With winter around the corner I am looking at skis for the 185 and debating which ski to buy. I like the Schneiders because of the plate if you get into wet snow but I know there super heavy. I have never flown anything with the Landes 3600 but I hear they don't perform as well as the Schneiders and they need the tailwheel mod if it hasn't already been installed. Has anybody flown both skis for a comparison?

Schneiders if u got the option. I carried the plates all the time (just in case) but used maybe twice in several winters.
Flew 3600s one winter and didn't care for them at all performance wise.
Neither is as good as a hyd ski of course but you probably already know that.

You have asked the same question that I've been wondering about. I have considered both Schnieders and Landes. Everone who I know who flys off airport say's hydraulic as well. My mission is just private flying off my ranch strip (3500' long) which alot of the time is patchy with some bare spots, so I kinda wonder if the penetration skis would be better for my conditions. I probably would only fly half a dozen times a winter most likely going for a joy ride on a nice day to go get a burger, so I'm not thrilled with investing 12-14k for a set of hydraulics.

G3 has a set of the Landes / Airglas 3600s. Put the tailwheel mod on and they improved. Took the tailwheels off once he was in the snow and they improved more. Deflated the tires (even though no plates) and there was a big improvement. Don't know how these mods would compare to the schneider skis with the plates. On my Fli-Lite 4000s, the rigging wasn't letting the tailwheels fully retract. Amazing how much the little buggers kill performance! Something to consider with the Airglas LH4000s... Don't know that the Scheider 4000s are really that much heavier than Airglas 3600s? The win with the Landes skis are availability, paperwork and parts.

I have Schneider's, and regularly fly with a Landes equipped 180. Very similar Pponk equipped airplanes.

I believe the Schneider's are a little lighter, and a little faster. Having no glaciers back east, the deepest snow I've flown off is about 18-24". I'd say that's about it for my skis(mine are the narrow version of the Schneider's, 17",19"?) I do not have the plates for mine. I'd have to say the Landes with the tailwheel mod would be better in very deep snow, it is a bigger ski. In all cases, I believe tail skis are important on Skywagons, I have a Burl's.

The video I tried to post were the two 180's taking off together, with similar loads. The Landes airplane is first, very similar distance in about a foot of snow.(cannot remember the YouTube formula to embed a video)

To the second posters question; yes, penetration skis would be perfect for that scenario on your ranch strip. A similar situation is glare ice on our lake, interspersed with snow drifts. (Also handy around the airport, transitioning from snow to ramp, etc.)

Figured it out, here you go...