Most of us aren't so fortunate to live on a main snowmobile trail, and some have only small areas in which to ride locally. Its pretty common for these access trails and private areas to get pretty beat up if they do not benefit from organized trail grooming efforts. Another commonality is a trail network with the potential for greatness but which receives little attention from the local clubs. For these reasons and others it becomes beneficial to partake in a grooming program of your own.

Grooming can become as elaborate a process as you want to make it. How nice you want things is proportional to the bucks and time that you put in it. The bottom line is that a lot of us want to have nice trails but don't have the time or monitory resources to contribute to a full blown campaign. For us the question becomes what is the easiest most cost effective solution for getting the job done?

Grooming is a pretty simple concept which involves a method of performing a cut and fill operation. For this purpose I offer a medium duty, reasonably inexpensive, efficient solution which is also basic in its construction.

Tools Required:
Welder
Torch
Square
Tape Measure
Grinder
Basic knowledge of tools above........
(Note: If a torch is unavailable, a hacksaw and drill can be substituted. It will just be more work; allot more! The grinder too is not needed although it will contribute to a more structurally sound product with a higher finish quality.)

Supplies Required:
2"x1/8" angle iron
2 ea. 10' length
5 ea. 3.5' length ("A","B","C","D")
2 ea. 3' length ("F")
2 ea. 2' length ("E")
4"x3/16" flat bar stock 2 ea. 38" length
6 ea. 5/8"x1" bolts w/nuts & lockwashers
Medium size handfull of welding rod (Selection is your choice. For light steel and lesser welding talent I recommend 6011 1/8 inch.)

Assembly procedures:
Note: The plans below will lead to a finished groomer that is slightly different than the one in the photographs. The photos show my first effort which was built in '93. While it's design was pretty good, I found that equipped with two "cutter" blades, it was just about impossible to pull. The design below is my second generation groomer and is more refined.

Lay out both of the 10' pieces on a level surface with the low sides towards each other. (If the surface you are working on is not level and you weld your pieces together, the finished product will have a built in stress and be warped when you view it on its side; an undesirable trait.)

Position the end pieces "A" and "D" with the high side towards the front in there measured locations. (If your four 3.5' pieces turned out not all equal length, use the longest one for "D" and the next longest for "A".)

Starting at the front use your square then tack the pieces together.

Place piece "B" in its proper location with both outside edges down, so it looks like an upside down "V". Square it, tack it.

Put one of the 3.5' angle pieces on the back top of piece "B" with a flat edge facing front. This piece supports piece "B" and should give you a four inch surface at a 45 degree angle, low side facing front. Tack it.

Place piece "C" with the high side towards the front. Square it, tack it.

Place the 2' pieces "E", in the front support locations with the high sides towards the front and at a 45 degree angle. Tack 'em.

Place the 3' pieces 'F', high side to the front at angles that leaves a 6" gap in the center of Piece "C". Tack 'em.

On the front facing edge of part "B", mark a point in the center and one 3" from each end. Cut holes in the spots large enough for the 5/8" bolts to fit through. Grind holes clean and put bolts through the holes with the hex head on the bottom. Tack bolts in place.

Cut slots in one of the flat bar pieces that line up with the bolts and will allow the "Cutter" to slide from flush with bottom to at least 1" below. This blade will be at a 45 degree angle with the lead edge to the front bottom.

Perform similar bolt placement and blade fabrication to Piece "C" with bolt threads facing front.

Inspect your work. If everything looks good and proper start welding. Too much is better than too little.

Install "Cut" and "Fill" blades tighten nuts in place. (Adjusting your drag for more or less aggressive Cut/Fill action will only require one tool.)

The only detail remaining now is to determine how you want this thing connected to your sled. Your choices are rigid or non?rigid. I personally chose non?rigid and have used a piece of chain bolted on the front sides. (One benefit of a non?rigid connection is the ability to "jerk" the drag, thus making your "take off" easier.) I've used several methods to connect the chain to my sleds. Any kind of hook will work, or simply tie it to your grab bar with a rope. (The rope gives an element of cushion to your sled but can be a hassle to tie and untie in extreme weather.) The length of the connection you use will have an effect on the way the drag tows. A short connection will lift the front; advantageous if there are allot of things to hang up on. A long connection is beneficial for more aggressive grooming action. I like having a choice and therefore did not settle on a specific length. A break away system is also good insurance; though not a necessity.

This drag is in no way the perfect tool, but I find it to be a good all purpose groomer. In an ideal situation you would have several different drags for different purposes; such as a featureless light?weight unit to break down powder, and an aggressive heavyweight design for cutting hard pack. If you see a simple way to improve its function then go for it. Lengths and widths can be changed to tailor the drag to your needs. Longer is better but it won't like sharp corners and will get heavy. The bigger and heavier you make it, the less passes that will be required to smooth a trail. The trade?off is that you will need a good heavy sled with lots of towing power and traction to make it work.

Rocks and stumps will bend this drag. If your like me, you'll learn to go out stump cutting with a power saw eventually. The cutting blade "B" is the most likely part to go. If it does, just cut it off and weld on another. When the snow gets wet and sticky, it will build up excessively on the drag. Be sure to free it by lifting from the sides and not the front. Lifting from the front can bend the end legs. I've found its best not to groom if the snow gets real sticky, and that there are times when its best to groom without one or both of the Cut/Fill blades.

Grooming can be an enjoyable and satisfying venture. An obsession with the perfection of your favorite trail is not uncommon. When others see how simply it can be accomplished, they too become more willing to participate. And lastly, expect there will be times that people relentlessly beat your freshly groomed trail to its former condition in record time.............

Note: When grooming, always monitor your clutch and coolant temperatures. Hot clutches eat belts, and hot engines can lead to costly failures. Use a little common sense and take breaks if things heat up