In this article, we discuss the options for which Snowmobile for snow Grooming you should choose. 

Personally grooming snow in the wintertime is one of my favorite things to do. Nothing like seeing rough or untouched snow turned into nice compact corduroy snow. So, if you are like me and want to make your trails nice compact, and smooth you are ready to start grooming snow.  This article is based on a lot of years of experience.  We may not know it all but there is lots here that is useful.

But you are not sure if the snowmobile you have will work or if you need to get a special snow grooming snowmobile machine.  Sometimes the best snowmobile to pull a snow groomer is the one you have.  You might need to add something so you can attach a snow groomer to it. This article is meant to talk about what to buy. But do not forget you might already have it.

If you are new to snowmobile snow grooming this is for you.

Let’s first talk about the main snowmobile manufacturers that provide modern snowmobiles for towing snow groomers.

(CLICK HERE to learn more about grooming snowmobile trails)

Snow Grooming Snowmobile Manufacturers (In business):

• Polaris
• Ski Doo
• Yamaha
• Arctic Cat
• Lynx

All of these mentioned brands make quality utility snowmobiles that are built to pull or tow snow groomers. In fact, at one point Arctic Cat (Arctic Cat Bearcat Z1 XT Groomer Special) even made snow grooming specific snowmobile that came with some goodies like an extra-wide track, rear light bar floodlight/beacon, tow hitch, auxiliary radiator, and rear power outlet.

While for 2021 Arctic Cat no longer offers this as a specific snow grooming model there are still plenty of utility snowmobiles to choose from.

What your snowmobile needs in order to tow a Snow Groomer

Towing a large snow groomer that is loaded with snow can be really heavy and it’s really hard on snowmobiles. This can place a large load on the engine, clutch, and belt that take a ton of abuse. You want to make sure that your snowmobile can handle all that weight being towed behind you. You also struggle with traction when you are towing a snow groomer. So having a wide-tracked snowmobile makes it better for grip.

We get this question all the time….

Can any snowmobile tow your snow groomers?

Yes, in most cases any full-size snowmobile can tow our smaller 20″ and 48″ snow groomers but it will be really hard on your belt and clutch. This could cause damage and we want to warn people of this. Crossover, Mountain, and trails sleds are not built to tow large loads.

You need a utility snowmobile!

What is a utility snowmobile you ask?

These are snowmobiles that are built to work and tow. They come with high and low gearing, tow hitch, and wider tracks.

20″ – 24″ wide snowmobile tracks

Wide tracks are best for snow grooming

This allows them to lug better and still have the grip and floatation you need while grooming snow. Generally, a wide track snowmobile is going to be 20″ wide or more. So let’s talk about all the different utility snowmobiles that are available.

Keep in mind there are other used snowmobile utility models that would work great as well but right now we are just listing all the different modern utility snowmobiles on the market today.

Polaris Utility Snowmobiles:

Polaris 800 Titan XC and Adventure 155

Engine: 800 H.O. 2 Stroke motor

Towing: 1200 LBS

Electric Start: Yes

Drive Range: High, Low, Reverse, and Neutral

Track Width: 20″ X 155 x 1.8

Weight: Dry 605 lbs

Fuel Capacity: 14 Gal

Website: CLICK HERE

Ski-Doo Utility Snowmobiles:

Ski-Doo Skandic SWT, WT and Sport

Engine: 900 ACE and 600 ACE 4 stroke motor. 600R E-TEC and 600 EFI 2 stroke motor

Towing: 1500 LBS

Electric Start: Yes

Drive Range: High, Low, Reverse, and Neutral

Track Width: 20 x 154 x 1.5 in, or 154 x 24 x 1.5 in

Weight: Dry 569 – 620 lbs

Fuel Capacity: 11.1 Gal

Website: CLICK HERE

Ski-Doo Expedition LE and SWT

Engine: 900 ACE and 600 ACE 4 stroke motor. 600R E-TEC and 600 EFI 2 stroke motor

Towing: 1500 LBS

Electric Start: Yes

Drive Range: High, Low, Reverse, and Neutral

Track Width: 20 x 154 x 1.5 in, or 154 x 24 x 1.5 in

Weight: Dry 569 – 620 lbs

Fuel Capacity: 11.1 Gal

Website: CLICK HERE

Yamaha Utility Snowmobiles:

VK Professional II and VK540

Engine: VK Professional II 1049 4-stroke. Air Cooled 535 2-stroke motor

Towing: 264 LBS

Electric Start: Yes

Drive Range: High, Low, Reverse, and Neutral

Track Width: 20 x 154 x 1.5 in

Weight: Dry N/A

Fuel Capacity: 11.1 Gal

Website: CLICK HERE

Lynx Utility Snowmobiles

Lynx 69 Ranger Utility Snowmobile

Engine: Rotax 900 ACE, Rotax 900 ACE Turbo

Towing: 1500 LBS

Electric Start: Yes

Drive Range: High, Low, Reverse, and Neutral

Track Width: 24 x 154 x 1.5 in

Weight: Dry N/A

Fuel Capacity: 11.1 Gal

Website: CLICK HERE

Will other snowmobiles work that comes with a tow hitch?

Yes, I did not mention some of the 15″ wide utility snowmobiles as they don’t do as well but below is a list of smaller tracked utility snowmobiles that also could work.

• Ski-Doo Tundra
• Arctic Cat Norseman
• Polaris Voyageur
• Yamaha RS Venture
• Lynx Commander

Why you should get a Wide Track utility snowmobile for snow grooming

Keep in mind you can also find older models that may work but are no longer in production. Being able to have a long and wide track combined with a high, low transmission really sets the snowmobile apart when it comes to grooming snow.

These utility snowmobiles will not only perform better they also will last longer to the wear and tear that daily snow groomer hands out to the snowmobiles.

With the extra traction, you will be able to float better in deeper snow and also get more grip when climbing up steeper hills.

What snowmobile do we use over here at Snow Groomers?

The crew over here has the Ski-Doo Skandic WT for towing our snow groomers. However, we have also towed our snow groomers with an air-cooled Yamaha Phazer!!

We just want to make sure that you make the right decision when purchasing a snowmobile for snow grooming and that you get one that holds up to the abuse.