At what speed do you actually run your Snowcat??

[BigAl]

Ok ,
There seems to be a real forcus on the "need for speed" here in the Personal owners SnowCat section.

Rumors ,from a "very unreliable source", even claims that "speed" or the "lack of it" , actually caused the Kristi SnowCat Company to go under because it could not acheive a top speed of 20 MPH . I think it was more than that .

I personally have never seen a snowcat of any brand doing 20 miles a hour . Seems like that might be a tad dangerous ,to me .

How many of you actually travel at this speed ? Is it only on snowcovered roads ,where you know the conditions, that you drive this fast. Is it across unexplored Areas ???

I am a "pokey" type of guy . Thats one reason I went with a snowcat instead of a snow mobile . I also like comfort and a snowcat has more creature features than being exposed to the weather and freezing my tail off in a snow mobile . I am way to old to freeze my tail off. Nor do I want to look like the "Pillsbury Dough Boy" because I have so many layers of clothes on . I am already fat enough .

And the cost is another issue . Snow mobiles can reach $10,000 or $12,000 bucks and seat two .Some decent Snowcats are reachable at that price . I would rather drive a cat and have 3 or 4 friends along to enjoy the day . But that is another subject for another thread.

I am not sure I will ever do 20 mph across snow . Do You ???

 

[mbsieg]

My Raidtrac likes 5-10mph 5mph up hills 10mph down hills...

 

[Melensdad]

On a smooth field behind my property with a good snow base my speedo tells me that I am doing right about 20mph. That is pretty much an ideal set of conditons. Generally I would say that I spend most of my time tooling around in 3rd gear between 12 & 15 mph, looking for wildlife, waving to gawkers who have no clue what is in fields, etc. I consider it a liesurely pace and it leaves room for some added speed when the feel for the "need for speed" arises.

I honeslty have not felt the real need to go much faster, so I guess I'm just a pokey driver?

 

[Snowcat Operations]

BigAl,
BYOUNGs Super Imp would simply haul ass. Of course this was in in Lamoyo Canyon where you have miles of long straight aways with plenty of room. I do see a need for at least 15 to 20 MPH. When I was takeing clients up to the lodge it would take me well over an hour to get there. I needed a faster cat in my opinion. 12 to 13 MPH was my max in Lamoyo Canyon which just sucked. BUT I do agree anything faster than 20 to 25 or so is not needed on a Snowcat. 20 mph up to 25 MPH would be perfect for my use.

 

[mtntopper]

I really let my engine rpms and trail conditions dictate my speed. I refuse to over rev an engine and pay the consequences. My LMC is 10 to 12 mph. The BR100+ is more like 16 to 20 mph and the VMC in high range will achieve about maybe 20 mph in the best of conditions downhill, hard pack snow with a tail wind and Pigtails pushing. Boy, she can really run fast. The jury is still out on the Aktiv Tracmaster, but I would go along with Snowcat Operations info as he has more experience in the wide track Aktivs.

Usually we find the terrain is just to rough to permit high speed travel in the snow cats. We bought the snow cats for the comfort, fun, and to be a little different from most other people out playing in the snow. We do still have snowmobiles to use if we are in a hurry to get somewhere. They are much quicker but not as comfortable to take your early morning cup of coffee with you.

 

[Polar]

My classic Tucker steel track rollers like a max of 8-10 mph. Sort of looks like a set of ginzo knives flashing outside my cab door and sounds like gravel sliding down the cement truck chute! That's ok; slow and funky is more my cattin' style. It's the novelty of sno-cat experience that I like. Though if I had clients to transport to a remote lodge or a powder ski operation I'd need something way faster and quieter!

 

[Snowcat Operations]

Well it still gets the job done. I love Tuckers. I need to get me one. I like the Old style. The Old style with modern Wide deep powder rubber tracks would be about perfect! But Snow Masters are the best I have ever used in deep powder. Ive been in powder so deep it reminded me of being on a boat in the water. The front was just slowly going in and out of the powder. I had a beautiful yound lady get out to get some pictures. I told her to stay on my tracks. She did for awhile but forgot and went up to her well lets just say her upper anatomy. We came over and pulled her out. But she sure kept that camera up out the snow though! I have some pictures but need to try and pull them off my Old PC. If I cant I will have to contact them and get them again GREAT pictures!

 

[Morepwr]

30ish is the top speed for my 601, but thats wound up real tight. it sounds good at 20 about 2000rpm. since most of my travel is done on groomed roads it doesn't feel to fast. the only issue I have with high speed is the noise from the direct drive fan. I wish there was a way to quiet it down.

 

[Vance]

I guess I'll have to do a speed run next time out because I don't know what my top comfortable speed is. I'd guess my Tucker 1342 with belted tracks doesn't like it much over 20- maybe 25. I seem to recall that 10-15 is a comfortable cruising speed. I'm not limited by power (SB Chevy) or gearing (seldom can get into 4th gear) but by the massive rotating mass that is spinning. It is actually fun to drive fast but I worry about beating the grousers to submission...

Vance

 

[Snowcat Operations]

That is my fear as well. If the tracks are even loose a bit they will smack under the rail / deck. Not good. I feel a top speed of 20ish is about as fast as any cat needs to go. After all they are tracked vehicles with rather crude track technology. Now if someone could design and build an ultra light weight track system that wont detrack (as easy) then higher speeds could be achieved but then again are they needed? At 20 MPH it would take 5 hours to go 100 miles! Out in the back country thats pretty damn far.

 

[Eric L]

Does anyone know if the Tucker speedo is accurate? my indicated comfortable speed is about 10 mph. I had it up to about 15-18 once and it was kinda sketchy.. the hydo steering seemed to be a little quick at those speeds.

Mine will only pull 4th gear on a downhill, and third tops about 10 mph (indicated).

 

[Snowcat Operations]

As long as all the gearing is stock and no one has changed the tracks ect. I feel it should about accurate. If you have a GPS use that to get a pretty accurate speed. Its a few seconds off from what you are currently traveling at but is a good way to check your speed.

 

[mtntopper]

That is my fear as well. If the tracks are even loose a bit they will smack under the rail / deck. Not good. I feel a top speed of 20ish is about as fast as any cat needs to go. After all they are tracked vehicles with rather crude track technology. Now if someone could design and build an ultra light weight track system that wont detrack (as easy) then higher speeds could be achieved but then again are they needed? At 20 MPH it would take 5 hours to go 100 miles! Out in the back country thats pretty damn far.

You are wishing for current technology called the Tucker Terra with all rubber tracks. It may not the best at hill climbing but overall design is well thought out and now proven by 5+ years of useage.

I am sure my fuel supply will disappear before I see the 100 mile mark on my snow cats without finding a fuel stop....Just like Bob....

 

[Snowcat Operations]

Actually we can easily add 4 Marine tanks like the one you have on the FBI rig and have enough fuel for a 100 mile trip. Depending on conditions of course we could make a go of a 100 mile trip. Would be interesting. Of course a nice "Artic Oven Tent" would be a MUST.

 

[Melensdad]

Actually we can easily add 4 Marine tanks like the one you have on the FBI rig and have enough fuel for a 100 mile trip.

Ahh, but just as with the pondering thread regarding a 1/2 tank of fuel's range, you still have to get home again.
So you can probably get 100 miles, but can you get back

 

[MNoutdoors RIP]

Bigal, We have resorts here in Minnesota on lake of the woods that will not buy a rig that goes under 30mph they run the snow buses at 40-50 mph

Most trail groomers around here are grooming at 8-10 mph

But we have several customers in Canada that run supplies to fly in remote camps in the winter and they want machines that will do 20-30 mph

I do agree we like to go slow enough to actually see something at about 10-15 is fine for us and most of the time we are at 5-9mph

A couple of photos of supplies being hauled 160 miles in on a winter haul road in Canada The machine is a BR110 Bombardier it will do about 25mph
it has a turbo perkins deisel about 115 hp

 

[Lyndon]

There's a thread in this forum on;"How Fast Will a Snow Cat Go" that list most of the manufacturers top advertised speeds. I guess the "Rip Saw" would move into first place ahead of the Haglund and B12. My Kristi had a "UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED" Plaque on the dash, obviously from the Ralph Nadar/Corvair Era.

 

[GKP]

I have done over 75mph trailering my Kristi home.

 

[bczoom]

I have done over 75mph trailering my Kristi home.

It's been awhile so I don't recall, but wasn't it your machine that had all the duct tape on it to keep it together at that speed? I thought I recall the doors and/or windshield about to be ripped off.

 

[Snowcat Operations]

Ahh, but just as with the pondering thread regarding a 1/2 tank of fuel's range, you still have to get home again.
So you can probably get 100 miles, but can you get back

That would be round trip BOB. Actually I was thinking a trip of about three days out here with about 70 miles of beautiful country to see. Two nights in tents (Artic Oven tents) and enough supplies for 10 plus days.

 

[GKP]

Whats wrong with duct tape? I thought it was the way to repair the loose gum welds.

 

[bczoom]

Whats wrong with duct tape?

Not a thing.

 

[mtntopper]

It's been awhile so I don't recall, but wasn't it your machine that had all the duct tape on it to keep it together at that speed? I thought I recall the doors and/or windshield about to be ripped off.

Boomer, that was why Boggie sold the Br100+ to me so cheap, as I had to bubble gum, duct tape and bungee cord it together to get it home in a single piece... Now it will travel 75+ down the highway (on the trailer) with only bungee cords holding it all together..... It really is a cool unique little snow cat that handles like a sports car. I can make Pigtails squeal loudly when I do a 180 degree turn and slide sideways while parallel parking it in its own length. I do not have any other snow cat that can do that.....

 

[Snowcat Operations]

I wish I would have bungeed down my sky lite hatch on my Snow Master when I was comminh home from Canada! At 80 mph I believe she popped up and back. Broke my one in 2200 only windows. Oh well now she gets a bungeee to hold her down when I travel.

 

[Snowcat Operations]

Bill whats the flotation on the little BR 100?

 

[bczoom]

Boomer, that was why Boggie sold the Br100+ to me so cheap, as I had to bubble gum, duct tape and bungee cord it together to get it home in a single piece...

That's the machine and pic I was thinking of.

Sorry GKP, I was thinking that may have been your machine but I see it's mntfloppers.

 

[MNoutdoors RIP]

Boomer, The real story is as follows: One nice fall day this truck from Wy. pulls into the yard. out steps pigtails and said she would like to take a test drive. as I did a 180 to go get a cat Mtntopper grabs the bungie cords and duct tape the next thing I know here I am duct taped and bungied down and as Mtntopper proceeds to use up the rest of the duct tape to rid him of the trail that he was here. They new that they needed to make a fast get away
so they chained and bound and they chained and they bound. bungied and duct taped the crap out of everything cause they new they could not stop.
because they damm near stole the thing. If it was not for the couple of bills
that fell out of Mtntoppers pile that He and BigAl got from DB Coopers stash
as they fled. Just like highway Robbery.

Now you know the rest of the story...........

 

[Logger1965]

My 442 Tucker steel tracker loves 8-10 mph, 16 mph flat out, wide ass open, governor pushing, off a cliff with a tailwind is tops. Got 120mph snowmobile and it's for sale--too fast for me anymore.

 

[79bombi]

When I drop my daughter off at the bus on snow covered roads I run in 3rd or 4th gear which is probably somewhere around 20 mph. I will try to take out the gps.

On the steeps I have to run first or second gear. Yesterday in the fresh 12 inches that hit Maryland I could run straight up the hills in second gear straight. There was a good ice under base. The last good powder day I had issues getting up the hills straight in first gear because the Bombi wanted to pull to the downhill side and steering uphill takes away from the track power.

Any design ideas on a cheap cross country track setter/drag??

79 Bombi

 

[Logger1965]

Have a friend with a 252 Skidozer, and with the GPS we got 24 mph, and that felt like we were flat hauling the mail. Sorry boys 2-trackers aint that smooth going fast.