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Pros and Cons For A Studed Track

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22K views 56 replies 31 participants last post by  MuscleD  
#1 ·
Looking to put studs on my track. What are the pros and cons for doing so?
 
#2 ·
For me, they used to be a performance item. I only ride on trail and lakes. Never off trail. Now I like they added hook up they give on hardpack and ice, and the safety aspect of way better stopping on icey trails/corners. No amount of unstudded lug height or track length stops on ice like studs.
 
#3 ·
For me, they used to be a performance item. I only ride on trail and lakes. Never off trail. Now I like they added hook up they give on hardpack and ice, and the safety aspect of way better stopping on icey trails/corners. No amount of unstudded lug height or track length stops on ice like studs.

What studs do you recommend to get?
 
#4 ·
Stud Pros: you'll always have going and stopping power. Very safe.

Stud Cons: added weight, a bit more load on the drivetrain. Chew up most hard surfaces like a driveway. Most paved trails its illegal to ride on. (Big factor of why I dont have studs) if you loose a stud it can puncture a cooler and your day is done, more like week. (Rare, but it happens)
 
#11 ·
Unless you are on ice,the tracks these days get just as much bite unstudded as studded.
It really has to do with where you ride.If its a lot of low/no snow and you dont feel comfortable in berm walls then studs will help.
Ive never had anybody prove to me otherwise.

Im sure this thread will turn to a shitshow since history has a tendency to repeat itself.
 
#12 ·
Back about 15 years ago I had a friend who like myself is a very experienced rider that was dead set against studs. I bought a new sled n was studding it in the garage n he was ther telling me how much of a horrible idea it was,(at that point I had never studded a sled but had some shaky rides on icy trail so decided to do it) that same winter we were on a ride n the trails were hard n some of the hills were icy n going down one hill that was bad icy us with studs got down fine but unfortunately for him the sled started sliding n he ended up in the hospital with very bad injuries n now he won't ride without them! I believe it is personal preference!
 
#13 ·
I get the safety and performance advantage but I'm team no studs. I like the rear end to be looser and to be able to steer with the throttle. Not full on drift mode but be able give it some throttle and have the backend come around a bit if I want. One of the reasons I went 1.5" ripsaw instead of cobra
 
#14 ·
To me, argument for or against is about as valid as do I need snow tires or will all seasons do. Yes bulk of the time your just fine and yes it's a blast being able to rotate the rear end at will, it's the time when you come and over a hill and your on glare ice and you outright shiat your pants. Fact you, by the grace of whatever, made it does not mean you didn't need studs.
Last trip to Quebec, rained for 80 or miles of our ride back to the motel then turned colder overnight. Touring group beside us marooned on long track, 1.75 - 2" lug tracks until the following day when temps shot back up and the trail got soft. Even with us pulling out to enjoy a huge ride, each rider claiming they'll never have / never need studs.
JMO
 
#15 ·
I watched a unstudded riding buddy miss a sharp 90 degree turn three years ago because he couldn't slow down/stop. I was right behind him and had no problem. If anyone had been coming the other way, he'd have hit them.

Saw a guy get hit broadside on a turn last year by a guy on a Skidoo with no studs who couldn't make the turn. Broke his ankle. See pic.

Ever notice how folks with no studs wipe all the snow completely off the turns as they slide and spin their way around the turns and at stops. And, often slide into the snow bank or into the woods. Very dangerous for others and apparently only thinking of themselves.

How would these folks feel if they seriously hurt or killed someone, including their own family members?

Trails in MI often follow hard packed roads. This is extremely dangerous with no studs.

There are lots of stories like this every year.

I absolutely recommend studs. They should be mandatory IMO.
 

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#21 ·
I ride IA, Wi, & U.P.. Studs have saved me more than once. Like everyone else has said "safety". Too many times I've come over a hill or come up on a corner that is solid ice. I run gold diggers and love them. If I'm on a sled with no studs, I stick in the back and go slow. I've noticed all my tracks with studs aren't all tore up, no missing lugs, no tears, no damage what so ever. Corn fields , bean fields, and low snow conditions in the U.P. tear up tracks. Good studs are expensive, I justify it by telling myself I could die, hurt someone else, wreck the sled, or end up severely disabled. I have kids and they need their dad. If you ride deep snow only then no you don't need them. I need piece of mind, good studs and good carbides. Good luck, everyone has their opinion, my vote is for them.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
#23 ·
Studs do have some drawn backs with cost, rotating weight etc. but I'll easily deal with that for the safety and control you have with studs and good carbides.

I'm sure everybody has driven on icy roads or hit black ice with their vehicle. Now relate that to an unstuded sled with poor carbides on an icy trail.

For the guys that are pointing a con for studding as pulling studs out of tracks I'm sure if they would look at their unstudded tracks theres a good chance they will have lugs that are ripped or even tore off. And yes some guys blowing all the snow off the trails as they spin the shit out of the track.:mad:
 
#24 ·
I'm another vote for studding. Seen way too many mishaps with unstudded tracks and guys missing good days on the trails because they where too icy for them to get out. God knows our seasons have been shorter and less snowy lately so with studs you can go when you want. Another real benifit to studs that hasn't been mentioned is cooling effect of of a well studded track on heat exchangers combined with scratchers on an icy day. I've been out often with know cooling issues or slider wear when others stayed at home because of icy trails. I would also like to mention that my thoughts on prestudded tracks is much different now than even 5 years ago. They are much better now and far superior to no studds at all.
 
#25 ·
I believe it really depends on where and how often you ride. I personally would be dead now if I didn't stud my tracks. But there are many guys who use their sleds for boondocking and playing in fields and powder where I feel they are not needed as much. For guys/girls who pull their sleds out for one or two rides a year and pile the kids on the free weekend for a beautiful afternoon, I feel they aren't justified in spending the money as long as they ride leisurely. Mountain sledders won't need studs but the guys who try to get the most out of their sledding dollars and ride whenever they can in different conditions then I feel it becomes a safety issue. That is from personal experience, mind you but I don't feel they should be mandatory because of all the different types of riding you find.
JMHO
 
#43 · (Edited)
Funny thing is just last Wednesday I was talking to a fellow classmate about studs and he says they are pretty much mandatory for all areas of riding and they dont puncture coolers as much as people say... 3 days later his roommate punctures his coolers on his f1100 turbo on the stand. Its not even winter and studs probably ruined his winter, poor college kids problems. Truthfully he could fix it for around 200 with a used cooler and some time. Well and a new track. Spend all this money on studs, just so you can pay for a new track, cooler and more studs. Lol no studs for the win this weekend.
 
#51 ·
i have seen more damage to tracks and sleds and people without studs than I ever seen with tracks with studs! Where we are there is more hills and dips and wooded trails than flat land trails! Studs are a personal preference but people shouldn't argue over what someone else prefers! I ride with a lot of friends every weekend anywhere from 10-30 n we all have been riding together for 30+ years and none of us have ever lost a track or put one through a heat exchanger ever! So with that said track damage can happen to anyone at anytime studded or not! O n we ride n play hard a lot!