Thinking of going to the Snowmobile (Recreational) Vehicle Auction (http://www.snowmobileauction.com) in Branson, Michigan this November and am wondering if it is worth the drive from Minneapolis. Are the majority of the snowmobiles in good shape or are they like CRASHED TOYS (http://www.crashedtoys.com) ? I would be driving 9 hours plus going thru that crappy town known as Chicago.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

There are some deals on good sleds and even brand new but you must be VERY smart on picking a used sled as the majority are junk disquised in sheeps clothing.
You are picking one of the worst months to buy a sled as the price will be higher, March and April is the best time.
If you dont know much about sleds and what to look for I would stay away.

there are brand new sleds going through there all the time but its not a gurantee that those sleds are what you want .if you are looking for a decent price on a sled no matter how old you will find it at Bronson . your timing however is going to put a damper on the lowest of the low prices due to demand . you should have been there this spring lol did you check out the auction report on the website ? that can tell you if they are in your price ballpark

as mentioned above,,, BUYER BEWARE. I have bought 3 sleds there and have had NO problems with any of them. I take a compression tester, good mini mag flashlight, a notepad, a couple of pencils, and of course a good buddy. I spent as much time as possible going over EVERYTHING before I decided I wanted to put them on the list. Then sit back and enjoy the auction. Be there early as you will want to have as much time as possible to get over everything. Have an idea of what you want before you get there will also help as that will narrow down the sleds you are going to look over. Good luck
Brian

The other are right - to a point. The sleds will be selling for more money at the Nov-Dec. auctions. BUT you will also have the widest selection available (there were over 1000 of them there one day not too long ago), and if you're a smart shopper, you'll still likely be able to pull off a deal you won't likely match anywhere else.

Lost count of how many sleds I've bought/sold there since the late 70's

Best advice is to not bid on a sled you haven't checked out yourself. Keep notes on each you might be interested in bidding on. At absolute minimum, at least know how many miles are on anything you are even remotely thinking of bidding on (auctioneers will catch people sleeping once in a while - you can sometimes be prepared to jump on something cheap enough to make it a good buy). Lot's of high milage sled's (my normal reason for selling) go across the block - and they do not mention how many miles are on it during the auction. Don't let somebody tell you the miles are kilometers unless the speedo says that on the face. It's BS.

Another common mistake is to be so overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices, your mind just goes numb, and you are much more likely to make a mistake. Be prepared to focus on only one or 2 model sleds, and go in there knowing exactly what they are worth.....

If you aren't capable/don't trust yourself to quickly/accurately judge a sled, try to find somebody interested in going with you that can.

9 hour drive though........ Maybe bring a friend or 2 also looking for a sled to share expenses/driving? Worst case, if a lot of sleds show up, you'll be none the worse for the experience. If this place doesn't get you in the snowmobiling mood - have somebody check your pulse......

have someone on speed dial with a high speed cable connection :cool:

<div align="left">that way you can check Ebay, Nada, Forums, and any other possible site. Including this one with our bulletin board/ recall section :wink:
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I&#39;ve purchased 3 sleds, 2 waverunners, and a jet ski trailer there. But I only have to drive 1.5 hrs. One waverunner and one of the sleds were non-running. One cost me a tank of gas and the other cost me $1,000 in motor work. Let the buyer beware!!!

Thanks for all the good advice everybody! I really appreciate it.

I have a compressor checker so I will definitely be bringing that and some of the NADA numbers with me for the Ski-Doo I am looking for.

Sold my XCR 600 PIG last year and am itching to do some riding with the expectations that Minnesota and the surrounding states get alot of SNOW.

Thanks Again,
Jason

The only advice I have is make sure the sled has the right motor, I have a friend ( o.k. it was me ) that bought a mach 1 with a 521 motor back in 91 , they got me because the sled looked so good. Also be prepared to pay sales tax and another charge if you use your credit card. And make sure the tunnel is straight. That being said there still are some great deals to be had.

good luck to you if you go . I might see you there if its the same weekend

There is a lot of dealer&#39;s in this area that take all their "junk" to get rid of.

Also, many, many rental sleds.

I also have taken some sleds there to sell, You don&#39;t get top dollar if you are selling.


I have seen a lot of "polished turds" there.

Beware of sleds that are Amour All and full of stickers, they normally are used as cover up.