# Polaris Rangers on Tracks?



## Blackfoot Tucker

I realize this is a snow cat forum, not a Polaris Ranger forum, but I'm curious as to the opinions of forum members as to how well those machines perform in snow, and what their limitations are.


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## Melensdad

Koz's Snowgrooming Talk may be a more likely place to get a really good answer on this question.  There are some snow grooming clubs that have tried this set up for dragging smaller trails.  From what I can recall in reviewing some of those threads its a marginal set up for actually getting any real work done.  The articulated machines are better suited for this type of track conversion, something like the small Holden tractor.

Koz is a member here, several of us are also members at his site. LINK TO KOZ >>> http://s8.zetaboards.com/snowgroomingtalk/index/


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## Snowtrac Nome

Blackfoot Tucker said:


> I realize this is a snow cat forum, not a Polaris Ranger forum, but I'm curious as to the opinions of forum members as to how well those machines perform in snow, and what their limitations are.


 on a recent s&r the snow cats had to go out because a utv and mini truck on trackes got stuck i see alot of those tracks following around the trails i pioneered with my snow trac they sem to work great on packed trails and  in snow up to about 15 inches avter that if  there is no base they tend to wallow now about polaris after working on them things in iraq if you are going to get a utv get a arctic cat or yamaha the head mechanic at our local polars dealer even says the stupidest thing polaris did was to put wheels on anything.they mahe a great snow machine but there wheeled products are pimped out go carts also the remote sump oil system tents to foam up in thecold causing moste owners to park their machines during the winter after the first time the oil tank blows out.


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## mattfidaho

We have tried one, they are better then tires, but still too heavey for the smaller tracks to be very effective on deep snow.  we have since changed to a Yamaha grizzly 700 with tracks to use on quick small sprint of fall tower outings that we dont need to take the cat on...


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## mattfidaho

after the ranger we tired a Polaris 800 with the Polaris tracks,









then we went to the grizz with aftermarket tracks, there is a huge difference... for one the grizz was the first to have power stearing and it also does a fully locking front and rear diff but it is still not a snow cat. but it does really well.


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## weatherby

This is a pic. of mine this past week. My neighbor has a Polaris 4x4 like mine except a few years newer, and he has (or I should say HAD) tracks on his, but sold the tracks this past summer. For what they cost, IMO they are NOT worth it. They worked great on hard pack BUT so dose mine WITHOUT tracks, when in snow that is deep enough to drag the underside of the machine, they really start to show there short comings. IMO they are not nearly wide enough. I use mine all winter long as long as I stay out of snow that will reach my underside. and it works great. Also as long as I stayed in his tracks, I went any where he could go with NO tracks until he got stuck and that was all the time in deep snow. As far as a Polaris, Arctic Cat Yamaha, or Kabota it makes no difference.


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## mattfidaho

weatherby said:


> As far as a Polaris, Arctic Cat Yamaha, or Kabota it makes no difference.




I disagree, WEIGHT is the difference,  I garenty they all dont weight the same.. I havent kept up on all the new machines but in the 4 Wheelers I always take weight into consideration when looking...


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## Deerlope

I have been running these for 3 years now, The Bota could use a little more HP but we manage.


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## mtntopper

I have owned many snow cats, a mattrack equipped F250, snowmobiles and now a Yamaha UTV with tracks. They all have their short comings and good qualities. We set up a Yamaha Rhino this fall that is a daily commuter vehicle for the wife to use to get to her Jeep and then to work daily. Since we live remote in the mountains of WY, we are unable to drive to our home for 5 months a year except over the snow. We have driven the Rhino up some very steep slopes that are deep snow covered where you wanted to lean forward thinking it might try to tip over backwards like a dirt bike. The tracks never slipped and the Yamaha climbed up and out much like one of our snow cats. Notice in the pics I attached we have the latest design of Camoplast 4S that are sold as all season. They are much lighter in weight and longer in length than many of the early track conversions for UTVs. The Yamaha Rhino with the 700 engine is also narrower and lighter than many of the other UTV models being sold so the tracks have surprised me as to their capabilities. They will definitely out perform, take you to locations such as to this herd of elk that any wheeled 4 wheeler or UTV can not do and that I will guarantee you.......


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## Blackfoot Tucker

Thanks for all the replies, and detailed ones at that!

It seems from Matt and Weatherby that the Polaris Rangers (and other Polaris models) don't do all that well on tracks in snow.

But The Yamahas (Matt and mtntopper) do considerably better, as do the Kubotas (Deerlope).

Mtntopper you make it sound like you're so happy with the Yamaha you're going to get rid of your snowcat(s). Are they really that good? 

Considering the vast experience Polaris has with snowmobiles, and with long track western mountain sleds, it's surprising to me that their track options are so mediocre.

How do these perform on sidehills? My impression is that a snowcat has better deep snow performance and better sidehilling ability as well.

With a snowmobile you can grab onto the mountain bar and put both feet and all your weight on the uphill side and cross some fairly steep hills (similar to the photo Matt posted). But with a side-by-side you can't do that, and it doesn't look like they have anything on their tracks to help, such as the ice cleats on a Tucker grouser bar.


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## mattfidaho

side dill suck on a side by side... the ranger we had in the picture we had to side hill it to get there... we has 2 guys off the passenger side to keep it stable. (not very safe) we also had to winch t a lot... 

I don't think they will ever replace a cat or sled, but they do have there place.


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## mtntopper

The Yamaha UTV will not replace a snow cat or snowmachine for the real steep and deep. The Rhino is narrower and shorter in length than a Ranger or (Kubota which sadly lacks power with the non turbo diesel at higher elevations) and handles moderate sidehills with no problem. I have several vehicles for over the snow transportation and find the Rhino is flexible, built very well, powerful enough to turn the tracks with the 700 engine, very economical to operate and quick as a daily commuter along with being very dependable. I can always run down a snow packed road/trail in the F250 with mattracks, blade/groom a trail with my Bombardier SV200 groomer if needed, blade off a side hill with my Super Imp or go where none of these will go with one of my snowmachines but the Rhino does a decent job and much better than I anticipated when I set it up with the tracks. The cab on ours has heat and a windshield wiper so it is a great vehicle for her to commute to her Jeep daily. The Camoplast 4S tracks are considered all season which means you can drive them on bare ground, mud, pavement or as needed unlike many other track conversions but we try to keep them in snow as much as possible. Yes, it can be considered a viable alternative to a snow cat for many uses and a fun vehicle to own......


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## couchloafer

here is something to keep in mind when not on a groomed trail....or almost not on a groomed trail


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## Snowtrac Nome

thats a krusty cloked as a ranger so the owner can get more krusties to pull him out before other snow cak owners see him


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## JSX

couchloafer said:


> here is something to keep in mind when not on a groomed trail....or almost not on a groomed trail



Looks like the IMP scared it off the trail!


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## mtntopper

couchloafer said:


> here is something to keep in mind when not on a groomed trail....or almost not on a groomed trail


 
As all things go they are not idiot proof..... Looks to me the operator should of known a lot better and as it went to the side and down in the ditch stopped before burying it out sight and backed up...... 

A shovel and ten minutes you could have it out of there... Probably such a smart operator he figured on borrowing a shovel......if he ever needed one........ bless those that think so far ahead.....they need it!!!!


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## Blackfoot Tucker

Thanks, guys for all the responses!


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## slowcatdriver

I have both a Ranger on tracks and an Imp- I prefer the Ranger most of the time. I use it to access my cabin in interior Alaska. I've run the Ranger in snow so deep that it was pushing up the hood and onto the windshield. I use it to pull out stuck snowmachines. I've pulled a 1500# load of lumber over a packed trail and up some serious hills without a problem. It's quieter, rides smoother and uses less fuel than the Imp. The downside is they have a bad reputation for blowing drive belts, although I've only blown one (and didn't use to carry a spare). I tried to post some pics but can't figure out how reduce the size- HELP.


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## Snowtrac Nome

slowcatdriver said:


> I have both a Ranger on tracks and an Imp- I prefer the Ranger most of the time. I use it to access my cabin in interior Alaska. I've run the Ranger in snow so deep that it was pushing up the hood and onto the windshield. I use it to pull out stuck snowmachines. I've pulled a 1500# load of lumber over a packed trail and up some serious hills without a problem. It's quieter, rides smoother and uses less fuel than the Imp. The downside is they have a bad reputation for blowing drive belts, although I've only blown one (and didn't use to carry a spare). I tried to post some pics but can't figure out how reduce the size- HELP.


 i use windows photo manager go to edit photos and compress it to web page size works good for me but i'm no computer expert.


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## mtntopper

As stated earlier the Rhino has a lot of track in contact with the snow and I am surprised how well it has performed which was more than my expectations..... It is very cost effective fuel efficient and low maintenance versus a snow cat....a snow cat is not always the best tool for the job...... especially on marginal snow conditions or wind blown open areas of dirt and bare ground.... where the Camoplast 4S tracks are designed as a four season run them all the time track system.... with the lack of snow this year in our area I have only put them in one situation that I thought they would fail which was a very steep up hill climb through soft and crusted wind blown snow..... they went right up and to the top and never spun.... This convinced me they had more ability than I had anticipated when I bought them as the steepness of that climb was not something I expected from a UTV.....


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## slowcatdriver

Thanks for the help on uploading pics


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## Snowtrac Nome

nice looking little imp and as stated in a previous post that your maintanence cost and fuul cosumption can also be less you are right as long as you are not doing the same amount of work as the snow cat and they do make for a good all terrain system for moving 2 personell and some gear i bet you brought your building supplys in with the imp nice looking cabin by the way.


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## slowcatdriver

Thanks Don- the cabin is almost done now, just finishing up the tongue-n-groove pine interior. I hauled alot of the materials in during the summer with the Ranger or my 6X6 & trailer. My wife likes the Ranger in winter as its easy to drive, has a great heater and can keep our two little boys seatbelted in & put the three dogs in the back. When the trail is really slick the Ranger seems to pull big loads up the big hill better than the Imp. The Imp sometimes spins the tracks on the hill and there's not much room to get off into the soft stuff.I also find when I steer the Imp my sled fishtails like crazy and is all over the trail. I guess it's just a matter of choosing the right tool for the job. Are you in Nome? I'm in Palmer- the cabin is NW of Eureka.
Scott


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## Snowtrac Nome

slowcatdriver said:


> Thanks Don- the cabin is almost done now, just finishing up the tongue-n-groove pine interior. I hauled alot of the materials in during the summer with the Ranger or my 6X6 & trailer. My wife likes the Ranger in winter as its easy to drive, has a great heater and can keep our two little boys seatbelted in & put the three dogs in the back. When the trail is really slick the Ranger seems to pull big loads up the big hill better than the Imp. The Imp sometimes spins the tracks on the hill and there's not much room to get off into the soft stuff.I also find when I steer the Imp my sled fishtails like crazy and is all over the trail. I guess it's just a matter of choosing the right tool for the job. Are you in Nome? I'm in Palmer- the cabin is NW of Eureka.
> Scott


 i grew up in anchorage live in nome now the pay is quite a bit better for a hd diesel mechanic up here thats what brought me here i stayed because i love having nature at my back door.I have spent many hours in your back yard also up in the mat sue valley i'd fish up in your area there is some awsom trout fishing there and ride snowmachines in the mat sue the problem is every outing was an all day trip for a few hours of fun now in  a half hour i can be having fun all day.


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## Cletis

What speed will the Rhino travel over fresh powder?

What speed will it travel over packed snow?

Cletis


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## mtntopper

I have no reason to ever push if full open (full throttle) so I run about 16mph as best I can tell over good snow terrain. The speed is suppose to be at about 2/3 of normal with the track system and I see 25mph+ on the speedo at times. I would guess if you want to push it then it should do almost 28 to 32 mph at best stock. Deep powder will slow down all over the snow vehicles. We get a lot of wind blown hard pack with soft spots and unless you want your head to bounce off the roof, break your neck and put your back out of place you have to run a reasonable speed to compensate for the rough terrain of the snow. Even snow cats must be driven according to snow conditions. The suspension system of the Rhino is somewhat much more forgiving than snow cats with the special order higher end shocks we have but rough terrain is a limiting factor for speed along with deeper snow. If you want speed the snow machine is the best and fastest over the snow vehicle made so far.


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## Cletis

Those are actually pretty good speeds.  I thought it would be much slower.  

Thanks   Cletis


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## peter keg

I have a Ranger 6x6 with tracks & a Snow TRac ST4 the ranger is great but the ST4 is awesome.

Peter


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## berg

This would be cost effective... about $10k less


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## northerndave

Hey blackfoot, I really like the cab conversion work on your tucker in the classifieds, wow, I'd love to see the photo set for that project.

I'm new here so I'm going to put my 2 cents in here as respectfully as possible.

I worked for polaris for 12 years, they make great machines.

they make ATV's and snowmobiles.

My honest opinion... one machine is not well adapted for the other's task.

I've been out in tracked rangers in the snow, I would never do that to my ranger (if I had one). First off I'd be so dissapointed in the performance of the machine tracked for the price of the track sets i think I'd lose my damn mind.

I was less than impressed.

I would never do it.

I'd much rather take the money & put it towards an old nodwell, an imp, a bombi, an sw48, an old tucker, LMC, Kristi... etc, etc... 

I wouldn't do the tracked ranger thing.


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## Blackfoot Tucker

Dave,

Your comments vis a vis Polaris are interesting.

I've had several Polaris RMK's / Dragons which have been really great sleds. What's impressive to me is how much better they get with each new "generation".

If you pm me your email address I'll be glad to send you a bunch of photos of the cab conversion we did on the Tucker. 

I think by far the hardest part was the roof. We removed the original two door roof and replaced it with one piece of aluminum. The tricky part was rolling/ forming the radius in the roof. My friend Scott devised a way to do that and it worked great, but it wasn't easy to get the radius right and in exactly the right location. He is a genius!


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## northerndave

Wow, just catching this post now. I will shoot a pm out right away with my e-mail I'd love to see pictures of that project!!


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## torovision

NORTHSTAR POLARIS RANGER (aka POWER RANGER)


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## fubar

Just found this thread, so am very behind in responding, but anyways....
I have a Ranger 6x6 and a Thiokol Spryte. 
Very differnt machines, of course.
I have tracks for my Ranger, they are simple tracks that wrap around the rear tires and work very very well....but it ain't no sno cat.
We use our Ranger for Ice fishing and running trails all the time, great fun, would never get ride of it. 
BUT, 
I would never try to break trail at all in any way shape or fashion. We have tried Camoplast/Mattrack type of tracks, way too expensive for me, and way too many moving parts, but they did work better in virgin snow than the simple tracks we have now, as long as they last!!! The camoplast track are more difficult to put on and off, and wear out rapidly compared to the tracks I have now. I run wheel penetration skis on the front in the winter and just wheels in the front in the summer.
\
Scotty/KL1YO


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## vtmtnbob

slowcatdriver said:


> I've run the Ranger in snow so deep that it was pushing up the hood and onto the windshield.



polaris tracks or matt tracks? my ranger had polaris tracks and a heavy cab (rops) and i always got stuck. (i have yet to get my st stuck  i have heard other people with matt tracks (which also come in a more wider aggressive deep snow version) go through deep snow without any problem.


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## twilambaker

As an owner of a 2010 Polaris Ranger EXP EPS with tracks, I can say that I am now buying a snowcat! I have had that thing stuck so many times that my winch rope wore out and I've broke 4 shovels. Along with that, you will go through both tie rods and cv joints/boots like changing underwear. We finally beefed up the entire front end just to keep from bending the rods, and invested in aftermarket heavier duty cv joints. Along with those issues, the machine has spent a lot of time in repair; in 2 years we have replaced the pumpkin, 3 clutch belts, 5 cv joints, & tie rods 3-4 times. 
If you plan to take it into the backcountry and really rely on it to get you back out, take a full tool kit, an extra clutch belt, an extra cv joint kit-and a pair of snowshoes!
AS a side note, we are in very mountainous country, but we also maintain our rigs and treat them very well. But the Ranger we have to baby to keep it running and on the trail. Great machine for around the place and light duty work, or even just driving on good roads and trails, but not for serious back country work.


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## ccrob

Just thought I would add these pictures.  Our crew does fairly well as long as you keep it on the trails.  I wouldn't expect much out of it in off trail situations.  Now if you had some much wider tracks made, that could be a different story.  One thing that I see it needs ASAP is a clutch kit.


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## 63ssrev

Has anyone tracked the Diesel Ranger?

Does anyone know what this sytem is? From the Polaris Diesel Ranger webpage: Transmission/Final Drive -  Automatic PVT H/L/N/R; Shaft?

Doesn't look like the same CVT belt drive the gas rangers have???




After a quick Google of Polaris PVT I guess it is the same belt drive system. Too bad I kind of had my hopes up they went to something more robust.


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