Having a hard time deciding between an 2009-2011 AC M8 or a 2011 or 12 pro. Im looking to spend around 5000$. and now im debating between "ridabilty" and reliability. I know the pros are lighter and easier to ride but the cats have reliability on their side. What are some pros and cons of both?
09-11 cat or 11-12 PRO?
- Thread starter MTSledder94
- Start date
There's no way this could start a pissing contest.
I owned both. If you pop a pro motor it will cost $5K for a new one, and it comes with the bare minimum. I blew 2 in 1100 miles on a 12 pro. But I had warranty. Id do a piston kit or full indy dan treatment if I bought an 11-12 pro. The cat motor will last 2000-3000 miles. Just replace pistons and it should be good. Brand new cat motors with everything attached (recoil, reeds, intake boots, powervalves, etc) are $2000. Cat clutches are junk though. Be prepared to spend $500 on a new primary every 1000-1500 miles, and $400 on a secondary every 1000-2000 miles if rpms start to drop. Places like racinstation can rebuild them though for cheaper. The pro is a fun sled, but the M is still a great sled too and can still hang in tight terrain.
S
snowmobiler
Well-known member
i wouldnt pay 5 for that old stuff.keep looking.theres a creampuff looking 14 600 rmk here 4 5.
Here's my thoughts on the two.
Pro:
-Lighter feeling and gets up on the snow well.
-Easy to change a-arms.
-No bushings in a Pro skid so there may be some wear on arms and shafts there if it wasn't kept properly greased.
-Watch for bent rails and kinked tunnels near the bulkhead.
-If the motor has over 1500 miles on it and hasn't had a fix kit or been updated to 13+ pistons and cylinders it is a gamble. When they go there is a good chance they will take out the crankcase too.
-Might need motor mounts.
-Stock steering stem bushings wear quick
-Check jackshaft bearings.
-TPS sensor settings seem finicky.
-If you are very big you will have to keep it pinned in deep snow to maintain momentum, but it will keep tractoring along.
-Suspension is sprung pretty soft stock.
M8:
-Go for the 10-11 if you can to get the HO motor.
-Durable and mod-friendly motor. 2500-3000 miles easy on a top end and won't have to worry about the crank until at least the second rebuild.
-Very similar riding style to the Pro and will hold the same lines, but might have a bit more fatigue by the end of the day.
-Extra power is more exciting to ride (might contribute to the fatigue as well).
-Powerclaw track is pretty good all around.
-More plastic in the way to get a-arm bolts out.
-Will probably need a new/rebuilt primary clutch before 2000 miles and maybe a new/rebuilt secondary a little sooner.
-Needs motor mounts every 1000 miles.
-Go through the diamond drive every year and clean it. $100 for bearings and oil if needed.
-Adjustable steering post is nice, but can get a bit of play in it after a while. Bothers some people and not others.
-One hand warmer element is probably burned out
Pro:
-Lighter feeling and gets up on the snow well.
-Easy to change a-arms.
-No bushings in a Pro skid so there may be some wear on arms and shafts there if it wasn't kept properly greased.
-Watch for bent rails and kinked tunnels near the bulkhead.
-If the motor has over 1500 miles on it and hasn't had a fix kit or been updated to 13+ pistons and cylinders it is a gamble. When they go there is a good chance they will take out the crankcase too.
-Might need motor mounts.
-Stock steering stem bushings wear quick
-Check jackshaft bearings.
-TPS sensor settings seem finicky.
-If you are very big you will have to keep it pinned in deep snow to maintain momentum, but it will keep tractoring along.
-Suspension is sprung pretty soft stock.
M8:
-Go for the 10-11 if you can to get the HO motor.
-Durable and mod-friendly motor. 2500-3000 miles easy on a top end and won't have to worry about the crank until at least the second rebuild.
-Very similar riding style to the Pro and will hold the same lines, but might have a bit more fatigue by the end of the day.
-Extra power is more exciting to ride (might contribute to the fatigue as well).
-Powerclaw track is pretty good all around.
-More plastic in the way to get a-arm bolts out.
-Will probably need a new/rebuilt primary clutch before 2000 miles and maybe a new/rebuilt secondary a little sooner.
-Needs motor mounts every 1000 miles.
-Go through the diamond drive every year and clean it. $100 for bearings and oil if needed.
-Adjustable steering post is nice, but can get a bit of play in it after a while. Bothers some people and not others.
-One hand warmer element is probably burned out
Where is this 14 600 rmk at on here? I didnt see it in the swapmeet
S
snowmobiler
Well-known member
sory,here in ore.craigslist
So being in college I wont have a ton to spend on repairs after buying the sled ( still some but don't want to have to buy a new motor or anything like that) But to me it seems like the m8 will be a little less costly in the long run if well maintained.
I was debating between the same exact sleds, ended up buying a 2012 pro rmk. I feel like the motor issues get blown out of proportion on the internet, and I guess the arctic cat clutching issues probably are too. As for finding one for about 5 grand, remember you generally get what you pay for, so a pro rmk at that price will likely be in rougher shape and have higher miles than a cat that's a little older at that price.
2012 Polaris 800 Assault
$5,000
New powder track. 1430 miles. No after market parts. It's been stock its whole life. It runs great and is in good condition! OBO
Thinking about this sled. what would you guys do to it?
$5,000
New powder track. 1430 miles. No after market parts. It's been stock its whole life. It runs great and is in good condition! OBO
Thinking about this sled. what would you guys do to it?
Look it over with a fine tooth comb. If it looks good, I'd go for it but be saving for a top end, my local dealer told me $1800 was their going rate for parts and labor, I'm riding mine as is for a season then doing top end next summer, as it sits mine has 1050 miles
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Ive only put top ends in cats from old age and preventative.... i can't say the same about pro's. Although From what I have seen if your on the preventative side replacing pistons then nothing else goes with them. If you wait for a skirt to snap and go through the bottom end, can't say the same. If your mechanicly inclined and have a few bucks to throw at the pro... top ends on them are REALLY easy.
For tech riding the Pro has the upper hand for sure over the M. If your just looking for a rock solid sled to learn on and ride for a year or two I would favor the cat. Both are super capable machines. Pros are definately easier to push skills farther with. Honestly with that age range it depends more who owned it first to make the sale, if you found a smoking deal on either I would go for it. A well cared for pro is nothing to be scared of. But one that has been hammered on and left outside, they are light and will fall apart with fairly low miles if abused.
Alot of good info on here that I would agree with. I own both 11 m8 stock and a 12 pro with SLP stage 2 and other mods. I like them both for different snow condition and terrain that I might be in that day....soft and steep the pro....set up snow and all different types of terrain the m8....the 11-12 Pro motor issue is real IMO. RB a buddys 12 and the cylinder skirt was cracked half way across at 1875 miles. Also IMO the m8 chassis is more durable but both will take $$$$ to maintain, if you what to keep it dependable.
i went from a fairly modded 2010 m8 to a mostly stock 2014 pro. what i noticed was cat had more power, not quite as nimble and trenched more. went to the pro and gained alot of confidence, got on the snow way better, easier to jump, less power. both were/are great sleds.
Don't ride the pro if you don't want it, cause once you do you won't be happy on the cat. New the first time I rode my 11 pro I'd never want to ride my M again. Just don't loose a motor, $5k is a TOTAL joke for a motor. I'd sell it as a rolling chassis before I'd ever drop that laughable amount of coin into a used sled...
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Also look in Canada because I know that guys are getting about $6000 on trade ins for a 2013 and if you convert that to USA dollars right now that is about $4500-$5000 depending on the exchange rate. Lots of guys are holding them right now and are ready to drop them off at the dealer when their 2016 is ready for pick-up. Run a wanted add as they might just be too lazy to advertise. Not only do the 2013+ sleds last longer, they run better.
If you go Polaris pro iq chassis get a 600, they were great motors but the 800s had many issues. I don't know much about the newer style after the iq but I think they fixed some problems but don't trust me on that.
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