The best Russian snowmobile - Taiga, Buran or Stealth?

Snowmobile is a vehicle. Its traction and speed characteristics depend on which engine is installed under the hood. The final values ​​are the sum of the volume of the crankcase and the rated power. But this connection is not direct, which is clearly seen in the example of the engine in the Buran 4T model:

Models from Stealth and Taiga have almost the same parameters. Stealth wins only slightly, so we will give him first place in the nomination. It loses only one horsepower to its closest competitor, but at the same time wins 12 cubes in volume. But the parameters of Buran are very different. By volume, it has the largest engine, but it produces only 29 horsepower. That is, with relatively low traction characteristics, it will have the highest fuel consumption. In addition, this is the only snowmobile in our comparison, which is not equipped with a Russian engine, but a German one. A vivid proof that European units are far from always better than domestic ones.

The number of cycles is one of the most important parameters. There are two- and four-stroke models. All have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, a 4-stroke is more economical and quieter, but at the same time it is difficult to repair due to design features.2-stroke engines are easy to maintain, but refueling requires manual mixing of the fuel, which is not very convenient.

On two-wheeled and special equipment, which includes a snowmobile, two-stroke vehicles are most often found, but the best option is still a 4-stroke one. And in our comparison, there is only one such - this is Buran 4T. We will give him the first place in the nomination. The other two models are equipped with two-stroke units without a premix system. You will have to prepare the fuel yourself, and if hunting or fishing is planned for a long time, it is recommended to take care of the stock of the mixture.

Our comparison concerns utilitarian models, for which speed is not the most important factor. This is not a sports or tourist version, but you still want the device to move quickly. Otherwise, it can be easily replaced with a motorized dog, which, although not so convenient, is more budgetary and easier to maintain.

The speed of a snowmobile is determined by the ratio of its engine type to its dimensions and weight. It is indicated in the technical documentation. The winner is Taiga, capable of developing up to 80 kilometers. Stealth is a little slower, 70 kilometers per hour. And we have the slowest Buran, which can only accelerate to 60 km / h. In addition, the Taiga snowmobile uses an injection system of two carburetors. This gives an increase to some parameters, but significantly reduces maintainability.

The type of suspension affects the flotation of the snowmobile, what surfaces it can move on, as well as the comfort of the driver and passenger. There are three main types of rear suspension used on tracked vehicles: sliding, roller and combined. Let's make a reservation right away that the best option is a combined suspension, but none of our nominees has it. To say which of the two remaining options is more preferable, it is necessary to understand what is their fundamental difference.

The skid suspension rests on skids. It needs lubrication to reduce friction between skids and tracks. It is the snow on which you move, and the looser it is, the better. But when leaving on a hard, smooth surface, problems can begin. The sled gets very hot when driving on ice or compacted crust, which significantly reduces the life of the entire module.

With rollers it's the other way around. Loose, deep snow clogs the rollers and interferes with their movement. For clarity, try to ride any wheeled cart on such a surface. It will slide, but the wheels will stall.Simply put, the slip suspension is more suitable for driving on snow, and the roller suspension is more suitable for hard crust and ice. But if your hobby is hunting or fishing, then you will surely come across all types of surface, which means that it is impossible to say which option is best.

But there is another factor that affects the comfort of the rider. Suspension can be independent, spring-loaded and even with its own shock absorbers. All this affects the softness of the move, and consequently, the convenience. In this nomination, the Stealth snowmobile wins. It has a slip suspension, but with additional springs and a hydraulic shock absorber. This is the softest model, which can often be read in the reviews of the owners.

Buran is in second place. He has a roller system, but also spring-loaded and soft. But Taiga does not have vibration dampers at all. This is the most rigid snowmobile, and when hitting a bump, you will experience some discomfort.

In order for the snowmobile to be as comfortable as possible to move, it must be soft. This is affected by both the front and rear suspension. The front part can be shock absorber or spring. Shock absorbers are softer. They have a longer piston stroke, respectively, stronger vibrations are damped. But the spring also has its advantages: it is more reliable and works better with a high load.

Since our comparison is for utility models, you will most likely be concerned with load performance. Hunting, fishing, and just long trips require certain luggage, that is, your snowmobile will most often work just loaded. The best option in this regard is Buran. It is the only nominee with leaf-sprung front suspension. She has a small stroke, only 5 centimeters, but at a low driving speed, more is not needed. Stealth and Taiga are tied for second place. Both have hydraulic shock absorbers with a stroke of 15 centimeters. Such a snowmobile will be softer when hitting bumps, but given that you will not be driving at high speeds, this factor is completely meaningless.

When riding a snowmobile, like any other vehicle, minor accidents and collisions are not ruled out. It is important that the model withstand small impacts on a stump or tree, and not fall apart. It is believed that a budget snowmobile is a plastic body and a weak frame, but not always. For example, Stealth is completely metal. Even its figured body kit is made of steel sheet, and profiled. It is durable and is not afraid of temperature changes. True, the weight in this case also increases, but the motor must already compensate for it.

Buran and Taiga are equipped with plastic body kits. But this does not mean that they are weak and will immediately break on contact. It uses a special thermal plastic. It does not crack in the cold and retains its shape perfectly. Reviews of the owners of both models confirm this. But still, the metal looks more attractive, so we give the victory in the nomination to Stealth.

The design of the snowmobile provides for the use of disc brakes. All of our nominees have them, but even here there are some differences. There are two types of brake disc pressure: mechanical and hydraulic.

It is easy to guess that the second option looks more attractive. The brake lever on the snowmobile is located on the steering wheel, that is, you need to press it with your hand. With a hydraulic system, fluid helps you. With a little pressure, the brakes work great and you have to apply less effort. With mechanics, the entire load falls on your hands, and stopping a colossus weighing almost half a ton can be difficult. Among our nominees, only one has a mechanic - Buran. He goes to third place.

Stealth and Taiga are equipped with a hydraulic system. To determine the winner, we read the reviews of the owners. They often mention the fact that the Stealth snowmobile is easier to drive and, therefore, braking. With the same construction system, he definitely assembled it better, which means that the first place is for Stealth.

The utility snowmobile is designed for long, relatively slow trips with a high load. The comfort of the driver and passenger is very important here. The winner in this nomination is the Russian device Taiga, in which the manufacturer has provided a heated steering wheel and seats. On such transport, you can safely go on a long journey, without fear of freezing right at the wheel. There is also a comfortable fit, in which the rear passenger is slightly higher and does not interfere with the driver. But there is no back, which is definitely a minus. It was provided only by Buran.

Another factor that affects the stability of the vehicle more than the comfort of the driver is the ignition. Stealth and Taiga use a more modern CDI, which has a number of advantages. We will not go into technical details, but we note that the electronic system is more reliable and the chances of filling the candles with fuel are very low. In general, the best option in terms of reliability and comfort is the Taiga snowmobile. Stealth gets an honorable second place, while Buran closes the list.

The snowmobile is not designed to travel on public roads, even if they are completely covered with snow. This technique must be transported to the place, which means that the parameters of weight and size are very important. In addition, the dimensions affect the landing distance of the driver and passengers. To visually compare these characteristics, we present them in the form of a table:

The Buran and Taiga models are almost the same size, but the second one weighs almost 10 kilograms lighter, which is definitely a plus. Taiga is slightly longer, but this is due to the fact that it has a trunk, which Buran does not have. But Stealth goes to third place. It is the largest and heaviest. The model has a length of more than 3 meters, and it is also the widest. In addition, this snowmobile weighs much more than competitors.It will be more difficult to deal with it when loading and unloading. So the metal case and body kits had an effect, for which this model received first place in one of the nominations.

The most budget option of our nominees is the Buran snowmobile. It costs about 365 thousand rubles. Taiga is in second place with 416 thousand rubles, and the most expensive is Stealth, worth 468,000 rubles. However, this is not surprising. Stealth, although a Russian manufacturer, positions itself as a foreign one. It uses some foreign components and modules, and also pays a lot of attention to marketing. In terms of popularity, neither Taiga nor Buran can even come close to competing with this brand.

By the sum of points, we have two winners at once: Taiga and Stealth. But still, it makes sense to give the first place to the Stels S600 Viking snowmobile. He won in 4 nominations and looks more attractive in terms of the combination of characteristics. The most soft, durable and reliable option, but at the same time expensive, bulky and heavy.

The Russian snowmobile Taiga becomes the most comfortable and convenient. In addition, he develops the highest speed of all the nominees. If hunting or fishing is combined with a long trip, then this is the best option presented.

But Buran should not be discounted either. Despite the fact that this snowmobile scored the least points, as a utility vehicle it looks the most attractive. The most traction, stable and hardy unit, with which you can safely go on the longest journeys. It won't develop great speed. It will not extinguish vibrations from hitting bumps, but it will easily pass on any surface, be it snow or ice, and will also climb uphill when fully loaded.