minimum snowmobile requirements

Hello Everyone,

In the next year or so, I am hoping to be able to purchase a snowmobile that will be used for ice fishing only. I am not looking for anything fancy, but I do need reliability as I don’t want to be stuck 10 miles out on a lake without cellphone coverage and not able to get the damn thing started.

So with those requirements, what sort of sleds should I be looking at (I am a complete novice). What would you say is the typical price range that I should be shooting for.

Thanks in advance,
Mike Burcusa

I run two ’98 Ski Doo Tourings and have yet to have a break down. Both are fan cooled which is the way to go when there isn’t much snow on the ice as the machine will still cool itself. I have one 500cc and one 380cc and I actually prefer the 380 as most lake and trail travel is done at ~25 mph, even less with gear in tow. A lighter sled is a blessing too when the snow is deep or you need to load/unload by yourself.

When buying a used sled, make sure the compression in both cylinders are within range and have a shop do a pre season check every year. Believe me, they will find things to replace/ improve. If you are patient you should be able to find a low miles, clean sled that may just have been used a handful of times per year.

What is your budget? Older 2 up sleds work great for fishing.

The older Ski Doo Tourings (2 up) make great icefishing sleds, very dependable and should be in the $1K to $1500 range. As said check compression and try to find one that has under 2000 miles or has been rebuilt. Most should have a top end rebuild at roughly 4000-5000 miles.

It’s got a few miles on it but looks to be in good condition. Probably can get the price down a little.

https://eauclaire.craigslist.org/spo/4903357917.html

I bought a 2015 ski doo expedition sport with the 550 fan cooled engine. Only have a couple hundred miles on it so far but it seems ideal for ice fishing. I put the ski doo reversible ice scratchers on it and it works great with little to no snow. Of course I haven’t had the opportunity to test in deep snow but the 16″ by 154″ track should do pretty well. It’s geared low so 60 mph is top speed but it cruises well up to the 40’s with 2 adult men on board with 2 shacks and equipment in tow. I bought new because I was concerned about reliability as well.

Thanks all for the great replies. I don’t have a budget right now as right now I am trying to figure out what it is going to take. I can then spend the rest of the year saving and shopping around.

Touring 2 ups are great ice fishing sleds. Electric start and reverse is a must if you move a lot like we do.

I just bought a 2002 Arctic Cat 660 2-upper. It works great for me and I got a good deal on it for $2500. There was one thing I needed for it though and that is studs on the track. Studs are extremely important in my view so you can get traction on the ice and not be sliding everywhere. You do not need to purchase a sled with studs on it already however because you can get a track with studs for around 50 dollars.
A 660 sled is quite a bit of power for an ice fishing sled but it is nice to have. I recommend something no less than a 500 so you can make it to your destination in a fair amount of time and be able to pull heavier things behind your sled.
Hope this helped and good luck with your search!