Snow-scooters: types and best models

Many adults do not like winter because of cold weather, difficult weather conditions that prevent them from getting to work or rising utility rates, but childhood is the period when happiness does not depend on the time of year. If adults are not always happy with the first snow, then for kids it is always a great joy - you can finally get a sled and go skiing from any nearest hill. Today, it is becoming fashionable to buy snow scooters for children instead of classic sleds, but not all parents yet understand what the difference is and whether it exists at all.

For all its centuries-old verification, ordinary sleds are not as ideal as the invention of humanity. Today, in the century of developed technologies, this type of transport is increasingly criticized for the fact that it is not self-propelled, and does not even provide for passenger control. It turns out that sledding necessarily requires either a slide (but then it is not known where the child will eventually arrive), or a slander force in the form of parents or comrades whose strength and desire are not infinite.

The easiest snow scooter should solve at least a management problem. For him, everything will also need a slide, which will give this transport acceleration, but now the child will be sure that he will be able to dodge a tree that suddenly appeared right along the course or stop in front of the roadway, which turned out to be unexpectedly close to the starting point. Accordingly, parents feel more confident, and now it is easier for them to decide and release a grown-up child on a hill without personal escort of their elders.

Moreover, some motorized models, which have their own power reserve and operate, as a rule, from an electric battery are also referred to snow-scooters. If it’s still a child model, then it’s usually impossible to consider it as a full-fledged vehicle - the battery’s power reserve is not so large, and it is wiser to use it exclusively for a confident start along an inclined highway.

If we talk about the typical "child" configuration, then the motor is usually not at all, but there is a rigid metal frame that performs the functions of the main supporting structure, and flexible plastic skis that can not break on uneven terrain. Many models also provide shock absorbers to make the ride as comfortable as possible, and the key feature is the front swivel ski located in the middle and attached to the wheel - thanks to it, you can fit into almost any turn.

Realizing that a child may overdo it with a turn, manufacturers usually limit the angle of possible rotation so that the young rider simply does not “throw overboard.” Another useful bonus is the brake, and in many models there is also a special stopper, which feels the moment at which the passenger fell out and does not allow his vehicle to roll away lightly.

An average snow scooter for a child weighs in the range of 5-10 kg, although more recently lighter plastic models without metal parts are being produced - such a design is easier to drag an independent baby.The design load for such transport is usually within 50 kg, but manufacturers and adults do not deny the opportunity to return to childhood - special snow scooters are manufactured for them with a permissible load of up to 100 kg.

It should be understood that most types of plastic are not able to withstand the very bitter cold, because in climates with regular cold snaps below 25 degrees, special models with reinforced skis should be selected.

As it should be for most modern products, snow scooters differ significantly in design - the consumer has the right to choose the colors that he liked more or just allow him to more effectively find his child in a crowd of other children on the hill.

If necessary, you can focus on additional equipment: some prefer to attend to maximum comfort in the form of a soft lining for the seat, others need ease of transportation by car, which is facilitated by a towing cable, others want maximum safety from other road users, therefore they choose models with built-in taillights .

For our country, a snow scooter still seems to be a great rarity, but in fact, manufacturers have already invented many varieties of this transport, each of which involves certain improvements for the consumer, and is focused on a specific population group.

In most of the densely populated territory of our country, the climate is still not so severe that people buy full-fledged winter transport for themselves, so children's models are the most demanded, which are somewhat improved sleds. Snow scooters for children can rarely be called a miracle of technology - it is usually a fairly simple design for one child, equipped with the above-described facilities - sitting, back, steering wheel and brakes.

If there are two children in the family, they are about the same age and get along well with each other, you can not create a special reason for the conflict because of skiing, but simply buy a double snow scooter. The design for two does not differ in principle from a single room - the dimensions are simply increased and all the main parts are strengthened to withstand the increased load. It is worth noting that a model for two can be designed for two children, or for a child accompanied by an adult.

A completely different conditions are offered by a snow scooter with a motor, which in the conditions of a city should ideally be electric - so it is cheaper and simpler. The great advantage of such a device is that it is already a self-propelled vehicle, and therefore it can be used on a flat surface without the force of a pig. Very young children usually do not trust such a technique, because there is a risk that they will not cope with the management or, good, they will become victims of intruders who can escape on the same snowmobile.

Exclusively for the convenience of storage, even folding snow scooters have been developed, although only those that are not equipped with any motor usually belong to those. When folded, such transport takes up much less space, which is very practical in a cramped apartment located in a city where snow does not lie all year round.

In addition, snow scooters are also classified according to how low or high they are relative to the level of skis, how widely they are placed, and so on. However, this is already technical information, which we will consider below - in the section on the rules for choosing such a transport.

Finally, it should be said that above all the time we were talking about snow scooters produced by industrial enterprises in large quantities. However, there are still folk craftsmen who can make something similar with their own hands.Perhaps no one will be involved in creating the motorized self-propelled vehicle with his own hands, but welding a ski to the old bicycle wheel and then steering the car itself to the sled is a task that is completely solved for a person who knows how and who loves to work with his hands.

A snow scooter is a device for a kind of sports activities, because you need to choose it carefully, because the product is under increased stress and should be safe for the child. For this reason, it is unacceptable to choose the first model that caught the eye - all options should be examined from all sides in order to make the choice on the ideal.

It is impossible to buy a good product without having a clear idea of ​​what you want to receive. The fact is that snow scooters are usually perceived as a vehicle for sedentary control, but there are also standing models, and by mistake you can buy not at all what you wanted.

Most models of snow scooters have very specific recommendations on how many years should be a passenger. For example, children can be carried on sleds even in 1-2 years, but here you can’t do without a plowing force in the form of parents, and therefore the steering wheel is not really needed. Therefore, models that have a steering wheel are considered useful, but it can be fixed so that it does not interfere.

At about 3-4 years old, the child begins to understand the purpose of the steering wheel, but he usually cannot steer confidently at high speed until 6 years old, when a snow scooter with a steering wheel and brakes, launched from a steep hill, begins to fully justify itself. As for the transport with a motor, the timing of its purchase should be determined based on the speed of maturation of the baby, but, perhaps, before ten years, such a gift is still irrelevant. In general, an adult can ride a snow scooter, but you should pay attention to the maximum weight that the structure can withstand.

It is easy to guess that a snow scooter descending from a hill at high speed is largely subject to mechanical damage, but the danger lurks the product from the other side. Children are rarely inclined to take care of things, sometimes they are willing to deliberately break something in order to satisfy simple children's curiosity. For this reason, at the time of purchase, it will be reasonable to assess the strength of such a product and ask whether replacement parts are available for it, and where they can be purchased.

Particular attention should be paid to plastic parts - even in the best case, they are still weaker than metal parts, and at worst they cannot be called reliable at all.

Unlike sleds, a snow scooter implies a certain autonomy of a child who, even with fast descent, is able to control his transport. It would be strange if such a kid would go for a walk exclusively accompanied by his parents, but then his sports equipment should be light enough to lower and lift him up the steps or drag him up the hill.

Of particular importance is the weight and overturning - a heavier design is more likely to cause injury to the kid. That is why those models where as much as possible plastic parts are in good demand - on average they weigh significantly less than those where the frame is made of metal.

The general rule is that a low-set seat provides increased stability to the whole structure, but makes you feel all the unevenness of the terrain. Accordingly, a higher seat for the passenger provides increased rolling softness, but at the same time it is much easier to tip such a snow scooter. Certain requirements are also put forward to the seat itself - it should be neither cramped nor too spacious, and warming and soft linings are welcome.

It is this part of the snow scooter that usually experiences the maximum load, all the more so for its softness it is often made of flexible plastic. The task of the parents is to find a certain balance between the rigidity, sufficient for durable service, and the softness that will save the child from bruises on the “fifth point”. It is worth paying attention to the location of the skis: the wider they are spaced apart, the less likely the structure will overturnHowever, this reduces the maneuverability of the device and the effectiveness of the steering.

Swiveling ski is an obligatory part of any snow-scooter, it is it that distinguishes it from ordinary sleds, but the ease of operation of different models can vary significantly. So, a good steering wheel has a limitation of the angle of rotation, which prohibits turning too sharply - as you know, virtually any transport will tip over, and a low-pitched ski can break away from a low-set and stable one.

The child is growing rapidly, because of what he needs in each year a new height of the helm, so a good mechanism should provide for the possibility of regulation. Finally, depreciation is necessary not only for the seat, but also for the steering wheel - without this, it can shake too much, which makes driving a vehicle not so easy.

The reliability of this component is not checked until you get to the track, but the standard equipment assumes only a foot mechanism, while the best models also have a manual backup. Immediately, two brakes do not seem so necessary only until a tree suddenly appears right in front of the snow-shooter - at this moment an additional manual mechanism may be the last chance to avoid a collision.

A snow scooter, especially designed for passengers of fairly conscious age, can occupy a significant amount of free space in an apartment, which is not always convenient, because it will be so for most of the year. For this reason, those models in which at least skis can be removed are in high demand.

Manufacturers today produce snow scooters in a bright design. They can be monophonic - blue, red, yellow, and with a specific pattern. Parents have the opportunity to choose a design for a boy or girl, following the tastes of the child, which can not but appeal to a small consumer. In addition, experts insist that choosing a bright model is not only a tribute to external beauty, but also a prerequisite for safety, because colorful transport is visible from a distance on a snowy hill, and this helps to avoid collisions or simply find your child faster.

Finally, we say that sometimes on the Internet one can meet criticism of individual snow scooters, whose brakes were not sharp enough, which led either to leaving the roadway, or to a collision with other children's transport.It should be understood that such a criticism of a particular model is usually not very fair, because not a single brake of a snow scooter will provide braking without a corresponding stopping distance.

This is not so much the imperfection of the mechanism, as the concern for the safety of the passenger - parents are unlikely to want the child to be thrown out of the saddle when it is too abruptly stopped. For this reason, the presence of brakes and steering should be perceived only as a certain safety bonus, and not as its guarantee - as the latter, it is better to follow the elementary rules of skiing, which are to choose the route away from the roads and to keep the distance between snowmobiles and sleds.

The principle of storage of a snow scooter is generally similar to those principles that should be followed for the long-term preservation of ordinary sleds.

To begin with, it should be understood that in many cities of our country in the winter time they actively use chemical reagents, which adversely affect the integrity of the parts of the mechanism. It is clear that no one deliberately sprinkles slides from which children love to skate, but such slides usually still need to be reached, and the route runs along public paths that public workers usually sprinkle on.

Chemistry used is equally harmful for both metal and plastic, so in order to increase the service life of a purchase, it is advisable to perform minimal ski cleaning after each return from the street. After regular use, the product must be washed with warm water and then dried to prevent rust from causing potential problems.

Cleaning should be especially thorough before the snow scooter goes to storage until the next winter. At this point, it is desirable to remove all the details that are, in principle, removed from this model, and carry out a complete cleaning of all the connections where sand, small pebbles or any other reagents could get into. If rust appears on metal surfaces, it is advisable to polish the damaged areas. Thoroughly washed and well dried snow scooter can be sent to storage.

As a place of temporary storage of transport, it is desirable to choose such rooms where high humidity is not observed. Modern manufacturers often use stainless materials or special protective compounds that are applied to the surface of metal parts, but in the case of cheap models too much reliance on this should not be. If you are one hundred percent sure that nothing bad will happen to children's transport, you can fix it on the balcony from the outside - so it will not interfere.

Nowadays, many consumers do not want to delve into the details of exactly how to choose a particular product - they prefer to simply trust the trusted manufacturer, who for many years has collected the vast majority of positive feedback from customers. Sometimes this approach is not entirely correct if the desired product must be highly specialized, and meet certain non-standard requirements. But in the case of snow scooters and snowmobiles, such a problem usually does not arise - in this situation it is quite possible to rely on professionals who know their business.

One of the best domestic products of this type is considered famous in certain circles "Argamak". This is a real "beast": with a weight of up to 7 kg, this design is able to withstand up to 100 kg of payload, because a child can easily ride on it along with one of the parents.Independent skating of children on this model is allowed from the age of three, since the control is quite simple, and the steering wheel, stylized as an aircraft steering wheel, will cause a real storm of positive emotions in the baby.

In general, this model is suitable for almost any operating conditions - it can easily withstand up to 40 degrees of frost, and steel and plastic parts are notable for increased impact resistance. The high stability of the structure and excellent passability over loose snow, as well as a comfortable foot brake and soft depreciation make the management of this miracle of design ideas as comfortable as possible.

A good alternative to “Argamaku” is another domestic snow-scooter - “Bars”. This model also withstands up to 100 kg, and the manufacturers themselves in the instructions for transport indicate that the optimal age for management will be from 3 to 14 years - this limitation is caused by a decrease in carrying capacity to 80 kg in conditions of rapid descent.

Some disadvantage of the Barça is its relatively weak resistance to severe frosts (temperatures below -25 degrees are already dangerous for it), however, its advantages lie elsewhere - for example, here the seat is covered with a cloth. In some versions there is also a folding back, which at any time can be folded so that it does not stick out during storage. Especially popular is the model, called the Vanessa Comfort.

Among the Russian consumers, Nika has a certain success, although its characteristics may not seem very ideal to many. If a relatively low operating temperature (not below 25 degrees of frost) is considered typical for most snow shooters, then reduced permeability for loose snow caused by a completely flat bottom surface of the ski will probably not be appreciated by the same parents who would like to use the purchase sleigh on a rope.

Those who are still willing to give money for such a design point to advantages that can also be found - for example, the seat is very soft and comfortable, without getting wet even with direct contact with snow or water. The manufacturer also offers a choice of a huge number of different modifications, differing not only in the color of the case, but also in the estimated age of the passenger.

Snowstorm, contrary to the allegedly imported name, is in fact a Russian product - such snow scooters are produced in Kaliningrad. A characteristic feature of the model is that it is installed on wide carving skis, which are able to go not only forward, but also backwards. An interesting decision of the developers is that they made the towing cable mounted in the frame, because it can not be forgotten or lost.

If all these snow scooters for relatively weak frosts are not suitable for you because of your stay in a zone of a much more severe climate, pay attention to the products of the brand “Snowball”. It can be said with great confidence that you will not be able to find an even more frost-resistant snow-scooter - the manufacturer claims that all the details of its design can withstand frosts up to 70 degrees!

The seriousness of the manufacturer's approach to the manufacture of such equipment is also expressed in the fact that he prudently took care of the spare parts - if any components break, they can always be replaced by buying new ones in specialized stores. It is clear that in such extreme conditions even children usually are not eager to walk, just as parents are not particularly eager to let the kids go to the bitter cold. So the manufacturer chose to release his snow scooter mainly for teenagers 14-16 years old, who have winter sports in their blood.

Yamaha - this is a completely different level of equipment, since such a snow scooter with the same success could be called a snowmobile.The design even provides for the headlights, located behind and in front, due to which the object remains clearly visible even in the dark and less likely to go unnoticed by other moving objects.

Many models of this manufacturer are equipped with the same motor, which is able to become a real dream of any boy, even despite the fact that the charge volume is very small here and will not allow them to go far. Another important advantage of the products of this Japanese company is the design - no one doubts that this projectile is designed for a fast sports ride. As befits a high-speed sports vehicle, such a snow scooter is equipped with a perfectly working brake system, and even a towing cable is provided for more convenient transportation to the nearest ski resort.

Imported snow scooters of other brands are relatively rare, but if there is no confidence in domestic producers, try to at least choose those brands that are registered in the snowy northern countries. Relatively popular in our country are, for example, the Swedish snow scooters Stiga and the Canadian Snow Moto, as well as the German KHW. The first are good variety of their modifications - this is where you can freely choose between metal or pure plastic frames.

The mentioned Canadian brand, contrary to the name, does not focus on motorized models, but the mention of the word “moto” is just a tribute to the design, which imitates self-propelled vehicles. Such products have a huge minus in the form of a permissible load of not more than 70 kg, however, an important advantage is the ability to adjust the seat height.

As for the German snow scooters, they are appreciated for their modern and very stylish design, as well as for the unprecedented load capacity of 110 kg, but you need to understand that there are no typical Russian frosts in Germany, so this product doesn’t operate at temperatures below -20 degrees calculated. In fact, this means that it is suitable for winter throughout its length only in the southern regions of our country.

Review of the snow leopard "Bars", see the following video.