GUIDELINES FOR SNOWMOBILE TRAIL
           GROOMER OPERATOR TRAINING


A Resource Guide for Trail Grooming Managers and Equipment Operators:


Chapter 2 - Grooming Equipment
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Drag Width & Length:

Drag Width:
The width of the drag is dictated largely by the width of the trails that will be groomed and the width of the tracks on the tractor that will be pulling the drag.

If the vehicle’s track width is 8 feet (2.4 m), then the drag should generally also be at least 8 feet (2.4 m) wide. The width will also be dictated by the narrowest clearing width (between trees, gate posts, or bridge openings) on the overall trail system to be groomed.

If there is a bridge that is only 8’ 6” (2.6 m) wide, then the tractor and drag must be narrower than this even if the rest of the trail system is 10 feet (3 m) wide, unless the drag has wings that can be raised and lowered hydraulically like the one shown in Photo 2.1.
          
                       
Photo 2.1 Drag with hydraulic wings

An eight to twelve feet (2.4 to 3.7 m) wide drag is commonly used by many areas since it will groom the entire trail width in a single pass. However on narrow trails with poor sight distance, it may be desirable to use a narrower drag width to provide snowmobile traffic a safe passing corridor.

Trails that require a “doubling” (no option for grooming a loop; it must be groomed to a dead end and then back over the same track) may also be a place where it can be desirable to use a narrower drag, since it requires two passes to complete the grooming run.

In this situation, it can be effective to groom at a narrower width so the left track(s) of the tractor are in the center of the trail to help compact snow.

Drag Length: 
The length of the drag is important in that, the longer the unit is, the less tendency there is for it to follow the contour of the trail since it bridges from high spot to high spot, filling depressions as it goes, which leaves a smoother trail.

This is important and one of the primary benefits a drag can have over a tiller. However, there are constraints to the overall length of a drag in terms of the ability to negotiate tight turns.

Generally, the heavier the drag is (without it being so heavy it is not efficient to pull), the better it is able to cut through moguls and compress loose snow after it has been processed by the cutting blades. However, the demands on the grooming tractor increase substantially as width, length, or weight of the drag increases that may make it too heavy for the tractor to pull.

Be certain the tractor isn’t overburdened with too large of a drag.




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                          Drag

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