Finnish sleds with their own hands. Homemade sled for fishing in winter Do-it-yourself fishing sled

Today we will talk about such gear as a fishing boat. Not the one on which carp anglers bring bait, but the tackle that was used by our ancestors for fishing at a long distance before the invention of spinning and fly fishing.

A boat, or sleigh, works on the same principle as a water kite. Due to the peculiarities of the shape and attachment of the cord, under the influence of a current or wind, it is able to leave the shore for a decent distance. The use of reverse in the latest models allows you to change the direction of movement of the water glider to the opposite.

Places of application

And in our time of advanced gear, there are places and conditions in which a fishing boat is indispensable. In addition, many anglers just like this type of fishing, it is sporty, reckless and fills the body with adrenaline when biting and playing.

Thus, this tackle is used in the following cases:

when fishing at a very long distance with surface lures;
under the banks with tree branches hanging over them;
in overgrown reservoirs with the impossibility of wiring spinning baits;
when the fisherman likes this method.

It is best and easiest to use boat fishing on water bodies with a current, where the force of the water flow presses on the plane.

In stagnant water, they catch using the power of the wind; an air glider will not fly in a calm, and a water glider will not float. We will talk about the design features for different conditions below.

How it works?

It is always important for an inquisitive mind to know not only how the mechanism works, but also why it happens. In the case of a boat, everything can be explained using the example of the most ancient such gear.

Reconstruction of a boat for fishing

Imagine a piece of log about 40 centimeters long and 10 in diameter. The ends of this stake were sharpened, and two ropes were attached to them, one 20 centimeters long and the other 40. The rope was tied at this point, often on a ring, and to he was tied with a working cord with a garland of two or three thin leashes. A certain angle of attack was obtained: the current pressed on the log, and the angler, weakening or pulling the main line, maneuvered with the distance from the ship to the shore.

After a bite, the fish was pulled ashore along with the boat.

Who and what are they catching?

With this tackle, predators and peaceful fish are caught on surface baits, which can be both natural and artificial, for example:

chub;
asp;
pike
perch;
carp;
grayling.

Depending on the type of fish, the baits that the boat is equipped with are also used, these can be:

bread crust;
artificial fly fishing fly;
live insect;
live bait;
frog.

Design

Fishing boats are currently made in the form of catamarans of various modifications. In this case, the near plane or float is made low, and tackle controls are attached to it.

The second plane is made larger, and some craftsmen generally make it interchangeable depending on the fishing conditions, for example:

A part with a large surface is better suited for boat fishing in stagnant water, using wind power.
A large underwater part is used for weak currents.
On medium and strong currents, the size of the hydrofoil is reduced: the faster the current, the smaller the plane.
For fishing on rifts, where a flip of a water glider is possible, the lower plane is cut out in the form of a semicircle.

On the near plane there are rings or staples for attaching a working cord. Usually there are two of them for fishing from one shore or another, depending on the current.

The following rule is observed: if you are standing on the left bank, then fasten the working cord to the right ring, if you look at the boat from the side of the fastener, and vice versa.

We remind you that the banks of the rivers are named according to their location relative to the direction of the flow.

On the working cord, leashes are attached to carabiners or by the loop-to-loop method. The distance from the ship's hull to the first attachment point must be at least two meters. The distance between the leashes is usually made at 1.5 meters with their own length of 350-500 millimeters.

The working line is mounted on a large inertial reel with an easy move, for example, the same "Nevsky". The diameter of the fishing line depends on the power of the fishing boat and the conditions of use and varies from 0.30 to 0.60 millimeters.

To control the tackle, the reel is mounted on a powerful rod. As it can be used Soviet aluminum forms or products of Chinese comrades under the brand name "Crocodile" or "Alligator".

Catching

The process of fishing on a boat, regardless of the fishing conditions, looks like this:

They put the tackle on the water and wait for it to sail a little under the influence of the current.
Leashes are provided. Their number and the distance between them depends on who you are hunting and what baits you use.
The ship is equipped, fishing has begun.
By tightening or loosening the line, we bring the glider to the desired fishing distance, where, in our opinion, there are asp, chub, pike or other fish.
At the required distance, depending on the bait used, you can either swim freely or play along with it in some way.
The bite is determined either visually or felt by hand.

Manufacturing

Despite the fact that factory models are already on sale, most anglers make a boat for fishing with their own hands. We will describe the manufacture of the simplest, in our opinion, model, the materials for which are easy to purchase in the distribution network.

We will describe a model with average parameters, for fishing in other conditions, the characteristics will need to be changed or additional planes made. The requirements for them have been described in the chapter "Design".

We start making a boat by cutting planes. For the sidewalls we use wooden boards, preferably hardwood, with a thickness of 12 to 22 millimeters. We put drawings of blanks on the board and cut them out with a jigsaw along the contour.

They have the shape of a trapezoid with the following dimensions:

The large far plane, also called the leading one, has a height of 120 millimeters, and the bases are 350 and 230 long.
A small near trapezoid, or support, is made 90 millimeters high, with base lengths of 300 and 220.

We cut the inclined side faces of the trapezoid obliquely so that they can more easily cut through the wave. After the carpentry work is completed, the planes are ground and impregnated with drying oil. When the drying oil dries, you can paint the sides. To visualize fishing on a boat, the parts protruding from the water are painted white, you can add stripes of red or yellow. The underwater part for camouflage is covered with a blue or green tint.

The planes of the catamaran are connected in several ways:

screw studs with nuts;
strips of metal;
rails on top of the boat.

The distance between the planes is maintained from one hundred to two hundred millimeters. Two brackets are attached to the support plane for fastening the working cord.

Ship under construction

The last thing you need to do is loading the planes. To do this, lead or steel plates are attached to them from below. Most of the catamaran, like an iceberg, must be under water, with the exception of models designed for wind pressure.

The ship is ready to launch

The loading must be done so that there is no skew of the structure to one side. Ideally, the planes should form a right angle with the surface of the water.

Reversible boat

In order to be able to move in different directions, they came up with a device that turns an ordinary ship into a reversible boat. To do this, a special device is attached to the reference plane or float.

The boat has a reversing mechanism.

The reversing switch consists of the following parts:

The basis for fastening the mechanism. This may be a metal plate into which a bolt is screwed, which will serve as the axis of the lever.
Pivot movable lever to change direction. It can be made from a strip of metal. The hole in the strip will make it possible to put the lever on the axle and secure it with two nuts.
The bracket for protection against overlapping of the fishing line is placed above the lever. It can be a simple piece of wire in insulation.
An emphasis for tensioning an elastic band is a hook attached at the bottom of the reference plane.
Elastic band for fixing the lever. Better aircraft model or "whale" from the plug.

The mechanism works as follows:

The working cord is attached to the movable arm.
When pulled, the cord presses the lever to one side, and the elastic band pulls it in the opposite direction.
When the cord is loosened, the elastic will return the lever to a position perpendicular to the planes.
A sharp jerk with the cord will throw the lever in the opposite direction, while the direction of movement will change.

To make the mechanism obedient, you need to carefully select the elastic band and its tension under the water resistance so that the reverse does not work spontaneously.

A real, experienced angler always has additional equipment. For winter fishing, it is desirable to have a tent, an ice screw, a fishing rod, a box, and so on. In this case, a lot depends on the fishing conditions of a particular region. If the reservoir is somewhere nearby, then there are no special problems. In such conditions, you can hide from the weather at any time and return to take what you accidentally left at home.

If you need to get to the reservoir for a long time, then you need to have a device that could facilitate the process of movement.

The fact is that it is very difficult to move around in winter, and even in all the equipment. Not only do clothes restrict movement, you also need to carry equipment. But if you have a sled for fishing in winter, then this problem can be solved. In addition, if you correctly approach the solution of this problem, then the sled can have more advanced functionality. For example, a sled can serve as a stool or tent.

There are a huge number of different designs of sleds specifically for fishing. Sleds on metal skids are very popular. Sledges can be both folding and solid. Unfortunately, such sleds move well on ice, but on snow, and even with a load, this is a problem. Alternatively, instead of runners, children's skis can be adapted, then there will be no problems with moving through the snow.

In this regard, many anglers have begun to switch to plastic structures with wide skids that do not sink in the snow. At the same time, such structures have low sides, which can be attributed to a disadvantage, since it is necessary to fix the load additionally. Despite this, this factor suits many fans of winter fishing.

How to make a do-it-yourself fishing sled

Anyone can assemble such a structure. The main thing is to decide what kind of sled is needed and with what functionality. If you need a sledge in order to deliver fishing accessories to the fishing place, then they can be made on the basis of wood, plastic, aluminum or iron. It all depends on the capabilities of the fisherman and the purpose of the sled.

Metal sledges can be made both collapsible and non-collapsible. More recently, other structures simply did not exist. The metal structure is a rigid and durable base, on top of which there is a platform made of wooden boards or plywood. This is the so-called cargo area, which serves to transport cargo. Their only drawback is the difficulty in operating in snowy areas. Due to the fact that the runners are narrow, they fall through the snow and a person needs to expend a lot of effort to move them, and even loaded ones.

Similar plastic sleds are made in the form of a trough. They have good performance characteristics. They move without problems both on ice and on snow. In this case, you should pay attention to the dimensions of the structure and the quality of workmanship. Although many argue that such a design is not difficult to do on your own.

Wooden sleds are very popular. This is the most affordable and easily processed material, and structures made from it will last for many years. The main thing is to have the following tools and materials on hand:

pine boards;
glue for wood;
sandpaper;
jigsaw;
electric drill, etc.

Manufacturing technology

You need to take two boards, from which two skids will be made. On them, draw the appropriate shape and cut with a jigsaw.
The runners need to be fastened together. For this, cross bars of the appropriate size are used. The connection may consist of glue and round spikes.
To strengthen the design, additional transverse strips are attached to the front and back of the skids, planted on glue and on spikes.
For a more aesthetic appearance, all excess is cut off and cleaned well.
The board, which will later serve as a cargo platform, is prepared for subsequent fastening by cutting out all the necessary grooves and drilling the appropriate holes.
An additional bar for fastening is fixed on the back of the 2 runners.
The places of rounding of the runners are reinforced with strips of aluminum or iron. This is necessary so that various obstacles do not spoil the runners of the sled.
Before final assembly, it is better to check all parts for compliance with the dimensions. At the same time, you need to make sure that all the elements are sanded and coated with a waterproof varnish.

After the sled is assembled, they should be tested for strength by laying on them all the devices that are used in winter fishing. Only after that, it makes sense to take them with you.

Factory made fishing sled

For those who do not want to spend their time making sleds, there is an opportunity to purchase ready-made ones at a retail outlet.

It is light and, at the same time, strong sled, weighing 10.4 kg.
Roomy and have dimensions: 165x81x43 cm.
Relatively high sides.
Well transported on the ice surface.

This is a very light sled, weighing 3.6kg, which is easy to transport by hand. They are made of polyethylene, which is not afraid of sub-zero temperatures. Due to the presence of wide skids, as well as a low center of gravity, they are stable under any operating conditions.

Some anglers use children's sleds for their fishing needs. If they are available, there is no need to specially make or buy sleds. Unfortunately, in the presence of a tangible snow cover, problems arise with their operation. In addition, these sleds are not intended for fishing and you will have to come up with additional elements.

This is the simplest design, which is very easy to transport, as they take up very little space. Unfortunately, these sleds do not fit many accessories needed for winter fishing. In addition, inflatable parts are not particularly reliable.

Such sleds have a number of advantages. Firstly, they are quite roomy, and secondly, they will easily pass over any surface, due to the wide plane of contact. The main material is plastic, which is not afraid of frost. They are easy to move on ice or snow with a regular rope. These sleds have high sides, which securely holds the load inside the structure.

Due to the use of lightweight material, the sled itself is not heavy, and therefore comfortable to use. There are structures that are attached to the snowmobile. This is especially true when there is a long hike ahead. Naturally, such conditions require more capacious sleds, up to 2 meters long.

How to make a do-it-yourself drag sled

Sledge sleds are not at all difficult to make with your own hands. To do this, you can use any available material, from wood to metal. The simplest design is wooden. For this, a wooden frame is made, consisting of two skids and two bars connecting these skids. A sheet of plywood is attached to the bars on top or ordinary boards are stuffed. A metal handle or hitch must then be attached to the structure so that the sled can be moved using the snowmobile. If you use metal instead of wood, then the structure will turn out to be much stronger, given that you have to move quite far.

In this case, special attention should be paid to the strength of the coupling mechanism. For its manufacture, you can use two pieces of pipe, one of the ends of which should be attached directly to the frame of the sled.

Mounting option for drag sleds

Holes are made around the entire perimeter of the sleigh.
Metal cables with a special fastening should be inserted into each of the holes. Moreover, rubber bands must also be used in fasteners, which always guarantee reliable fastening of the entire contents of the sled.
For ease of use, you will need a rope that is attached to special bolts attached to the frame of the sled. The rope can be folded in four, and its length can reach about 20 meters.

Finnish fishermen widely use such sleds, while domestic fishermen do not really recognize them. The design consists of a chair, which is located on the skids. Its advantage is that you can sit on it both while driving and while fishing. They are very convenient for moving fishing equipment.

DIY Finnish sled for fishing

First you need to provide yourself with tools and materials:

Prepare sheet steel.
Wooden bars made of pine or other wood.
Metal rod with thread on both sides.
Metal overlays.
Tires.
Bolts.
screws.

The assembly of the sled contains the following steps:

Steel leaves are bent on both sides.
In front of the formed skids, two holes are made for a metal rod.
At the back, where the angler will stand with his feet, rubber pads are mounted. They will prevent slipping under the action of snow.
The dimensions of the structure must be proportional. The top bar, in size, should be shorter than the distance between the runners.
At a distance of 1 meter from the curved edge, it should be welded on both sides along the bar. To do this, you need to use beveled bars with self-tapping screws.
Horizontal posts should be welded to the rod, in the center of the metal sheets.
The seat and back are best made of wood. If you use your imagination and ingenuity, you can make a real masterpiece for winter fishing.

If you have a snowmobile, then you need a sled. The fact that the sled is a useful thing, many fishermen were convinced. The main thing is to decide which design is more suitable for specific fishing conditions. These can be drag sleds or classic sleds on two runners.

As mentioned above, such sleds can be made at home. By the way, if you try, you can make a snowmobile. There are a lot of interesting and unpretentious designs on the Internet that are easy to repeat at home.

Purchased sleds, as a rule, require some modifications, although not significant ones:

To prevent ice from accumulating on the inside of the sled, it should be treated with a silicone-based lubricant or ski wax.
For driving at night, reflective elements should be fixed on the sides of the sled.
It does not hurt to attach a folding chair to such sleds, so that it is more convenient to fish.

Conclusion

Each angler, depending on his capabilities, determines what he needs for fishing. Some anglers prefer purchased mechanisms and devices, due to their capabilities, while others, also due to their capabilities and skills, try to do something with their own hands. The sled is no exception here, as it is a useful thing in any case. If there is a long journey ahead, then it is extremely difficult and difficult to carry everything on your shoulders. Therefore, sleds are able to facilitate such a difficult lot for a winter angler.

What to carry winter gear? Of course, on sleds, on children's plastic sledges, called in the fishing environment "KORYTO". On the shelves of stores, now not only children's goods, but also for anglers, there are several sizes of such sledges. They can vary in size, shape and profile of the bottom.

If your company has been going fishing by car for years, then it makes sense to purchase completely the same type of “trough”. Having folded them according to the principle of nesting dolls, you can very noticeably minimize their volume by putting them in the trunk or in the cabin. Or even by placing "troughs" on the external trunk or arcs.

I must say right away that I was not the first to come up with the idea of using them for fishing. The theme of ordinary children's sleds was developed more. Tried to put them on skis. They glued fiberglass boxes with their placement on fluoroplastic "slips". But when I first saw children's sleds on the ice, I realized that they surpassed my technical searches in all respects.

Why are they so attractive?
Are made of frost-resistant and shock-resistant plastic.
Can be stored in any conditions.
Being deformed during storage, after removing the load, they return to their shape again.
They do not require special care, they are light, and there is enough internal volume for winter luggage.
A large footprint allows you to carry a fairly heavy load even on loose snow.
They can be used in conjunction with a backpack or fishing box.
And most importantly, they can be somewhat modernized, bringing them even closer to our fishing needs.

He didn’t stupidly copy what he saw, but immediately ran to the store to get them, and when he brought them home, he first of all listened to the malicious mockery of his family. Like: “What kind of mermaids are you going to ride fishing?” or “You rarely bring that much fish!”

But the plan for their tuning in my head was already ripening, so, having taken out the necessary tool, I set to work. The first is the towing eye. For this, steel wire (preferably stainless steel) with a diameter of about 2.0-3.0 mm is best suited.

For the manufacture of technological loops on the sides, after several trial options, I took segments of a stainless steel steel cable with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 mm. The holes for the eye and loops are perfectly melted with a hot nail on a gas burner, the diameter of which is equal to two diameters of the workpiece wire, that is, 4-6 mm.

To attach the tow rope, I used a carabiner, so the diameter of the eye ring is arbitrary. To limit movement and not to break holes in the plastic, I used two lock washers. The fixation of the eye from the wire occurs by bending the ends of the workpiece in different directions (such as a "mustache").

In the manufacture of side loops of wire, I proceeded from the size of the hook of the elastic shock absorber. The stopper for the loop is a flattened small piece of thin-walled metal pipe.

During transportation, the trough is empty, but on the ice there is a folding chair and a backpack. In order not to lose all this on the road, I use elastic shock absorbers.

Homemade do-it-yourself fishing sled box The fishing box is both the angler's seat and the storage of the catch, fishing tackle, tackle, bait, bait and food. At the moment, anglers are moving away from the traditional rectangular box with one shoulder strap. Some anglers simplify the task and are content with only a backpack and a chair, or a canna or a bucket for seating and fishing... The lid of the bucket, on which the angler actually sits, is usually covered with foam plastic, porous rubber or felt for greater insulation. Of the various types of fishing boxes, metal boxes of industrial production with a soft seat and removable ski runners are still in demand. As a rule, they are used by urban fishermen during the transitions from transport to the place of fishing. Of course, such boxes are quite convenient, they are voluminous, strong, reliable and durable, but they have two significant drawbacks: the first is that a metal box rattles a lot on open ice, creates a noise that scares cautious fish, the second is the price of such a box.

Still, the vast majority of craftsmen fishermen make original boxes from plywood, wood, polystyrene or metal with their own hands. For example, we present you the original design - this is the so-called backpack-sled (Fig. 1). This model is indispensable both in transport and when hiking on the back of the fisherman, and, most importantly, when moving on snow and ice. A large area of support does not allow him to fall into loose snow. It is flat and its side walls are collapsed, as is the case with rustic sledge sledges, which, together with the guide skids, allows you to create very good stability when driving over snowy rough terrain. The side walls are made in the form of a human back and rise to the level of the head. Most of the load can be placed above the shoulders, which, when walking, makes it possible to take the main part of the load vertically on the spine and, thus, unload the muscles of the back and lower back. "Sled backpack" is best made from duralumin. It has 3 compartments. The two lower ones, with a volume of 14 liters, are intended for equipment and products. The upper one, up to 25 liters, is intended for fish. The top is made of tent fabric. From above it closes the valve with the help of two clamping elastic bands with hooks, protecting the first compartment from snow. In order to make such a sleigh backpack at home, you will need a set of ordinary locksmith tools, a few pieces of duralumin, tent fabric and rivet corners. The side walls, the upper part, the folding cover of the sleigh backpack and the partitions are made of solid duralumin 1 mm thick; the bottom is composite, its inner part is made of soft aluminum, the sliding surface is made of hard aluminum 0.5 mm thick. This part of the bottom is riveted together with the guide skids, and when worn, it is quite easy to replace. By the way, it must be said that it is not at all necessary to make the bottom composite, but with a fairly active use of the sleigh backpack, you may have to change the sliding part of the composite bottom more than once. Guide skids are made of duralumin with a section of 5 by 8 mm. They are riveted along the entire bottom of the sled, 40 mm from the side edge. The side walls are best made according to the shape of the curve of your back, in which case the sled will lie more comfortably during the carrying process. To do this, first, from a piece of thick cardboard on one side, you will need to cut out the silhouette of the curve of the back, and on the other, the shape of the sliding surface. After that, using this template, cut out the side walls of the sled from metal without allowance. At the workpiece of the inner part of the bottom, first of all, it is necessary to bend the sides to a height of 20 mm, and then riveted the side and back walls to them. The collapse of the side walls with respect to the vertical is 20 degrees and is set by the inner and rear walls. Next, you need to rivet the guide skids together with the sheet of the sliding surface. Now the composite bottom is ready. The hinged lid thus closes the interior of the sled and is held in place by a locking lug located on the interior wall. The constipation works due to the bending deformation of this very wall. In order to open the lid, it will be enough to press the inner wall forward - and the spring will drop the lid. Two U-shaped loops are riveted at the bottom of the sleigh, a wide support belt is inserted into them and stretched with lacing. Firstly, this belt softens the fit of the sled against the back, and secondly, it provides ventilation to the back when you walk due to the air gap. The canvas top must be sewn around the entire perimeter of the front compartment through the holes drilled in advance in the side walls. It features a drawstring neck, a flap and a large zip pocket. Shoulder straps are put on a specially provided axis, and limiting brackets fix their position on this axis. Inserts (with M-5 thread) are pressed into both ends of the axle, through which the axle is fastened with screws directly to the side walls of the sled. For manual carrying, a handle is attached in the same way to the front of the sled.

An experienced fisherman differs from a simple amateur in that you can find a lot of fishing equipment in his house. If he goes winter fishing, then he will definitely need not only a tent, a fishing rod and an ice drill, but also special sleds that you can make yourself. Main model features and its complexity depend on the nature of fishing and financial capabilities. But sleds still don’t become expensive, because you can use materials that you can find in your barn.

Movement on snow and ice

If you want to go very far, then it will not be possible to get there by car, so you need to think about the right means to deliver special equipment. Moving on the surface of the ice is not as easy as it might seem. This issue can be resolved with the help of sleds. For some anglers, they even become a haven for overnight stay and rest, because sometimes it takes several days to be away from home to catch a trophy specimen.

If you want to make your own ice fishing sled, then you should prepare various fixtures and materials, among them it is worth noting:

Pine boards.
Sandpaper.
Drill.
Special glue.
Electric jigsaw.

detailed instructions

Two boards can act as skids, which must be used first. The compass will help draw the halves of the circle, which cut with a jigsaw. To fix special bars on the runners, holes are created. Their connection should be made using rounded probes. gluing method. The created structure should be strengthened at the back and front of the skids, for this, transverse strips are laid on the spikes. The design should look beautiful, so after the glue dries, the excess should be cut off.

Fishing sleds must definitely be with a seat, a board can be used as it. On the equipment box installation area, it is worth making grooves for connecting to the skids. To do structural reinforcement, on the back of the skis you need to glue the bars. In the areas of rounding of the skids in the lower part, it is necessary to reinforce a strip of steel with screws.

Before complete assembly, the design should be examined to check the accuracy of the connections. If there are parts that were previously polished, they are worth cover with waterproof varnish. Such sledges after completion of work on their creation must be checked for strength. To do this, all equipment must be placed inside, because no one wants the product to fail at the most important moment.

Making a sled out of aluminum

Fishing sleds should be not only functional, but also quite light, because sometimes with their help a person has to move on ice that can crack. To create a sled made of aluminum, it is worth taking a sheet suitable material and profile. The parameters must be selected according to the size of the transported tools and the parameters of the fishing box. The design consists of three parts, namely:

Skids.
Two side walls.

The work will require a bending tool. You can get by with metal corners, as well as a mallet. The side parts should be created identical and reinforced, the back wall is made in the same way.

The latest is done aluminum bottom. It is necessary to make the edges of the sled safe, for this they are bent. Additionally, they also make skids. They can be made from aluminum profile. In order to make it easier to bend the runners, it is worth making slots in some places. The last step is to assemble the sled. For this, nuts, bolts and self-tapping screws for metal connections are used.

Modification of plastic sled

Such structures are made in the form of a trough, are lightweight, can survive exposure to low temperatures and can have different dimensions. But such sleds have one drawback: they do not have a fastening for a rope. Correction of this deficiency rests on the shoulders of the angler himself.

Special drag sleds can be supplemented by equipping them with suitable fasteners. To do this, drill the required number of holes around the perimeter, into which it will be possible to insert a metal cable with special fasteners.

To install a special rope on the front side of the product, it is worth putting 2 eyebolts, and the rope will be fixed on carabiners. Eye bolts must be installed with nuts, which will differ in strength and speed of fastening. Such a refinement of the fishing sled demonstrates that over many years of use, the attachment system does not fail.

You can easily create a fishing sled with your own hands, they can be supplemented at any time. For example, the backrest, as well as the trunk and even decorative elements, act as improvements. These durable sleds can be a budget option and a great alternative to factory models.