Arctic Cat ATV'S???

[PERCHJR]

I am upgrading to a new 4-wheeler this fall and was wondering if any of you guys have had any experience with the new Arctic cat's ATV'S??? The 650 H1? The new EFI 700? Any comments would be appreciated!!!

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD FISHING!!!

[Woodsy]

For lots of comments on Arctic Cat ATV's go to Arcticchat.com and browse their ATV forums. Lots of friendly helpful people there, they will answer any questions you have. And yes those are both fine machines.

[Hawks]

The Cat ATVs look very nice but once you get them out on the trail or put them to work they struggle. First off the four-wheel drive system is not as good as others out there. The Cat's actually have a 3-wheel drive system which is hard to believe but I have seen proof of this. Steering in four-wheel drive is an awesome upper body workout on a Cat. The second bad thing is that the Cats have a very high center of gravity. The body lean on these things is flat out dangerous, especially when carrying any kind of load. Like the Prowler UV, the Cat ATVs suffer from understeering. The machines are too heavy in the rear and the front tires easily lose traction and you just can't steer well at all. In my opinion, the Cat machines look very nice, but they are in no way perfected from an engineering perspective. I would give Cat a few years to catch up before dropping cash on one of these right now. Good luck with your purchase, there are some nice machines out there!

[Kidd]

Not sure what you want your ATV to do but I bought an Artic Cat at the start of dear hunting and used it quite a bit for ice fishing. I have the 400 auto and it performed great, did everything I asked from it, including pulling a trailer and passengers through snow and slush to hauling firewood. I really like the extra clearance, as I was able to navigate some snowdrifts that a Honda Foreman could not. Honda makes a nice machine but the additional clearance of the cat made a difference. I can't talk through personal experience on hard mud/trail riding as I've never done it but I can't image the cat would not perform well there also.

ps.

I have the wheel lock so the 3 wheel drive does not apply in my case. I would assume the bigger cat's come with the wheel lock standard.

[fishtrapgirl]

I have an '06 Arctic Cat 500 and I love it. Use it mostly for ice fishing. Check out all the brands. It's just like a truck, they are all okay, its just a person's preference. Arctic Cats look the nicest and the ground clearance is awesome.

fishtrapgirl

[cold one sd]

Quote:

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The Cat ATVs look very nice but once you get them out on the trail or put them to work they struggle. First off the four-wheel drive system is not as good as others out there. The Cat's actually have a 3-wheel drive system which is hard to believe but I have seen proof of this. Steering in four-wheel drive is an awesome upper body workout on a Cat. The second bad thing is that the Cats have a very high center of gravity. The body lean on these things is flat out dangerous, especially when carrying any kind of load. Like the Prowler UV, the Cat ATVs suffer from understeering. The machines are too heavy in the rear and the front tires easily lose traction and you just can't steer well at all. In my opinion, the Cat machines look very nice, but they are in no way perfected from an engineering perspective. I would give Cat a few years to catch up before dropping cash on one of these right now. Good luck with your purchase, there are some nice machines out there!

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I would guess that you have not been around Arctic Cats much have you? I kinda think it may take the rest a few years to catch up with the Cat.

[Big Country]

Good one C W SD I have an 04 650 that has the Kawasaki engine. A tried and true product. I am six foot three and weigh 230lbs. I throw the girl around like there's no tommorrow. I have heard from dealers other than Artic Cat dealers that the high clearance makes the machine "tippy". Baloney. Very stable machine. The wheelbase is wider than a lot of the other wheelers out there which adds to the stability. Now if you are looking to turn tight corners with the bigger Cats you can forget it. They have a wider turn stance due to the afore mentioned. I don't care about that. They go through the woods fine durring hunting season. My buddy owns deer property that has peat bog all in the middle. I can assure you that the Cats like muddy, swampy conditions. Starts great when it's below zero, plows snow with a 60 incher till the cows come home. I LOVE MY KITTY!!

[LMITOUT]

I just bought an ATV this winter and looked hard at the Cats as an option. Although I didn't ride one, they are heavier than most in the same engine size class....quite a bit heavier. They have about an inch more clearance and a rear receiver hitch to their benefit. The Arctic Cats also have a lower gas tank which should help reduce the center of gravity on these machines.

I ended up buying a Grizzly and have no regrets, but I do notice the more tippy sensation in hard turns on these machines which have a gas tank located between the rider's legs. A skilled rider can compensate for these differences but it is something to consider if you do serious riding. The Yamaha's also have front 4WD lock and a solid track record, not to mention a long line of accessories available, OEM or aftermarket, as they are more nationwide rather than regional.

[cold one sd]

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Good one C W SD

I have an 04 650 that has the Kawasaki engine. A tried and true product. I am six foot three and weigh 230lbs. I throw the girl around like there's no tommorrow. I have heard from dealers other than Artic Cat dealers that the high clearance makes the machine "tippy". Baloney. Very stable machine. The wheelbase is wider than a lot of the other wheelers out there which adds to the stability. Now if you are looking to turn tight corners with the bigger Cats you can forget it. They have a wider turn stance due to the afore mentioned. I don't care about that. They go through the woods fine durring hunting season. My buddy owns deer property that has peat bog all in the middle. I can assure you that the Cats like muddy, swampy conditions. Starts great when it's below zero, plows snow with a 60 incher till the cows come home. I LOVE MY KITTY!!

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I have a 05 400 auto and it is everything I need. Around here you don't see a used cat anywhere but a cat dealer because people that own them trade for another cat. I see the other brands used at the cat dealer also. I have the locking front end which means it is 4 wheel drive not 3 wheel drive. I can think of some brands that have what is called 31/2 wheel drived and I won't mention them. I like my kitty too.

[Butternut Point]

Glad you guys like your Cats. Just wanted to provide some facts for a guy to consider when dropping cash on a wheeler. If you ever get a chance to RIDE all of them as I have you will notice the differences. A few of the brands out there have things figured out while others don't. Enjoy your ride.

[Irish06]

Artic Cats are a little closer to a work machine than on the sport end of the ATV spectrum. If you hunt or work and ride under 50mph you will be happy with the Cat. Well built machine and the ground clearance is a plus. All brands have their little quirks so do a search on the google. ATVFrontier is a good source. Make sure your dealer is good. If you have a dealer that won't back his products look somewhere else.

[cold one sd]

I think they are all good machines and they all have their good points and bad. I didn't ride them all, but I looked at all of them for a couple of months. I looked at transmissions (I like the wet clutch), I looked at the four wheel drive system (I liked the locker), I liked the clearance as I am not in the mountains or woods and I am not in a hurry. What I didn't like was the other dealers bad mouthing other brands. This is the first wheeler I have owned and it will probably be the last. Maybe if I lived in Minnesota or Colorado Or Montana I would have chosen something else.

[PERCHJR]

Thanks guys and one gal, I am buying this wheeler for hunting and fishing, and I can't lie maybe a race or two with the guys!!! I see that speedwerx has alot of racey stuff for the Cats so I am leaning towards them, and just wanted to hear some reports from you guys!!! Thanks again!!!

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD FISHING!!!

[cold one sd]

Mine worked great for deer and getting around Waubay Lake this winter.

[MikeYager - Suzuki]

I've had an AC500 since December. Plowed snow with it this winter and ice fished with it a couple times. The only problem is the Warn winch broke. Dealer just replaced it for free so no real complaints. Starts/runs everytime so far. I'm not a trail rider so I likely wont see that side of it.

[fishinsfun]

I have an 05 300 4x4(don't make them anymore )

I like it a lot. Has just enough power so I can get around without killing myself! The fact that every type of machine goes through this larger and more powerful is better scenario is quite funny. My 300 will plow snow(it has 3 gear ratios, including a super low), haul a decent size trailer(not the puny ATV kind) FULL of firewood, get me around the woods and the lakes (ice fishing), and it's light enough to pick up an end if I get it highcentered(which doesn't happen much cause it's got decent clearance for a smaller chassis).

I'm sure many of you will say your machine is faster and more powerful, has more clearance looks cooler, and makes you feel like more of a man but all that does have a cost, both mechanically and monetarily.

Maybe I'm just too practical for my own good.

[cold one sd]

My little 400 iworks great for me. I think it's a matter of preference. Like a friend once asked me "Would you buy a Ferrari and only drive it on the street?". I have all that I need for my use.

[Macgyver55]

I say as long as you like it and it does what you want it to do, who cares what anyone else thinks! Ride on!

[SomethingFishy*]

A guy I trail ride with has an Arctic Cat 650 and it had no problems when we were riding up North of Akeley, went thru mud great, had alot of snort up hills, it is a real nice machine.

[cold one sd]

I agree 110% with ya.