XC drag build

[ArlyA]

Great build. I would love to see a video on the complete operation of that when it is all done, looks complicated lol, but very professional. My buddy and I have been grooming the local ski trails around here for over 15 years now. Our DIY equipment is no where as fancy as yours, but it works. I built all of it myself, roller, drag and track setter. We dont use the roller anymore for the big snow falls, we just drive around with our sleds first to pack it like you mentioned in one of your previuos posts. I built everything light so it could be pulled with a standard snowmobile but now we use a quad with tracks. Just last year we mounted the track setter to the drag so we can do one pass grooming which saves a ton of time. We just rely on the weight of the track setter to cut the tracks but i really like the idea of using jack to add pressure to a lighter smaller track setter. Our drag is extremley simple and is just built out of 3/6 x 2 angle and doesn't have a pan on the back to pack or corrigate the the final result but I would love to add that. I wll be following this to see the final result.

Thanks! Nice to have our neighbors to the north posting. Feel free to post pics of your setup. Have you ever seen or used a Ginzu or a G2?

 

[Stomper]

Thanks! Nice to have our neighbors to the north posting. Feel free to post pics of your setup. Have you ever seen or used a Ginzu or a G2?

Haha, after seeing the quality and craftmanship of your build there is no way I would post pictures of my stuff lol. I built them long ago before I polished up my fab skills. They are not pretty but I built them out of what I could find but they do work. I do however want to build something now that is a bit more user freindly.

 

[airbiscuit]

So when your trails are groomed and at their peak, how deep is the snow on that compacted base?
(I noticed that your kiosk has very tall legs - but if the information was 4' off the ground in the summer, I'm guessing you would have to be on your knees to read it in the winter )

 

[ArlyA]

So when your trails are groomed and at their peak, how deep is the snow on that compacted base?
(I noticed that your kiosk has very tall legs - but if the information was 4' off the ground in the summer, I'm guessing you would have to be on your knees to read it in the winter )

Most years it might be 2 feet of compacted snow.. Grooming of snow is mostly about removal of air.

 

[ArlyA]

Work done this past week. I took Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off this week to work on this overly slow going project. No one never did answer the "why were these extra tads installed?" on the pull plates.

 

[airbiscuit]

To fit tightly in a clevis?

 

[ArlyA]

To fit tightly in a clevis?

No clevis's there. The front skis/tongue plates are 3/8 thick and the tabs on the hitch cross 2x2 tube has 1/4 thick tabs welded on it, so two of them on each side. This will wear the 3/8 ski plates out 1st since the tube tads will be 1/2 thick, in total. I'll attach a photo that shows how the tow hitch mounts on with these tabs. The extra tabs I welded to the 3/8 ski plates is just extra material to wear out on them. This photo from one I built x years ago will give you an idea what I'm babbling about.

 

[airbiscuit]

I consider the tabs on that 2x2 cross piece to be clevises to which the skis are attached.

 

[ArlyA]

Plastic work done the past few days. Drilling holes in the pan to mount comb. Thought you guys might like to se the fancy drill we use (its the schools).

The 3/16 hdpe that will be covering the bottom. All the hdpe you see here and bent, was heated.

Lots of holes drilled!

3/8 plastic being heated and bent for the skis. Its 6" wide and 23" long.

Yes, three heat guns used.

All done. I later drill mount holes in them and trimmed corners.

 

[airbiscuit]

Very nice work

 

[ArlyA]

We are receiving snow here but nothing serious and day time hights remain close to, or above freezing. Nonetheless, we are moving our roller to the trail head today in hopes that lake snow will start up.

Last year we built this roller and here its build was posted.

 

[Stomper]

Thanks! Nice to have our neighbors to the north posting. Feel free to post pics of your setup. Have you ever seen or used a Ginzu or a G2?

My next build will be one like this. Its small, lightweight for the average snowmobile and looks like a simple easy design that does a pretty decent job. Im hoping to find some time this year to build it.

https://happytrailspersonalgroomers.com/

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[airbiscuit]

My next build will be one like this. Its small, lightweight for the average snowmobile and looks like a simple easy design that does a pretty decent job. Im hoping to find some time this year to build it.

https://happytrailspersonalgroomers.com/

We look forward to pics of the build.

 

[Stomper]

thats the one

 

[ArlyA]

My next build will be one like this. Its small, lightweight for the average snowmobile and looks like a simple easy design that does a pretty decent job. Im hoping to find some time this year to build it.

https://happytrailspersonalgroomers.com/

Concerning machines tow capacity. We used every work sled built from Polaris and BRP over the years. Arctic Cat has quit building their version. Most machines we used were SWT Skandic's. At the same time, we started to try atv's equipped with pods so we did do side-by-side comparisons. Our 900cc SWT could pull about 2/3rds what our 700cc Grizzly could. I left that trail system since but they have no sleds there and have no plans to ever buy them again. You just can't tow much with them. This is why we personally own a atv with pods. Ours is a Polaris 6x6 boss version.

 

[ArlyA]

We look forward to pics of the build.

This was built for sled trails but all manufacturers will tell you "it works for XC trails as well". It has many, many things poorly designed.

 

[airbiscuit]

ArlyA, you. Have good experience with building and using XC groomers. What do you think are important features? Who has a good design for a lighter weight groomer?

I always thought the scarifiers were as important as the pan.

 

[ArlyA]

ArlyA, you. Have good experience with building and using XC groomers. What do you think are important features? Who has a good design for a lighter weight groomer?

I always thought the scarifiers were as important as the pan.

I just got home after 11 hours working on the Groomzila project. You ask a good qestion but the answer is lengthy but for now, I'll try give you a short answer.

A good machine needs to be adjustable for the conditions at hand. These photos is the YTS Ginzu which has adjustable teeth, but they don't do all that well on hard-pack. I'd also not tow in with more than 3-4" of fresh snow but it goes leave great tracks and comb. These photos show different versions of the same machine. More later but I hope the Groomzila will overcome the shortcomings of the Ginzu.

 

[Stomper]

This was built for sled trails but all manufacturers will tell you "it works for XC trails as well". It has many, many things poorly designed.

Can you please elaborate on this. Isn't the whole purpose to get a flat level area for either snowmobile trails and ski trails. This sure looks like it does that prety well. I am interested to hear where it fails to do that and also where the design has failed and can be improved on before I start building.