Need sled ( snowmobile ) advice. Yeah from you truck guys !!!!!

PapaRaptor

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I have been out of snowmobiling for 20 years.
Decided I want to get back into it with my wife. We live in SE Wisconsin. There are trails right from our house plus we can drive to the north woods and ride for days.

I am not planning to go out the mountains or race on the frozen lakes or river. Mainly trail ride with the wifey.

I grew up on Arctic Cats ( Panthers, el Tigres and wildcats ) We had a 5 year span with Polaris XCR 800 triples late 1990s.

There is a huge improvement on sleds today.

I hear Ski Doo is awesome and e tecs and the 900 turbo 4 stroke are great.

What do you recommend for brand and model ( for my use)

I was thinking about the Ski Doo Back Country 600 EFi. Its budget priced but I am concerned about possible lack of power from the 85 HP engine and its not the etec. Options are some what limited. As the inventory sucks right now.

The Arctic Cat dealer has some 2022 inventory but I am looking at Riot 8000 models at double the price of the Back Country.
 
I have the 2021 Ski Doo Backcountry 850 XRS 154. I friggen love my sled!!

Ski Doo all the way!!
 

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I’m a big fan of Bombardier recreational products (Ski-Doo, Can-Am, etc.)

Great design, high quality. And tend to come at competitive prices.

A nice side benefit is that a lot of their accessories are swappable between different equipment with the LinQ system. e.g. Things you buy for your sled you could mount on your ATV or boat in the summer.
 
I have the 2021 Ski Doo Backcountry 850 XRS 154. I friggen love my sled!!

Ski Doo all the way!!
I am just concerned the Back Country 600 Efi will not be enough engine for me.
got some $$ down on a pair of 2021 with the 600s Efi and 146 track.

not much out there right now.
 
Great fun if you get some good conditions to use them in. I just hate vehicles that require certain conditions to use. A lot of people in my area stopped buying them due to the limited (once or twice a year) use. Some people put them on trailers and bring them further north to have fun. It's all up to what you want to do! Have fun!
 
Ski-doo , lots people have them or Polaris around here 70/30. I rode a skandic for years an my last sled was a 99 tundra long track 1 lunger I don't hill climb or race mostly ice fish and trap.
 
We have several Polaris (800 pro-s 800 pro-x and Indy XC 850) for the past 4 years. 600cc are great till you hit the lakes then the bigger motors take over. All newer sleds are awesome. Came down to I get better deals on Polaris. Resale is better IMO on the newer 850cc but everything’s high now. My favorite is 850 with 129 track. Very well rounded length for how I ride. Had a 121 fun but preferred a longer track. The 800cc 137” pro-s is a Cadillac and very planted on the trails(wife’s sled). You can also adjust the track as conditions change. The straight tunnel XC is a blast but will fill with snow and ice build up and can’t adjust until it thaws. I came from racing motorcross and ride aggressive.
 
Owned Polaris, Cats, and Ski Doo. Personally didn’t care for the Cats based on overall fit and finish and other little nuances. Currently run a Skandic SWT 900 ACE. Been really impressed with the 4 stroke. Quite, no oil to mess with, torquey, and good on fuel. I don’t have any experience with Doo’s new 600 EFI motor but know quite a few people who run 600 Etec’s, and they love them. Great power out of a 600 mill with good fuel economy.

From the sounds of it, the Backcountry or a Renegade would probably suit your needs as a fun crossover sled if Skidoo is the route you decide. There is an appeal to a 900 turbo though…..Too much power is never enough!

I think I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 4K miles on my Skandic and since new she’s always had a trailer or two behind her towing upwards of 3k a trip without a hiccup. Let us know what you decide on.
 

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If your just puttering around on the trails then you'll be fine. But, 2 up not sure your gonna like after time. Just my 2 cents. The 600 etec is a great option if its available.
I have a pair on hold ( $$$ down) My wife will always drive her own. We never 2 up.
No 600 e tecs available unless you get a over used one with 9,600 miles and it is beat and over priced. I would need to upgrade to the 850. But that puts me past what I wanted to spend.

Since I am starting with nothing and just getting back into it. I needed two sleds and a trailer. If I just got one I would get exactly what you have. I am going to stick with Ski Doo.

I am concerned that I will not like the 600 efi. It's a budget engine. throttle body, probably better than a carb model with the efi. Only 85 HP. My last sled in 1999 had 155 hp and my wifeys 1999 had 116 hp. I am excited about the new technology with the chassis and suspension.

Either way I should contact my salesman today and deal with this.


Anyone want to go fund me 10K so I can upgrade to the 850s??? :cool::cool::cool:
 
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My personal preference is skidoo. I feel like they are the leader of pack usually and the fit and finish is way better than competition. Polaris would be second for me. I am on my second renegade 850. This is my current 21 XRS. Very impressive sled right out of the box with just fine tuning, I trail ride mostly with just a little off trail for fun.
 
Finally, a thread that won't go political! 😁 Very cool snowmobiles shared here.
I don't know... There is a bit of Canada vs. USA brewing just under the surface with this... 🇨🇦🇺🇸
 
I don't know... There is a bit of Canada vs. USA brewing just under the surface with this... 🇨🇦🇺🇸
I grew up on Arctic Cats most new sleds are good. But I believe the Ski Doos are the top dog in todays markets. Its all about the engines and BRP products are cutting edge.
 
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