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Found out yesterday that the demo was leaving before my next official shift. So I got the okay to come in this morning around 6:00am to take her for a spin. My thoughts on the Bison--after a mere couple hours of playing--can be summed up as follows: I want a couple... now!

Love the cat. All kinds of power, ergonomically sound, easy on the fuel, great front visibility, decent rear visibility, quiet, comfortable, and sexy. Ventilation isn't great... just two little side windows. Although the fan system does have a recirculate or outside air option. Same tiller as the BR-350. It's a good one.

Really wish I could have spent more time in it. Can't really give a full breakdown on my impressions, since I didn't even get a whole shift in the cat. But it just felt "right."

Here are some pics of the machine:










Left a pretty nice pattern, even in over-tilled, worn-out, wind-blown snow:






And here's a wee bit of my handiwork, after the GMVS racers got at it:

You're actually the first person I've heard liked the new cat Patrick. How was it on fuel exactly...do you know what is was sucking for a full shift? I like the taller blade if it will push it. Could have really used that blade a cuple weeks ago stripping snow out of a field at the resort here to send over to snow starved Cypress for Vanoc. What's with the blade happyface you've got going on in a few of the shots? If you do that in all natural out west here you get nasty ridges between your passes from the snow escaping under the blade wings. You typically can get away with it in the east due to the glacier like manmade surface. Just a tip

Well, a coupla things... I was just riding over finished grooming. Everything was done, and I was just in to try out the machine. The snow was touchy, I didn't want to get aggressive in certain spots with finished passes on either side. I know all about those ridges... I've skied on them enough to be anal about not making them! I typically run a very aggressive blade. And BTW... it ain't just glacier manmade. We're in a bit of a snow drought this season (only about 116" to date), but we average almost 300" of natural each season. And no, it's not all concrete! And FYI, the hard, glacier-like, man-made snow actually just makes hard, glacier-like, man-made ridges if you run with a manager-like smiley face. It's worse than in packed pow.

Looking at the logs, the other guys were running full shifts on 25 - 35 gallons.

My impressions must be taken for what they are... I was only in the thing for a couple hours. I might have hated it after a couple of nights! Wish I'd had the chance! From what I experienced, I really liked it. LOVE the center seat.

I think that it's a good cat; some ways better than the "regular" 350, and in some ways, worse. I'm not sure that it's really better -over all.

I suspect that the REAL reason why the machine exists is for branding purposes; to separate the "Prinoth" name, further from the "Bombardier" heritage. Hence the new look, the new names (Bison/Beast in place of 350/500), etc. Brand recognition.

It bothers me that resources were used in this manor. It's not real or clear progress, IMO, like the 275->350 was or say a PB280 ->PB200 EDGE, for example. The progress, if there was any, is dubious. And why wouldn't it be? Same frame, engine, drive, front and rear lift frames, suspension, tracks, tiller, etc. I feel the same way about the PB 200 EDGE > PB400 EDGE; no real gains to be had there, except the new cat costs more money. There was nothing wrong w/the 200, that's for sure.

I'd MUCH rather see these engineering and finacial resources funneled into tangible progression; Diesel electric drive, better snow processing methods, more versitile implements, better track technology....there are still areas of low hanging fruit, in grooming/tractor tech. I think that the manufacturers should be pursuing those, before new cabs, names, flashy(er) appearances and interiors, that make little functional improvement over the previous, great performing models.

Good insights, Tom400CFI.

It seems the only "major" advancements have been computer-related, which only seems to lead to additional problems and more downtime. I can only imagine the look you'd have gotten even just 20 years ago if you told an operator that his cat was down for software debugging

Hey Patrick. We're in a snow drought out here too...And I think spring is coming on now. We got dumped on big time early and only had a spit here and there since. I've got enough to make it to April 5th though unless we get into weeks on end of rain. What is a "full shift"? 8, 10 or 12??

We have seven of these new Bisons this year across three mountains and like anything new, some great features, some not so great. Its all up to opinion. Some cats run fine, some have issues to be worked out. Its the progression of the tractors, right or wrong.

What to try something different, go spend some time in the "Beast"! The Bison will feel like your back in a toy, it was kind of funny!

Canadianbombar wrote:Hey Patrick. We're in a snow drought out here too...And I think spring is coming on now. We got dumped on big time early and only had a spit here and there since. I've got enough to make it to April 5th though unless we get into weeks on end of rain. What is a "full shift"? 8, 10 or 12??

Sorry, should have mentioned above -- 8hr.

troutriver wrote:What to try something different, go spend some time in the "Beast"! The Bison will feel like your back in a toy, it was kind of funny!

I agree. The beast/500 is some serious sh-t. After getting comfortable in one, a "regular" cat feels like a Tinker Toy. A putt-putt. Like you'll NEVER get anything done!