Snowdog vs. Snowmobile: Which is Right for You?

If you’re looking to add a new machine to your lineup of winter toys, or just looking for the best way to get around during winter, chances are you’ll be looking into getting a snowmachine (or snowmobile as everyone refers to them). But have you ever looked into getting a Snowdog? Chances are, maybe you haven’t, or you’re deciding which one of the two to get. Let's delve into a comparison of Snowdogs and snowmobiles to help you decide which machine best suits your needs.

Dog mushing is the state sport and it has been a key means of travel and way of life up here in the frozen north for a long time. The use of sled dogs as a means of transportation has been steadily replaced by snowmobiles in Alaska. The pros and cons of sled dogs versus snowmobiles (aka "iron dogs") is an ongoing discussion up here. The long and short of that discussion, as far as I am concerned, is that there is a place for both.

However, in the National Park Service sled dogs play an essential role that just cannot be filled by iron dogs. Our mission statement calls for us to preserve and protect as well as to educate. By maintaining and continuing to use our sled dogs in the traditional ways, we are keeping an important part of our heritage alive and truly preserving and protecting all aspects of the wilderness character of Denali.

What are Snowdogs and Snowmobiles?

Snowdog: A Snowdog is basically the machine version of an actual sled dog team. It’s a compact tracked machine that pulls a connecting sled(s) behind it to hold people, supplies, gear, and/or whatever else you may need to carry. The Snowdog is basically acting as the sled dogs. The machine itself is giving you the muscle to go, and the sled behind it acts as a musher’s sled would. Unlike a snowmachine/snowmobile, it is much shorter, has no connected seat, and does not have skis.

Snowmobile: Snowmachines, commonly known as snowmobiles, are much larger, heavier, tracked vehicles with skis.

Read also: Maximize Savings on Mount Snow Skiing

A snowmobile in action.

Uses of Snowdogs and Snowmobiles

What can Snowdogs and snowmachines be used for? Snowmachines are solely winter vehicles. They are used for transporting people and goods, riding for enjoyment and exploring, ice fishing, hauling wood, trail grooming, hunting, chores around property, and whatever else you choose to do outdoors during winter.

Snowdogs, however, are multi season vehicles. They are used for the above activities during winter, but can also be used for these applications during other seasons. This makes Snowdogs quite useful, multi-season vehicles. You won’t be using the Snowdog for hillclimbs or highmarking though.

Towing Capacity and Distance

How much you can tow with a snowmachine will depend on what type of one you get. Are you buying a snowmobile for hill climbing or trail riding? Will you have a sled you’ll be towing behind it? What kind of horsepower do you have? All of these various elements and more will determine how much you can tow. The same goes for how far you can travel on a tank.

There are a couple different things to consider when figuring this out. How big is the tank? What’s your MPG like? Will you have room to take extra fuel with you? This will vary, and checking individual specifications for the machine you’re looking at is the best way to find out. Most snowmobiles can go quite the distance on a full tank. Snowdogs have some pretty specific stats on towing compactly and MPGs. Obviously there is a big difference in horsepower between the two, so that’s something to consider.

Riding Experience

A lot of this is based on personal opinion since experiences will just depend on the rider. I think both the Snowdog and snowmachines are really enjoyable to ride. They each have their perks and quirks, though. Personally, I think the Snowdog is harder to steer. I don’t feel like I have the control with it like I do when I’m snowmaching. That being said, I have ridden snowmachines for decades, so I’m much more comfortable with them in general. Also, my husband just made a seat for our Snowdog sled, and sitting while operating the Snowdog rather than standing gives a much better rider experience and more control. You can also go faster on a snowmachine compared to a Snowdog, but depending on what you’re using it for speed might not matter as much.

Read also: MLine Pro Deck: Three-Season Performance

Depending on how heavy your snowmachine is, they can sometimes be a pain to get unstuck, and you might need a little help. Snowdogs by themselves weigh only 286-440lbs depending on the model, so a solo rider likely can easily get unstuck without help.

Transportation

There are a few different options when moving either machine. Snowmachines can be trailered, put on a sled deck, or fit in a longer bed of a truck. Snowdogs are compact enough that they can fit in the back of a larger SUV or truck easily. Of course you can always trailer them as well, but their compact size makes them convenient to load up take to the trail. However, our model of Snowdog does not have reverse, which makes it a little more difficult to unload. This is something to consider when deciding which model of Snowdog to purchase.

Cost Comparison

Now we’re getting to the part that determines many purchases in life, money! The cost of either of these machines is dependent on many things; one being where you purchase them from. If you buy either of them brand new from a dealership, you’ll pay top dollar. If you purchase them used, chances are you’ll likely get a better deal, but they may need repairs or have other issues. Both my snowmachine and Snowdog were purchased used, which saved a good sum of money.

But, unless you get a very old snowmachine or a killer deal, you’ll likely be paying a lot more if you buy a snowmachine than a Snowdog, even if it’s used. Secondly, prices are dependent on the model. We’re a Polaris household, so I’ll use their pricing as an example. If you want to buy a new model snowmobile to trail ride not get too crazy with, you might be paying $15,000-$16,000 and up. If you want to hill climb and brrrrap brrrrrap your way around, expect to pay at least $18,000, but likely $20,000 for a brand new machine. Snowdogs, on the other hand, start out at about $4,000 brand new and go upwards of $6,200 with all the bells and whistles. What model you choose will depend on your use of it, just like with snowmachines.

But, you also have to consider you’ll need a sled(s) and a seat if you’d like one, and the accessories for Snowdogs aren’t cheap. Adding in a sled and seat increases the cost by upwards of $600. After considering the cost of new versus used, and the cost of accessories, there is the cost of repairs. There’s really no way for me to give you a good estimate of this. A lot of this cost will depend on how handy you are at troubleshooting problems yourself, how reliable your machine is, and how much replacement parts are. Another thing to account for in your budget is insurance and registration. This will vary depending on your area, but snowmachines may require registration and insurance, while Snowdogs likely will not.

Read also: Summit County Ski Report

Sled Dogs vs. Snowmobiles

Snowmobiles don't have to be fed and cared for and trained and exercised regularly. You can store them all summer and forget about them until the snow flies again. Snowmobiles can go much faster than dog teams, and they don't get tired and have to rest or have a snack. Snowmobiles can haul impressive loads (dog teams can too, it just goes a lot slower). Sled dogs are a huge commitment and a lot of work, and it is easy to understand why many people have moved towards snowmobiles as the "workhorse" of choice. However, there are a few key things about sled dogs that snowmobiles will just never be able to replace.

Sled dogs in Denali National Park.

Dogs fit well with the character of wild lands. They are a lot quieter than snowmobiles, except when they are barking to be let out of the truck to go run and when they are barking on the trail to start running again. Dogs (and, some would argue, even dog poop) smell better than gasoline fumes. Dogs remind us to slow down and notice the details of the landscape around us. They teach us that life is not all about efficiency and speed.

Choosing the Right Machine

Honestly, one machine is not better than the other, it’s just about what’s best for how you want to use it. They’re fairly similar, but have enough differences that you can’t replace one with the other. Each has their pros, cons, and uses in the great outdoors.

But, to try simplify things, below is a little list of who, what, when, where, and how they are best used to help you decide.

Here's a breakdown to help you decide:

• What do you plan on using your machine for? If you want to puts around the woods, do trail grooming, go ice fishing, and do some chores around the property, a Snowdog might be right for you. If you want to climb mountains and race your friends up hills, get a snowmachine.
• Do you want to use it during multiple seasons? You’ll need a Snowdog if you want to make use of you machine during more than just winter.
• Are you going on long rides, and how much are you bringing? If you can bring extra fuel and tow two sleds behind, a Snowdog will get you a ways in semi-deep snow. For longer distances, deeper snow, and a more comfortable ride, a snowmachine is the way to go.
• How many people are riding? No matter which you choose, you’ll likely fit a maximum of two people on either the Snowdog or a snowmachine.
• Which is a more comfortable ride? If your Snowdog has a seat you’ll have a much better ride than when standing.
• Is the Snowdog easier to transport than a snowmachine? Yes, Snowdogs are so easy to bring to trailheads and load into the back of your truck.
• What’s your budget? If a lower price is a final deciding factor for you, the Snowdog will be more budget friendly.

Final Thoughts

Overall, if I had to choose, I would just pick both! But, the reason you’re reading this is to decide between two, so here is my final opinion. Honestly, it just depends on what you’d like to use it for, your capabilities, budget, snowload, and more.

If you’re doing easy riding, don’t have extremely deep snow, want to use it all year, add a seat to the sled, want an easy way to load and unload, and are on a budget, choose the Snowdog. If you’re doing any hardcore riding, have deeper snow, don’t mind trailering a machine, have a place to store it half the year, are doing longer rides, and have a bigger budget, get a snowmachine.

I really hope this Snowdog versus snowmachine comparison has helped you determine which machine would best suit your needs.

tags: #snow #dog #vs #snowmobile