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Posted by: jafo216
Two great choices , I second the above post .
Posted by: TrailBlazerguy250
yeah ied go w/ a big bear 400 4x4 , great machine !
Posted by: TrailBlazerguy250
when you shift it the 1st gear is a low range ! and 9.7 of travel aint that bad
Posted by: kawasaskirules
yamaha big bear 400 or honda foreman 450
Posted by: lownrangr
yes, if you're looking for hauling stuff, I'd check out Cat. 300# rack capacity, high ground clearence and a lot of suspension travel make it a good trial blazing machine. The 4 wheel independent suspension is nice too. Sorry to repeat what's written above, but at least check them out.
Posted by: garrett5462
Quote
Originally posted by: Slimegreencat
Good choice mckay !!!! You will love the 400 . It is Arctic cat's best selling model because you get all the features of a bigger and more expensive machine yet it is still very affodable . Make sure you get the winch thrown in the deal for 69$... I have heard of alot of dealers not giving the winch promotion claiming that they gave people such good deals on the machines that they could not throw in the winch too . That is a load of crap ! Arctic cat pays the dealer the difference on the winch , so it costs the dealer nothing .. Hope you enjoy the new machine Oh and you might want to check out (arcticchat.com) It's a great forum with alot of good info and friendly people and best of all it's all Arctic cat all the timehr>
hey, thanks for mentioning that website, im gonna try it out.
Posted by: Slimegreencat
Sounds like an Arctic cat is the machine for you . I wouldn't even consider the Bigbear or the Honda . They are both time tested well built machines but are lacking in features . The Arctic cat beats them in every category . The 4 & 500cc Arctic cats are both available with manual tranny's and have more ground clearance (12.0 inches) , more suspension travel (10 inches all around) , more rack capacity (100lbs front 200lbs rear) , Larger fuel tank , More towing capacity (1100lbs ) and the two biggest advantages the Cat has over the Honda or the Yamaha is independent rear suspension and a locking front differential for true fourwheel drive . There is also other nice features like the 2 inch reciever hitch on the back , disc brakes front and rear , full steel floorboards , two year warranty vs most other brands 6 month and finally the MRP rack system .It is one of the best idea's to come along in a while for ATV's and I cant believe other company's have not tried to do something similar to compete .
Take a look at http://www.arcticcat.com/atvs/ and compare the spec's for yourself . I am not just saying all this to be brand loyal, last july I was in the market for a atv and before really doing any research i assumed i would buy a Honda because I have had several Honda dirt bikes over the years and they were all bullet proof but once i started comparing features and price Honda went to the bottom of my list . Find an Arctic cat dealer near you and take a look at them in person and i am sure you will see that there is not really any other machine that compares ...
Posted by: Slimegreencat
The Bigbear would be good if its only pupose was maybe some work around the farm and some moderate trail riding but without a locking front diff or low range and having a solid rear axle and only 9.7 inches of ground clearance I would hardly consider it an (ALL TERRAIN VEHICLE) compared to some of the competition of today.. Sorry if i have offended anybody , 7 to 10 years ago the Bigbear and even the Honda's were some of the best machines, but in today's market they are antiques as far as i am concerned .
Posted by: Slimegreencat
Okay so it has a low first gear , but it still does not have independent rear suspension or a front
diff lock.. I am not trying to say the Bigbear is junk , in fact i think they are a very tough machine,,, but i think there is better choices for a trail machine. Mckay asked for a opinion on a quad that does well at everything . If he asked for strictly a work machine then i would agree that basically any 4x4 quad with a manual tranny would do the trick but he also mentioned trail riding , ditch crossing and snow. Any machine that has a solid rear axle like the Bigbear wont be able to follow IRS equipped machine do to lack of ground clearance and without diff lock it's like comparing a 2wd to a 4wd .
Posted by: Slimegreencat
Glad i could help mckay Have you looked at any Arctic cat's yet?? Check out my pic's
Posted by: Slimegreencat
Hey mckay ! Yeah the 300 is a really good machine for it's class but is not known for its speed . It has a 3 range sub-tranny , in 1st gear super low range it will out pull any atv on the market including the big bores (providing you had some weight on the racks for traction) If you want a little more power though go for the 4 or 500 . Everything 400cc and up has difflock and 12" of ground clearance . If $$$ is not too much of an issue i would go for the 500 . I love my 400 manual but sometimes wish i had a little more power on those long uphill logging roads . But if you are on a budget get the 400 , it will do everything you ask of it and never complain Mine has not had one single problem yet and i ride it very hard almost every weekend, it has just over 1100 km (700 miles) wich is alot considering that in an 8 hour day of riding i average 30-40 km. They are very tough and reliable machines... The web site is
http://www.arcticcat.com/
Posted by: Slimegreencat
The Arctic cat 300 4x4 's msrp price is $4999 The 400 is $5399 and the 500 is $6399 These prices are all from my 2004 atv buyer's guide . I think that the price for 05's went up about $100 for each model .
With the price difference between the 3 and 400 only being $400 The 400 is the way to go , you get alot more machine for the money not just a bigger engine . When you step up to the 400 you get front diff lock , more ground clearance , more suspension travel , digital speedo, trip meter and hour meter and a truck style 2" reciever hitch for towing wich i find to be very handy . Of course as i said before if you can afford the extra $$$$ i would get the 500 , it has all the same features and demensions but with a bigger motor . It is always better to have more power than you think you will need than wishing you had it after you bought the smaller motor . I priced out a aftermarket exhaust and jet kit to get a little more power out of my 400 and it was almost $1000 and it still wont have as much power as a stock 500I would have been better of getting the 500 to start with . But dont get me wrong I love my 400 BR>As for the Polaris 330 ....I looked it up in my buyers guide and from what i seen it is lacking in features . For starters they are only available with an Auto tranny and you said you wanted a manual . They dont have independent rear suspension or front diff lock and they only have 6.75 inches of ground clearance (half as much as the Cat) They also dont have a low range wich i think really hurts the ability of any utility quad , so IMO there is no comparison . If you can ,,, go take a look at some Arctic cats in person and then go and look at other brands and compare features and specs and i think your mind will be made up very easily .That is how i ended up with a Cat . If you have anymore questions feel free to ask
Posted by: Slimegreencat
Good choice mckay !!!! You will love the 400 . It is Arctic cat's best selling model because you get all the features of a bigger and more expensive machine yet it is still very affodable . Make sure you get the winch thrown in the deal for 69$... I have heard of alot of dealers not giving the winch promotion claiming that they gave people such good deals on the machines that they could not throw in the winch too . That is a load of crap ! Arctic cat pays the dealer the difference on the winch , so it costs the dealer nothing .. Hope you enjoy the new machine Oh and you might want to check out (arcticchat.com) It's a great forum with alot of good info and friendly people and best of all it's all Arctic cat all the time
Posted by: Slimegreencat
Your most welcome .It is a great site for Arctic cat owners
Posted by: mkay
Hey, i am looking for a four wheeler that is over 300cc,manual shift with 4by 4. I like some speed but it doesnt reallly matter. I like offroading and haul some heavy things some time. MY riding consits of climbing ditches and it needs to be able to go through snow. If you could help it would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Posted by: mkay
thank you slimegreen cat. He is right and gets what kind of 4 wheeler i want
Ethyan
Posted by: mkay
hey, ya ive looked at a articat 300 but they go 40mph.I need more speed. Does articat have a web site?
thanks, ethyan
Posted by: mkay
hey slimegreen cat! Thanks for the advice. Do u have any idea of what the cost are for 300,400,or 500 cc articcats. My buddys got a 300 and thats got 4by4 and plenty of power. I was also thinking of a polaris magnmum 330cc with 4by 4. Any thoughts about that?
well thanks again
MKAY
Posted by: mkay
hey slime green cat, Im thinking the articat 400. The front diff lock and lots of ground clearence is a very good attraction. At first i was gunna get the big bear but i think over all the 400 artc cat would be best. My friends got a big bear and its very nice but i ve also seen a articat 300 4by4 and that would go through just as much as the big bear. Well talk to u later bye
ethyan
