How long does it take to set up and use a Snowbuddy
There are as many answers to this question as there are ways to get stuck. Pulling a sled from a five- foot ditch or a tree well is going to take more time than simple lift on a gentle slope. The other key element we keep stressing is user skill and understanding how to use a Snowbuddy effectively.

In our videos we show my friend Sam set up a Snowbuddy and lift A snowmobile in 40 seconds. But Sam has been using and testing Snowbuddy's almost as long as I have. I watched one guy who knew he didn't need any instructions spend 30 minutes before asking for help.

The feedback from Snowbuddy owners say about five to ten minutes to dig, setup, and lift with a Snowbuddy. They also tell me if you have practiced so you are familiar with your Snowbuddy it will take about three times lifting in real snow conditions for you to comfortable using Snowbuddy.

What ever the trouble you find yourself in Snowbuddy will make the work easier and the time shorter.
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Snowbuddy Strength
After I had finalized the design for Snowbuddy I took one of our first production models to an independent testing lab. I ask them to load a Snowbuddy to failure.

When properly loaded (see Basic Snowbuddy) the Snowbuddy failed at a load of 2,500 lbs. These tests were run on the original ¾ inch square tubing with 1/8 inch thick walls. The Snowbuddy failed when the tubing bent below the middle joint. None of the other components showed any signs of failure. The key to the original ultra-lightweight Snowbuddy is proper use.

The Standard Snowbuddy now uses 7/8 inch square tubing with 3/16 thick walls. Adding 50% to the wall thickness almost doubles the strength of the tubing according to the engineering math. This would put the load capacity of the tubing at over 4,000 pounds.

Even with the new Power Head (see What changes have you made in Snowbuddy) It is nearly impossible for a rider to put a load of 4,000 pounds on the Snowbuddy. You cannot get that much leverage on the jack handle.

The Snowbuddy is rated at 700 lbs. The key is making sure the Snowbuddy is properly loaded. Like any tool it is possible to damage a Snowbuddy by misusing or abusing it.
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Why Doesn't It Sink
"Why doesn't Snowbuddy just sink into the snow like I do when I step off of my snowmobile."

I have spent more time talking to more people about this belief about Snowbuddy than any other topic. People strongly cling to several misconceptions when they first see a snowbuddy. Even people who have seen Snowbuddy used in the snow refuse to believe the base of the jack is big enough (6 X 12 inches) to support the weight of a snowmobile in powder snow.

I knew the base was big enough because I had been using a Snowbuddy during development for several years in a variety of snow conditions. People were so sure it would not work any amount of reassurance on my part would not convince them otherwise.

THE SHORT ANSWER
When a load is placed on the base of the Snowbuddy an attachment is formed between the snow and the base causing the load to be spread outward at more than a 45 degree angle. The more load the bigger the area supporting the snowmobile.

THE LONG ANSWER
I needed to be able to explain exactly why Snowbuddy would not sink into the snow before I could change most minds. I did a lot of research to find the correct explanations.

During a snowmobile show in Salt Lake a guy pushed his way through a group of people who were in front of our booth. He shoved a pudgy finger in the direction of the Snowbuddy we were demonstrating. “ Don’t waste your money folks.” He declared, “That thing will never work. Look at that base. It isn’t as big as my two feet. Every time I give a jerk on a stuck snowmobile I sink deeper in the snow and the snowmobile usually doesn’t move.”

I asked him if he had ever used a snowbuddy or seen one used in the snow.

“I don’t need to” He answered. “I am the editor of the largest snowmobile magazine on the web. I have been riding a snowmobile long enough to know that thing won’t work.”

I tried to explain why the Snowbuddy does work. He folded his arms and glared at me for a few minutes then spun on his heel and angrily stalked away shaking his head absolutely sure he was right.

The only reason I tell this story is to demonstrate how easy it can be to reach the wrong conclusions. He stated the base was not as big as his two feet. Why would he think this observation was important? Most people believe that a column of snow the same size as the base is supposed to support the weight of the snowmobile. If his two feet sink into the snow so would the Snowbuddy. If this were true Snowbuddy wouldn’t work. But it is not true.

The bottom of the Snowbuddy has been sandblasted. Setting the base on the snow is like sticking your tongue on a cold pipe in the winter. The snow will stick to the metal. The more pressure on the base the more the snow will stick. In engineering terms this sticking is called attachment. When a load is placed on the Snowbuddy the clump of snow sticking to the base grows bigger. Conversely your boots are made of rubber or synthetic rubber. The snow does not stick to you boots. When a load is added most of the snow under your boots will slide to the side and you will compress a column of snow even smaller than the size of your boot as you sink into the snow. There is no attachment to the snow with your boot.

Snowbuddy is similar to a pillar and a footing. The shafts and the jack head are the pillar. The base is the footing. When a load is placed on the pillar the load is distributed evenly across the footing. If the footing has attachment to the strata below (dirt for the footing, snow for the Snowbuddy) the load is passed to the lower strata but not in a straight column. The force of the load is spread out at angle of more than 45 degrees from the edges of the footing. By the time the force of the load is being felt three inches below the base the area of support is twice as big as the base.

“ Yeah, but doesn’t the base need to sink three inches to get the size of support your talking about?” you ask.

No. The base needs to sink a little to stick to the snow but not the full three inches to double size of the support area. It will not sink down through the snow like your boots. The load will compress the snow the most at the top and less and less the deeper the load is distributed until a column of support is big enough to bear the weight of the snowmobile. Obviously the density of the snow will determine how much the Snowbuddy will sink before the snowmobile starts to lift. Even in light powder I have seen a Snowbuddy sink only 8 inches before starting to lift a snowmobile.

It is important that the snow under the base is level when you start to load the Snowbuddy. If the base is sitting at an angle when the load is first applied the base will not attach to the snow and it will most likely slip to the side under load. Surprisingly once the base has good attachment to the snow the Snowbuddy can lean over at quite steep angles and still work effectively.

The web magazine editor stated “When I jerk on a stuck snowmobile my feet sink deeper in the snow and the sled usually doesn’t move.” Again our expert has improperly analyzed the situation and the forces involved.

When a rider gives a sudden jerk on the back of a stuck snowmobile several factors interact. The sudden jerk loads both the weight of the snowmobile and his weight on to his boots, which have a poor attachment to the snow. Add the force needed to break the track loose from the frozen snow (see Basic Snowbuddy, locked track) in a sudden motion. This action is like a pile driver. The sudden heavy load will break down the minimal attachment and support provided by his boots. The result is the rider sinking deeper into the snow and the snowmobile not moving.

There is almost no similarity between a rider jerking on the back of a snowmobile and lifting with a Snowbuddy. The most obvious is how the load is distributed over a wider area. The stable base attached to the snow is very different than rubber boots. The Snowbuddy carries only its own 6 pounds and the weight of the snowmobile. The load is placed on the Snowbuddy more slowly in a controlled manner rather than a sudden pile driving motion. Snowbuddy provides the leverage to easily break the track loose from the frozen snow before lifting. The smooth controlled lift of the Snowbuddy allows the load to be spread over a large enough area without collapsing the supporting column of snow.

There are a couple of conditions that are a challenge even with the help of a Snowbuddy. “Corn Snow” sometimes called “Pea Snow” and wind blown snow in the bottom of a ditch or ravine that hasn’t settled enough to give support can be a real problem.

The corn snow is like rounded pebbles or sand. This kind of snow has melted and refrozen so many times the edges of the crystals will no longer interlock to bind the crystals together so the snow will pack. The rounded shape also means the snow will not stick to the Snowbuddy. With unpacked snow and no attachment it’s like setting Snowbuddy on a pile of marbles.

The wind blown snow in the bottom of a ditch is just to light, lacking sufficient density to pack solid enough to support the Snowbuddy. The base will likely sink to the bottom of the light snow before the Snowbuddy begins to lift the snowmobile.

The best way around each problem is to shovel snow from the upper layers around the sled and pack it behind the snowmobile until you have a platform sufficient to support the Snowbuddy when lifting the snowmobile. Usually freshest upper layers of snow will pack the best. The fresher snow will pack into and around the corn snow. The effort needed to pack the snow is still a lot less than it takes to lift a snowmobile without a Snowbuddy.

Some Snowbuddy owner’s have started carrying an extra upper shaft to get a higher lift height. If your group has more than one Snowbuddy you can borrow an extra shaft from one of the other riders. This will work if you have the later model heavy duty Super Shafts. If you have an early Ultra-Light model you will damage the Snowbuddy if you try to use an extra shaft.

A long answer to a short question but that is why a Snowbuddy doesn’t sink down into the snow.
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Snowbuddy Specifications
Snowbuddy is made mostly of aluminum. All of the screws, dowel pins, and pivot point shafts are Stainless Steel.

There are several types of aluminum used to manufacture a Snowbuddy. The tubing is all custom extruded 6061-T6. All the machined parts except the lever arm on the jack head and the connector pins are made from cold rolled billets of 6061-T6 aluminum. The lever arm and the connecting pins are machined from billets of 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum. Some of the later shovel blades are cast with a 719 aluminum casting alloy.

The original Ultra-Light Snowbuddy's weighed 5 pounds 4 oz. The later model with the Super Shafts (now standard) weigh 6 pounds 2 oz.

The Snowbuddy has 48 inches of lift. The Snowbuddy will lift the grab bar of a snowmobile 48 inches above the base of the Snowbuddy. If you add an extra Upper Shaft on the models with Super Shafts the lift is 65 inches. Do not use an extra Upper Shaft with an Ultra-Light Snowbuddy.

The Snowbuddy load capacity is rated at 700 pounds. An independent testing laboratory loaded an Ultra-Light Snowbuddy to failure. The Snowbuddy withstood a load of 2500 pounds before failure. Using a Snowbuddy in the field is a lot different than in the laboratory. If a Snowbuddy is not used properly it may fail with what seems a lighter load. The 700 pound rating is based on how much leverage an "average rider" could create pushing down on the jack handle of the Snowbuddy.
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Who's Buying Snowbuddy? Any one who has decided wrestling with a stuck snowmobile is not a sensible use of their time and energy. Seriously all types of riders from across the country have purchased Snowbuddy's. There are extreme riders from the high elevations of western mountains and flat landers of the Midwest. You will find Snowbuddy's in the North East and the Southwest. For many older riders who have trouble lifting the newer snowmobiles Snowbuddy allows them to continue a sport they love without fear of being stranded or injured because of stuck snowmobile.

Couples that like to ride together have found a real sense of freedom and security. Especially if they ride the trails to remote play areas. Family's that take their children riding save a lot of wear and tear on Dad. One group of extreme riders in central Colorado prefers that anyone who rides with them carry Snowbuddy. People who live in places where Snowmobiles are the only transportation for much of the year have found Snowbuddy to be an invaluable tool. It is not always convenient to gather a group to ride in less populated area like Alaska and Northern Canada. [Section Index]

How do I carry a Snowbuddy We offer two ways to carry a Snowbuddy. The Cordura Pac (trademark symbol needed) is a custom designed pack with separate pockets for each Snowbuddy component. The Cordura Pac will carry the basic Snowbuddy and all of the accessories in one neat package. The Cordura Pac is 8 X 18 inches and is designed to be carried on the tunnel extension of any long track snowmobile. Snowbuddy owners have found many different ways to mount the Cordura Pac. It can be carried in saddlebags or a backpack. Riders with luggage racks use bungi cords or rubber straps to secure the Cordura Pac. You will find some other clever ways people have devised to carry a Snowbuddy in the Customer Comments. The Bare Bones Box is a lightweight tray that will carry only the basic Snowbuddy. The Bare Bones Box is designed to be mounted on the belt cover of some snowmobiles. The box is 6 X 17 inches. It may be necessary to relocate the spare belt and spark plug holders on some snowmobiles. [Section Index]

Is One Snowbuddy enough?
I would almost feel more comfortable having a Snowbuddy owner answer that question. Hopefully in time there will be enough comments from Snowbuddy owners posted to help you decide.

Our experience makes me believe the best answer is a Snowbuddy on each snowmobile. But I am selling them. See why I would feel more comfortable someone else answered.

Here's my best answer. Let's say your group consists of 6 riders. Plenty of help when someone gets into trouble. For insurance as a group you have purchased a snowbuddy which one of you will carry.

After riding the trails to reach a good play area the group goes one way you go another and you get stuck. If you're not the one carrying the Snowbuddy it doesn't do you any good. Getting stuck alone usually means waiting until help arrives. After waiting awhile you start digging because you can't lift the snowmobile. If help arrives but not the guy with the Snowbuddy the two of you are still doing all the work you wanted to avoid. If you are badly stuck you may need the Snowbuddy so your help leaves to go find the guy with the Snowbuddy. The guy with the Snowbuddy is helping someone else. After getting that snowmobile out the guy with the Snowbuddy finally comes to help you. After getting you out the guy with the Snowbuddy is told he is needed elsewhere. The High Mark King of your group has stuck it high up a steep hill under a cornice. How does the guy with the Snowbuddy get safely to the rider on the hill

I think you get the picture. A Snowbuddy is helpful only if it's with you when you get stuck. The guy with the Snowbuddy is spending his day helping everyone else and not doing a lot of riding.

Let's say you all were carrying a Snowbuddy and you get stuck alone. In a relatively simple situation the Snowbuddy will help you get out quickly with out wasting a lot of energy. No need to wait for help. If you stick it badly in a ravine and the only way out is up and forward. While waiting for help to arrive you can use the shovel to clear the front of the snowmobile. When another rider arrives to help he will set up his Snowbuddy as a come-a long and hook on to the front of your snowmobile. When the other rider has put some tension on the come-a-long you will lift the track of your snowmobile out of the snow as high as you can. Lifting your track out of the snow will greatly reduce the effort needed to move the snowmobile. The other rider will now pull your snowmobile up and forward the length of the snowbuddy cable. As the snowmobile moves forward it will gradually drop back onto the snow as it moves away from the Snowbuddy.

When the snowmobile track is back on the snow leave your Snowbuddy in place to hold the snowmobile in place while the other rider resets the cable on his Snowbuddy. When there is tension on the cable, reset your Snowbuddy and lift your track again. Repeat steps until Snowmobile is out. Moving a snowmobile forward and up to get out of a ravine is the hardest way to get unstuck. You will usually need several people to lift, push, and pull drag the snowmobile out. Two people and two Snowbuddy's can handle the job with little effort and in less time than it takes to gather enough people to do the job.

Another long answer to a short question. All I have described above has happened to us. Experience has taught me carrying a Snowbuddy on each sled is a good idea.
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