Buying 3 mountain sleds

None of em are junk. Pick your favorite features pretty much.
Spring time is the best time to buy, naturally.

If you have to upgrade suspensions on any new top of the line sled, you’re a better rider than 99% of the rest of the world.

I’ve never subscribed to the dealer service thing either. Same deal, do my own wrenching and I’ve only owned 1 sled Ever with warranty and it was modded and really didn’t have warranty but the local dealer still warrantied a bad speedo gauge.

I’ve pretty much only had Cats and Poos and right now I’d have to flip a coin if someone said “you want a 850 Axys or an Alpha?”

I like dealers that have parts in stock.

If parts need ordered, I can do that and have them delivered to my door.

Right now I think Cat is top of the heap. Ski Doo may still be fighting belt issues, though they say they have it fixed, some riding time will tell this season. Motors and chassis on the Doo are pretty solid, lots of my buddies ride them with very minimal issues. Polaris I would avoid like the plague until I see that they have actually improved quality and reliability. I have had three recent Polaris sleds from new 13,14,16 and only the 13 was problem free, the other two were nightmares and Polaris customer service blows.


Cat has a reliable motor and solid chassis and, good customer support. They come with the best shock packages available, better than the competition by a long shot, no need to upgrade. If you can swing a new Alpha Cat, it is just that, number one on the snow this year IMO. It makes nearly the same power as the 850's and puts it to the snow better. Alpha Cat skid is a revolution in sled handling and probably the way of the future, here today.


I personally wouldn't buy a Doo for the goofy handling, great for beginners to learn on, easy to ride, most limited of the three when it gets really technical. Polaris has an awesome riding sled, light, great handling but the quality and reliability scared me off after three in a row. Cat has the handling, the Alpha is close to the Polaris in weight and the 800 motor seems to be very reliable and powerful. No brainer for me.


They are all pretty amazing machines truly you couldn't really go wrong. We all have our own experiences and preferences with them.

I don't think you can go wrong right now. All 3 are making great sleds.

You will get many opinions here they all three are close. Dependability really goes to maintainence and how hard you ride. In 3 feet of new snow I could break any of them in a day. Ride them hard and get them super hot they will fail. Dirt bikes for racers require new Pistons at eight hours. Everyone wants a racer but bitches about durability and wants warranty.

Buy all 3 brands and compare....sounds like a blast to me. Only thing that would suck us potentially visiting 3 dealers, and not being able to share spare belts, plugs, etc. Or just buy whatever you like the look of....they are all awesome right now.

X32 said:

I live full-time in Florida and in about six weeks part time in Coeur d'Alene Idaho(If all goes well). I am in the market for 3 Mountain sleds for me and my 2 kids (Probably 850 Power,163,165 track) I would like something reliable with high performance and suspension, plan is to look for the deep powder drive Canada if necessary.

Questions:
1) it seems that AC, Polaris, Skidoo have similar offerings, do they have equal reliability?

Click to expand...

Its Ford. Vs. Chevy Vs. Dodge. Deciding which sled to buy based on those three offerings, just pick the one you like the best. They are all very capable, very comparable in reliability, and fun to ride.

2) I always get emails on AC deals at substantial discounts like 3-4000 off is this something I can expect from all the top three?

Click to expand...

Depending on when you buy in the season, you may be able to get steeper discounts on Skidoo and Polaris sleds. Right now most Polaris dealers seem to be having a fire sale on 2018 800s held over from last year.

3) dealer recommendations, who offers the most aggressive discounts?

Click to expand...

Having a good dealer nearby can make the decision about what sled to buy IMO. For instance, based on personal preference alone, I may not have been riding Polaris the last 3 seasons, but we have a very good Polaris dealer in the town I live in, so that made the difference for me right there.

4) Important options, I’m thinking upgraded suspension but what is important(Long confusing list of options)?

Click to expand...

Don't waste your money on mods if you are new to the mountain riding game. Seriously, I can't stress that enough. The current crop of mountain sleds are all basically using what qualified as hill climb mod suspensions 12-15 years ago. Get the rear track shock sprung for your ride weight, and ride. If you happen to get a sled with adjustable clicker shocks you can dial it in a little better to your liking, but I really wouldn't go wasting a lot of money on aftermarket suspension parts unless you are really sure you need them.

5) when is the best time to buy to get best deals?

Click to expand...

Usually around July .... But, usually dealers will start offering discounts around March.

6) what else should I be considering (local dealer purchase because of service not that important to me we normally maintain our own toys)?

Click to expand...

Ford vs. Chevy vs. Dodge. Pick the one you like the best and just go ride it and have fun.

Not to get off topic but before you spend too much money on sleds, mods, etc. make sure you have the appropriate avalanche gear and be able to use it proficiently. Many guys are offering classes right now and in my opinion they are money well spent. If you are already aware of the avalanche game then more-props to ya! Not trying to step on toes just trying to spread the good word on avalanche safety!

In regards to Sleds I also agree the all 3 are well built and it comes down to being a personal preference. I’m a die hard Polaris guy and have never had the issues that the majority have had. I’m also very meticulous with maintenance which I believe to be a key factor. With that being said I rode an AC Alpha last weekend and really enjoyed it. Ski doo has a great power plant in their 850 I just could never get used to the chassis. Anyway you go I’m sure you’ll be happy. I think Specialty Recreation will be your closest dealer in the CDA area.

Ride safe and have a fun winter!

JW

christopher said:

Just curious.
Have you caught wind of anyone blowing belts on the 2019 yet?

Click to expand...

No, I have not. Way to early to tell IMO. Seems the guys having issues were having them on deep days, not too many deep days yet.

christopher said:

I hear ya.
Just currious.
Really hoping they NAILED it completely this time around.
Was out riding my new 2019 Rev 4 850 last weekend with a BRP tech.


After about 1 hour of riding on the new machine he insisted we stop, and adjust the belt and the chain both. He was quite emphatic that this EARLY adjustment was of significant importance if I wanted to ENSURE no future problems with the belt or the chain.

Click to expand...

Couple of my buddies went to the Doo demo tour this past Thurs. All day event at Wolf Creek and they should have had quite a bit of fresh snow from a dump on Wed night.


No report form them yet, I will post up when I hear how it went.

Quite a few of the regulars I ride with are all on 18 Skidoos ... I think whatever issue Skidoo had in 2017 they fixed in 2018. The only blown belt anyone in any of the groups I had last year had was on a boosted 175 *shrug* .... Seemed to be more common issue on the '17 sleds before they did the udpates for the '18 models at least.

X32 said:

I live full-time in Florida and in about six weeks part time in Coeur d'Alene Idaho(If all goes well). I am in the market for 3 Mountain sleds for me and my 2 kids (Probably 850 Power,163,165 track) I would like something reliable with high performance and suspension, plan is to look for the deep powder drive Canada if necessary.

Questions:
1) it seems that AC, Polaris, Skidoo have similar offerings, do they have equal reliability?
2) I always get emails on AC deals at substantial discounts like 3-4000 off is this something I can expect from all the top three?
3) dealer recommendations, who offers the most aggressive discounts?
4) Important options, I’m thinking upgraded suspension but what is important(Long confusing list of options)?
5) when is the best time to buy to get best deals?
6) what else should I be considering (local dealer purchase because of service not that important to me we normally maintain our own toys)?

Click to expand...

1) it seems that AC, Polaris, Skidoo have similar offerings, do they have equal reliability?

Im editing this post when I get new information.

Most 800 sleds have top ends looked at 2000 miles. The new Skidoo technology on the 850 will last much longer.

2) I always get emails on AC deals at substantial discounts like 3-4000 off is this something I can expect from all the top three?

It depends what and where you buy. Skidoo Summit x offer little to no discounts. At this time of the year December not much discount.

3) dealer recommendations, who offers the most aggressive discounts?

Im in California and not much discounts having to travel 500 miles to a dealer.
Ended going to Montrose Implement and Motorsports in Colorado at end of the season BECAUSE Colorado was almost 40% below retail having worse snowfall in decades. While Montana (having best snowfall ever) was selling at or above retail. Best deals are where the snow aint !

4) Important options, I’m thinking upgraded suspension but what is important(Long confusing list of options)?

CLUTCHING CLUTCHING CLUTCHiNG
Based on weight , height and style of riding.
GEARING DOWN to match clutching and terrain
Then suspension Tune sled to your person.

5) when is the best time to buy to get best deals?

End of season mar-apr when the snow is ending in a region where there was a poor snow season. Everybody breaking out the summer toys and dealers ordering summer toys.

6) what else should I be considering (local dealer purchase because of service not that important to me we normally maintain our own toys)?


How the sled rides … Riding in a six week period? How many times?

Consider weight of a sled unless you're a big boy over 250 lbs.

Track length and lug height. Longer the track climbs better turns harder. Shorter easier in the trees. Turns faster shorter pops wheelies

Go to each forum and see the issues and fun each brand has to offer.


Artic Cat is good but IMHO most recent innovation is the Alpha rear skid design. Some engine design but not the newest most innovative technology. New personnel there expect whole new sled next couple years.

Polaris has a new 850 engine out with a 3 year warranty. (If you read the Polaris forum the engines are failing BIG TIME) People are nervous because most any manufacturer has issues the first year with engines working properly with the drive train. The AXYS chassis has been out a while and is very ridged, technical superior chassis.

Polaris parking lot slang is … Last to the mountain first on top.

Skidoo Gen4 came out with multi new innovations in 2017.

A SHOT a $500 one pound capacitor starts sled instead of hand pull or a 20 pound mechanical starter. Runs sled for a couple minutes restart sled with SHOT

B Engine 850 more reliable than the rest and uses much less fuel. Boasting at times twice the gas mileage as any other 2 strokes.

C Pdrive primary clutch has factory adjustable weights to adjust in few minutes to get the optimal 7950 RPM peak power.

D T-Motion chassis tilts 15 degrees to the side allowing better leverage for the rider to sidehill. But suspension "washes out" while riding uneven terrain with the T-motion. Some like it some don't. Some buy kits to lock out the T-motion.

Skidoo slang … Since all the other brand riders are at the lodge drinking to alleviate pains from todays rides : LETS DO A NIGHT RIDE!
Every year I beat that guy on a Poo and a Cat now on a Doo he beats me.

revrider07 said:

You will get many opinions here they all three are close. Dependability really goes to maintainence and how hard you ride. In 3 feet of new snow I could break any of them in a day. Ride them hard and get them super hot they will fail. Dirt bikes for racers require new Pistons at eight hours. Everyone wants a racer but bitches about durability and wants warranty.

Click to expand...

You could break any of them in 3' in a day..that's funny. How do Burandt, Adams, Entz, Rasmussen and the other best backcountry riders ride them day after day in the deep and ultra steep. My group and I have put hundreds of days on these sleds in deep snow and steep terrain at WOT and have had very few failures over the years considering how hard these machines are worked. JMHO
and first hand experience.

Solarguy said:

You could break any of them in 3' in a day..that's funny. How do Burandt, Adams, Entz, Rasmussen and the other best backcountry riders ride them day after day in the deep and ultra steep. My group and I have put hundreds of days on these sleds in deep snow and steep terrain at WOT and have had very few failures over the years considering how hard these machines are worked. JMHO
and first hand experience.

Click to expand...

How many sleds does Mr. Burandt have : Around a dozen with how many mechanics with direct access to Polaris technicians? How often is sled data uploaded to technicians obtaining optimal sled performance?

donbrown said:

How many sleds does Mr. Burandt have : Around a dozen with how many mechanics?

Click to expand...

Yes he does, my point was many ride these sleds in deep snow day after day. I know and ride with a lot of strong riders in deep snow and steep terrain and very few problems. They don't break every time it's 3' deep and they get ridden hard.
If this happened there would be a pile of sleds left in the backcountry. A lot of the places we ride there is no "tow out" possible and fortunately they almost always come out on their own power.