When are hyfax needed on an Otter tub?

Curious as to the amount of usage needed to justify putting Hyfax on a new Otter Pro series sled? Obviously if you’re a full time ice fisherman and tow long distances over bare ice and the occasional paved/gravel roads Hyfax will be a requirement to prolong the life of your tub, but if you’re an every other weekend warrior that doesn’t go long distances over mostly snow covered ice are hyfax truly needed?

I’m just thinking from a weight/cost perspective if they are worth it for a typical part time angler?

If you always pull it by hand your good. As long as you know you won’t be on gravel or pavement. Atv or snowmobile get the hyfax’s. Just takes one time to ruin a sled, found out the hard way. Cheap insurance for me.

They save a lot of abuse over the years. If you plan to have it for more than a few years I would. They spread the shock out a lot when you hit ice chunks when being towed. Ive got some nasty gouges out of my hyfax in the 9 years I’ve awned it.
If you are worried about adding 3# of plastic to your tub I think you bought the wrong brand to start with.

I have my set, just can’t bring myself to drill holes in my tub yet!

I like having it. I do tow with an atv but also pull the shack up onto my trailer with a wire mesh gate. Every time i see the littlw blue shavings that the gate takes off I’m glad its removing the hyfax vs the sled bottom. Same thing when i pull it down a gravel or concrete ramp onto the lake.

I wore through my old clam fishtrap by being careful about dragging over gravel and cement and dragging almost entirely by foot. I think the runners are a good investment to prolong the bottom of your sled even if you aren’t a guide or pro.

good points, I don’t haul it much, but do pull with an ATV…I’m all about shaving weight from my setup, every # counts…Every sled i’ve owned had hyfax installed, just was curious if I truly needed them? as Dairycat said, cheap insurance…

Cameron white wrote:

I have my set, just can’t bring myself to drill holes in my tub yet!

I would drill those holes now before an ice chunk drills an even bigger one in a spot where you don’t want it.

Always run Hyfax’s. Pulls nicer by hand also. I even have them installed on my 1 man shack.

I bought an otter because they advertise the super durable sled. You guys are telling me that dragging by hand for 10 feet down a concrete boat ramp is going to ruin the sled? I should of just bought a cheaper lighter frabill in that case.

pharmfisher wrote:

I bought an otter because they advertise the super durable sled. You guys are telling me that dragging by hand for 10 feet down a concrete boat ramp is going to ruin the sled? I should of just bought a cheaper lighter frabill in that case.

I think you will be fine without it. I have had an otter cabin for probably 5+ years now and haven’t done any damage to my sled other than normal light scratches. I agree it’s funny they advertise such a tough sled but then everyone says you have to put hyfax on.

If you are worried about cost you could make your own by buying a HDPE sheet (est. $45-50) of plastic from Menards and cut your own runners. Plus you will have alot left over for another project.

Cameron white wrote:

I have my set, just can’t bring myself to drill holes in my tub yet!

Just make sure you drill holes a little smaller than the bolts and then thread them in. It might help with preventing leaking into through the holes.

Honestly.. I don’t think most people need them. After about 5 or 6 years of good use I finally put them on my Otter Lodge. In most situations and pulling across ice or snow it was fine but one night me and a buddy had a few cocktails and pulled it across a ramp getting off Mille Lacs and shredded the bottom pretty good. That and I was tired of being extra careful with it going across gravel and even moving it around in my garage. Now I can be careless

I got a set of Eskimo hyfax when they had a clearance sale at their factory in Cumberland for 15.00. I had to cut them to size for my Otter sled but they worked great. All the holes were predrilled and they had all the stainless screws and lock nuts.

I pull my X2 sled from my cabin to the lake with my ATV… about 8 blocks, depending on time of season/weather… it can be glare ice, snow covered or 100% muddy gravel and asphalt. If your pulling 10 feet down a ramp, you don’t need them. If your pulling like I do, you don’t need them either, just buy a new sled every other year. I put them on when it was new… and after 8 or 9 years, I think another set are in my near future. Common sense goes a long ways.

Keep this thread going, interested as well, for those who do have them does your sled leak water when there is water on the ice?

red89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>cgriff20 wrote:</div>
I bought an otter because they advertise the super durable sled. You guys are telling me that dragging by hand for 10 feet down a concrete boat ramp is going to ruin the sled? I should of just bought a cheaper lighter frabill in that case.

I think you will be fine without it. I have had an otter cabin for probably 5+ years now and haven’t done any damage to my sled other than normal light scratches. I agree it’s funny they advertise such a tough sled but then everyone says you have to put hyfax on.

That is exactly what I was thinking, who cares how durable the sled is if you have to put a hyfax on it anyways.

Sounds like you have the perfect scenario but what happens when it’s not,I don’t care if you drag it across the street, sand an grit will wear on it, through in some rocks, railroad tracks, lifting it up on a dock or over and ice ridge, pulling it across sharp ice, having bad luck unloading or loading catching a sharp corner on a tailgate or trailer, I could go on and on,just saying I’d recommend them

lindyrig79 wrote:

Honestly.. I don’t think most people need them. After about 5 or 6 years of good use I finally put them on my Otter Lodge. In most situations and pulling across ice or snow it was fine but one night me and a buddy had a few cocktails and pulled it across a ramp getting off Mille Lacs and shredded the bottom pretty good. That and I was tired of being extra careful with it going across gravel and even moving it around in my garage. Now I can be careless

Now that I would like to have seen. Gotta be more to that story.

https://www.in-depthoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sled.gif

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pharmfisher wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>red89 wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>cgriff20 wrote:</div>
I bought an otter because they advertise the super durable sled. You guys are telling me that dragging by hand for 10 feet down a concrete boat ramp is going to ruin the sled? I should of just bought a cheaper lighter frabill in that case.

I think you will be fine without it. I have had an otter cabin for probably 5+ years now and haven’t done any damage to my sled other than normal light scratches. I agree it’s funny they advertise such a tough sled but then everyone says you have to put hyfax on.

That is exactly what I was thinking, who cares how durable the sled is if you have to put a hyfax on it anyways.

maybe this isnt a great analogy but think of it this way. The human body is incredibly durable and can withstand a lot of things and still keep on going. A human body can survive a bullet for example. If you put a bullet proof vest on your chances of survival go up. In short, the human body is tough (just like the otter sled) but there are accessories that can allow it to withstand more. You dont need the hyfax but it improves an already great product

Personally I’d like to see someone where a sled out. My Otters have been pulled a lot of miles in every condition you can imagine…gravel roads, rock roads, ice roads and plenty of off roads. Still in perfect shape. I hosestly feel I would have ripped the screws out of my sleds by now if I would have installed hyfax. These sleds are incredibly tough and thick. I think it’d take a person 30 yrs of abusing it to where one out. That’s just my opinion though.

crappie55369 wrote:

maybe this isnt a great analogy but think of it this way. The human body is incredibly durable and can withstand a lot of things and still keep on going. A human body can survive a bullet for example. If you put a bullet proof vest on your chances of survival go up. In short, the human body is tough (just like the otter sled) but there are accessories that can allow it to withstand more. You dont need the hyfax but it improves an already great product

I’d agree except I dont have to drill a pile of holes in my chest to use a bullet proof vest

What if you hook some barbed wire and rip off a hyfax? Just a senario where they dont improve the product. I just don’t think I could drill holes in my sleds.

Joe Scegura wrote:

Personally I’d like to see someone where a sled out. My Otters have been pulled a lot of miles in every condition you can imagine…gravel roads, rock roads, ice roads and plenty of off roads. Still in perfect shape. I hosestly feel I would have ripped the screws out of my sleds by now if I would have installed hyfax. These sleds are incredibly tough and thick. I think it’d take a person 30 yrs of abusing it to where one out. That’s just my opinion though.

More or less my thoughts, that’s why I’m curious what lindyrig79 did to shred his while pulling it across a ramp.

ALWAYS PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT!!!

Joe Scegura wrote:

Personally I’d like to see someone where a sled out. My Otters have been pulled a lot of miles in every condition you can imagine…gravel roads, rock roads, ice roads and plenty of off roads. Still in perfect shape. I hosestly feel I would have ripped the screws out of my sleds by now if I would have installed hyfax. These sleds are incredibly tough and thick. I think it’d take a person 30 yrs of abusing it to where one out. That’s just my opinion though.

Does anybody have any pictures of an Otter sled that wore through?

I have a Clam that is 18 years old with no hyfax, sled is still golden. That being said, I purchased a clam 20th Anniversary Voyager this year and put the kit on. When spending that much on a house why not put something on the sled that could potentially save it from damage. Just my thought! (Plus the package came with the runners)

Joe Scegura wrote:

What if you hook some barbed wire and rip off a hyfax?

Or get caught on a piece of expanded metal on a ML resort bridge ?…ask me how I know…VERY over-sized washers stacked together then covered in plastic weld got it fixed…

JoeMX1825 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Joe Scegura wrote:</div>
Personally I’d like to see someone where a sled out. My Otters have been pulled a lot of miles in every condition you can imagine…gravel roads, rock roads, ice roads and plenty of off roads. Still in perfect shape. I hosestly feel I would have ripped the screws out of my sleds by now if I would have installed hyfax. These sleds are incredibly tough and thick. I think it’d take a person 30 yrs of abusing it to where one out. That’s just my opinion though.

Does anybody have any pictures of an Otter sled that wore through?

Yes, in the shed at the cabin. I can snap a pic when I get up next. It is an Otter too. Fills up with snow something terrible !!!

You will not wear your Otter sled out pulling it on ice and snow period. If you drive to the lake, take your sled out of the truck/trailer and pull it just a few feet in the parking lot and down a ramp onto the lake you will also be fine without Hyfax. Same goes for moving it around a few feet in the garage at home, no issues. However, if you ever intend to pull it behind an ATV for more than a few feet on any surface besides snow/ice, I very highly recommend that you get the Hyfax.

Will

My opinion is that if you are spending $850-1000 on an otter why not protect your investment with some $60 hyfax. If you have little snow the jagged ice will cut into the sled when pulling. The sled also tracks better in the snow whether pulling by hand, ATV or snowmobile. You will end up pulling on gravel or concrete on a public access at some point. Compare it to Rhino/spray lining your truck bed. May not be necessary in your circumstance but it does protect your investment when needed.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

More or less my thoughts, that’s why I’m curious what lindyrig79 did to shred his while pulling it across a ramp.

It was one of those ramps the resorts put out to get over an ice heave. Kinda of a corregated steel, meant for traction. We drove over that and then proceeded through the parking lot up to the bar. Back to my resort and over some more gravel. Maybe not “shredded” but some significant damage and chunks. And I did tell you alcohol was involved so maybe there is more to the story I don’t know myself, LOL!

I agree you will never wear out the tub on snow and ice. Even occasional trips across a concrete ramp or gravel is fine. But we exclusively pull with snowmobiles and ATVs and now I can cross as many roads, ramps, or parking lots and not think twice.