ice scratchers

[fldodge]

what do you guys suggest ski mounted or rail mounted, spring type or cable type kind of leaning toward cable type just because if you forget and reverse no big deal. thanks

 

[Riceburner]

Spring type on ski works great as long as you do not back up !!!!!

I put red tape on my reverse handle to remind me.

Cheap and effective.

 

[smalltownpower]

we tried the icescratchers that mount to the sway bar. the ends and bolts were good, but after 200 km's the wire freyed and they also tore the crap out of the ski's and bottom of sled and chipped paint on a-arms.we only ran those type on 2 sleds and both did the same thing. we then bought slidekicks for all 5 sleds. lasted for bout 400-500 km's on all 5 sleds, then once the plastic coating got chewed off the cable itself did not have enough pressure to actually scratch ice, and after a mile or so they just kicked themselves up onto the rail. in my opinion making your own out of a hay rake tine and some metal mounted in the ski-bolt is the best. in the process of making 5 sets right now. just using oak doweling, didnt bother lookin for plastic yet. the spring type is the best way to go, they have the most down pressure and create th biggest snow stream into the track,,,,just drill it into your head that you cant backup! hahahah

 

[yamahas]

What happens to the spring when the sled is in the air then lands on it? I was thinking of getting some running board mounted scratchers and rigging some sort of limiter strap to keep it from going vertical. Or is this not an issue?

 

[smalltownpower]

the way i have made my ski-mount icescratchers is so that the end of the rake tine is only about 1-1.5 inch's below the carbide, and is on quite an angle backwards faceing the track. so even when air-bourne they still only 1-1.5 inches below ski, and facing back. i've done lots of catwalks in the yard on gravel and grass and they not bent yet. i've watched them when i land, and since your moving forward, and they are bent backwards there isnt much impact on them, i'm not too sure about the spring type rail mounted scratchers tho

 

[APEX 06]

Spring type on ski works great as long as you do not back up !!!!!

I put red tape on my reverse handle to remind me.

Cheap and effective.

X2 I like to buy the rail mounted ones and mount them on the skis with a longer bolt.

 

[Newfie Apex]

scratchers

I have the rail type scratchers...Used them for a few years now...I have sold them to a few of my buddies as well...no one has ever had an issue with them not working..Some of us have even backed up and bent them..me included..Just rebend them back and go on...I have about 1000kms on mine an hardly any wear showing...

 

[ViperTurboPete]

I don't like the rail mounted ones....I kept breaking them. I bought two sets of running board mounted ones and they have worked great. Early one morning last week I went out ice fishing and the lake was rock hard. The scratchers kicked up so much snow dust that the sled was steaming and the skid was covered with snow.

I haven't tried a ski mounted scratcher, but I am sure they work excellent.

 

[sledneck22]

I run the rail mounted scratchers that I got from the Yamaha Accessory Catalog. I only had a problem once when I got in a jam in a town and had to lauch off a snowbank to avoid a car out of control heading for the ditch (pretty crazy I know, should have been there). I had to jump the snow bank at a low speed and the one scratcher swung down vertical and bent when I landed. I ended up rebending it back to the original shape once back in the garage and has worked just fine ever since. I am going to rig up a limiter that hooks the front of the spring to prevent it from swinging vertical again. Other than going in reverse with them down they alway worked great for me.

 

[Agman 57]

I have the sidekicks,(cable type) on both my sleds and have had very good results with them, on the nytro I mounted on the rail, and on the apex I mounted them on the A-arm brackets to get more snow on the front of the rails.