Tracks for snow

[kjy]

Several months ago I purchased a argo bigfoot used. I came with the argo 13" plastic tracks (with tires) and an extra set of 25" tire. My primary use of the argo is going to be ice fishing. I live in Wisconsin, but travel to Minnesota and the Dakota's fishing also. So snow conditions change from day to day. Now my question is will the plastic tracks be sufficient for what I am planning to do with the machine. Or should I be looking at different tracks, escargot, adaire, etc. There will be two passengers and a sled behind. Any info would be appreciated, as I don't want to travel 500 miles and find out I am up the creek without the paddle. Thanks Kevin

[mightymaxIV]

I have owned three different machines with Adair tracks, I currently own and HDI with a set of Adair belted tracks. In my opinion the Adair belted tracks with snow extensions and ice cleats are the finest tracks made for the conditions you describe. I am attaching some video filmed by forum member Foxvalley so you can get an idea of just how good these tracks are in awful conditions. You should be sold after watching the first video. Check out the videos and decide for yourself.

[JohnF]

I ice fish from northern Nebraska through South Dakota right to the North Dakota border. My inclination is to tell you to put ice cleats of some sort on your tracks and try them. I know there isn't much clearance for a cleat on the 13 inch tracks so I would try a small ice screw. Here's my experiment with screws. They don't hold up to rock climbing in the Rockies but do well on lake ice.

In the areas I fish it is usually somewhere between windy and blowing. most of the time (like 90%) it is ice with maybe a crust of snow. You'll be fine in those conditions with your 13 inch tracks. When there is a blizzard up there or if here in Colorado in the mountains where the lakes usually have a good layer of snow then super tracks with cleats work (what I have). I have played in the Rocky Mountain snow with Mike and Tim of Adair and have seen that those track of theirs really perform awesome in deep snow. Someday I'll get me some of those belted tracks.

[tbone9]

Hi Kevin, all though there are some really good tracks out there you may want to try what you've got first. After all when on the ice most of the time it's snow covered any way. And when it's glare ice anything works. I ran flat rubber tracks for years on the ice and they were fine. This year I added cleats but just so I could climb steep hills, and because I can't ever just leave anything the way it is lol.

[srfnson]

Hi there,

I have a 04 Bigfoot and live north of the border up here in Manitoba. I go ice fishing alot with my machine and live on a quater with a river and lots of bush so my machine gets driven in lots of different terrain.

Last year at this time I got the Adair Belted Tracks with the snow extensions and cleats...wow completely changed my machine into a unbelievable snow machine. There was a ton of snow here last year but nothing I couldn't get through. I debated whether I needed the cleats but I"m sure glad I got them as they make a huge difference on icy patches and hard packed snow.

[Noel Woods]

[QUOTE=mightymaxIV;178859]I have owned three different machines with Adair tracks, I currently own and HDI with a set of Adair belted tracks. In my opinion the Adair belted tracks with snow extensions and ice cleats are the finest tracks made for the conditions you describe. I am attaching some video filmed by forum member Foxvalley so you can get an idea of just how good these tracks are in awful conditions. You should be sold after watching the first video. Check out the videos and decide for yourself.

Wow, I'm impressed by both videos. I know the Adair tracks perform well, but those ice cleats really make the difference in the snow and ice. Equally impressive was the way the Argo climbed out of the pond pulling a trailer in the 2nd video. I had to watch that twice.

The only down side of the videos, I know Doug probably feasted on that poor turtle in video 2. Oh well, a guy's gotta eat. Ha Ha.