Just the sled

[Raptortrapper]

I want to know if there is a tougher sled than the shappell Kodiak XL sled.  It is the same size as the Jet Sled XL, but it is 25% heavier.  Found a good deal on them from Sportsmans guide with a free shipping code.  But if there is a better built sled that suits ice fishing better, I'd like to hear about it.  I know about the smitty sled builds, and I intend to put this Kodiak XL on a smitty frame.  But for now, just want to make sure I'm getting a good sled and not wishing I had gone with something else later.

Thanks for any input. 

[stinkyfingers]

I'm all in favor of Tonka Tough but if the Smitty is designed to take all the wear and tear you might just want to save money and weight on the sled and put it into beefing the Smitty. Just sayin'.

[Raptortrapper]

I'm all in favor of Tonka Tough but if the Smitty is designed to take all the wear and tear you might just want to save money and weight on the sled and put it into beefing the Smitty. Just sayin'.

Yeah, good thinkin.  What sled then??  Perhaps just the regular jet sled xl I suppose.

[mistertwister]

You could also just buy the wear bar kit for the jet sled, it will help extend the life. I've thought about a smitty sled for mine, but I have a height restriction with my tonneau cover on my truck so it wouldn't work.

[hardwater diehard]

The Otter utility sleds are tough and practically bullet proof ...but pull like a rock...w/o a Smitty or ATV or Snowmobile or bare ice its not fun ...I have the smaller Jet sled pulls a lot easier but with a Smitty all is pretty much equal as far a usefulness and ease of pulling.

[Raptortrapper]

I looked at the Otter sleds also.  Wondering if I missed some other manufacturers that are worth a look.  I head read that the Otters are hard to pull by hand, so stayed with the Shappell Kodiak, for now.  Guess I'll get started on building the smitty part of the sled.  If I can't find anything better by tomorrow evening, I'll just go with the Jet XL.

[lynng]

You could also just buy the wear bar kit for the jet sled, it will help extend the life. I've thought about a smitty sled for mine, but I have a height restriction with my tonneau cover on my truck so it wouldn't work.

Most Smitty sleds are built to be broken down quickly so they can be transported easily. The height of your tonneau should not be an issue. Here is mine broken down.

[Raptortrapper]

Well, my wife said she could use a sled during the summer for her garden / compost stuff.  Guess I'll be getting the kodiak, then figuring out how to put a smitty on it in the winter, and wheels during the summer! :-)

[Kevin23]

She wont want to pull the sled on bare ground while full of dirt, thats for sure! Especially that heavy one!

[Raptortrapper]

Ok, got my sled ordered.  The Kodiak XL I was going to get is on back order till January 28th, so I decided on the white camo Jet Sled XL instead.  Got it with free shipping from Gander Mountain for a little less than $100.  (Shipping code is SH1117 if anyone is ordering anything anytime soon.) 

Going to build my Smitty this week since my wife and I aren't going anywhere for Christmas.  She usually sleeps in pretty late on days she doesn't work, so I figure that gives me PLENTY of time to build my Smitty.  Not going to do anything fancy at all.  Just a couple blocks, some 2x4's, and some eye bolts.  I don't have much stuff, and want to keep the Smitty as light as possible.  Might even do a permanent attachment so my wife won't steal my sled during the summer! :-)

My question is about the skis.  Do ya find that the skis that are the same width all the way down do any better than the parabolic skis (narrower in the middle)?  When skiing, I know the parabolic skis are a lot nicer.  Just wondering if there is any effect on the Smitty with one over the other. 

[Pike Paralyzer]

whatever you have would work fine with a nice coat of wax on em