Stuck between axys and m series?

[Alaskanate]

**edit, probably not in the right forum for arctic cat questions!!**


Good day all, new member here . I've been reading these forums for years now, but am now in the market for a sled. I'm pretty much dead set on a 16 or 17 axys, but more reading on that maybe a m series may be a healthy competitor? I've heard both stories (a arms, weight, power, etc) but I went today to look at a m series and have a few questions.

1, suspension. I couldnt depress the rear at all, like it had a 2x4 for a suspension, this will break in?

2, a arms, look very thin.not wanting a hit to bend the chassis, are these break away types like the axys?

3, build quality. Now everyone on here talks of the durability with the sleds, engine no doubt, but the overall quality of the sled. I noticed when I picked up the front by the bumper, there was quite a bit of play and movement. Further investigation showed it was mounted with small hex bolts? Any known issues with these? Plastic panels, running boards, seat..they all look "cheap" but maybe its just me.

The reason I have been even contemplating the arctic cat is the engine, known, reliable, powerful, and the Polaris, well yeah. Its only a second year motor, with new piston design but it may be too early to judge. Anybody who has ridden both, please advise? Sorry for the long post, but 11k for a sled is definitely a biggie, thanks!

 

[Polaris Pilot]

Dealer

Both have pros and cons. I say go with the best dealers you can find and buy whatever they carry. I am not impressed with Polaris dealers in my are and will be switching rides when it's economical. I have an Axys 800 and while the handling etc. is amazing there have been some issues. I am leaning towards an M myself. For one, I want something with a track lasts at least 2000 miles.

 

[M8Chris]

Love my axys. I rode M8's for years and absolutely loved them. I don't think you can go wrong with either. Like said above find a dealer that will treat you right and go with them.

 

[Alaskanate]

Awesome, I just don't want to end up choosing one and wanting the other....my brother in law just ordered up 2 axys sleds and I'd like to have something a little different. I'm kind of a arctic cat guy, but was raised with polaris, and I'm not familiar with the newer arctic cat sleds. Not too worried about weight, once I lose weight myself I can worry about that, Lol.

Any known issues with any of the m8s? Motor issues specifically? I haven't been able to find any online....thankfully

 

[M8Chris]

You will probably have my luck finding info about the cat motors in the cat section. But I am pretty sure those have been bullet proof. The axys is going to be a lot more fun to ride!

 

[Solby]

I ran ACs all my life until I bought a Pro in 2014. Won't be looking back at cat unless they actually made a mountain chassis again. The AC sleds are pretty bullet proof, though I will say my Pro hasn't missed a beat in 1500 miles. A-arms are strong on the cats, but I have seen two sleds break them on big hits. I would bet a Polaris would have broken too. It's always nice to ride them before you buy. Deep snow capability of the Polaris has been significantly better in my experience than the cats but I haven't seen the new MC yet. If I was to look any way but Polaris it would be Gen 4..... I rode the Axys and Gen4 back to back last year and they are both great sleds, just totally different to me.

 

[Alaskanate]

Thanks for everyone's input...it still seems like both sleds are really awesome..I do a lot of mountain riding, and also a lot of trails to get to those mountains..i'll be waiting on AC's new incentive program that comes out DEC. right now they are offering $1600.00 check OR if you pay cash, up to $2500.00. Maybe they will be better after this month, maybe not. They both seem really good machines. Reliability is a huge issue for me, and if something happens while I'm 100 miles out of the loading area that might be issue...LOL. Polaris isn't offering any incentives on their machines, at least that I noticed, but I haven't checked all the dealers in my area. I really love the new Axys sleds....price will probably be the deciding factor!

Ski-Doo is not an option for me, dealer's up here aren't very friendly, and plus I really can't get past the riding position on them....and they look kinda funky now.

 

[Danadog]

I am in the same boat currently. Here is a thread I started on the Arctic Cat page.
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=419018

 

[Red Mtn]

Trying to deny that extra weight of the cat is an issue seems foolish to me. I am 6'3' AND 225, I can feel a distinct difference between them. I rode the Cat, Doo and Polaris before buying the Axys. To me, there just isn't any comparison. Sure the '16 Cat is much improved and the 17 a little better yet but I still think they are way behind. If you are willing to drop another $2000 into the Cat you can get pretty close the Axys weight and handling. I do not see the reliability gap anymore, my last three Poo sleds have never missed a day of riding. I love my 16 Axys so much it will the first sled I will ride two years in a row in a long time.

 

[M8Chris]

If you are waiting until next month to purchase you should just try and take a demo of each and see which one fits you better.

 

[Goinboardin]

Push the Axys out of the way. It's lighter. It will be easier to get out from being stuck between the sleds if you move the Poo.







We need snow here. Can you tell?

 

[mtncat1]

one thing that changed me from a cat rider to a Polaris rider was the clutching and belt issues just about every cat i ever owned had.the pros i have had have great belt life and performance and needed no special belt break in B/S and no extra venting ( to deal with excess heat generated by poor clutch design) . also the issues that the 11'12 pro 800s had with cylinder and piston fit was pretty much eliminated in 13' . some stuff cat guy's never bring up the . hood and panel design is the worst in the industry(to many pieses poor fit snow intrusion), clutching issues , chain breakage issues, steering post issues etc. so reliability is more than just in the engine it's the over all package , also the 2017 pro is an newer fresher chassis ,where as the cat is 6 years old and will be phased out in the next few years.axis best handling chassis in industry . i hope this gives you some food for thought and helps in your decision.

 

[LoudHandle]

The Polaris AXYS Chassis is nearly Bullet proof, very light yet rigid, which aids in predicability for the rider as your inputs are consistently translated to the sled.

The Cat Chassis' have always been heavier but weaker and have far more flex. Which leads to fastener movement and quicker failure. Engine mounts welded to a thin cooling extrusion is just one example of their poor engineering. Smoking rivets is another thing they are famous for. They flex so much that the rivets spin in the holes, which does nothing for strength, rigidity, or reliability.

In my opinion; it is better to start with a good Chassis (foundation) as the rest are easily acquired bolt ons (if you decide you want to upgrade something). To fix a poorly conceived chassis, requires a total disassembly of the sled and chassis down to the individual parts and then strengthen what needs to be addressed and reassemble it so it is rigid. Which will require Lords Adhesive at a minimum and still be heavier than the AXYS is stock.

 

[kiliki]

The Polaris AXYS Chassis is nearly Bullet proof, very light yet rigid, which aids in predicability for the rider as your inputs are consistently translated to the sled.

The Cat Chassis' have always been heavier but weaker and have far more flex. Which leads to fastener movement and quicker failure. Engine mounts welded to a thin cooling extrusion is just one example of their poor engineering. Smoking rivets is another thing they are famous for. They flex so much that the rivets spin in the holes, which does nothing for strength, rigidity, or reliability.

In my opinion; it is better to start with a good Chassis (foundation) as the rest are easily acquired bolt ons (if you decide you want to upgrade something). To fix a poorly conceived chassis, requires a total disassembly of the sled and chassis down to the individual parts and then strengthen what needs to be addressed and reassemble it so it is rigid. Which will require Lords Adhesive at a minimum and still be heavier than the AXYS is stock.

nice quote from a sales pitch and this poo does well.

your sign line tells the motor line fo sho "so I can start building my M-AXYS "
as for motor poo doesn't do this well. the cat chassis if FAR more durable then the Polaris and hands down this has proven over the years with the glued A arms and lack of needed tunnel bracing and bumper replacement. Poo is a great sled but only built for a 2000 mile disposable tin can. as for the motors look for fix kits for the cat and look for fix kits for the poo.

 

[Alaskanate]

Thank you all for your replies. Your making me want to just buy both. I can see where weight can be an issue, but more so from someone who is already used to riding lighter sleds. I'm not negating the elephant in the room , but I'm coming from a 2003 mountain cat 800 144. Which, in my mind handled and felt a bit more like a tank than a snowmachine. I'm 6'2 and about 250, so maybe I'm wrong but I could put a pretty good amount of leverage over the sleds, which would be even better with the axys.

That was definitely something I noticed on the AC was not so much the chassis construction but pretty much everything else, the panels, bumpers, headlight area, etc didn't seem...solid? I'll take your advice and really see if I can throw a leg over both sleds (maybe not anytime soon with this great snow we've been having, currently raining and 40° here in Anchorage) and see which one really fits better. I'm leaning towards the Axys still, and I was hoping I would get straight "everyone knows _____ is a turd" lol. I will keep you updated to see if I can get any rides in! Anybody know of any areas that would have any testing in the anchorage/wasilla area? When it snows of course.

 

[LoudHandle]

nice quote from a sales pitch and this poo does well.

your sign line tells the motor line fo sho "so I can start building my M-AXYS "
as for motor poo doesn't do this well. the cat chassis if FAR more durable then the Polaris and hands down this has proven over the years with the glued A arms and lack of needed tunnel bracing and bumper replacement. Poo is a great sled but only built for a 2000 mile disposable tin can. as for the motors look for fix kits for the cat and look for fix kits for the poo.

I penned my signature line the year they came out with the flat lander AXYS, "M-AXYS" has nothing to do with a Cat. Gag / Puke in my mouth at the thought.

FWIW It stands for "M"mountain-"AXYS".

You are high, if you think the Cat chassis is durable (but that is your brand of choice so I would expect some bias / blinders / tunnel vision from you). This thread is about the AXYS platform not the PRO ride chassis, so your tunnel bracing comment is useless here. As are your engine comments that are based on the earlier CFI engines. Also the "Chassis" by definition does not include the A-arms, bumpers, engine, plastics, etc. it is the back bone of the sled that all the rest gets bolted to.

Kiliki is just so blinded by his Green Lantern riding gear that he believes all the negative internet BS about the brand he wishes he could bring himself to ride / like. "Glass half empty" on Kiliki!

 

[snobyrd]

Go on utube and chek out the episode s from last season on snotrax tv, they placed cat 3ird, axes 1st.
Im a previous cat owner, had every m serries, last one i owned was a 13, while at same time owned a 13 pro, to make a long story short, my m8 lived in the shop, everything broke, runningboards, engine, trax, rails, wiring issues, exploding clutches, chain breakage, broken jackshaft, loose rivits, al the while my pro didnt miss a beat. Resale on the cat was brutal, had to give it away, but i will say it was a number one performer put of the 3 brands when it wasnt sitting in the shop. Cat finally changed thier clutches last year, a big plus, but they need to improve on thier manufacturing technology.
Iv since bough 2 axys, put on over 1800 hard miles, and basicly add oil and gas and keep er greassed and couldnt be happier.

 

[mtncat1]

Go on utube and chek out the episode s from last season on snotrax tv, they placed cat 3ird, axes 1st.
Im a previous cat owner, had every m serries, last one i owned was a 13, while at same time owned a 13 pro, to make a long story short, my m8 lived in the shop, everything broke, runningboards, engine, trax, rails, wiring issues, exploding clutches, chain breakage, broken jackshaft, loose rivits, al the while my pro didnt miss a beat. Resale on the cat was brutal, had to give it away, but i will say it was a number one performer put of the 3 brands when it wasnt sitting in the shop. Cat finally changed thier clutches last year, a big plus, but they need to improve on thier manufacturing technology.
Iv since bough 2 axys, put on over 1800 hard miles, and basicly add oil and gas and keep er greased and couldn't be happier.

thanks that has been my experience also and i couldn't have said it any better . cat really need to step up there game fire the guy that did the plastic! there change drives continued to use the silent chain instead of the proven team chain . the rivits do come loose . but if you go to the cat forum you will find a million diferent mods to fix engineering issues , i got a pro in 2011 and have had to deal with any of there b/s fixes since , now i just ride.

 

[10003514]

If I was in the market for a new sled this year it would be an Axys or G4 doo. Cat makes a great sled and you can pick up a holdover for very cheep right now but with that being said Cats in last place in my opinion. Cats the oldest chassis right now and it's really starting to show, 2018 will hopefully be a new sled from Cat but until then Polaris and doo are killing the mountain market.

 

[wellfed777]

i wonder if Cat is gonna change chassis soon ? next year?
if so it'd be a bummer to get one and then have an years old version something to think about

Axis chassis is here for years