2010 Yamaha Grizzly
I'm currently using this 2010
Yamaha Grizzly with Tatou 4S Tracks. It's quite an
impressive machine for grooming. The tracks provide amazing
traction, pulling power, and steering that out perform any
snowmobile. The upright driving position and power steering
make it much more comfortable to drive.
It actually steers and pulls better with
the plow on, so I usually leave it on when grooming. The weight keeps
the front tracks digging in and pulling. The only drawback is the plow
blocks the headlights somewhat, so I added a second set of headlights on top
of the front cargo box.
I also added a weight peg on the front for
when I don't have the plow on. It can hold two 25 lb weights, and I
have a 50 lb cast iron weight I put inside the front cargo box.
The plow also comes in handy to cut down
snow banks at road crossings and drifts on the trail. I do have to be
careful though - at one road crossing the plow was a little too low as I
drove off the road into the ditch. Before I could react, the plow dug
a hole 18" deep into the ditch, and of course the ATV followed it down.
I thought I was stuck, but I raised the plow and was able to drive straight
ahead out of the hole I had created - with the drag on the back.
Amazing traction!
Switches on the dash:
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In the middle are five switches
for the left hand warmer, thumb warmer, right hand warmer,
headlights and rear lights on the ATV, and grooming lights on the
drag. I put the hand warmers on separate switches because my
right hand, which is always on the grip for the throttle, tends to
stay warm, while my left hand, which is off the grip pushing
switches quite a bit, tends to get cold.
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Above and below the left grip are
the switches to raise & lower and rotate the plow. I
positioned them so they can be easily operated with my hand on the
grip.
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On top of the gas tank are three
switches for the actuators on the drag.
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On the seat of the Grizzly is a portable
wiring harness for the lights and actuators on the Tidd Tech. It plugs
into a 12 volt outlet and can be used on any atv or snowmobile. I also use it
in my shed and workshop with a 12 volt converter to test and adjust the
actuators.
Some of my goofy "inventions":
-
The orange indicator rod on the plow
has different colors of tape on it. As the plow is raised and
lowered, the indicator rod move up and down thru a small metal loop
mounted on the front box that can be seen from the ATV. Once the plow
is at the correct height, I make a mental note of the color of tape at
the metal loop. This allows me to keep the plow at the right
height when grooming and when plowing snow banks and drifts.
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Chain saw boot on the front for
branches and trees that fall in the winter.
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It's hard to see, but on the front of
the left rear fender there's a dark red fiberglass rod sticking up (it's
actually a chimney cleaning rod). It's in a small metal tube that
holds it in place. You can also see it in the picture of the
Neoprene Flaps. I pull this rod out of the metal tube and use
it like a sword to knock snow off low hanging branches in front of the
ATV so I don't get so much snow in the face! No matter how many
branches I cut in the summer, there are always NEW ones that sprout out
every winter!
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Around the running boards, I added
neoprene flaps to keep the snow out, which tends to collect under
and around my boots. They have really make a difference - I
don't have to stop and scrape the snow off the running boards so
often (kudos to Arlyn Aronson for this great idea!!)
-
The wooden box on rear rack is for
hauling tools and supplies. I cut off the back 8" for improved
visibility in the winter (and added the extra piece of plywood on back so stuff doesn't fall out). The back part of the box bolts
on for the summer (in the summer picture, you can see the line where the
box is cut off).
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I use the McCloud (the big "hoe" like tool)
for cutting down snow banks and drifts. With the plow,
hopefully it will get less use!
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A big loppers (orange handles sticking
up in the middle) for those low hanging branches, and a wooden stick
next to it that I use to clean snow, ice chunks, and branches out of the
teeth on the drag and anywhere else that snow and "stuff" accumulates.
I also have a Silky Zubat handsaw and a small
clippers for cutting small branches and brush.
On the back:
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Rear lights.
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Two color coded outlets for the
actuators and lights on the grooming drag.
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A 2" receiver hitch with a 12"
extension so the tongues on the drags clear the tracks. The
vertical tube connects to the rear rack and is used to attach the
wing on the back of
the Grizzly.
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Snow Flaps to keep snow off the
back of the Grizzly and the drag. Originally the snow flaps
were going to be behind just each track, but filling in the middle
was easy and cut down on the flying snow even more.
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