Hey all, I have owned many Quads in the past, but I was much younger then and I only used them on MX tracks and once or twice on the mountain in the summer.


In the past during a big snow fall I would jump on my quad (not 4x4) and try to rip around in the field at the end of my street (I've only tried this maybe three times) and it was horrible. I did not have any fun and I could not go anywhere in the deep snow.


I recently sold my snowmobile and I am considering purchasing a 4x4 Quad, but I would like to know if any of you ride in the winter in deep snow with them and how well they perform. Are they hard to break trail with?


When I was a kid just in middle school I had a friend that owned a couple different 3 wheelers and they seemed to be great in the snow so you can guess that when I tried to ride my 2wd Quad I was really disappointed and I just don't want to spend money just to have it sit in my garage all winter.


I would appreciate any help or suggestions.

Thanks


Tom

 

A typical 4x4 with good tires can go through about 12-15" of powdery snow and maybe 8-12" of wet snow. It depends whether your machine has good ground clearance or average. Machines with independent rear suspension (IRS) generally have more clearance than a machine with a straight axle in the rear. Suzuki King Quad, Kawasaki Brute Force, Yamaha Grizzly, Can-Am Outlander or Renegade, and Polaris Sportsman machines all have good ground clearance and IRS. I'd recommend a machine with a 500 cc or better.

 

An atv will never go where a snowmobile will but they are still pretty useful in deeper powder, especially on flat ground. Heres a pic of my rubicon pulling thru about 2 feet of snow, it may have even been more. id much rather be on my sled when going thru this much but it's still very fun on a 4x4.
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You'll notice in the picture that there is snow building up in front of the quad. Eventually, that pushes the quad up until you have tires spinning in mid-air. It's around that time you get stuck unless you can back out of it by jumping side to side.

You didn't say whether or not you're buying new or used. If money's no issue, you can get tracks for a quad that will allow any 4x4 to go where a snowmobile can go. Just not as fast.

 

Yea that's the absolute limit IMO. Depending on how light and powdery the snow is, sometimes I can go until it piles up to the rack. The snow in the picture was a little bit firmer though. the key is simply to know your atv. I never got to the point here where I was stuck and couldn't back up because I'd stop right as I sensed the atv starting to get too high centered. It's easy enough to wiggle a Honda out lol. Just have to be careful of those 6 ft snow drifts. They come out of nowhere and there is no rocking out of them lol. That's why we have winches though.


My opinion on tracks is that they are a waste of money. For 3500-4000 dollars, I'd rather buy a used sled and be much more capable in deep powder. Atvs with tracks still get stuck and high centered and are absolutely atrocious hill climbers. Not to mention all the extra wear on the engine and driveline from the weight.

 

Yep, I've had to winch my quad and others out of waist deep snow more than a few times.

 

If your riding in a field you will learn rather quick how much snow is to deep . Good luck finding an anchor point.
My sportsman 500 is good for about 1 foot of soft snow, in a field. On the trails its more about conditions than snow depth.

 

Agreed, any type of incline will dramatically affect an atv in deep snow. I wouldn't bring an atv deep in the woods with more than a foot on the ground. That's sled territory

 

We ride all year and are lucky enough to have a land owner who lets all ride on his properties. When the sleds pack the trail down snow depth is not a concern. But if you get sucked off of the trail, good luck.

 

Ah yes, that delightful, "I got my right tire too close to the unpacked snow and now I'm wallowing in 3' of powder", sensation.