1. Yes, in general, taller lug tracks will decrease top speed, everything is a trade off, but if you ride mostly offtrail conditions then it probably doesn't matter very much
2.Taller lugs will not "dig" the machine down anymore than short lugs on a short track, the taller lugs WILL help with forward movement in deep snow. That being said, taller lugs do nothing for floation, they will not help you stay up, they will only help you move forward. If you get too deep and the snow is too soft, you will still sink. To help in this department you need a longer (or a wider 16" skidoo) track to help you stay on top of the snow. Taller lugs and longer tracks kind of go hand in hand. With a long track with no lugs, you won't have any bite to keep moving, but you will have floatation. With a short track with huge lugs you will have forward bite and not so much floatation. Short tracks turn a little bit better than longer tracks. The longer the track the harder it is to maneuver in general. Again, everything is a trade off.
3. I dont believe anybody could test in tight enough conditions to notice any difference in a short track compared to a long track based solely on track speed. It would take very highly controlled conditions and accurate measurements to even detect the difference in track wear in good snow conditions. Track wear depends MUCH more heavily on the conditions it is being used in, and what the rider is doing to it. Contrary to popular belief, punching it across roads DOES not aid in track life (this would seem hard to belief watching a lot of people out on the trails).
4. I had a 1.5" track on my SRX, and it worked MUCH better than a standard lug track in the deep stuff, but i took it off because the majority of my time is spent on groomed trails, so i was having problems with lug durability and hyfax wear, and also wanted the ability to run studs for icy conditions and lakes/rivers. If i rode the majority of the time in loose conditions and offtrail, i would have kept the 1.5" track on for sure. It just didn't suit my conditions very well.
5. Just keep in mind that everything is a trade off, and get a track that suits your riding style, not what everybody tells you they would like. In the scheme of things, YOU will be the one who likes or dislikes the track you put on, doesn't affect anyone else, so do what suits you best.
Yamaholic22 posted this just 3 days ago man, should do a search first...