arctic cat mule questions...
 

looking to get a mule-type machine for the farm and am wondering if anyone has any experience with arctic cats--a friend of mine has a 2004 either 200cc or 250cc--his wife can't recollect and he is out-of-town--with 40 hrs for sale for 3000 OBO. I am familair with John Deere Gators, but not the arctic cat machines--anyone have any experience--pros cons? I will get the specific model info when he returns, but any help is welcome.

Thanks,

I would avoid any ATV or Utility machine that isn't Japanese!

I bought an ATV rather than a UTV like the machine you're thinking about. I gave a lot of thought to the side-byside seating capacity of a UTV, and most of them have a 300-400 pound load capacity in some kind of utility bed, but for my land, which is 70% wooded now, and the use to which I intended putting any of these machines, the much narrower ATV proved a better choice for me. I can drive it in the woods pretty much unimpeded, whereas a wider machine would not be able to go at all. My particular machine, a Bombardier (now CanAm) 800 two seater (tandem), had a utility box kit that upped the rear rack's capacity to 400 pounds, has a road towing rating of 1300 pounds, and will skid some pretty big logs out of the woods.
http://images19.fotki.com/v286/photo...SCN0617-vi.jpg

http://images16.fotki.com/v271/photo...ogging2-vi.jpg

http://images18.fotki.com/v270/photo..._farm_7-vi.jpg

Mine is Canadian with an Austrian Rotax engine, and is very well built. I would be very suspect of the new Chinese machines, they appear very fragile.

I believe Artic Cat is American built with Suzuki engines.

The Chinese built ATV's are JUNK!

Thanks for the input so far. I already have a Polaris ATV w/trailer and racks--so this would be in addition for alternative uses.
As for the japanese v. American debate--I would agree if this were the 80s,(back when I was racing a Suzuki Quadsport) but Polaris has made great leaps and bounds in the ATV market and my current Polaris (along with another which we keep out west at the lease) have been great. As have the John Deere gators I have used--they are just too costly for my current budget.

I have firsthand experience with the Polaris Ranger. If you would like to know, I'd be happy to explain further.

Long story short, it is indestructible.

Bill

Eric, I have a Polaris 4x4 utility 2 stroke ATV and if I had to do it all over, I would have opted for a four stroke machine for the long haul. I love two strokes and grew up wrenching and riding them, however for WORK machines, the four strokes are less problematic in the long run. Pulling a HEAVY load (lawn roller) on hot days with a two stroke is begging for trouble.

That said, I can't wait to get home today to plow snow with my two stroke Polaris (first plowable snow of the year today!).

FIL has a Bush Hog & a Mule. It's remarkable how much better the BH is. Very smooth on rough dirt roads. Just seems to be a well engineered vehicle. And, I consider the Honda motor a plus.