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Arctic cat?

Are you thinking of getting one?

A friend of mine has a couple Arctic Cats but his are older. They're still running strong but have required a little maintenance over the years (more so than some of the bigger mfgrs). The Suzuki engines AC used have proved bulletproof. I'm not up on the newer ones so I don't know if the AC engines are as tried and proven as some of the others.

If you're considering a 2-person machine, I'd propose you also look at UTV's. Side-by-side seating, a bigger cargo box...
 
Durwood said:
I checked these out at the Bass pro shop sunday and they are sweet. Made in Minnesota the guy said and they make their own engines. Check out this two up 700cc atv with mag heels and all. A 3000 lbs winch and lots of extras. It was marked down to about $8,900.00 i believe and they even have a 1000 cc model.
http://www.arcticcat.com/atv/dirt.asp?category=2-UP&model=TRV700H1EFICRUISER
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I am an mechanic at an AC-Yamaha dealer. Cat builds a good machine. The TRV prob has an Suzuki in it 2008-09 was a transition year. I own an 2008 TRV. It has been a good unit. Not quit a Yamaha, But good quality. It is a better unit then the Polaris which has the only other 2-up 4 wheeler. Common wear items are suspension bushings, Ball joints. As with all ATV's make sure you service the foam air filter, change the engine oil and filter more than recommended. You will receive more life out of the unit well worth your time. If anyone needs help on the CORRECT way to clean and oil a foam air filter I will answer any and all questions. Mike
 
Howdy,
My son has had a Yamaha Rhino, Arctic Cat Prowler, and now a Kawasaki Tyrex. The only advantage that the Prowler was a built in cooler under the hood. After driving and riding in each of them the Kawasaki is more powerful and rides smoother. One thing that I didnt like about the Prowler was the oil filter. All of the Yamahas, Hondas, and Kawasakis that we have had use the same Wal Mart filter (AR7317). The Prowler used the same exact filter except it had a fine thread in the center while the others had a standard thread. Instead of $2 filters it used only a Arctic Cat filter for $9. Have a goodun!!
 
Ross 650 said:
Howdy,
My son has had a Yamaha Rhino, Arctic Cat Prowler, and now a Kawasaki Tyrex. The only advantage that the Prowler was a built in cooler under the hood. After driving and riding in each of them the Kawasaki is more powerful and rides smoother. One thing that I didnt like about the Prowler was the oil filter. All of the Yamahas, Hondas, and Kawasakis that we have had use the same Wal Mart filter (AR7317). The Prowler used the same exact filter except it had a fine thread in the center while the others had a standard thread. Instead of $2 filters it used only a Arctic Cat filter for $9. Have a goodun!!
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Hello...what size are they all? I don't think kaw or Yamaha go 1000cc do they? I have always favored Kaws myself and my son has a kaw 650 atv i believe it is, and it is bulletproof.
 
We just bought 25 of the 400cc arctic cat 2 up for use on atv tours. By the end of summer they will have about 8000kms on them. After 3 weeks the only problems we've run into is shifting gears. Out of 25 machines not one shifts properly.. You need to shut them off, swear at them, talk nicely to them and hope they shift. Not really sure if it's a transmission issue or just a poorly designed linkage.

We've run Polaris, bombardier, honda, and now AC. they all have issues.. If the biggest issue we run into is shifting I'll be pretty happy.

Gary
 
garygaboury said:
We just bought 25 of the 400cc arctic cat 2 up for use on atv tours. By the end of summer they will have about 8000kms on them. After 3 weeks the only problems we've run into is shifting gears. Out of 25 machines not one shifts properly.. You need to shut them off, swear at them, talk nicely to them and hope they shift. Not really sure if it's a transmission issue or just a poorly designed linkage.

We've run Polaris, bombardier, honda, and now AC. they all have issues.. If the biggest issue we run into is shifting I'll be pretty happy.

Gary
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Wow, if all 25 were like that Arctic cat would be getting a call from me to make it right. I wonder if it could just be bad dealer prep? I would tell them make it right or they would have their name dragged thru the mud on every atv website i could find. If i bought one it would be the 2 up 500 or 700 which i believe are automatics.
 
we just bought the canam outlander 800 max and love it...even with the cushy rear seat removed,which adds a lot to the cargo rack,and gives another dry storage...there is still plenty of room on the seat for the wife and i.we have actually been trying to get it stuck for a week now,with never a problem,it just pulls right through some really nasty bogs.we put a set of mud-sharks on it and can throw mud 80 ft in the air if we want...will post pics soon we are going to the mud drags in delta this weekend to really try it out....fun,fun..bill w
 
Kinda old thread but...
Bought two new machines a couple years ago...a Yamaha Big Bear and a smaller A/C 250cc machine for the wife. The Yamaha has been great with no failures and about 6k miles. The 'Cat transmission took a dump. Left it at the dealer in March. Got it back last Saturday. With a bill for $285. The machine was (stress was) under warranty until August. The dealer charged me for a regulator, all the fried light bulbs and a new battery. They said the warranty ran out in August and they fixed the electrical in September so I had to pay for it. I say that it was fine when I dropped it off for the trans and I shouldn't have to pay for it. Well, I wanted my machine home so I paid. Now the starter won't work. When does it end???
 
Our summer is coming to an end and I can't say I would recomend Arctic Cat to my friends. Our dealer has been awsome.. No complaints there, they have helped us through the summer without hesitation.

The machines ride nice, smooth, front diff lock gets them anywhere you want to go.. I posted earlier they didn;t shift gears really well (from H to L to N to R). That was the least of our problems.

More than a few motors due to airbox/filter design, more belts and clutches than I can count, well over $2000 in bushings this summer alone...Gauges just not working at all, speedos that only work randomly, wiring issues throughout.. etc etc etc...

Again, Good to ride but I'd be hard pressed to buy one for myself...

Gary
 
Man, I just bought the A/C 700 H1, and I read this thread. I researched this machine and heard nothing but praises for it's performance. So far I have only 16 miles on it, and the only problem I can detect is a whining sound in the front differential, which is intermittent going up or down an incline or decline, not on level terrain.

It almost sounds like a transmission chatter when an additive is needed. Having only 16 miles and not wanting to travel to a dealer, I think I might just change the front diff. fluid with a synthetic hypoid oil and see if that cures the whine, If not, then I'll take it in.

Thank goodness I still have the Kubota.:clap:
 
Thank goodness I still have the Kubota.:clap: I will second that! Have used mine for a lot of wood hauling and it performs well. Hard to shift but runs strong.
 
The Kubota is bullet-proof IMHO. I still intend to get the coast valve mod, just haven't gotten around to it.
 
Tact said:
The Kubota is bullet-proof IMHO. I still intend to get the coast valve mod, just haven't gotten around to it.
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The Kubota works great at lower elevation but where I live at 8500 foot elevation without a turbo it becomes a slug in orange disguise.... The diesel just cannot breath and by the time you add the turbo for more performance the cost is more than I want to bear.... So we have a Yamaha Rhino that does the job and costs almost half as much as the Kubota...........
 
Tact said:
Man, I just bought the A/C 700 H1, and I read this thread. I researched this machine and heard nothing but praises for it's performance. So far I have only 16 miles on it, and the only problem I can detect is a whining sound in the front differential, which is intermittent going up or down an incline or decline, not on level terrain.

It almost sounds like a transmission chatter when an additive is needed. Having only 16 miles and not wanting to travel to a dealer, I think I might just change the front diff. fluid with a synthetic hypoid oil and see if that cures the whine, If not, then I'll take it in.

Thank goodness I still have the Kubota.:clap:
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You will be fine with over 800 trouble free miles on mine. Alot of the probs in all ATV's are user related. I recommend cleaning the air filter on ALL the ATV's that we sell ATLEAST every 10-15 hrs. EVERY engine that has gone down at our dealership has been caused by dirt injestation Yamaha AC Polaris Suzuki Kawasaki I have rebuilt them all. Including a couple 09 RZR polaris engines what a POS in my opinion. They all have there weak points, they all have there strong points. The toughest people we have are Ranchers, Farmers, Rentals. We have alot of AC machines with 12-15k miles on them. Run and look good if well taken care of. Same goes for the Yamaha's. We also have some machines with less then 2k on them that are shot depends alot on the rider, MAINTENANCE is the biggest factor you have someone that knows what they are doing they will last along time.....
 
Our machines are rentals, they don't have the easiest life... They run up to 5 times per day on guided 2-3hour tours. The guests are usually beginers. They only run logging roads and gain or lose around 2000ft of elevation. Having run every major brand(aside from suzuki) on the same trails in the same conditions for +- 7000km each per summer I have never seen the problems we have had this summer.

Air filters will be the death of me, For the past 5 years we have changed them every 2-3 days. During the dusty season this year we changed the AC filters every day and maybe should have twice. (not feasable for 25+ machines) With the amount of cleaner filter oil and grease we went though this year we probably could have paid for another machine. Now the problem is water. On our TRV400's if you are on the gas when you hit a puddle it sucks water into the filter... I'm not talking crossing rivers, Just splashing though cross ditches on the trails is enough...

If our full time mechanic had his way we wouldn't run them in the dust, or the rain.

Anyways, I'm not bashing AC, The machines are nice to ride, The dealer support has been great and the price is right...

If anyone wants any more detailed info on what we have gone through feel free to PM me..

Gary
 
i put some photos of our canam with the tjd x-gen tracks in my album..800 miles on it and not one problem.they cost more but in my opinion i would rather ride then wait to get it back from the dealer any day..i wouldn't deal with our local ac,yamaha dealer again if they were giving away machines..machines are fine,parts,service and people flat suck...lol
 
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