asfastasu, I know what you mean! The guys I go riding with go through some nasty stuff. I need a quad that has true-4wd. (And big tires too) I am trying to find out if the CAT 500 Auto does.

If not, I think I may need to get a 500HO

 

My last post apparently didn't go through, but the short version is this: my new Eiger 400 Auto limited slip will spin all four tires in snow hill. That's the only way I tested it in front of a buddy who wanted me to get a 500HO for the locking front axle feature. He said the limited slip on the Eiger looked to be working great....

 

IamWoody- I see you quoted me there, but if you read the post, I said the "non-650/360 Prairies". I know the 650 and 360 have locking differentials. The 400 and 300 Prairie do not.

 

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say, most of us don't use four wheel lock most of the time. I know you guys that have it will disagree but in reality, you use it on the average, once every 100 miles or less. With that in mind, I'm gonna make another statement. Guys go out to buy a utility/sport quad with two things in mind: Big, powerful engine & four wheel locking.
Engine power? We all know we don't want to get stuck in that mud, on that hill climb, over the rocks. "If four wheel lock will get us even father than our buddies, who cares if we don't get out of that mud hole as long as I went farther than those other so called four wheelers."
Face it fellas, you get stuck just like we do without four wheel locking. You've got MACHO! We've got machines with limited slip differential. You hit the mud, I'll pull you out with my winch... just for MACHO... :0)
Chuck

 

Hey Chuck,

I kindly disagree with you. Many of us here in western, MN and ND hunt and ride in a lot of muddy slough bottoms. The locked differentials handle sinking slough glop better than the regular limite slip diffentials. I do agree with your terms regarding MACHO or ego. My first quad is a Kawi 650. I just had to have this powerful machine even though I will never use its full capabilities. And yes I have not gone through muddy sink holes that get everyone stuck like some of the other posts have mentioned. But the 650 is nice and its damn convenient not getting stuck when my priority is getting into muddy sloughs to get duck decoys set up at 5:00 AM. I also spent the past week challenging my 650 in deep snow drifts in shaded ravines and hillsides. I really wanted to get stuck to try out my vigin winch. With the lockers I have yet to get stuck in 2-4 foot drifts.

I personally think Artic Cat has an awesome transmission, arguably the best out. The Cat also sports a nice look and and a nice IRS. It could be a magnificant quad and probably the best with the additions of locked differential and a "big bore" engine.

Daryn