13 M8 or 13 800 pro RMK

[XFIRE800]

Exact opposite experience I have had with mine. Came off a $30,000.00 mod XP and purchased a 2012 Pro RMK, I thought the power was good, went up agaisnt a 12 M800 and had no problem out climbing/performing it in 3' of fresh.

To the OP dont let the hype scare you about the motor there are guys that have 2500+ miles on there Pro and there are a few that have had failure at 500miles. Just turn the oil pump up and add some oil to your fuel. ****, I know of a few 2012 Cats that went boom with only 2 miles on them. JM2C

The cats that seized up in the first couple miles were because of lack of oil in the tank and the air bubble in the oil line. Thats not the engines fault, its poor dealer setup. To try and compare reliability between the suzuki 800 and the cfi 800 is like comparing a geo metro to a full ton diesel pulling a 48 foot enclosed trailer....

 

[XFIRE800]

I had a 12 cat last year and rode with multiple 11/12 pro rmks the last couple years. The pros are a very nice sled, but there are a few things that didn't suit me as well as the cat. The tunnels can't take abuse like the cat can, the pro rides a lot rougher than the cat, engine reliability, power, lack of knowledge working on polaris, doesn't feel as good compared to the cat (for me), and the throttle pull of the Polaris (have a bad thumb). The Polaris does have its strong points though. It has the best stock deep snow skid, light light light weight, belt drive, much improved running boards for 13, very skinny plastics, and it sidehills great. You can't go wrong with either sled, but I have a 13 pro climb snow checked for 13.

 

[Leaf27]

The cats that seized up in the first couple miles were because of lack of oil in the tank and the air bubble in the oil line. Thats not the engines fault, its poor dealer setup. To try and compare reliability between the suzuki 800 and the cfi 800 is like comparing a geo metro to a full ton diesel pulling a 48 foot enclosed trailer....

Point is they all blow up. You Cat guys are more brand loyal than Snowmobiler is to Doo. The Pro is a better Mountain sled out of the box. Never owned a Cat just cause they have been playing catchup to Skidoo and Polaris every season.

 

[347strokin]

But let's be honest, some brands blow up more than others! Just look at the "Blown engine" polls on the Cat vs Poos.

 

[Britton Banks]

Go with the pro, best sled ever,

 

[Boston Racing]

I rode SSWIMS Pro Climb last year and liked the way it rode. I prefer the Pro though. Maybe its all in what your used to. Our Pro's are turbo'd so I never noticed the "lack of power" from the Polaris

 

[wasatchcomm]

i own both as well
i like them both a lot
i rode the rmk more, although at the end of the year i got the cat clutched correctly and geared it down, i think it is still less nimble than the rmk, but it pulls hard, the motor(suzuki) is incredible, i like both,
if you live in the trees, go with the rmk, if you ride everything i would honestly get the cat, for 13' im sure the cat clutching is much better,,,, and i am hearing 14' will be a very impressive year for cat! might hold off for 14'
me i checked a 13' ski doo xm
so now i can compare all 3....

 

[m8magicandmystery]

i love my "M"...i have had cats now since 1976..many many cats..lol...diehard cat fan...

I just cannot find myself liking the new cats,why..??...gut feeling..
l just love the new Polaris.why...??...gut feeling...

sure wish it was more reason based on technicalities,but i don;t think it matters,why...??...gut feeling..

 

[Matte Murder]

I am really surprised there are not comments about the 12 Cat eating belts and the crappy way they have treated and continue to treat ALL the guys who have belt eaters. The corporate attitude seems to be just to ignore all those unhappy customers.

 

[Vfrtrader]

M8 weights 42lbs more than the Pro, but has 20 more hp. M8 motor is better. I have a Pro and love it. Awesome deals on 12 M8s on ksl.com. Like $7500.

 

[turboless terry]

13-13 there is 52 pounds rtr difference and there is not 20 hp difference. That is garbage. Don't take people's word, that you don't know, to buy a sled that suits you. Ride them both and decide for yourself.

 

[phillybean]

I was in a similar boat a couple months ago. Cat dealer was awesome, Poo dealer not so much. Was going to go Cat, but after reading a lot of reviews and talking to a lot of people, decided to go with the Pro RMK from a dealer out of town. The only other sleds I have been on is a 06 Rev 159 & a 80something John Deere 440 so I am not an expert by any means but with a 3 year warranty I am not worried about a weaker engine and I believe that the RMK chassis is superior than the ProClimb to the point that the extra power doesn't make up the difference.

 

[Twostroke]

I can't get over how ugly the new cats are, I bet they ride the way they look. The PRO following makes me sick, I'd buy a XM if I were buying new this year..

 

[Rprecision]

Just went down this same road.

2013 Pro RMK. Its still very new at 130 Miles but coming from a 09 and 10 M8 I was not let down. They are fun sleds

 

[Dizzle]

OP - Keep in mind that out of 10,000 sleds produced, only 92 were reported for having a belt drive problem. Thats a pretty good track record if you ask me....but when you get online and start reading the forums, people make it sound like 70% of the sleds are breaking. This is not the case. Good luck in your decision!

 

[Rixster]

Go demo a XM and you wont be trying to decide between those two.

 

[Dizzle]

Crap I just noticed this was an old thread

 

[Ralph'sMotorsports]

Keep in mind sleds are weighed dry in the shop. You aren't using the sled in the shop. The weight you are concerned about is the end of day weight.
Testing I've seen has shown the M8 to be about just 1lbs heavier at the end of the day than the Pro just due to how the sleds collect snow.
Another thing to keep in mind when deciding between these two sleds is how much it will cost to make the other match. For instance, it will only cost about $400 to take a good 18lbs off the M8, where as it will cost you a few thousand to bring the Pro upto the M8's horsepower.
Wish you the best of luck in your decision!

 

[turboless terry]

That video was about as lame as liberals talking about obama. I know the guys who made it. Why did it get pulled? I have not rode the 13 but the 12 was a joke. I have heard nothing but good about the 13. I won't say anything about it until I ride it.

 

[Latitude 62]

Anymore you could pick any one of the brands and find good things about each and bad things about each. Dealer, Dealer, Dealer that is the real key. A good dealer can make up for a lot!!!! We all are going to have our biases depending on how and where we ride. What is your bias??? Answer that question and you should know which sled is for you based on the feed back that you have gotten from all your sources. Then find that Dealer, Dealer, Dealer!!!!