i have a polaris 06 hawkeye and my dad wants to get another atv and is thinkin about either the arctic cat utility 366cc or the sportsman 300. any problems? one reason is my dad said that people have had sportsmans axles break going through mud. any suggestions?

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WARNING: Exposure to exhaust fumes can cause drain bamage.

well any axle stressed under the right conditions will break. especially in mud were the tires are spinning at a high rate of speed and then all of a sudden bite the ground and boom there goes an axle. the 366 is pretty new but i havent heard of any issues with it. there is a post about this exact topic further down. im sure if you search it you will find it

I have seen the new 366 in the Artic Cat shop here in Eagle River, AK. I would tell you Dad to get the 400 it is a much beefier machine and can go pretty much anywhere you need to. As for the Polaris, I have a friend with the 400 and he has had no issues, however I personally feel that the suspension is too soft for Hunting, and really aggressive trails. It is all going to depand on what your dad needs and ultimately wants.

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05 Arctic Cat 650 V2
2.5 k winch
Dynatek CDI

05 Yamaha Kodiak 400
3k winch

i highly agree the 400 is well worth the extra money. you get the full independent suspension. all the digital gauges selectable 4x4 with diff lock, a 2" reciever hitch. and more possibilities for mods accessories etc. i have a 400 and love it.

I would agree to an extent the 400 is a very good machine because I have one but the 366 is also a very good machine it is just what ever trips your trigger. I have both and like both of them the 400 is more of a work horse and the 366 is more balanced between sport and utility not that you can't have fun with the 400 just that the 366 is better at it just like the 400 is better at the work load. So go with your gut because both are actually similarly priced, have fun and drive safe. One more thing is that the only thing that the 400 has that the 366 doesn't is the diff. lock and ground clearance, 400 has 12 and 366 has 10 but it is more like 10.5.

Edited: 05/11/2008 at 07:22 PM by JMAC366

does the 366 have a 2" rciever or a digital pod? i also thought it was full time 4x4? i dont know much about the 366

If you were thinking of only trail riding and mo mud; maybe but still NO. The 400 has much better 4 wheel drive but the front wheel lock for true 4 wheel pulling. If it were me I would not consider any thing less than the 500. The Polaris is a high maintenance machine to start with, I owned two and will not buy a third. In mud there goes the seals.
Go to the ARCTICCHAT web sight and read about the cats there. Watch what I say about more engine. It is all about the buying of a smaller CC engine and then riders coming back an asking what modes to make to get more power out of there bike. buyers are all telling you they like there smaller bike but in the next breath are asking how to get more power. There is no substitute for CC and it is much easer and cheaper to let off on the gas than to make expensive modes to get more power.

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MileHiOutlaw