Hopefully a diesel person could explain this to me.
I'm looking at buying an Arctic Cat 700 Diesel. I've been surfing around and people say great for work but not for play. That they have tons of torque, can pull a house...etc.
The numbers don't match. 17.5hp and 30lbs of torque? How does that make it a better work machine?
Is there less of a chance of it overheating? Why shouldn't I or anyone just buy a gas?
Any thoughts or knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

 

PS would it be worth $1200 more?
Thanx again

 

they are just talking out their ***. diesel generally have lower top speeds but it shouldn't be a huge difference. they will also require less maintenance and get better fuel mileage. it's also worth noting diesel engines are usually harder to start so in cold weather it's even more important to keep that battery charged

 

Im not a full blown diesel head but i know a little. The top speed is not the greatest, i think around 40 mph is top speed on the diesel cat. The cat is a better work machine as it will be a bit heavier than a regular 700 cat and using a diesel engine it will use half the fuel a gas engine will use. Diesel is not meant to be fast but are meant for low speed and work. The numbers sound about right to me,diesel will generally have more torque than HP. Torque is where you get power to the wheels,torque is what breaks parts, HP is more from a high revving engine with a short stroke and hits 7,000rpm where as a diesel is less likey to go much over 3,000 rpm. diesel produces power in a much lower rpm thus the reason for less fuel consumption. Also,the gearing may be different than the gas 700 engines. Usually with a diesel they will gear it lower for better pulling power. with lower gears gives you slower speeds. Diesel engines generally also run at lower temperatures. for example: A gas engine at idle will warm to 200 degrees in about 5 minutes in 60 degree outside temperatures. a diesel engine at idle wont get to 200 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. maybe longer. The diesel fuel also acts as a lubricant and helps cool the upper cylinder. Theres more to all this but im keeping it brief.

I own a diesel truck and with 318,000 miles on it,i have only had to replace injectors (20,000 miles ago) and thats it. They run forever,but a fuel filter is key. diesel fuel is dirty and you have to change the fuel filter. on an atv at least once a year if not twice to ensure dirt dont clog your injectors.(smaller parts) This really depends on how much you use it though.

On a side not,if your not pulling much a gas will pull more than it says but in an unsafe manner if you allow it. In other words if you pull more than what the bike weighs its possible you could find yourself in trouble. Besides low gear on a gasser will spin the tires before it pulls what it can or cant. once you loos traction it doesnt matter how much power you have,but weight will help.

 

The lower speeds is mainly due to the gearing then the engine

 

Thanx to everyone.
The issue is not horsepower nor speed. I saw somewhere that its about the same torque as a 500 gas? Does that sound right? Also someone had one and it had trouble going up hills? I think hes a diesel tuner also.
The big question is if its worth $1200 more than gas?
let me ask this. Does anyone know how much torque is needed for a 380lbs arena drag?
Thanx Again

 

The diesel is longer so do you need that longer 2up wheel base? Is the 380lbs your main concern? If these are not needed then no, you do not need the diesel. A 300cc atv with low gear and 4wd will pull 1,000lbs with ease if there is weight on the racks (maybe without,you need the weight to get traction). I pulled a 4,000 lb piece of farm equipment with my arctic cat 300 but its not recommended as I bent the rear end,about blew the tires out and ruined my shocks,but hey it did it!! Id recommend at least 400cc atv with 4wd and use low gear anytime you tow or pull. If its an automatic trans. it will put less stress on the belt. If your gonna pull for an extended period amount of time then id also recommend an atv the is water cooled/fan assisted. Arctic cats are known for lower gearing and hard work in thier atv line. Ive owned 3 of them(own a 700EFI now) and they have been great for everything i do. With real heavy pulling i use the kubota,(see pic below)

To answer your question,for what you want in this thread. No i would not pay $1200 more for the diesel. A gas engine will do what you are asking. (tires play a role in pulling as well as low gear) I dont know what the torque is on gas engines but they will pull what your asking pretty easy. (400cc or larger)

Where are you located? if your close ill let ya test mine.

 

The only way I would buy a diesel is if I had a a diesel storage tank on a farm and only rode on the farm. There's at least one place I gas up my ATV that doesn't even have diesel, believe it or not.

 

The thing is that the work is whats called ground engaging. Its a 350lbs rectangle with 9 3/8inch pointed sucker rod at a 45 degree angle that goes onto the ground about 3 inches. I know that gas is capable of towing a bunch. I was wondering about wear and tear in general. The diesel supposedly can go 10000 hours. Does anyone know the life expectancy of a 644cc single piston rotax?

 

The cat is gonna be your best option for any work especially pulling. If your talking about the bombardier quest 650 (hint:644cc rotax) then not too many people have them anywhere near me. they were never very popular. They are an older model and can-am(formally known as bombardier) uses a 649cc vtwin now for thier 650 outlander. much better engine IMO. Cant go wrong with a diesel for true hard work. pulling that drag ,itll probably not even know it was back there.