High mileage sleds – Buy or walk away?

Hello-

I’ve found some 2016 and newer Ski Doo rental sleds for sale with mileage above 15k. They are very clean and I can’t find much obvious wear – I plan to do a compression test, and a more thorough inspection, but the price is right – $3-4,000 ea. I would likely ride less than 100 trail miles a year, but I want a sled for Lake of the Woods that won’t leave me stranded – any input would be appreciated!!!

2 stroke or 4 stroke?

4 Stroke

Ski doo Ace 4-strokes have proven to go over 30,000 miles so the motors shouldn’t be a concern if properly maintained.

Suspension, track, and other moving parts will still be worth looking into… I’d ask for a maintenance history and if they are coming from a reputable rental company out west then they should definitely have the history available.

A couple years ago I drove 8 hours into northern Wisconsin to buy a rental Ski Doo with 14,000 miles. They actually drove great but they had so much wear and tear on the body and other miscellaneous stuff that I didn’t pull the trigger. There’s more to these high mileage rental sleds than just if the motor will last.

I tend to agree with the previous posts. The Ski Doo 4 strokes are solid, but there are LOTS of wear items on a sled.

Hi-Fax, carbides, Drive chain and oil, clutch, shock re-build, wheel bearings, bushings, track, etc. These items add up really fast.

I would try to find a ~5 year old sled with low miles and taken care of. If you aren’t picky about what specific model, you should be able to find one for around 5-6K if you keep watching the usual used sled sites. This gets you into something that shouldn’t need much maintenance for awhile.

Good points – I was more worried about the engine (not my strength) but I can see the suspension giving out. Thanks for the help!

I have bought a few rental sleds in the past. My take on it is that they are going to keep everything in top working order and stay on top of maintenance. A stranded customer is not a good thing.

I think what to_setter said would be the way to go.

If you do go with a rental sled get the clutches serviced or replaced at a minimum.

I’d pass for many reasons listed above. Wait for the next mild winter. Then in March start offering people 40-50% cash of their asking price. This is how I bought my one and only sled ever. I sold it the following January for $1600 more than I paid for it and put a few hundred miles on it.

I love snowmobiling, but I’d rather buy a third boat than own another one. I like toys I can use year-round (or close to it).

I agree that the rental places do a great job keeping up on maintenance – because stranded customers would be unacceptable. They could be selling because they feel lees than confident about the reliability at that point. Just a thought.

That is a good point – I love trail riding, but it’s so hit and miss with our winters that I really only want a sled for ice fishing. Last winter there was so much slush and sketchy ice that it drove me nuts not being able to get around out there. Thanks for the advice!