The expedition can do everything expect very narrow paths plus way more. I do a lot of lake crossing with lots of slush (Northern Ontario). It’s all about what you’re doing
Thats probably the only NEW Skidoo model I'd buy! I don't care for any of these new ungodly long tracked grasshopper looking things they build these days. I worked for a skidoo dealer in western Mt. in the 90's- 2003. We rode fan Formulas and fan Summit 500f's. Never needed that go fast stuff to go anywhere we wanted in the back country. Most times faster higer HP sleds were not an advantage. Only the show off racer boys rode them and we could usually outclimb them as they dug big holes in the snow and got stuck!
Nice review. I had a tundra xtreme and switched to a expedition xtreme. While I liked my tundra I found the 600 e-Tec fast but extremely tippy. The narrowness was great for cutting through narrow trees but still very tippy.
My new 2021 Tundra LT is extremely tippy. I admit I’m not as agile as I used to be but from time to time the machine seems to be trying to do me in! LOL
Yes there is no doubt that many riders will find the Tundra to be a tippy sled. It is designed this way for floatation and navigating tight trails; ie. a trap line. You need to be ready to throw it around a bit.
You can’t beat a Tundra for sneaking around in the woods and getting to a lake. Mine is a two stroke with electric and manual pull cord starting so I’ve got it going in -38C before, but generally that’s not a bunch of fun.
@@granteditslifeoutdoors.9194 thanks! Yeah I don’t fish in anything less than -10f usually in the 20s or 30s. My old cat takes for ever to warm up and be able to drive
GARTH - its night and day. You need to ask yourself where you will ride and what you will do with the machine. I'm more about the ice fishing now, so Tundra 550 fan made sense. The Summit is a wider sled, is more stable on groomed trails and lakes - and has better power available. I used my Summit on a few trips where we put on extensive trail miles. The Tundra is narrow, so it can certainly be tippy. If you're looking to break fresh trail, and you don't mind one knee or using some body english, its great. The pogo suspension is ok, but is not a set up for any aggressive trail riding. You would notice the sluggish front end performance on hard pack. Summit front end would be far superior, but you need to take into account what the Tundra was built for - deep powder floatation and sneaking around the bush between trees and brush. The narrow ski stance collects less brush/alder etc so you aren't getting snagged up. Plus, clutching is more bottom end allowing you to methodically creep thru the understory of the bush. The Renegade or Expedition may be good compromises. My Summit had great power tho. Thanks for watching.
@@granteditslifeoutdoors.9194 Thanks for the reply. Probably more trail than powder. Been away from the sport for a while. So anything built recently will be an upgrade. Expedition has my eye. Maybe a MXZ.
As far as total cost of ownership goes, one would have to limit their amount of riding in order to come out ahead with the 550 compared to 600 ace. I've had both engines (in Expedition sports), the 550 would go 200 km per tank while the 600 ace will do 300 km.
@Nomadique My 2005 550 Expedition Sport (original rev chassis) would do 200 km per tank in ideal conditions, I have not actually ran my 600 ace dry but based on fuel burned / km driven I figure I'm safe for 300 km. I do find my fuel gauge reads really low too so maybe it would go further but I'm not really into pushing my luck, there are not many places to gas up here that are accessible by sled. I've never really had any battery issues with my sleds, I don't stop/start very often and usually ride at least 30 km at minimum when I go. Beyond the question of starting, any ski-doo that has a DESS system on it requires a battery to run.
Almost all videos of people giving a demo in the tundra, they are standing the majority of the time. Must be a tad tippy. On a trap line, last thing I would like to do is be standing up
In some circumstances like running a lake in powder, yes. But for off trail bush maneuvering the 550 fan does quite fine. They had the Tundra Extreme, but that’s been discontinued. If you’re looking for 2 stroke powerband then there are lots of other choices. Perhaps a Backcountry Sport. It’s really a question of what are your primary usages for the snowmobile?
landen speerstra that sounds like some serious fresh snow. When it’s that deep sometimes a pair of snowshoes carried in your cargo rack is a good idea. You can walk a track in front of your sled to get yourself turned around and back onto your track out. Wait a few days or more for the snow to settle. I had this problem years ago on my Summit after we got a 3ft dump. Three riders with paddle tracks taking turn getting stuck if we couldn’t maintain speed. Sometimes Mother Nature wins.
@Borrowed Time Double track Alpine all the way! This was the go-to machine for trapper trail breaking. Too bad they discontinued it, but too narrow of a market i guess. Alpine's didn't like slush. As a kid I used to ice fish with a trapper who had the old 399 Alpine which I followed with my Olympique 335. I had to jump off and run beside the old boogie track often to get up any steep grades. There is a Russian RUclipsr that shows some guys busting super deep powder in the boreal backcountry. The Summit does all the hard work. Keep commenting as you know your stuff!
You need to ride it like a tundra. Not a summit or side winder. It floats on snow. Don't rip corners top speed or carve tight circles. I did and got stuck right away. There isnt enough paddle lengths to propel you out of snow. Just cruise on it. I have a little 300cc 2002 and float everywhere. I went riding up north and had snow under my arms. Caught me by surprise since I wasnt sinking at all. I started to go full throttle and carve, my front end completely diapered under snow, as soon as you straighten out, float back on top and slow down.
The expedition can do everything expect very narrow paths plus way more. I do a lot of lake crossing with lots of slush (Northern Ontario). It’s all about what you’re doing
Even then, there's better options than the expo
Good trail blazer and it hauls a full load of wood with the big biggin. Simple and easy to repair.
Thats probably the only NEW Skidoo model I'd buy! I don't care for any of these new ungodly long tracked grasshopper looking things they build these days. I worked for a skidoo dealer in western Mt. in the 90's- 2003. We rode fan Formulas and fan Summit 500f's. Never needed that go fast stuff to go anywhere we wanted in the back country. Most times faster higer HP sleds were not an advantage. Only the show off racer boys rode them and we could usually outclimb them as they dug big holes in the snow and got stuck!
Nice review. I had a tundra xtreme and switched to a expedition xtreme. While I liked my tundra I found the 600 e-Tec fast but extremely tippy. The narrowness was great for cutting through narrow trees but still very tippy.
Wish they still made these 550f tundras….. i would of bought that without hesitation.
My new 2021 Tundra LT is extremely tippy. I admit I’m not as agile as I used to be but from time to time the machine seems to be trying to do me in! LOL
Yes there is no doubt that many riders will find the Tundra to be a tippy sled. It is designed this way for floatation and navigating tight trails; ie. a trap line. You need to be ready to throw it around a bit.
i guess it's quite off topic but does anybody know of a good website to watch newly released series online ?
@Elijah Santiago I watch on FlixZone. You can find it by googling =)
Is this a good sled for ice fishing? Hauling gear in to a lake? How does it run in the cold?
You can’t beat a Tundra for sneaking around in the woods and getting to a lake. Mine is a two stroke with electric and manual pull cord starting so I’ve got it going in -38C before, but generally that’s not a bunch of fun.
@@granteditslifeoutdoors.9194 thanks! Yeah I don’t fish in anything less than -10f usually in the 20s or 30s. My old cat takes for ever to warm up and be able to drive
Give it some gas!
How do you find the ride on the Tundra compared to the Summit with the difference in front suspension?
GARTH - its night and day. You need to ask yourself where you will ride and what you will do with the machine. I'm more about the ice fishing now, so Tundra 550 fan made sense. The Summit is a wider sled, is more stable on groomed trails and lakes - and has better power available. I used my Summit on a few trips where we put on extensive trail miles. The Tundra is narrow, so it can certainly be tippy. If you're looking to break fresh trail, and you don't mind one knee or using some body english, its great. The pogo suspension is ok, but is not a set up for any aggressive trail riding. You would notice the sluggish front end performance on hard pack. Summit front end would be far superior, but you need to take into account what the Tundra was built for - deep powder floatation and sneaking around the bush between trees and brush. The narrow ski stance collects less brush/alder etc so you aren't getting snagged up. Plus, clutching is more bottom end allowing you to methodically creep thru the understory of the bush.
The Renegade or Expedition may be good compromises. My Summit had great power tho. Thanks for watching.
@@granteditslifeoutdoors.9194 Thanks for the reply. Probably more trail than powder. Been away from the sport for a while. So anything built recently will be an upgrade. Expedition has my eye. Maybe a MXZ.
Garth skidoo just came out with 2021 models. Backcountry sport would have a good entry level price.
As far as total cost of ownership goes, one would have to limit their amount of riding in order to come out ahead with the 550 compared to 600 ace. I've had both engines (in Expedition sports), the 550 would go 200 km per tank while the 600 ace will do 300 km.
Yes the 550 is a bit of a gas pig. The weight was a big factor
for me, but the 600ACE I’m warming up to.
@Nomadique amazing motor.
@Nomadique My 2005 550 Expedition Sport (original rev chassis) would do 200 km per tank in ideal conditions, I have not actually ran my 600 ace dry but based on fuel burned / km driven I figure I'm safe for 300 km. I do find my fuel gauge reads really low too so maybe it would go further but I'm not really into pushing my luck, there are not many places to gas up here that are accessible by sled.
I've never really had any battery issues with my sleds, I don't stop/start very often and usually ride at least 30 km at minimum when I go. Beyond the question of starting, any ski-doo that has a DESS system on it requires a battery to run.
@Borrowed Time I haven't carried extra gas since I switched over to 4 strokes, the only gas I carry is for the generator at the cabin.
Almost all videos of people giving a demo in the tundra, they are standing the majority of the time. Must be a tad tippy. On a trap line, last thing I would like to do is be standing up
Too underpowered for that long track. You need the 600 E-Tec
In some circumstances like running a lake in powder, yes. But for off trail bush maneuvering the 550 fan does quite fine. They had the Tundra Extreme, but that’s been discontinued. If you’re looking for 2 stroke powerband then there are lots of other choices. Perhaps a Backcountry Sport. It’s really a question of what are your primary usages for the snowmobile?
i have the l/t version and i live in a remote town alaska and there has been 3feet of snow and my tundra got skuck 22 times in 4 miles of riding
landen speerstra that sounds like some serious fresh snow. When it’s that deep sometimes a pair of snowshoes carried in your cargo rack is a good idea. You can walk a track in front of your sled to get yourself turned around and back onto your track out. Wait a few days or more for the snow to settle. I had this problem years ago on my Summit after we got a 3ft dump. Three riders with paddle tracks taking turn getting stuck if we couldn’t maintain speed. Sometimes Mother Nature wins.
@Borrowed Time Double track Alpine all the way! This was the go-to machine for trapper trail breaking. Too bad they discontinued it, but too narrow of a market i guess. Alpine's didn't like slush. As a kid I used to ice fish with a trapper who had the old 399 Alpine which I followed with my Olympique 335. I had to jump off and run beside the old boogie track often to get up any steep grades.
There is a Russian RUclipsr that shows some guys busting super deep powder in the boreal backcountry. The Summit does all the hard work.
Keep commenting as you know your stuff!
@Borrowed Time ... time for you to post this to a vid! I'd subscribe.
You are just a Bad rider
You need to ride it like a tundra. Not a summit or side winder. It floats on snow. Don't rip corners top speed or carve tight circles. I did and got stuck right away. There isnt enough paddle lengths to propel you out of snow. Just cruise on it. I have a little 300cc 2002 and float everywhere. I went riding up north and had snow under my arms. Caught me by surprise since I wasnt sinking at all.
I started to go full throttle and carve, my front end completely diapered under snow, as soon as you straighten out, float back on top and slow down.