Looking for a New/Used Sled. Which model do you recommend

[MountainWaves]

Hey Gang,

We have an 07 Venture MP and it's just about perfect for our needs. We have guest cabins in the woods and we tow guests in an adapted dog sled back and forth. They love it! We also drag trails and haul firewood. We also have Heart Attack hill to get up and down.

I don't need to go fast or far but I do need to go slow and strong. One year my tracked ATV broke through the top layer of ice on the lake into a foot of slush. We backed the MP up and she towed it out no problem.

I also haul logs with the tracked ATV and I think the MP or the new sled should do this chore as well.

So, it sounds like the Venture MP is the perfect sled for us but I was wondering about some of the others. I was looking at the Viking Pro but the first page of problems on the Viking page scares the heck out of me. Also the MP seems to be the cheapest of the utility sleds.

Any suggestions? Any years that are best/worst in a used sled? Horror of horrors, any other nonYamaha sleds I should have a look at?

Many thanks, Dwight

 

[WANN4STROKE]

I have a 09 Viking-no problems. Have friends with 06's and minimual problems. One has 11.000 miles of heavy hauling-he has the most but it's the basic's-gear box and some suspension.

 

[YukonMP]

Is the new sled replacing the MP or will you have two? If two I am ALL about twin machines. Maintenance, parts, dealers, operator familiarity ... it makes life simple.

 

[DeepFrz]

If you were looking to buy a brand new sled, I would wait until they launch the 2016's, they may end up combining the Venture and the Viper chassis. The only real issues we've dealt with with our Yamaha sleds (Phazers, Nytros, Vipers) are frozen relays. When you purchase your new sled be sure to pick up some of Yamaha's new Solid State Relays.

 

[MountainWaves]

Thanks guys! Good point Yukon MP. I have no complaints of the Venture so a second one would be a good choice. It would have to be a different colour though so we don't ride each others machine I did change out the fuel pump relay just last week Deep Frz and that's the only problem I've had to date. So a new or used Venture MP sounds like the way to go. Thanks

 

[YukonMP]

One word of caution, Yamaha went to a ski model they call the Tuner in 2014 and 2015. A few of us on the forum have other names for them. The Tuner may actually be one of Yamaha's better skis but depending on the application they can be utterly horrid. Your 2007, if it still has the OEM skis on it are what Yamaha call VK style skis - VK from the VK Pro, that is a ski that provides a lot of lift in deep,soft snow conditions.