!!!  Place a Flat Edge and you WILL SEE that the flat area can be 12" to 24" depending on Ski length.
4.  My "Flat Area was like 20" so I mounted them at these points to my Sled.  I used a 1/2" Plywood inside the Sled floor to ADD Strength for my mounting too.
5.  For Snowmobile. ATV. UTV pulling DO NOT drill the Ski Tips, just reinforce the front of the sled where the pull rope attaches.

Anybody willing to drive to Cadillac send me a PM.  You can bring camera and I will have a HomeBrew ready if you like

Bless

Here are some pictures of both my sleds, they both exactly follow your logic Frogmaster....

























Here it is loaded up with gear for me and four first timers...



Added a wind break extension last season...



<*)))>{

[aacosta]

What is the cheapest way to go with the hyfax and is there one to fit my rover 1.0?

[gearheart]

I have seen many sleds with the bottom ribs worn through. Hyfax or some other UHMW plastic is worth every penny.  Some places here we have to park 1/2 mile up the road from shore to access the ice.  That said, when it comes to the Smitty sled it is not about friction at all, it's about pushing snow instead of riding over top of it.  The Smitty borrows its idea from grandpa's cutter sleigh. Narrow runners move less snow and the cargo is on top, out of the snow.  Its about how much snow you have to pack down to move over it. I used cross country skis on mine. They sink in a bit but there is almost no resistance. Remember the metal runners on Grandpa's sleigh were only about an inch wide.

[3300]

What is the cheapest way to go with the hyfax and is there one to fit my rover 1.0?

the kit for their smaller flips is the one. it fits a few of their sled and should fit yours. it is marked on the tube what they fit and retail is 30$

SWB1 Wear Bars
http://shappell.com/rv1partsaccspp.html