In my opinion quads are the star when there is no snow on the ice. I personally run a group of sleds, mainly because they tend to handle cracks and shoves with a bit more ease. I only run fan cooled sleds on the ice, so when there is little to no snow they wont overheat. Days when the snow is slim to none I carry dish soap to lube the slides on the track. No issues thus far. Another important thing to have on the sled is some studs and a good set of carbides, especially when the snow is not of plenty. My favorite sled that I have owned in the last 10 years is my 2000 Arctic Cat Bearcat 2 up. 440 fan motor, studded, and that thing will pull like a workhorse. Hope some of this info helps you out.