I'm going to upgrade from my current '97 King Quad and am considering the Honda Rubicon or AC 500 auto. I will be using the machine for snow plowing and pulling a trailer, but mainly will use it in the mountains for hunting.

I rode the Cat last week and was impressed with the ride. It clawed right through the piles of snow outside of the dealership. I am wondering if you AC owners could address a couple of concerns of mine.

Do you have problems with the ergonomics of the machine? I don't like the way the tranny extends over the right hand floorboard and don't like the large tranny vent hose.

Does the plastic skid plate warp over time? Is it any good?

Is the 2WD/4WD shifter location a problem? Does it go into 4WD when you want and stay there, or is it prone to being bumped?

What is a good target price for this machine? The dealer seems to have several in inventory . . .

Thanks for your help.

 

I can't testify to it's ability to plow snow, but several readers on here can, and back it up with pictures to boot. I do know first hand though that the Autocat is one powerful towing and hauling machine. Others on here have pictures to attest to that. As for your concerns about the skid plate, it works just great, slides over logs and such. The large bulb of the transmission was akward for about the first hour then you don't notice it any longer.. The Vent hose has never been a problem. Having the 2/4 lever pulled you are in 2wd and it has never popped in or been accidently pushed in with my knee while riding and I have never once had it pop out of 4wd. I have had my Cat 11 monthes now and have 1752 miles on it. The only thing I have done to it is to go down one jet size to prevent backfiring and change the oil every 300 miles. I have the part number for the fram replacement, it costs about 3.00 less than the OEM. I do a lot of riding at around 5-7 thousand feet and it was running slightly rich.

As for cost, I have seen them anywhere from 5600 to 6300. 6300 is MSRP I believe. If you are offered the winch package, take it. It will be worth every penny when you want to retrieve that Elk out the draw it ran into and died.

 

well I don't have the 2wd option or the Automatic transmission, but my 1999 model with over 2600 miles on it DOES have the skid plate. NO, it does NOT warp at all. I've bottomed out HUNDREDS of times I bet and the skid plate is in Great condition. Sure it has a few scratches, but it still protects my cat like no other OEM skid plate I have ever seen.

I hope GrizzlyRules comes here to tell you the difference he noticed between 2wd and 4wd on his cat. I was impressed with what he told me. And surprised.

So GrizzlyRules-- where you at??

 

If you change the header at the beginning of the forum to the "last 2 weeks" and go to the AC snow plow forum, there are plenty of pictures to see what an AC auto can do.

 

ElkHunter
I have a 1998 Cat Manual so I can't tell you anything about the auto. What I can tell you is that my cat has never failed me or broke down. I plow lots of snow up here in Alaska, and my Cat does it with ease. I use a 60" Moose plow which is one of the heavier plows.
We also pull heavy meat trailers in the mountains up here when we hunt. In our hunting group there are 2 Grizzlys and 1 SP 500, my Cat has always done as good or better than the other machines in any situation that we have been in.
The skid plate is great. I have gone over many logs and rocks with it and you can't hardly tell. Mine has never warped in three years up here with greatly varying temperatures. In three years not one breakdown. Take a look at my photos by clicking on Larry's photos from last years hunt. Pictures will tell you a lot.
I love the ergonomics of the Cat too. comfortable ride and seat.
I don't think the Rubicon can come close price wise to what you get for your money with the Cat.
Best of luck with your decision.

 

hey elk. i got good and drunk in billings waiting for a part for my harley back in '90. nice town. anyway, as far as your concerns with the auto cat? don't have any in regards to the 2x4x shifter, i don't see any way to bump it into 4wd. you have to stop the machine to engage it anyway. i live in upstate n.y. and snow was one reason for buying this machine. it'll plow almost as well as my old cj. i bought the 60" ac plastic(steel frame)unit. trust me, it will plow. i've plowed over 12" up a 10% grade. no chains. as far as the skid plate goes, i have bashed the **** out of it in 20 below and it hasn't cracked, dented or anything else as of yet. impressive product. i'm not the only one who owns one that has pulled a few tons above the 1,050 lb. capacity. engine breaking is probably the best i have tried. all it took for me to make up my mind was a GOOD test ride to rule out all my other choices. buy it and you won't regret it, in my opinion....oh yea, i paid $5,690 with the warn 2k winch. i installed it. plow setup was around 3 bills if i remember right. later

 

elkhunter,

i have an ac 500 auto and the ergonomics are perfect. the torso is wide but so am i and at 6'6" never once has my knee bumped the 4x4 lever. the skid plate is all but bulletproof and mine hasn't warped at all. as for snow plowing, i can't help ya there. the last time i saw measureable snow where i live in texas was 1985. as far a brute power, it's like a small scale D11 CAT (now that's one hell of a coincidence).

hope i've helped,

texascat

 

I use my AC mostly for work and such. For working, the AC does a great job.

The auto trans does stick out on the right quite a bit, but the only time I do notice it is when I sit on another machine, you get used to it.

Skid plate - no problems.

The only problem I've had with the 2wd/4wd selector is sometimes it won't shift out of 4wd after coming to an abrupt stop - just coast it forward and it frees up. The 2wd option is nice.

I have a 50" Moose plow setup. It does a very good job plowing. There are pictures in the link in my signature.

I have a co-worker that has a Rubicon, but I haven't ridden it yet, so I can't help you out there.

Good luck with your choice.

 

Elkhunter,
You can't go wrong with an AC.Mine is a '98 and has been used hard and put away wet many times.Hasn't let me down.As for the skid plate,Well It's tuff but mine is split up the middle about 6" and basically destroyed it. I'm having one made, for about $100, out of 1/4"aluminum.I'm probably harder on the skid plate than most. Good luck.

 

I bought my AC last year, $5500 . This is my first ATV, and am quite impressed! This is used primarly for work. I find it comfortable and strong. I plow snow off a 850' gravel drive with no effort. Even pulled some small pine tree stumps out of the ground, with some effort, probably won't do that again though.
All and all happy with unit, although I am not able to compare to others.
I couldn't beat the price!