Curious - Anyone else ever think about selling their sled and getting an ATV instead?
- Thread starter cuzzinolaf
- Start date
mrsrunningbear
Active member
I would never give up sledding never, but I have to say we got ATVs this summer for the first time and we had a blast can't even begin to tell you how much fun they were and what great trails there are up here. It was so cool to explore the trails durning the summer and fine cool places way out in the middle of nowhere! But as we were doing this all we kept saying was "wouldn't this be a great place to ride the sleds" Do both if you can!
LoveMyDobe
Active member
atv vs sled
I guess it all depends where you live and what access you have to trails. When we lived in IA we had both. Trailered up to WI with both about 8 times a year. Now we live here and can leave the house to hit the trails. No longer needed a trailer so we sold that. It's nice to hop on an atv to make a fast trip to town or visit a neighbor. I ride a 500 Scrambler and love getting dirty. Thru one water hole, turn around and go thru again. Hubby rides 700 with the independent suspension, he goes around the water and mud. Guess it's how you want to ride. I love sledding, but sometimes get worn out just dressing for it. Never ride the atvs in winter, ruins the groomed trails. Yes, dust is a problem when we haven't had rain, but if you don't ride close to the person in front, it's not a problem. I guess do what your pocket book tells you to do. As far as using an atv around your property, we have a JD utility tractor for that.
I guess it all depends where you live and what access you have to trails. When we lived in IA we had both. Trailered up to WI with both about 8 times a year. Now we live here and can leave the house to hit the trails. No longer needed a trailer so we sold that. It's nice to hop on an atv to make a fast trip to town or visit a neighbor. I ride a 500 Scrambler and love getting dirty. Thru one water hole, turn around and go thru again. Hubby rides 700 with the independent suspension, he goes around the water and mud. Guess it's how you want to ride. I love sledding, but sometimes get worn out just dressing for it. Never ride the atvs in winter, ruins the groomed trails. Yes, dust is a problem when we haven't had rain, but if you don't ride close to the person in front, it's not a problem. I guess do what your pocket book tells you to do. As far as using an atv around your property, we have a JD utility tractor for that.
if you live where you can ride the atv when conditions are right- like right after a rain or no dust, they are a lot of fun and a good time...but to trailer up-north and eat dust for a weekend...not so nice. i'll take a sled any day in the winter, but we've had some awesome times on atv's
dirt and mud are badges of honor . leave them on .
Ive seen a few guys put wheels kits on there sleds and ride them on the atv trails in the summer. Best of both worlds right there perhaps..
I do both and the 2 sports dont even come close to compareing. Picture rideing 2' moguls all day long on the sled now picture rideing those same 2' moguls on a atv in the dust. Most atv area's ive ever ridden are non stop bumps. I started out trail rideing with a sportsman 500 and quicklly switched to a sportsman 600 for more power and speed then when that wasnt cutting it i went to a sport quad and rarelly take the sportsman out on the trails anymore.
Both fun sports but i would ride the sled anyday of the week over the 4 wheelers
I do both and the 2 sports dont even come close to compareing. Picture rideing 2' moguls all day long on the sled now picture rideing those same 2' moguls on a atv in the dust. Most atv area's ive ever ridden are non stop bumps. I started out trail rideing with a sportsman 500 and quicklly switched to a sportsman 600 for more power and speed then when that wasnt cutting it i went to a sport quad and rarelly take the sportsman out on the trails anymore.
Both fun sports but i would ride the sled anyday of the week over the 4 wheelers
Never give up my snowmoible just wish we had better conditions from Dec thru March.
I have way too much going on in summer to buy ATV plus too many ATV haters in Vilas County WI so no trails at all. ATV was #1 on my buy list 7 years ago then hired out snow plowing no real ROI for ATV haul logs & stuff with my truck again no ROI & again no trails.
Bought a new boat in Fall 2010 so very busy with that. I think if you have maybe 40 -100 acres of private land it would make sense to have ATV to keep any eye on things but I might opt for beater farm truck again more useful.
I have way too much going on in summer to buy ATV plus too many ATV haters in Vilas County WI so no trails at all. ATV was #1 on my buy list 7 years ago then hired out snow plowing no real ROI for ATV haul logs & stuff with my truck again no ROI & again no trails.
Bought a new boat in Fall 2010 so very busy with that. I think if you have maybe 40 -100 acres of private land it would make sense to have ATV to keep any eye on things but I might opt for beater farm truck again more useful.mxz500rider
Member
I'm sure most of you have seen my thread and after what I experienced last night I may wanna sell the sled. And Ive thought really hard about it and I'm about 80% on wantin to get out of it. I don't wanna experience that again.
booondocker
New member
This is a good post.
Actually I have both and like them both. But they are almost an entirely different hobby. Nearly everyone that has an ATV in the U.P. uses it for both recreation (combination of sport and hobby for the fella that got that posting going.....) and for utility tool.
Frankly an ATV has far more use for someone that owns or can get to use it on acreage, or has a camp up north where they can be ridden. Snowmos get hauled and stored in the burbs I think.
I also think that more folks who live NORTH have ATV's compared to sleds anymore...which was not the case only a few years ago. But ATVs are much cheaper to buy too...so maybe that makes a difference.
But I do think that these machines get used differently. Sleds have evolved into jet propelled rocket machines with MOST able to go 100 mph rather than the exception and of course if it can do it...many use them this way. ATVs are not as stable as a sled so they get used at a much slower pace...which is just fine with me, as an exploratory tool, it is fun and functional.
Also it is far cheaper to run an ATV than a sled. Gas use on an ATV is not even something to be concerned with, where a sled can consume a chunk of change over a long weekend.
Having said this tho....as others have pointed out....there is nothing quite like the stillness that the winter time wilderness can exhibit. A helmet off stop with small campfire, or even a pop and sandwich break atop a scenic lookout is like nothing else out there. Cross country skiers have to work hard to get to one spot and back....a sled can get there and back a dozen times before the dark sets in. No bugs or pickers to scratch you....no throngs of noisy campers and other concurrent creationists to deal with....your out there baby by yourself with a few black capped chickadees and a woodpecker or two....and dats it!
No....never get'n completely rid of sleds....til I break my leg, or the doc says..."what are you tryin to do...kill yourself" and then I will probably still thumb my nose at em all....and I can't think of a better place to die than on some windy trail....or bottomless stuck.....rather there than some dmaned old hospital bed, eh???
I'll get a poll started....let's see how this gets voted on....who owns what??
Actually I have both and like them both. But they are almost an entirely different hobby. Nearly everyone that has an ATV in the U.P. uses it for both recreation (combination of sport and hobby for the fella that got that posting going.....) and for utility tool.
Frankly an ATV has far more use for someone that owns or can get to use it on acreage, or has a camp up north where they can be ridden. Snowmos get hauled and stored in the burbs I think.
I also think that more folks who live NORTH have ATV's compared to sleds anymore...which was not the case only a few years ago. But ATVs are much cheaper to buy too...so maybe that makes a difference.
But I do think that these machines get used differently. Sleds have evolved into jet propelled rocket machines with MOST able to go 100 mph rather than the exception and of course if it can do it...many use them this way. ATVs are not as stable as a sled so they get used at a much slower pace...which is just fine with me, as an exploratory tool, it is fun and functional.
Also it is far cheaper to run an ATV than a sled. Gas use on an ATV is not even something to be concerned with, where a sled can consume a chunk of change over a long weekend.
Having said this tho....as others have pointed out....there is nothing quite like the stillness that the winter time wilderness can exhibit. A helmet off stop with small campfire, or even a pop and sandwich break atop a scenic lookout is like nothing else out there. Cross country skiers have to work hard to get to one spot and back....a sled can get there and back a dozen times before the dark sets in. No bugs or pickers to scratch you....no throngs of noisy campers and other concurrent creationists to deal with....your out there baby by yourself with a few black capped chickadees and a woodpecker or two....and dats it!
No....never get'n completely rid of sleds....til I break my leg, or the doc says..."what are you tryin to do...kill yourself" and then I will probably still thumb my nose at em all....and I can't think of a better place to die than on some windy trail....or bottomless stuck.....rather there than some dmaned old hospital bed, eh???
I'll get a poll started....let's see how this gets voted on....who owns what??
Today is a bad day?
Today is a bad day for snowmobiling WARM! 50`
It was a good day for us today ATVing out on the GreenBay ice riding on Duck Creek.
We did the snowmobiling thing years back sold them and got into atving. We dont miss waiting for snow conditions as with atvs you just go out and ride.
Sure we do miss the high rate of speeds you can ride but as we are getting older its more on enjoying the outdoors while atving.
We were going to rent sleds on our trip next weekend but its looking like we are going to ride our atvs. The four letter word SNOW!
Today is a bad day for snowmobiling WARM! 50`
It was a good day for us today ATVing out on the GreenBay ice riding on Duck Creek.
We did the snowmobiling thing years back sold them and got into atving. We dont miss waiting for snow conditions as with atvs you just go out and ride.
Sure we do miss the high rate of speeds you can ride but as we are getting older its more on enjoying the outdoors while atving.
We were going to rent sleds on our trip next weekend but its looking like we are going to ride our atvs. The four letter word SNOW!
indy_500
Well-known member
rocketman356
New member
I got one of those helment cams and took videos of our sledding ,then a put a small video screen on one of our ATV's and play the sledding videos while riding the atv.Really we use the ATV's on trips when the boys where younger to Utah ,Wyoming Black Hills ,Northwoods and UP. there are great for exploring.
Sled v Wheeler
We have Sleds Wheelers And a SxS and ride from the house. Put about 2000mi a season on my sled and about 1500mi a season on my wheeler.We dont ride much in the heat of summer,but almost every weekend during spring and fall.I heard that 17 atvs are sold per 1 sled worldwide.
We have Sleds Wheelers And a SxS and ride from the house. Put about 2000mi a season on my sled and about 1500mi a season on my wheeler.We dont ride much in the heat of summer,but almost every weekend during spring and fall.I heard that 17 atvs are sold per 1 sled worldwide.
i went sleddin today, it was fun
Indy, riding trails? Trails couldn't have been too good with 40 degree temps?
I rode on the Wolf River from Lake Poygan to New London, good conditions considering the warmth. On the way out to the lake all the trails I could see from the road were done-looked like spring had arrived! Trails in Winnebago County will close Monday, should have closed today.
Back on topic, I haven't owned a 4-wheeler, had a few 3-wheelers years ago, and have ridden ATV's recently on trails and for me I couldn't see going to an ATV from a sled, at least for recreational winter use. In the summer, I prefer 2 wheels over 4!
indy_500
Well-known member
Went to a buds house this am and the trails were great! On my way home, trails sucked!!! Let's just say i found a few play spots before running out of gas