Snowmachine buying checklist

Decide what it’s for before you fall for one.

• Trail riding wants a shorter track and a comfortable seat, maybe two-up.
• Mountain and deep powder wants a long, deep-lug track and a light machine.
• Work (hauling wood, running a trapline, pulling a sled of gear to the ice) wants a utility machine: a wide track, reverse, a hitch, and often a low gear for heavy loads.

A trail sled makes a poor wood hauler, and a utility machine is slow and heavy on the trail. Pick the kind first, then look for a good one.

• Find the VIN stamped on the tunnel or frame and make sure it matches the paperwork.
• Snowmachines in Alaska are registered through the DMV. Ask for the registration, any title the seller has, and write up a bill of sale with the VIN, price, date and both signatures.
• No paperwork and a long story is a reason to walk away, or at least to ask your local police whether that VIN has been reported stolen.

• Look for torn or missing lugs, cracks across the track, and chunks out of the edges.
• If it’s studded, check for torn holes around the studs and cracked backer plates.
• Check the track clips along the rails for missing or worn ones.
• Check the tension and alignment; a track that rubs one side has been run that way for a while.

• Hyfax (the slides) are the plastic wear strips on the rails that the track rides on. Look up the wear limit for that model and check what’s left.
• Melted or burned spots on the slides mean it was run without enough snow to cool and lubricate them: on ice, gravel, or a bare spring trail. Ask how it was ridden.
• Idler wheels should spin freely and quietly, without wobble, cracks or missing chunks.

• With the engine off, take off the belt cover. Look at the belt for glazing, cracks, missing cogs and uneven wear. A spare belt that comes with the sled is worth having.
• Look at the clutch sheaves for deep grooves or blue heat marks.
• On the ride, engagement should be smooth, without a jerk or a slipping feel, and there shouldn’t be a burnt-belt smell afterward.

• Ask the seller not to start it before you arrive, so you see a cold start. If it only starts once it’s warm, ask why, and expect fuel or ignition work.
• Two-strokes: some smoke on a cold start is normal; heavy blue smoke once warm isn’t. Check that the oil injection is working (the oil tank level should drop with use). A compression test is quick, and the readings should be close to each other across cylinders; a big gap points to trouble.
• Four-strokes: check the oil level and condition, and ask when it was last changed.
• Cooling: look under the tunnel for dented or leaking heat exchangers.
• Miles or hours: most sleds show miles, some show hours. Low numbers with a worn-out track, slides and seat don’t add up.

• Check the tunnel and bulkhead for cracks, especially on machines that hauled heavy loads.
• Look straight down the front: bent A-arms or spindles show as skis that don’t point the same way.
• Check ski bottoms and carbides (wear bars). Worn carbides make steering vague on hardpack.
• Look for leaking shocks, cracked skid frame rails and sloppy suspension bushings.

• The throttle should snap back the instant you let go. A sticky throttle is dangerous; don’t ride it.
• Test the brake, the kill switch and the tether.
• If it has reverse, try it.
• Listen for chaincase whine, clutch noise and anything that rattles at speed.

• Make sure the trailer has its own paperwork, and that it matches.
• Check the lights, the tires, and the wheel bearings for play or noise.
• Look at the deck, the ramp or tilt, the coupler and the safety chains.

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