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| XC Trail Groomers | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 21 2008, 10:46 AM (6,889 Views) | |
| couchsachraga | Jan 30 2008, 02:11 PM Post #16 |
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If I hadn't picked up another Alpine last month, I'd be pretty interested! The shipping would likely be prohibitive (IIRC your in the Southwest, and I'm in the Northeast US (Adirondacks, upstate NY)) I was talking to the manager of the XC ski center I work at occasionally (when I'm not out with the day job or playing with my trails) and he's been hearing really good things about the new Yamaha work sled (4 cycle too!). |
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| javatandem | Jan 30 2008, 03:08 PM Post #17 |
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I have a couple of alpine I could throw into the deal!
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| Snowbirds | Jan 30 2008, 08:51 PM Post #18 |
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![]() A couple of pictures of our TM-130 Sur trac setup for tracksetting XC trails ![]()
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| Yannick | Jan 30 2008, 09:26 PM Post #19 |
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Next week I'm going testing with a John Deere 6430 equiped with Soucy Track and a modified tiller for x ski. It was a huge task to modify the tiller to go from a BR400 to a regular tractor. We had to put a auxiliary hydraulic unit to be able to make it and also a three point hitch attache. We will make an important demonstration to the SEPAQ wich is the Quebec Provincial Park authority. I will send you pictures and keep you posted. |
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| skier2 | Jan 31 2008, 12:44 PM Post #20 |
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smerutt, we have the SWT withe the med G2 Tidd Tech, its that the one you are compairing it too? I often wondered if we should have gone with the Ginzu? Does the Ginzu pack better than the G2? Bob |
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| Steve.M | Jan 31 2008, 01:56 PM Post #21 |
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Bob, Well, interesting you wrote-we are on the verge of ordering a med. G2 now, to have in addition to our 2007 Ginzu-but.......we just don't know how the G2 performs. Yellowstone always promotes how well their Ginzu packs and chops ice, and I have found that to be very true-however, the 81" really only cuts and packs just over 4', so it takes 3 passes to really cover our trails. That said, I'm not too sure the SWT could pull the 108" Ginzu version. Also, we have a tough time in any new powder over 2"-3"....it'll just loads up and we have to pack everything first before using the ginzu. I do like it a lot and the scoops and wings pull in snow on low snow years (this is the second Ginzu we have had. We have really wondered how well the G2 works-can you give me a good report on how it works in various snow conditions? How it pulls, how you have the electric systems hooked up? Any photos would be greatly appreciated!!! (smeurett@yahoo.com) We have heard (again, Tidd Tech advertising) that the G2 works well in deeper snow and can get unstuck-yep, we looked at the promo video, but groomers who actully use them day in and out can really give us an unbiased assesment-thanks in advance! Somone wrote me and said they (the G2) "flexes: too much? and they were going to a Ginzu instead. I wasn't sure what that ment. They are pretty pricey. Steve |
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| skier2 | Jan 31 2008, 07:44 PM Post #22 |
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Steve, We actually have a small and med G2 that we use with a Skanic SWT unstudded. They are about 3years old so do not have the gooseneck, which i think i would get. Our situation is a little difficult right now, The state park has a concessionaire that is contracted and we are ski club thats been helping since 2000. Problem is concessionaire has a old first generation 1993 tidd tech that is in bad shape. We bought med G2 the park bought SWT and small G2. Problem is concessionaire limits us to use of the G2's and will not use them. He has yahmaha VK??. He says G2 will ruin his transmition which is not true, heck the small would be easrier on it. then he says he will not use equipment that does not belong to him, you know??? all our work is free and we do the gas , and he still limits us. www.paccsa.org we have cam up there and some trail pix if you click on button on web cam page. Anyway G2 does good job, all skiers love them expecially skaters. tracks a lot more consitant too than the old tidd tech. I think G2 a little heaver than the Ginzu thats why i asked. SWT has no problem with medG2 up to about 12" then better to make pass with the small or just the snowmobile. Also we have some trails real long steeper down hills that we need to come up and we use the small for those trails. maybe if we had studs the med would climb the longer hill a little better. But it does fine on the shorter steep hills. not sure what they mean by flex problem either? We power it of of car power packs you get in auto store and bungie in back to rail. Then we have switch box on rail for knifes and track setter. It does decent job breaking up froozen hard pack but if real hard you are going to have to make serval passes and we usually use the small as its easier on snowmobile belt. it would be good to hear from someone that used G2 and Ginzu. If i remember i'll try and take pix sat of power setup and post. G2 is a good solid groomer but I only have experiance with the old Tidd tech and the G2. As I said froozen hard pack is a little tough i guess with any snowmobile groomer, on just regular hard pack you can beat it does real nice job because of so many knifes and ok with the med G2. does real good in powder like i said only time i'd get stuck is if lots of powder and forget and leave knifes down when going up a hill that peaks real steep then flat. But i don't run into what you are saying about geting stuck in 2 3"? let me know you have any other questions on G2. Bob |
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| Steve.M | Feb 1 2008, 08:39 AM Post #23 |
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Bob, I'd like to see pix of your elect hook-up. We've been thinking about moving all the power to a battery powerpack on the Ginzu, with a remote to the sled. I'd guess powering a spotlight, like we have on the back of the Ginzu, would still have to be wiredot t eh snowmobile. (we do almost all grooming at night). Not sure a powerpack could run a spotlight for 3 hrs???? Glad to hear the med G2 can handle powder-that might be the selling point for us, again, the G2 is sort of of our secondary rig, and the Ginzu primary, but who knows, maybe we'll find one works better than the other. I'd love to hear from someone who has used both. ANyone out there??? The cutting teeth on both the G2 and Ginzu look prety similar, and they do chop hardpack soooo much better than the Tidd Tech trail tenderizer does-no contest. Oh, and a studded track on the SWT-just awesome, I can stop on a steep climb, with teeth down on the ginzu, and power right up the hill. We have the fill spikes that have a backing plate in the track and they are set in a "V" pattern-you do need to install a guard above the track though to protect the tunnel. On our other SWT we installed ice screws into the paddles, and that works pretty well, cheaper and faster to install, but IMO not as effective. |
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| tolson | Feb 2 2008, 02:10 AM Post #24 |
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I'm surprised to read everyone talking about using a battery mounted on the drag to power actuators and lights. I've always used the snowmobile's electrical systems and never had a problem - on an 1986 Alpine, a 1995 Alpine II, a 2004 and 2005 Skandic SWT. And I've got lights on the back of the snowmobiles, drags, and 3 actuators. Are you running down the battery or??? |
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| JVMunson | Feb 2 2008, 07:38 AM Post #25 |
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I would love to know your secret. Started using a SWT last year with a drag including actuator, light and warning light. Killed a battery every week. How did you wire it? Do you use the actuator on the drag alot? |
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| tolson | Feb 2 2008, 11:41 PM Post #26 |
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The actuators are wired directly to the battery with fuses. I've only blown one fuse when an actuator was frozen and won't move. The lights are wired to the 12 volt outlet - both the positive and negative wire. I connected the negative ground to the frame at first and it blew the magneto because (I was told by the dealer) the frame on newer snowmobiles is not properly grounded. I almost always groom at night, so I have lights on the back of the snowmobile and drag on. Hand and thumb warmers on. I think I use the actuators alot. I groom 7 miles and cross 10 roads/driveways (twice each) plus many hills, so I'm raising and lowering the teeth and tracksetter alot. I never had a battery problem, or a snowmobile that wouldn't start the next day. |
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| tolson | Feb 3 2008, 12:06 AM Post #27 |
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I'm new to this forum, so I'll introduce myself. I'm a member of the Rib Lake Ski & Snowshoe Club in northwest Wisconsin. I help with their grooming, but I also maintain and groom the Timm's Hill National Trail (10 miles) myself, which connects the Rib Lake Trails with another trail system - the High Point Ski Trails. I've been grooming for 14 years. Started out with an ATV (that was a work-out!) then a 1969 Alpine (that was a work out too!) then a 1986 Alpine, and now a 2005 Skandic SWT. I have a whole bunch of homemade drags (see www.timmshilltrail.com/grooming/grooming.htm). The pictures are a little outdated. I've made some changes and will be updating the pictures soon. My main drag is a homemade version of the Tidd Tech Trail Tenderizer, but I removed the solid teeth and added spring loaded teeth that are similar to the Ginzu. It also has wings and flaps that fold up, because I have one narrow bridge to cross. The Rib Lake club has a 2004 Skandic SWT, a 84" Ginzu and several rollers that I've used occassionally. I'm a skier, but mostly a I skijor, which is xc-skiing with dogs in harness pulling. I have 2 Siberian Huskies, but only skijor with 1 now. See www.timmshilltrail.com/mile01/pic10.htm for a picture of me skijoring. That's it for now!
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| Steve.M | Feb 3 2008, 09:16 AM Post #28 |
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Welcome onboard Todd! I'm glad there is a XC grooming section here now-I found this site just looking at snow cats, a pipe dream, but it's fun to look. A PB 100 would be my dream machine for our trails-they are so sweet. Okay, back to reality-the reason we are looking at putting a battery pack on the groomer (Ginzu or G2) is just to be able to switch snowmobiles and not have to worry about the wiring. Yes, the different maches we might use could be wired, but this year, for instance, we have used 3 different SWTs, only one of which, was ment to pull the groomer. Is there a big advantage to having a power pack on the drag itself? I'm not sure, we've never had an issue with using the sled's elec system, except for the plug-that sometimes gets corroded. I think a big black round plastic trailer plug (with the flat contacts) would be better than what we have. I took pictures of a G2 med. at the Capitol Square Sprints in Madison WI yesterday-they were using one after a PB100 to clean up the course and set tracks-it sure looks like it would handle deeper snow better than a ginzu-like it could plane off, where as the ginzu really can't. They also had a battery pack on theirs. I'm not sure I liked the tracksetters, I think the Yellowstone ones are simpler and work better. I'm still interested in someone who has used both a Ginzu and a G2, I'm guessing each design has it's advantages and disadvantages. Like I mentioned in a previous post, we are looking at buying a G2 to have in our "fleet" (ie: 04 SWT, Ginzu, Yellowstone roller, '90 SWT, 88 ALpineII, old Tidd Techs) |
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| skier2 | Feb 3 2008, 08:56 PM Post #29 |
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Yes as Steve said I have hopes using it on whatever need to pull the groomer and just seemed less complicated to have the battery with the groomer so could move easyly to what ever we where going to use to pull groomer. Although i did read somewhere about skandic regulator blowing from too much draw, but that was not the main reason i used power pack. Also the power pack came in handy to jump one of the snowmobile and Atv in summmer when had problem. Steve i got the pix for G2 setup. I'll e-mail to you monday. I guess you are going to have to be the one to tell us about G2 and Ginzu comparisons. Don't forget to let us know
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| Steve.M | Feb 6 2008, 08:50 AM Post #30 |
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mazurrj-will do, we just ordered a G2 from Tidd tech...it's a demo model used at the American Birkebiner in Haward WI...so we'll get delivery after Feb 24th. Save us some cash anyway. It does have a goose neck hitch and I'll assume a remote power pack on the rig. Now our issue will be what to get to pull with next year-our county is adamant about NOT buying another Ski-doo Skandic SWT...I think the blown tranny and piston were a fluke this winter (plus the tranny oil had never been changed, it's a 2004). For the money, I'd vote for the SWT, but I don't have a vote. The Alpina is super sweet, but the $32,000 price tag puts it out of reach. A Yamaha VKpro maybe, but there are cooling issues and a 20" track, and I don't think tracked ATVs will work with their higher ground pressure compared to a SWT. |
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