<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: TLC

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>I would go w/ a manual! I would put mine agaisnt an auto any day for towing reliabilty! </end quote></div>



I,m sure the are many fellow AC 650,700 and 1000 owner who would take you up on that challenge.



Go to a heavy tow or Mud run ATV Competition and you would be hard pressed to even see a 5 speed entered.</end quote></div>

Well i am sure your right and Im sure there are alot that would win over me in a race! Thats not what i said!!! I said that i would put mine against an auto any day for towing RELIABILTY!!! I use it nearly everday for towing on a farm and in salvage yard towing cars. Towing is not really about having enough power to spin the sh*t out of your tires and break something! Towing reliabilty as i was refering to is the ability to do it again and again w/o breaking something or having to do alot of maintenance because you have to drive the **** out of it everytime to win a race. I dont get my rocks off tearing it up, i get my rocks off after traversing terrain w/o damage or performing a job w/o damage. i'm not knocking those that like to tear things up or that ride hard enough to tear things up! thats simple there choice and power to them. I dont have the kind of money to throw away like that.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: kinuski

The manual will be great for towing. Get the AC 500 manual. It has a really low gear. But an auto will tow a heavy load too! The problem is the atv itself. All quads are about 600-700 pounds. When towing heavy loads the quad will spin tires, and it is very dangerous to tow 2000 pounds downhill with an atv. The best atv for towing is therefore the heviest! The diesel AC700 is heavy and have great mileage, but not fun to play with and "only" 8-10 gc. The (gas) AC500 should be perfect. Either auto or manual, both has 12" gc!!!!. The thundercat would be overkill, it will spin tires when towing.



Arctic cat build very strong and reliable atvs. High ground clearens too. Great in forest. The 500 manual will give you some better milage if you shift good, and it will let you stay in a really low gear for heavy loads. But an auto will be more convenient, you will not need to shift.</end quote></div>

ha ive towed aproxamately 1500 pounds with my bayou 220 up and down hills [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

I prefer the shiftless now. Coming over from sport bikes, I'm all too familiar with shifters. But I'm getting lazy in my old age, plus the auto tranny is rock solid these days. All the Arctic Cats have identical tow ratings, regardless of the transmission.

I've pulled my kid's 90 up hills as if she wasn't even there. No belt slip. Just use LO range when it's appropriate and it'll save that belt.

If I were wringing out every drop of speed and power like I was racing- then sure, a shifter would be better- but out on the trails doing what a utility quad can do (severe terrain, rock crawling) I don't miss a clutch or choosing gears. The engine braking is so good that it's easily as good as picking a low gear on slopes.

Over time, the downside of auto's is being erased. Just like early EFI wasn't as good as a well tuned carb- now there's little reason to use a carb and the EFI is really good.

The march of progress doesn't care about nostalgia. Give an auto a try and I bet you'll really like it.

 

Some Full Auto may not have LOW range............Just to let you know!!!.....
Make sure it has high/low for what you need the Quad for as listed in you post!!....Caper.......

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: mopar6974

The recent tornado recently totaled my atv. I'm looking to by a new one, but don't know which route to go, shift or auto. My old one was a 5 speed and worked fine but an auto would be nice. My uses are mild trail riding and hunting, but the majority use would be working ( hauling firewood, dragging small trees, etc.) Can anyone offer me the benefit of first hand experience?</end quote></div>

Looking at it from one stand point, even a manual has an automatic clutch.

The automatic will always keep you in the correct power band and you won't have to worry about being in the wrong gear, either over-revving or lugging your engine, and putting extra strain on the transmission.

Also, by always being in the correct power band for your engine could make a big difference in getting stuck or not, or making it up a specific climb or not.

The only way to go in my opinion is AUTOMATIC. (for work or play)

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: tancat500

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: TLC



<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: buck1992







shift maintenance free and when you have a heavy load you dont have to worry about belts slipping and stuff</end quote></div>











There are so many belt drive ATV that can out pull , carry and turn monstrous ATV mud tires thought deep mud than a 5 speed ATV can, that its hard to keep count of them now.</end quote></div>



I would go w/ a manual! I would put mine agaisnt an auto any day for towing reliabilty!</end quote></div>

You speak of reliability. Well with your 2" lift kit and 29" tires, you have created some pretty sharp angles for your CV joints and I would gamble and say that you are soon to start replacing them. With your setup I doubt that you would stand a chance against a stock setup with an automatic, if you chained up rear to rear the stock automatic would pull you backwards real quick and almost guaranteed you would pop something, CV joint, Axle, and possibly the differentials and tranny.... not to mention that you probably could not gear down low enough to begin with.

With regard to the belt slipping, I have not seen or heard of many slipping, plus I would rather replace a slipping belt than to rebuild meshed gears...

With your manual shift, if your started to pull something really heavy, if your clutches don't start slipping almost guaranteed that you will start to mesh some gears..., providing you have the traction and the power behind it... And to you want to start to replace burnt clutches too...

I know that you like your manual and that is fine and I am glad for you, but in the real world, an automatic is a better way to go. Performs better and there is less chance for damage to the entire drive line. They are more reliable and also they are more preventive from doing damage to the engine and other drive components...

With an automatic you are able to get the most out of your machine with less stress and damage to other components....

I am only a DUMMY but you can learn a lot from a dummy.....................

 

Bukaroo50: Are you really sure that the manual AC500 lowest first gear aren't low enough for bigger tires? From what I have heard the manuals will do better with bigger tires, because you will not need a new clutch kit or different spring weights, because you simply shift into right power band manually. Isn't that a great feature of the manual? The super low first gear, or second that you can stay in for how long you want for heavy / secure low speed towing.

I do agree to you that the bearings, and CV joints will take bigger hit with such large tires, and also the 2" lift kit.

Oh, and one last thing, aren't the manuals much better on fuel milage, just like normal cars (autos/manuals)??? Of course depending on your riding style.... just like driving style of manual cars.

 

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: kinuski

Bukaroo50: Are you really sure that the manual AC500 lowest first gear aren't low enough for bigger tires? From what I have heard the manuals will do better with bigger tires, because you will not need a new clutch kit or different spring weights, because you simply shift into right power band manually. Isn't that a great feature of the manual? The super low first gear, or second that you can stay in for how long you want for heavy / secure low speed towing.



I do agree to you that the bearings, and CV joints will take bigger hit with such large tires, and also the 2" lift kit.



Oh, and one last thing, aren't the manuals much better on fuel milage, just like normal cars (autos/manuals)??? Of course depending on your riding style.... just like driving style of manual cars.</end quote></div>

You may be right on the low gear being different and they may also have a different ring and pinion ratio also I would have to check into the shop manual and see. However, with an automatic you never have to worry about gearing because you are always in the correct gear and correct power band for your machine. I am not sure about the mileage for the 500 but I can get in excess of 24mph with my 400 auto. I think riding style may be more of a factor than standard vs auto. I can drive my car and get 30mpg and my wife only gets 26mpg (same vehicle). An aggressive ATV rider will more than likely stay in a lower gear more and for a longer period of time and kill the gas mileage where as if that same rider had an auto the gearing would always be correct.

This topic can be twisted in every direction. I do know this - thus far I know of many that have had manual and gone to auto and won't go back. That says something in itself. Before I bought mine I tried both a manual and auto. I prefer an auto in the rough stuff also. I have had some sort of 4x4 for the past 45 years and have tried about everything and I prefer auto with the exception of low gear, low range in a situation where you can't use more throttle than an idle, and a manual with direct drive and a manual clutch would work better. But even the manual shift ATV still has an automatic clutch that is engaged upon throttle application and clutch springs. The same basic principle as an automatic but you have to manually shift. So we are rally talking about either having to shift or never having to shift and I would rather not shift and be sure I am always in the correct gear so to speak. I think the gear ratio of the automatic is more than sufficient for the towing capabilities of a machine. They are all rated based upon the ability of all components and the weight of the ATV itself, to SAFELY tow a certain amount, the gearing of both the auto and manual will be more than sufficient. You can go above the SAFETY rating and one may tow more, but you are in danger and also excessively stressing the machine.

I know that my 400 auto will pull heavier trees out of the woods than a 500 Honda manual because, I help my friend yard trees out of the forest for fire wood. True I do have an advantage with more aggressive tires and a higher hookup point where the rear IRS will squat and get good traction, but he also has an advantage of a larger engine.

Anyway each to his own, that is why they make many different makes, models and configurations. I prefer an automatic, and so do most other people based upon sales and what I see on the trails etc...

Most everyone here posted their comments and the reasons that they made their comments and that is all good, this gives the person some food for thought and based on all that he will make a decision what he will buy. I am not trying to convince anyone to buy anything, I just try to share what I do know and what I have actually seen in the real world, like you pointing out the different gear ratios, that is good for the guy to be aware of, and he can take all that into consideration before he buys. But when someone states that he will put his machine up against anyones, well I kind of try to diffuse statements like that, that is only a claim and yet to be determined or proven. Based upon what I know and what I have seen I would say that the odds would be against that person making that kind of claim and coming out on top, and we don't want to buyer to think that a claim like that is fact or true.

Just like people claiming that they have the fastest utility in the world. That is only a claim and not fact. I have had my 400 up to 85mph, thats is correct 8-5 mph and that is fact, fact, fact - so what if it was in the back of my pickup - lol....

I hope all our comments have given the guy some good information for making HIS decision as to what he will eventually buy....

 

yeah if your pulling or towing id go with a auto.ive had mine for about 3 years i wouldnt change it for the world.i would say the only thing a manual is good for is highend racing.not saying that youd do this but going threw water or mud you can just hit the gas and go.500 is the only one ive owned and i can get threw some stuff when i need to.ive bragged decent sized tree limbs and such out after storms.but a bigger battery is something ive been thinking about getting.

 

Well buckaroo i said nothing about chaining mine to another quad!!! I said that i would put mine up against an auto anyday for towing RELIABLITY!!!!!!! True with my current set up i may have dampered some of that reliabilty, but thats not what this comment was about. I have just recently done the mods that i have done! It has many miles of towing on it that were done before the mods.. It still performs the same tasks as before w/ very little effort you just have to know how to drive it so that you dont tear up costly drive tran items. As the weaker stock drive tran items fail they will get replaced w/ the appropriate parts to withstand the new setup that i have. To make it very clear, the reason i made that comment is because of the work that i have seen my machine do w/ no problems in performance( before or after the mods) and in mechanical failure. Everyone has their opinion and i have mine! Good Luck w/ whatever you have and ride safely!
P.S. In low range first gear i still have more than enough power to spin all four if that need be!!!