Sled option recommendations? - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

jon705 · 10-13-2009, 08:19 AM

Hello all,

Last year my wife and I bought a couple vintage sleds to play with and see if we enjoyed the sport. We do, so this year are upgrading. There are two sled/trailer packages in our area for sale and I'm looking for some feedback on which would be a better option:

1) 1995 Ski Doo Formulas, one's a 500 and the other a 600. The trailer is steel and was home made. No cosmetic damage and they have 4k miles each. The package is $1,650.

2) 1991 Polaris 500 and a 1992 Polaris 440 that was rebuilt and bored .040 over last year. The first sled has about 4k miles and the second has only about 500 miles on the rebuild. The trailer is an aluminum 1999 model. No cosmetic damage to either of the machines. The package is $1,500.

I greatly appreciate any feedback.

Thanks!

Stagesrt4 · 10-13-2009, 08:41 AM

well used trailers vary in price(worth) from $300-600 depending on condition and age.

are both trailers able to angle down for easy loading of sled?

i dont know much about ski doos but i do know lil about POO sleds. The polaris 440 is worth $400-700 depending condition yada yada. And the polaris 500 is worth $550-900 depending conidition and whatnot

jon705 · 10-13-2009, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stagesrt4

well used trailers vary in price(worth) from $300-600 depending on condition and age.

are both trailers able to angle down for easy loading of sled?

i dont know much about ski doos but i do know lil about POO sleds. The polaris 440 is worth $400-700 depending condition yada yada. And the polaris 500 is worth $550-900 depending conidition and whatnot

I don't know about the steel trailer that comes with the Ski Doos, but the aluminum trailer with the Polaris tilts. I've seen quite a few steel trailers in the area selling for $300 and less. The aluminum have been in the $500-700 range.

I agree with your ranges on the sleds. I use KBB and NADA for car values - not sure if they're any good for other equipment - but they come up with a $500-800 range for late 90s model sleds. It's good to have some more support for those figures.

Thanks!

**RJ Gleason** · 10-13-2009, 09:05 AM

Always buy the newest sleds that you can afford.

Modified engines often tend to be more finicky to maintain.
The Doo suspension will give a better ride than the older Poo will.

Stagesrt4 · 10-13-2009, 09:14 AM

yea id def go for allum trailer over the steel if possible, but id focus on which sleds are better then see if trailer is sufficient.

Yea Polaris 440's are a dime a dozen. I picked up mine flawless for $500 and resold it for $550. the 91 polaris 500 is decent sled and will definately be faster than the 440, but still not worth a whole lot more....

KBB does cover sleds and can help a little, but sometimes they are a little to generous with the values.....

Personally i would shoot for the ski doos, unless youd like your wife on a smaller sled. The polaris 440 is a great trail sled

**kccats** · 10-13-2009, 09:16 AM

I agree! Get the Doo's, sell the trailor and buy an alum one!

**RJ Gleason** · 10-13-2009, 09:21 AM

I use both KBB and NADA, this gives a price range to start with and then go +/- depending on the condition of the sled.

JheLrey · 10-13-2009, 09:43 AM

You never know though, this guy could have made a killer sled trailer and you may want to keep it, even if it is steel. Just gotta look at it! I've seen some homemade trailers that have features/options that make tons of sense, and some that should have never been built.

jon705 · 10-13-2009, 09:49 AM

Some great responses. Thanks all. Neither my wife or I need a fast sled, just something to play around on the trails and take the kids along.

What's the weight differential between a steel and aluminum trailer? How much more noticable is the weight when towing?

**RJ Gleason** · 10-13-2009, 09:52 AM

The steel trailer will be heavier, therefore a noticeable difference when towing.
Unless you are towing with a small car, it will not be a real issue.

Stagesrt4 · 10-13-2009, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon705

Some great responses. Thanks all. Neither my wife or I need a fast sled, just something to play around on the trails and take the kids along.

What's the weight differential between a steel and aluminum trailer? How much more noticable is the weight when towing?

noticable, but nothing drastic....

make sure axle/wheels look good on trailer...

did the guy say he made the trailer or its just a home made title? Cause the guy i bought my trailer from lost the title, so i just went to DMV and said i built the trialer myself(even tho i didnt)

jon705 · 10-13-2009, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stagesrt4

noticable, but nothing drastic....

make sure axle/wheels look good on trailer...

did the guy say he made the trailer or its just a home made title? Cause the guy i bought my trailer from lost the title, so i just went to DMV and said i built the trialer myself(even tho i didnt)

He just said home made, but not that he made it. I'll add it to my list of questions to ask!

Stagesrt4 · 10-13-2009, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon705

He just said home made, but not that he made it. I'll add it to my list of questions to ask!

yea from what ive seen most the trailers with home made" titles arent really home made

both my sled trailer and waverunner are alluminum aftermarket trailers, but have home made titles. In a way its shity that it can so easly be done...makes stealing trailers easy...

jon705 · 10-15-2009, 01:42 PM

Well the Ski Doos are now out of the picture. The seller got rid of the trailer a few days ago and then jacked up the price on his sleds. He was originally offering me two sleds and a trailer for $1,650, now he wants $1,700 for just the sleds. I told him he priced me out of the deal and good luck with his sale.

So now I'm left with the 91 and 92 Polaris option with an alum trailer. This is still $1,500. I was originally ok with those years, but now I'm thinking they may be too old. I don't want to be stuck with "old" machines that I can't trust on a trip. Mileage is 4k and less than 1k on a rebuild. Any thoughts?

**RJ Gleason** · 10-15-2009, 03:29 PM

A well maintained old sled is just as reliable as a new sled.

jon705 · 10-15-2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJ Gleason

A well maintained old sled is just as reliable as a new sled.

That has been my mantra to convince myself it's a good deal. Thanks for confirming!

**RJ Gleason** · 10-15-2009, 03:40 PM

My 93 is extremely reliable.

jon705 · 10-19-2009, 12:48 PM

Well I'm glad my patience got the better of me! About three hours before I was going to head out of town on vacation I came across a pair of Arctic Cats on craigslist that included a drive-on/off trailer for $1,750! The seller was awesome. He held them until my wife and I got back from vacation...and he offered to take $50 off the price without me even asking because we were driving from a couple hours away to pick them up! I gave him the extra $50 when we got there though because he included so many little extras like spare tires, tons of new plugs, tow straps, and that he held them.

So we're the new owners of a 98 500 ZL and a 99 340 Jag. They start on the first pull and look really nice! I've always liked vintage toys but these are going to be a lot of fun - and reliable!

Thanks to everyone that chimed in with advice.

**RJ Gleason** · 10-19-2009, 03:24 PM

Congratulations on getting a good deal and waiting for the right one to come along.