Snowdog

Has anyone seen or had experience with these DTV Shredders? Pricey but very cool.
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Looks like a cool machine but when you ride in or on a motorized unit it becomes a motor vehicle and subject to all those rules and regulations. Looks like a fun machine and probably would be a great tow machine with the bare weight coupled with your weight on it.
I suppose we will have to wait and see how the different states react to all of these new machines and the many more to come. Lots of my lakes here forbid the use of gas motors both summer and winter but do allow electric motors. Others forbid any mechanical or electrical devices to propel you. Lots of very gray areas in all of these regulations like you can’t use a gas or electric auger but many guys do bring fish finders, phones, radios and propane heaters. Depending upon the authority figure who visits you things could go south real quick or in some cases be overlooked. Here in NY in my area your ATV must be registered even if you only use it on your own property. You can also use it on private property if you have written permission but then you must have insurance on it. There are very few places they can be used on state owned lands but again must be registered, insured and operated with helmets and only machines listed as 2 up my be ridden 2 up. All of this is a complete Can-O-Worms.

Gonna throw this out there I just ordered my Snowdog and will use it primarily for ice fishing. So I was wondering when folks buy Atv, utv etc one of the first things they do is put all kinds of modifications and accessories on them. So my question is what if any modifications or accessories are you guys doing to you snowdogs? TIA

If you look at the front end of the machine with it’s cover in place you will see there is no place to grab and lift the front end. I installed a pair of heavy duty grab handles up front so I can move the front around in my shed or trailer and also if it ever does lay over on the trail the handles help with getting it back upright. I also installed Kold Kutter ice screws in the designated spots of the track in either 3/8 or 1/2 inch lengths. I don’t ever use E-10 gas because I can buy non ethanol here in 91 octane and I treat every tank with a dose of Sea Foam. I also installed a battery tender pig tail so my battery is always up to snuff on a maintaining trickle charge.

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(reference your experience with the oil change…)

Hi Gary, this is from Jeff. I am a dealer for SnowDogs, and we are having our first experience with changing the oil. What did you learn? (In our first attempt, we have failed to drain all the old oil, overfilled the thing, and still don’t know whether we have the job done.) Much of the problem lies with the two dipstick openings. (I would have thought they led to the same reservoir, and filling one side meant the other was also full.)

Jeff@CaudillsLawnEquipment wrote:

(reference your experience with the oil change…)

Hi Gary, this is from Jeff. I am a dealer for SnowDogs, and we are having our first experience with changing the oil. What did you learn? (In our first attempt, we have failed to drain all the old oil, overfilled the thing, and still don’t know whether we have the job done.) Much of the problem lies with the two dipstick openings. (I would have thought they led to the same reservoir, and filling one side meant the other was also full.)

Sorry I can’t be of much help Jeff. My Snow dog does not have more than 3 hours of total operating time and I have not changed oil yet but plan to after this season. Briggs & Straton sells 2 different oil change suction pump systems rather inexpensive so there is no need to drop the drain plug and get oil all over. I use such a pump on my motorcycles and some other small engines.
Once you guys get this done and the pitfalls learned please come back and post your finding for us.

Joe Scegura wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Gary Lothrop wrote:</div>
I do wish some of you guys would post a few pictures to show the others here what these breakers and ridges really look like.

Here you go. They can be tough to cross with an ATV as well.

I missed this when you first posted it but saw it today. Nothing like that ever happens here and I am pretty sure I would stay real far away from it no matter what machine I had. I read the stories on the Ice Shanty every year where guys up on Erie and Michigan go out and get stranded because the ice broke away from shore and started drifting out in open water. I have small iceballs!

We commonly use the pump too for extraction, but this one is a little tough to refill.

From what Jeff has mentioned and what I assume, I never have done an oil change on mine yet, it appears the oil sump is a split case affair. The engine has 2 drain plugs and 2 fill plugs. The owners manual is pretty vague regarding the oil change procedure. Refilling after draining is an affair where you must fill one side first to overflowing and then do the other side and not overfill it. Nothing mentions draining oil from both drain plugs so that has me confused a bit.
I have had short seasons here the two seasons I have owned my Snowdog and probably don’t have a grand total of 5 miles on it yet.
It will get the oil changed at the end of this season and just from looking at what I can see with the camo cover on it sure does look like a real PITA to change the oil. I will go with full synthetic for sure and I will remove the camo covers just to get at all the plugs and drains.
My lakes here are tiny mud puddles compared to some of the big lakes up north and out west, a mile across is a big lake down here not to mention most of my lakes don’t allow any motorized machines on them. I’m fishing tomorrow and my Brittany dog can come but my Snowdog can’t.
I was hoping and praying I would be installing the new version of the reversing gear at the same time I do the first oil change but it does not appear this will ever happen. Snowdog is letting us down on that deal.

Gary Lothrop wrote:

I missed this when you first posted it but saw it today. Nothing like that ever happens here and I am pretty sure I would stay real far away from it no matter what machine I had. I read the stories on the Ice Shanty every year where guys up on Erie and Michigan go out and get stranded because the ice broke away from shore and started drifting out in open water. I have small iceballs!

Interesting. I don’t think I’d be too excited to cross a pressure ridge on one of the great lakes either.

Our lakes in MN are completely iced over so no one is floating anywhere. These pressure ridges often run for miles and miles as well so crossing them is something many anglers do on a regular basis here.

The snow dog does look fun to use. I think they would be great for going through narrow wooded trails to some remote lakes.

Anyone using one of these in the northern wi/ Green Bay area? Curious how they are doing in all the slush if they sink down into it or are able to float on top.

A slug in slush

troutbum wrote:

A slug in slush

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A man’s just gotta know his limitations.

Justin Larmay wrote:

Anyone using one of these in the northern wi/ Green Bay area? Curious how they are doing in all the slush if they sink down into it or are able to float on top.

I just had a very nasty experience with slush in Northern Minnesota. We had nearly 2 feet of very wet slush and I got bogged down all the way to the ice. The Snowmobiles that came to help also got stuck. The Dog was no worse than a Snowmobile EXCEPT most Snowmobiles are not hauling things, they are just out riding. The bottom line is that slush, especially very deep slush is very bad for anything, snwomobiles, trucks and Snowdogs.

ADVICE – WORKS GREAT!!!
After I got the Dog completely stuck (and the bogey wheels were frozen solid) it occurred to me that I could actually put it inside its own sled, the one I ride in behind the handlebars. I tipped it on its side and tipped it back into its sled. Then I was able to use a tow strap to pull it out of the slush and finally to tow it to a warm garage. If I had thought about the sled option earlier, it would have been much easier. That escape option is not available to a Snowmobile or a truck.

Here is a story that happened at Lake of the Woods last weekend about a truck and trailer hitting bad slush.

Dozens Stranded on Lake of the Woods

I guess the real question is, What other machines are going to do much better in crap like that?
Last year when I first got my Snowdog and went to the lake I watched 3 snowmobiles right out about 100 yards from the ramp all stuck in deep slush. They worked to get one unstuck only for it to get stuck again. They all three finally got out after about 2 hours of hard work. I left the dog on the trailer. A guy on a Polaris Ranger with the tracks saved their day but he also got stuck a couple times in the process.
I don’t think anything goes in knee high slush like that unless it is some kind of wide track, high track or very high wheel vehicle that can stay above the slush. You really do have to know the limitations of your vehicle. The ski resort here has a giant Snow Cat machine that would probably do fine in that slush but it probably weighs 10,000 or more pounds and would want way more than the 8 inches of ice we had when the slush occurred. Some days you just can’t even fish let alone go out with a machine.

Just reading through this string – great back and forth. For anyone who has a snowdog, but doesn’t have the reverse option you can definitely add it. It’s 1-2 hours of work depending on how skilled you are (make sure you have a friend with you). There’s a step by step guide with pictures here: https://www.recreationrevolution.ca/blogs/news/installing-the-reverse-gear-kit-on-a-snowdog

What do you guys do about insurance for your SnowDog, do you insure them and if so how do you do it. I called my insurance agent and he is not sure how to insure it. Says if it is for lawn maintenance, hauling wood etc then homeowners policy covers it. Mine is strictly for ice fishing so now sure would like to insure it and looking for suggestions to offer the agent.

Contact Justin Schneider of Woods and Water Insurance. Google search it.

Hello..any updates on changing the oil…is it a PIA…I talked to the dealer and he said they just use an extractor and it gets 98-99% of the oil out…not sure if he’s being truthful or not but what are your experiences out there?

Gary Lothrop wrote:

I guess the real question is, What other machines are going to do much better in crap like that?

I do a lot of fishing in northwest ontario and I would never take one of these threw the slush we see there. A wide track snowmobile and throttle is your only friend in conditions such as slush. Also always make a circle before you stop to fish the spot. Snowdog’s are a great tool for low snow and short travel conditions.

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David, this is from one of the only two SnowDog dealers in Ohio, again…

Whenever we extract oil, we have to warm it first. (That means, check the level. If it’s low, we fill to a reasonable level (never overfilled). Start the engine and run it for maybe five minutes to get that oil warm enough to flow easily and quickly.)

Because there are two dipsticks on this engine, there are two sides to same the reservoir, and our experience is, you need to extract from both dipstick-openings. (If you picture a casting, what you should see in your mind is that a cavity rarely covers much area without reinforcements. So, the reinforcements (i.e. from the casting-mold) actually trap some dirt and maybe some oil. Unless you refill and repeat the extracting process, you are stuck with the dirt. We don’t repeat, because we would have to charge again for the same amount of new oil and labor.)

We do use an extractor, rather than trying to tip machines like mowers, because that doesn’t really work for us. The drip pans become trip-hazards, laying on the floor or on some kind of mobile cart. Either of those is also harder to handle than the extractors.

I hope that answers your question. If you know someone who wants/needs a SnowDog, I have one in stock (compact-size (50″), without reverse, but never removed from its shipping crate). I will make a deal on it.

Thanks,
Jeff Bonn
Caudill’s Lawn Equipment Inc.
Springfield, OH 45502
937-399-1351

I agree with Jeff and the use of a suction pump. Briggs&Stratton sells 2 nice pumps specifically designed for this purpose.

Briggs & Stratton 5431K 4.0 L Oil Removal Pump (DIY Packaged)

I am sure there are other companies offering similar extractors that might be cheaper. Some years back I had a very simple one that worked off of an electric drill.
One thing I have found no matter which method you use is you can never get all the oil out unless you tip the entire machine on its nose and tail. Snowdog sure did not make oil changes an easy process.