Wondering if anyone has any experience with this type of machine. Would like to know the pros and cons if you have had one or have any history with being around one.

Thanks

https://www.powerhouse.cc/snowdog-product

Curious as well, wondering how much can realistically be towed.

Cousin won one at a company Christmas party a few years ago and loves it. Uses it for ice fishing and speaks highly of his. I've looked into them myself but for the price think a good used snowmobile would work just as good for alot less $$.

Some outfit had them for sale in Timmins for a short time,then stopped carrying them.
Dont know why.

I been looking at them for a while now. I want something for the ranch basically to get from A to B in rough heavy snow areas. What I like about them very easy for one person to load unload in fit inside a truck box. I believe the one I have been looking at 51 inches long, 2 feet wide and 31 inches high. B&S 13.5 HP and very simple construction.

I have had mine for probably 4 years now and mainly use it for running winter coon with the dogs and checking snares when the snow gets too deep to get the truck into the bait sites. Depending on your snow conditions you can do a lot with it or very little. Hard drifted snow you can really go but deep snow and hills is where I have trouble. The most weight I have pulled is myself and father-in-law and ten coon so probably 500 pounds or so on good hard snow no problem. I was pulling my daughter around last weekend checking a couple snares she thinks coyotes are cool

Tyler do you have the mini snow model or the snow sport? Do you have reverse in yours and what size G&S engine size is yours? Thanks!!

You got great help and a very lucky man!! That is a great picture!!! Thanks

Mine is the standard size one not the compact model. Mine is the 13.5 horse Briggs I don’t have reverse on mine and the salesman said that the only problem he has seen with snowdogs is the reverse gearbox on the models that have it. The new ones could be better but I have never needed reverse because you can just grab the handlebars and spin the machine 180 degrees right where it sits. Now I will say they take some practice and upper body strength to run it at times

I just purchased the sport 13. Works great in deep snow. I pulled the kids and all my trapping boxes. It can be a bear if you have a lot of side hills with harder packed snow. It turns on a dime in soft fluffy snow. Once you figure out the steering it is fun. Basically have to really push down hard on the handlebars to get the front end up and it turns with ease then. I will be using it more for trapping on forest roads that are not plowed and pulling my otter sled house on the lakes. It takes some upper body strength for sure. Send me a pm and I will see if I can send you a video of me taking it thru the woods.

Pembinatrapper has one he uses if he logs on he will chim in
one of the mechanics at work built one and shows it on his youtube channel ...RedNic79 1 million views
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI0GVSP0fp4&t=26s

Yes , I meant to say B&S Briggs. So does your machine having a pulling attachment on both ends also. I don't want reverse either but can't seem to find one in the immediate area where I live. No dealers that I can find in MT. ND and MN have dealers, and all have the loaded-up models which jacks price.

Yes , I meant to say B&S Briggs. So does your machine having a pulling attachment on both ends also. I don't want reverse either but can't seem to find one in the immediate area where I live. No dealers that I can find in MT. ND and MN have dealers, and all have the loaded-up models which jacks price.

Mine has the hitch in the rear to hook the sled to and it also has an eyebolt that threads into the front and I have the bolt in there but never used it. Also forgot to mention that oil changes are a bear on mine I’m not sure if anything has changed on the newer models but I ended up getting a suction tube to suck the oil out and to put the new oil in. I also just use a 2x8 leaned up onto my tailgate to load it up in my truck

Thanks Tyler great info and thanks for your time.

You betcha!

For the price why not just buy a used snow machine? The only advantage I can see if they are probably lighter for loading into the bed of a truck or one of those hitch carriers.

I want to use it to move tree material across customers yards. Giving employees a snowmobile is just a bad idea. Loading and moving it around is also a major advantage.

Mn guys, are you able to circumvent the snowmobile and atv registration fees with the snow dog machines? I have wondered about that. Also on building an offroad use lawn mower for ice fishing. If you had it decked out with big tires and racks is a game warden going to look at it as an atv?

Internet shows dealers in Salmon ID and Bizmark ND

Loading into the truck and not needing a trailer is the biggest advantage for me. In mn you don’t need to license them so that’s nice. You can run them on dirt if you want to. You can take it down tight trails that a sled wouldn’t fit down. It all depends on your needs and how you operate. If you are running a line more than 15 miles long you would probably want a snowmobile

Fair question. It seems snow machines just always seem to have something wrong with them I have been around them a lot. Engines and mechanics of construction are very complex.
These is a ~13hp engine and very simple and all bearing can be bought over the counter and are common. Then for the reason you stated I'm in the back country by myself 99% of the time and would be hander for me. At 300 lbs you can handle that type of weight if stuck etc. I don't need to have a machine that travel 50 plus miles an hour just needs to get in and out and round at ranch checking on things. For trapping and ice fishing and hunting it would be easier to handle etc. Nice and small for storage in off season and be easy to work on not like a snow machine. That would be some of my reasons.

Yep on all accounts!!! A side x side would be nice but I don't need something like that in summer and the cost is more then I want and deep snow you would need to get tracks for one. The price for all of that isn't worth it to me.

I've seen a couple on the ice. One was pulling two sleds with a man in each and two portable shacks. It looked like a train on ice.

A neighbor rancher got one and got rid of it in a year. Slow was the first complaint plus hard steering, pulling power second, Then had problems with the tracks and adjustments called the factory numerous time with little help and he is a good mechanic. Final blow was engine problems all it was was a Briggs and Stratton mill and junk. I think he said he paid about 5 k for it and got rid of it in a bit over a year. I rode it twice and thought it had potential but did not really per say use it.. Im thinking it was a good idea but has a lot of issues and too work them out you would be getting into a lot of money and then just as well get a snow machine.

Quite a few of the Russian Snodogs machines came in before the war, has anyone seen these in operation ?

My friend has one, we use it for ice fishing . It easily pulls upwards of 3 sleighs. So far does not need registration and insurance in NY, and that’s why it’s better than a snowmobile, but I’m sure that will change. Driving it takes some getting use to.

Facebook has a decent snowdog group, lots of valuable information. Everything I've read on them, great in flat terrain, also on trails. Deep snow they do well, unless it is real powder and then they tend to sink bad and go no where. I was looking at the long track, but even those are being reported as not good in the mountains or hills and deep or rough terrain. They sure looks like the cat's meow for ice fishing!!

I sure hope you find a smoking hot deal on one in MN.
drive all the way to pick it up and have the seller re_nigg on the sale.
Us MNans are great at doing them sort of things yunno.

While beaver trapping on ice that last few days I seen a guy using one to pull him and 5 buddies around the lake.
He said it would run on 2.5 inches of ice.

There's even an electric model. (saw vid in foreign tongue)
Might not be a totally bad Idea.
Within a given range ....... and very stealthy.
DIY project. golf cart motor and a few DC batteries.
Hmmmm

Thanks for all the great advice and life experiences. I have done a few PM's and I thank them a lot for their help. I pretty sure I'm going to make a deal soon and the machine checks the boxes to a T for what I would need to do with it.

I live close by power house and m&m in central mn if you do need dealer help I can swing by either.

That is a True MN Kindness trait!! Thank YOU for that great offer and I have been in touch with a few great businesses from MN. I ended up finding the one I was wanting in the Dakotas and waiting for a firm price to make the deal.

Another good place to find one is the Fargo MN Scheels. My dealer priced matched it. Scheels has the best price I could find.

I may be slow, ...Never heard of these, Do you stand up in the sled to operate it?, like a motorized dog sled?

watch the u-tube of Rednic79 for driving etc

I would have my doubts that they would be suitable in mountainous country.

Yes

This fellow has a chair/seat on his electric model.

I would love to have one, we have a ranger and a snowmobile but by the time you load and unload them and tie everything down its practically faster to walk. I really hate pulling a trailer 3.5 hours to our cabin when we go ice fishing, these could go in the bed or on a deer carrier really easily. The gas milage alone would be significant.

I have a spare 13.5 hp predator motor, wonder how hard it would be to make one.

They aren't very useful in steep terrain. Standing in a sled on flat to rolling terrain is way different than trying to on steeps. They're basically a walk- behind lawnmower on tracks.

Kinda like the old Gravley with a sulky.
Go through a dip and turn sittin on that sulky, you gotta watch out for that hickory nut crunch ... eeeeek !

They should start making elans again for those that want small and light.
Elans were dependable little snowmachines and easy to work on.
There are still some around but hard to find parts now.

Wasn't that the one Marty used on Mountain man?

An Elan or a Bravo

A single cylinder, light, inexpensive sled would sell like hot cakes. Used 300 tundras bring good money.

They get stuck a lot more when using them for serious trapping compared to the new big widetracks,but they are easy to get unstuck.
I've owned a bunch of elans and older one lung tundras over the years.They are very uncomfortable if you are going any long distances compared to the new bigger machines.

I would likely buy one again if they made them just to play.

^^^^^
We have a bunch of snowmachines we use up at our lake property, they range from a single cylinder 277cc Tundra, up to a big 1000cc hill-climber.
It kind of amusing that everybody loves to play around on the little Tundra.

Those one lunger Tundras had to be one of the most reliable two strokes made. I had a 2000 that I bought new and rode to death. Probably had 30,000+ miles on it. I sold it a couple years ago to a guy in Montana for 1500, I paid 3000 for it new. Was looking on Craigslist a few weeks ago and seen my old 2000 Tundra for sale for 3200 bucks. If he sells it for that the guy who bought it off me will make a killing! Also bought a 2008 model with the same motor new, much more comfortable machine than the older ones, and steered like a dream. Those were a great machine but they only made them for a few years. Finally sized that motor up when the oiler quit (everybody always said to take the oilers off and premix the gas, I never had a problem with them in 15 years, then had them quit and size the motor on two different sleds in the same week). It had even more miles on it than the 2000 when that happened. Rebuilt the motor and ended up selling it to my mother. She is still riding it today.