Time to sell the snow mobiles I am thinking. to many years now with very little snow where I live and this year prolonged mud season is getting tiring. Wonder if they sell trailers for these things so I could still cut and haul fire wood? And if it were to ever start snowing I could still use it. Ya I know they are not fast but at 72 I don't need to be doing 100MPH in any thing. Al
Al, looks like the best market for the sleds may be in the AZ NM area. They've got more snow than we do. That Argo would haul firewood, grandkids, dogs, in any weather. Looks way gooder to me.
I loved snowmobiling when I was a kid. I don't think we have reliable snow cover here in many years. My ATV and UTV are much more useful-though I think snowmobiles are the most fun I have had.
Well I still love snowmobileing but we have only been having a couple days a winter with good enough snow. There is also refuseable group to to continue the snowmobile trails in the area. Rather spend the money on trails for horse riders. But due to a law suit on spending money ear marked for snowmobile trail expantion on the horse trails nothing is being done. I know the Argos are slow compaired to a snowmobile but I don't need speed any longer. being able to two a small pick up bed trailer full of wood in 6 inches of mud would be nice. Going thru 2 foot of snow would also be nice. Then there is going ice fishing and the ice breaking and your safe because they float and move to get back on top of the ice. Time I go out and price one and see about some sort of trailer. May take my sleds to Daughters in Wisconsin to sell. 2000 500 Classic only 987 miles on it, wifes sled. 2001 500 Classic 1222 miles on it my sled. Al
trail twister ... have you looked at either an ATV or UTV side by side with Tatou/Camoplast all season tracks? We had a Suzuki 500 King Quad with tracks for 9 years. Tracks were on it 95% of the time, year round. Had no issue with the tracks at all. Just a thought. My 2 cents...
I have a ATV, deep (8") snow will nearly stop the 4x4 in its tracks. And don't even thing of rideing it thr next day as it would hang up in the center in narrow areas. If I were going to spend the Kind of money they are selling those side by sides for I would buy a used Jeep Wrangler, CJ7 or CJ 5 and have a road leagal rig with radio heater and more. Al
One of our friends had an Argo and loved it when it was working well. It seemed like he was always repairing it before he sold it. Not sure if this is typical of others' experience with them. Maybe he just got a lemon. All that being said, they do fill a unique niche in ATVs, being amphibious.
Back in the 60's a forester friend bought one and came over for a visit with it. I got to drive it and it was a blast. Of course they're slow but now-a-days.....like you mentioned above. I wonder if you need a PFD while you're afloat?
Probably by Michigan boating laws Yes. Once in the water it is a boat. DNR would prob ably write you a ticket for not having a MC number too. Al
Every year we debate whether to keep the snowmobiles. They do get us out in the winter when there isn’t a lot to do. We have great trails in NY if we get the snow!
I think thre Argo would get you out in any time of the year and with a top even during a rain storm. Michigan has some nice trails but you have to go north of Bay City on the east side of the state. Minnesota has more and better ones than Michigan. You can ride nearly to the capitol steps in St. Paul Minneapolis from nearly any small town in the state. I can see me adding camo and duck hunting the many Michigan beaver ponds, goose hunting in corn stubble and wheat fields too. Al
We don't have that good of snow here either. Not yet at least... I think it will break and get good again this year, but time is ticking I'll still contend that riding snowmobiles is one of the most fun things you can do.
We don't even keep the sleds down here north of Milwaukee. My family has kept the sleds up north for about 20 years. No trailering, because there's essentially zero change to ride them here. The drive up north is 3.5 hrs each way. Our trails in Lincoln Cty are not even open yet. To get to where the trails are open and rideable, it's another hour to 1.5 hrs drive... Beyond the 3.5 hr drive. That's the big issue for me. Drive 400 car miles to put on 250-400 miles in a weekend.
Growing up we had one of these: It is a Pug 4wd utility vehicle made by Bruce Manufacturing in the early 70s or so. It had solid front and rear differentials and a very heavy fiberglass body. Weight was about 1000 lbs. It could haul up to a ton. The frame was built like a heavy truck frame. It had no suspension, but was pretty slow with a top speed of about 25mph. It was articulated in the middle so on uneven terrain it's 4 wheels were always on the ground. It had a low, high and reverse. It was very capable and maneuverable in the woods, and we used it to get a lot of firewood to heat our boyhood cabin. With the bar in front welded to the frame it would easily mow over 2-3" saplings when needed. It was pretty reliable as well, and very easy to work on. It was powered by a 16hp Briggs and Stratton engine. I wish I had it now.