I'm about to purchase my first ATV and I've narrowed it down to the two in the title.
I live in Minnesota and will be driving this thing in below zero to 90 degrees through snow drifts in the winter, in woods, through fields, through gravel pits, through mud, up and down hills, and will be used mostly for exploring or hunting, not so much for racing but who knows. I would like something that won't bog down in the mud and that will shoot up hills if I need. My diving will be slow at time and fast at times. The only quad I'm use to riding is an old Honda 4trax 300.
The AC has the ground clearence, softer shocks, built on full length skid plate, huge racks. The Brute has the awsome v-twin engine, still pretty good ground clearence, stiffer shocks, more seat room than the AC for better two up riding, but smaller racks. I think the BF is a little more slender than the wide AC wich might be better for going through woods.
Both have diff lock, but the BF handle seemed a pain to pull cause the brake handle was in the way
So I need help deciding. I realize in the Kawasaki forum I might get biast answers along with good replies. I am also going to post in the AC forum for the same advice.

Go ahead and tell any experiences with either one
Thanks

 

not positive, but that Cat might be powered by Kawi motor....???

By the way is the Cat as independant rear??

 

yes, the cat is independant rear and the shocks are adjustable.
I know the 06 was a v-twin, but the 07 is a single cylinder

 

By the way, i do the same Minnesota driving, with a friend who has a Brute Force 650, and they both bust the same drifts, and the same cold temps. As i posted, i like the Kawi V-Twin, but Arctic Cat is my choice of quad

 

Tough choice.
Comes down really to your needs and requirements.
The Cat will be better in the deep mud,
The Brute will be better on the trails b/c it is lighter and easier to steer.
Power wise is: the Brute but mainly b/c of the lesser weight & overall feel to it.
The Brute rear brake is excellent
Dual brake levers on the Brute
Better stock warranty on the Cat but on ebay you can get a extended warranty for the BF at a decent price.
Nicer instrument package on the Brute
That Dif-loc lever is easy to work on the Brute, just seems strange the 1st few times you use it, if you use it at all.
4x4 engagement works best on the Cat.
Both have Carb (carbs on the Brute)
Bigger gas tank on the Cat
The Cat Is Heavy
The Cat has better stock Tires
Can't beat that VTwin sound on the Brute..
The Brute does have the Power & is very close to the power of the BF750.
The other option is the Can-am 650 but it may be priced too high compared to these 2.
I've had a Cat 650V2 but it just wasn't what I NEEDED in a 4wheeler but that doesn't mean the Cat 650H1 isn't for you.
Tough Choice..

 

I just discovered the grizzly 660, any thoughts on that?

 

Get the updated 700EFI Grizz, improved in every department.
Being it is a NEW model, you may have problems on finding a decent price.
The Grizz's have the Best Auto trans out there, a + for sure.
That being said, I have never had any problems with my BF750s Belt system.
If you go with the '06 Grizz 660, then get a set of the ITP Wheels/radial tires, this is also a "Must" for the BF as well & the '07 Grizz 700EFI.
The Grizz 660 is a proven & reliable 4wheeler.

 

Cats are big and heavy with some nice features. I haven't been impressed by the zuki single, but it may be different in a Cat. IMO, if you want to go big and heavy, get a sp800 and get some power under it.

For what it's worth, my 750 starts and runs way better than my '02 650 prairie in any weather. May be just because it is newer and updated.

 

It would be tough to match the rear brake on the Brute. I've seen AC's that would get rocks stuck inbetween the brake caliper and the rim, which rendered the quad useless until we figured out why the drive train seized up.

Having had a KFX700, I can also attest to the power of that V-Twin. The Kawi motor comes on strong. Cat did use the Kawi V-Twin for a couple years, but have now dropped that in favor of their own 650 (641cc) single. From what I've read, it's a good motor.

No matter what machine you get, there will be things that need to be added or replaced such as tires or skid plates. But for the price and your usage, I would go with the Brute and finish it off with a set of Mudlite XTR's.

 

OK, today I got to test drive a few quads. I went to the AC dealership and told them I wanted something in the 650 class, they let me drive the 400 Auto. After driving others, I think the cat isn't the best fit for me. I went to the Kawasaki/Suzuki/BRP dealer and the guy was trying so hard to sell me on an outlander, but I'm not willing to pay the premium price even if they are in a class of their own. I told them I was thinking of the Brute Force 650 or the King quad. They let me test a 650 v-twin prairy. After that I am now convinced I want at least a 650. even though it's a different model I am now hooked on that power. I didn't get to test the actual quads I was thinking of buying though. The dealer said they sell nothing but top quality quads (lol,I'm sure they sell good quads, but a dealer telling me that isn't going to make me believe it.)
So I thought I'ld go to the Yamaha dealership in the same town and they had lots of 06 Grizzlys for $5999. The lady how ever, told me there was no way she could let me test drive it cause the city of Lakeville won't let dealers test drive ATV's in their parking lots. BS, then how come the other two dealers let me. She did tell me that everyone seems to be happy with their grizzlys and they start in the cold reliably and the belt drive is the best belt drive.

So, the AC is most likely out for me cause it just doesn't fit me that well, The BF is still an option along with the king quad, and now the Grizzly is thrown in the mix. If I can find a place to let me test drive the actual models I want, that would be great. Time to start cheking out other dealers.
Can anyone tell me if the Grizzly gets up and goes like the 650 v-twin would? now the 700's aren't out of the question for me either after trying the 650, so going with a 700 in another model to match the power of the v-twin 650 is an option too. so more opinions please. Are the 07 grizzlys any different than the 06's?
Oh yeah, I'm not considering the polaris cause my brother has one in the 650 and I can just ride his, plus if I get something different he can try mine out too.