Towing a Snowmobile For Beginners

This has been done by others, but I wanted to include my own version of it for beginners. I've added a few tips you may not get from other videos and I hope it's useful.

[@robertm7554]

A strap specifically manufactured for snowmobile towing is the way to go. I have had mine for 10 years and used it on friends junk snowmobiles. Does NOT work well, however, on getting a friends snowmobile unstuck. Therefore you also need a special bungie for getting stuck snowmobiles out. Don’t forget to stomp your feet in front of the stuck snowmobile in order to create a make shift airplane runway so to speak.

[@ponycarfan]

All these are excellent tips! Thank you!

[@quick65filly]

Good information. Thanks.

[@rayharris5097]

Good tip on never attaching to the ski loops, seen a lot of skis or tie rods get wrecked that way... I've found the safest way to tow a downed sled any distance at all is to put the track of the broken sled on the bumper of the tow sled using a ratchet strap to secure the broken sled's skid to the tow sled's bumper and drag it backwards with only skis of the broken sled on the ground... Also the only way to do it if something breaks in the skid, the track tears, or the drive chain breaks. 9 times out of 10 if me or my riding buddies need towed off the trail the track isn't going to just roll freely lol...

[@ponycarfan]

Very good advice! I've never needed to tow a sled backwards, but that's more a function of luck.

[@dirtyfacegeorge9938]

Great video, good to see someone getting the right information our there, i just watched a video of a guy pulling a "barn find" metal ski loops don't break they bend the tie rods and strip the spindle teeth. 😢

[@ponycarfan]

Thanks!

[@paddyg56472]

Your subscribers are growing

[@ponycarfan]

Yeah, it’s encouraging. I’m trying to be useful.

[@donbeaubien2372]

I've used like a 20' dog cable

[@ponycarfan]

Great idea!

[@JorgeGonzalez-be9vh]

I am not doubting you, but I was told to tow it by going through the loop because the spindle could break. Now I am not sure what to do. Thanks

[@ponycarfan]

Back in the old days, skis were steel and the ski loop was also steel. You could bend a ski loop, but it wouldn’t break, so that made a good spot to hook onto to tow a dead sled. Now that the skis are plastic, you never want to pull a snowmobile by hooking to the ski loops. You always want to hook to steel or whatever is strongest. Depending on the kind of tow strap or rope you use, you can run through the ski loops as long as you actually hook to steel. That will make the dead snowmobile follow the tow sled. But, if the rope is too short, it will put too much pressure on the ski loops and could break them. So, in that case just hook to the ski spindles. In summary, with plastic ski loops, always hook a tow rope to something steel like ski spindles. They are much stronger than plastic ski loops. Does that make sense? Next season, try it with a buddy to see how it works.

[@JorgeGonzalez-be9vh]

@@ponycarfan Thank you for the explanation, I will try it sometime next winter. One question that I have submitted is how to start a snowmobile when the electric start is not working. I have seen videos for using a rope on the primary clutch. Those are for two stroke sleds. My ski doo is four stroke and I am trying to get an answer for that question. Thanks again

[@Timcanniff311]

You must be in Minnesota, I got about the same amount of snow I have, the nytro is pointed out of the garage ready to go but just can’t yet

[@ponycarfan]

Yes, I am. It has been a slow start to the season, for sure! After being the best snowmobiling I can remember last winter, I suppose this evens it out.

[@Timcanniff311]

@@ponycarfan I’m in circle pines by forest lake and yes it’s a super slow start to the season, hopefully soon we will be riding!