Had a chance to try out a Cat 400 after a few years of owning a Cat 500. What I found was that there wasn't that much difference in power once the engines were wound out, but the 500 definitely had more low end grunt. It just didn't seem to work as hard.

 

I've got a little 2006 400 ... I did the complete opposite of what my dealer said.... I've pulled logs out of a river, plowed 12-14" of snow, opened her up a little on the ice, moved a 1500lb trailer, burried it in mud, etc etc... all with less than 200 miles on it... nothing slips that isn't suppose to, no smoke, no wierd noises, steers, drives great. I've NO complaints... Is it a Speed Demon? naw.... Do I need to do more than 40-45mph? naw... can I go where anyone else with other machinces are going? YEP!! and I can doo it with a Flash of Lime Green!!! heehee

 

I own a 2005 400 LE and I have had a few problems with it. It only has 36 miles on it and the electric choke has already gone out. I just had it replaced and now I think it has gone out again.

There is a reason my atv only has 36 miles. It is b/c it has been in the shop or sitting in my garage not starting. It is hard to put miles on a quad that will not run.

When it does start, I really like the atv. It is big, and does not maneuver very good on the trails. It does have a good ride and big racks. I do not know how good it is in the mud b/c it will not start right now. I am takin it to the shop this week to get it fixed again.

I do know that it is heavy and tippy. It is just not very agile. I do not mind b/c I like to ride around slow and climb hills etc.

If you are looking for a sporty ride the AC is NOT the answer. I have several friends that ride kodiaks, big bears, honda ranchers, foremans, etc. ALL of them are sportier and faster than the AC 400. Like I said, it is not a racecar. It is pretty embarrasing that a rancher 350 is faster than my AC400, but I can live with it.

There will be people that will take offense to this reply and say that I do not know what I am talking about and that is fine. If you want a big, heavy tank that will go just about anywhere the AC is a good choice for you. If you want something sporty then you should look elsewhere.

Also, hopefully you will get an AC that actually will start once in awhile.

If I had it to do over I would buy another brand. Probably a Honda or Suzuki. I am fairly certain that a jap brand atv would be more reliable than this AC. Hell, both my polaris atv's that I had before were more reliable than my AC. That is just my .o2 cents.

If you are still sold on the 400 I may have a practically new 400 LE (winch, bumper, wheels, tires, etc.) for sale.

 

Vipertech - How much do you want for that broken down ol' Cat?

GC

 

by the way vipertech is talking... that machine he bought must have sat too long with bad gas and gummed up the carb. not saying he is wrong or anything.... like i say, i have a 2006 ac 400i, i just got super grip tires (mudlite XL knock off's) and finished up the snorkel... I work at my local cat dealer and the only thing we have had the 400's come in for is water in the transmission. and the only reason for that is cause thier owners dont know not to take a stock quad in water up to the bars... even then we have never had to replace a belt on a 400 after its been wet.... ect. I have been everywhere the brute force 750's, and rincons, all of them with huge tires.... I"VE BEEN THERE!!!!! I wouldnt buy anything but an ARCTIC CAT... Thats why i own two of them. Thats my 2 cents

 

I have an 03 400fis auto and at around 300 miles or so it came to life. After spending considerable time playing with different setting for the springs and tires to get the handling the way I like it I can "dirt-track' around some turn and when the rears hook up I can lift the inside front tire off the ground on exit. Mine is not as fast as some I can only get about 52mph top speed from it. But for me that is fast enough.

I have ordered new tires for it and they are being shipped right now. If you want a good deal on tires Nebraska Tire carries Innova MudGear and a set or 25x8x12 and 25x10x12 will cost you $228 delivered. These have very similar tread design as "Dirt Devils" but come with 3/4" tread depth instead of the 1/2" that Dirt Devils" have. I am putting the MudGear's on the front and on the back I am going with Sigma "MudCats" with 1" tread depth on a 25x10x12 tire. A set of 4 MudCats will run you about $250 delivered. I have my reasons for running MudGear on the front and Mudcats on the back. Don't ask!!! It would take me a page to explain my reasons.

I ride 2 up quite a bit and the 400 has all the power I need. When you gear it down in low range it just goes. Plus I generally get 22mpg which is pretty good compared to some larger motors. So the cruising range is between 100-120 miles. And I carry a 2.5 gas can (mostly for others - lol).

With my stock oem tires I was able to ride with other brand machines with 26" and 27" and would say I got stuck no more or less. With the new tires I probably will get stuck less even though they are still 25" the extra depth, and agressive tread should help some. And even with the 25" I still have as much and in alot of cases more clearance than others.

As a general rule I only get outdone by another AC with aftermarket tires. That is very comforting. Plus it could be -20F or 105F, when I hit the start button it starts and will run until I turn it off.

One thing to note - your battery will only last a couple years unless you throw it on a charger every so often... The electrics are via magneto and the RPM break point is around 2000 rpm. Meaning under 2000 rpm it will not be charging your battery. So if you are doing alot of slow woods riding with your lights on it is draining your battery and not charging it. And I think the charging unit is only 16amps as opposed to 25 amp with a 500 and up. It is not a big deal just throw it on a chager overnight every so often and your battery will last longer. And don't put so many lights on your machine that you look like a 'bill-board' and you should be fine.

For sand dune hill climbing - NO, trying to race a 'Raptor' - NO, but if you want a machine that will get you there and back home then the 400 is very capable of doing that, even riding 2 up. You just may not get there as quickly as a 650 or 700 but you will get there. And in articulate stuff they can't go any faster than you and in some cases a little less power is better, you are not so apt to put too much power to the wheels and dig a hole and get yourself stuck.

You will be pleasantly supprised that the 400 is not a dog like some seem to think. It is a very capable machine. But like anything it has limitations. And there is a very good chance that with less power you won't be breaking so many axles and such, like what is happening with alot of machines in the 650 - 700 cc class that put 27" and 28" stump pulling traction tires on. Then they wonder why an axle broke. Duhhhh!!!

Get it you will love it, just like all us guys that have the 400's.

Another plus, is that if you punch a hole in your (oil cooled) radiator you can just disconnet the tubes and put a bypass tube and drive out of the woods. Try that with a liquid cooled - HA. And all you have to carry is a 2" piece of copper tubing and a couple clamps.

Good luck and enjoy!!

 

i just joined today but i read what you wrote and i have a 02 400I 5 spd and i do not have 1 complaint, I have all the power i need from pulling my 4 place snowmobile trailer full of sleds to pulling fish house and plowing snow. Ive gone through woods,water, mud and snow never lost the power or skipped a beat

 

Welcome booboobear. Glad to hear that you are happy with your 400, me too. Funny thing, one of my friends that I ride with has a Honda 500 and used to brag it up, but after I have taken him to some unpleasant places, he now often suggest an alternate (easier for him) route. - lol... My Kitty just purrs right over and through without missing a beat. By the way, he (while with me) has rolled it and broken some plastic, has had the tedious job of wading around in the mud to hook my machine to his (while I giggle, and he swears), and he is on a second winch and a second rebuild of his Warn.. (he uses it alot - lol).... Of course I like to politely rub it in... hehehe...

 

thanks buck and thats pretty funny, made me think about when me and 2 buddies went down to the minnesota river bottoms and they had a 600 grizzly and a 660 grizzly, they thought they had some powerful machines,which they do but my cat went over more logs up the sand banks and through the creek beds better than those machines did and they could not believe what my 400 could do, it out performed big time, they were over heating losing power and when they would get vertical on the banks both grizzlies would start to spit and sputter where they would lose there power to get up the bank, and find another route to get up. and talk about the clearance, we had to go over the R.R tracks and they got stuck over each one, had to help them lift them off lol the cat just walked over them, and talk about the fuel mileage difference is also a big plus if you want to do long riding with limited gas stations.So theres alot of options to look at when buying a machine, im saying the 400 and 500 are the machines to really have.

 

I just got a 06 400LE a week ago. Paid 4500 w/ 40 miles. I love it. I have had a few minor power issues, but overall this is a tough machine. I took it to Badlands in Indiana for a test ride. If you've never been there its almost all sand dunes with a little trail riding and very deep mud when its wet. The cat kicked some tail. It did'nt keep up with my buddies 700 on the dunes but it made it up most the hills. I dont undestand all these people buying a 700 pound 400cc machine and expect to keep up with big bores. This quads a workhorse but some situations cant compare to 300 more cc's. On steep hills alot of times theres a pucker point where i wish I had more power. Never had a problem though its always made it one way or another. Had to back down a few dunes. The only real trouble I've had is in mud. I burried it in clay a couple of times past the tires and it would'nt spin a single tire. Winch worked flawlessly. I read someone say their stock 4004x4 does 72mph. Everyone tryed to tell him the odometer mustbe on km but he stood by his statement. Thats funny. I took a trip to Black Mountain in Kentucky on spring break. Camped at 1200ft elevation and the trails ride up to around 3500. 6000 acres of awsome trails to ride for free. Place has every type off riding you could imagine. It was heaven for a indiana boy. Nothing but corn fields and highways here . I'd say the cat handles all type of terrane very well. Has 120 mile and 16 hrs and is getting stronger, Runs about 40 mph top end. To be honest I beat the s@*t out of this machine. A couple of times my friends said i pulled airs high enough to clear my quad from side to side . Bottom line , I like my choice of quad for all adventures.