For those of you that have both, which hobby do you find eats up more of your disposable income?
I used to think that the quad was WAAAYYY cheaper than the machine, but now I think that it's only cheaper on gas. I end up doing as much maintainence and repairs on the quad as I do on the machine. Of course I use the quad about 10 months a year, and the machine only about 3.

How about after market parts? With the ski-doo I hated to put a Kimpex spark-plug caddy on it, and would never have considered any actual Kimpex parts. With the quad I don't think twice. "The Yamaha part is how much??? I'll take aftermarket, thank you very much."

What do you guys think?

 

My sleds have cost me a lot more than my quads. I haven't had to sink a dime into the quads except for gas, oil, etc. However my sleds just cost me an arm and a leg.

I started out with just a Mach 1 and I had problem after problem with the stupid thing. I started the winter out with problems, and by the time I got them fixed it was half over. I think I'm all set for the rest of the season and my clutch craps out on me. So I sunk about $1200 into the stupid thing then I was sick of the problems and I bought a new sled...A Mach Z 800. Well when I got it home we had 3 days of snow then it warmed up and it all melted. I watched the stupid thing sit in the garage for a couple of weeks and then we get 28" of snow in one big storm. I was in heaven. I go out for a ride and on my way home (3 miles from my house) I hear a loud and weird noise (I can't even explain what it sounded like). Then it feels like I fouled a plug. I change the plugs and no help. Anyway, the next day it goes into the shop and they told me my center cylinder ring let go and my piston was trashed, but luckily the cylinder was okay. I sink $450 for a new piston in the center cylinder, and new rings in all three and by the time I get the thing back it had warmed up again. We did get a little bit more spring snow, but I only got 1 little ride in before it was all gone.

So yeah, my answer is sleds cost more [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

-Josh

 

My snowmobile and my quad have both cost me about the same amount of money because my quad is fully modified and my sled is stock but expensive. I have a 2001 Polaris 600 Pro-X limited build race sled and my quad is a fully modified 1989 Warrior (although everything has been improved so i wouldn't really call it a 89). I have had no problems with either machine, no one should if they practice regular maintnence, but problems can arise if it was bad from factory, ive heard alot about early mach Z's having problems with the middle cylinder, early flaws i suppose. As for maitnence and operating costs, my sled costs more because its a two stroke and my quads a four stroke, my sled, because of the 600 VES motor is fairly hard on fuel and consumes a fair amount oil. As for aftermarket parts i use polaris accesories whenever possible on my sled (ex, 1.25 track, colored accesories, clutching etc.) but with my quad i always order aftermarket, i never order yamaha's equipment (except for things like bearings seals etc.)

 

Regular Maintainence? I was on my 3rd ride and it blew up [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

Nah, you're right...I believe the guy before me beat it to death or something. Oh well, I still got a good deal on it even after the rebuild so it's okay. Going into the shop this weekend to get everything ready for winter. I'm hoping for a trouble free season...yeah right.

-Josh

 

I don't think it's fair to blame all problems on lack of maintenence or a factory default.
I was in the 3rd winter with my 97 Cougar, we were leaving home one night on the way to the Cabin. I heard a strange noise (familiar story) and felt a loss of power, so I shut 'er down.
We towed it home and tore her down that evening.
Turns out the retaining pin had backed off, allowing the ring to turn and hook the exhust port. Screwed the piston AND the jug.
Was it a lack of maintainence? Not unless changing you pistons is a regular maintenace item for you.
Factory default? I guess, but like I said I was on my third winter with the thing.
I think things just break sometimes.

 

I definately spend more money on atvs than snowmobiles. I can use my atvs year round, but the snowmobile only for a few months.

 

I used to have a couple of older Ski-doos as back up sleds and for damn near 20 years they didn't require anything but plugs. I just bought a brand new sled, 2002 Arctic Cat ZR500 Cross Country Edition and it cost me a pretty big chunk. Think Snow gentlemen!

 

I spend more on the ATV of course we dont have sleds down here. Question which one do yall pefer to ride, always wanted to ride a sled but i dont like to go outside after 50 degres ohhh cold. What about grass drags and i also seen one on hot rod tv run down the 1/4 mile track ran like a 9.80 or so.

 

Yeah, sleds are a rush. A stock Muscle sled will run the 1/4 mile in the 11's if tweaked properly. In the spring when I hop back on the quad it feels like a slug...there is no comparison.

-Josh

 

Sledding is without a doubt the most fun you can have with your cloths on. It's like flying or surfing. There's just nothing like breaking trail after a huge snowstorm. Atving is fun, but it doesn't compare.