Diesel ATV...Take 2
 

looks like arctic cat is trying what polaris failed at. i like the idea myself.

DIESEL ATV

ARCTIC CAT SITE

how did Polaris fail? The way I saw it was when they made their diesel it wasnt really needed (still isnt) and gas prices were down.
Now gas prices are stupid high and diesels are popular.

I have rode 2 of those diesel polaris and they ran fine, but they are a 4 wheeler. Other than the "cool" factor a diesel 4 wheeler isnt really needed.
would I like one. yes. would I spend the xtra coin they are going to charge for it. no.
with the price of the 4 wheelers today, I would buy a diesel Kobota utility vehicle and have twice the machine. Hell if I needed the power for work I would just get a tractor.
4 wheelers are over priced and the attachments for them are even more.

I wanted to get a york rake for my 4 wheeler and it was $189. which wasnt bad. but because it works by a 3 point hitch, you had to buy a 3 point hitch bracket thing and theat was $350. SO for $600 I could have bought a real york rake (8ft) and borrowed my buddies tractor and did some real work.
or spend $2000k on a tractor with a york rake.

Im sorry but the only way I see them doing real well with this is making the price tag the same as the gassers or they will have a after market racing following.

they failed, IMHO, to keep the product on the market. they really didn't work too hard on marketing them. you heard a little blurb on them 1 or 2 times and next thing you know they were gone. i think a diesel atv is a good product in the right application. is it for everyone? no, of course not but for people or companies that already rely on diesel fuel it's a nice option to have. alot of poeple wince at paying a $7000 to $9000 premium for diesel pick-ups but they're flying off of the lots. with the right marketing and exposure i think diesel atv's could do well too.

is the cost prohibitive? maybe. i know i would be interested in buying one because when my atv isn't hunting, it's dragging logs out of the woods, plowing snow, pulling fence posts in my yard, etc. i don't have space, nor can i afford an atv AND a tractor. this tool does a lot of jobs, if not most. that along with the power and durability is what sells me on it and i would pay more for one than a gas atv.

I dont doubt they will get sales on them, but people will realize that they can get a a small kubota for the same price and have twice the machine.
I agree 4 wheelers have merrit but for work the money is best spent else where.
we can go back and forth on this. But if you are buying it for work I would definatley put the money into something else.

I pull logs out with my atv but it is a time consuming process and the logs arent that big. thats why I borrow my uncles 8N.

That depends on what you call "work". I'm not going to take a utility tractor hunting or to go count cattle and I don't want brush hog a few acres with a ATV. With what I saw for the last attempt at a diesel ATV they tried to take over some of the utility tractor market and that just isn't going to happen. They need to make then competitive with the gasser ATVs by making them a lot faster and lighter then last time.

Thats basically what I wanted to say but Im an idiot

does anyone really know who made the diesels in the polaris quads

I guess Polaris designed and made the engine just for that ATV. I bet they lost of coin on that deal, should of had a turbo on it.

they had one of those artic cat 700 diesel atv's at sporting good store i was in awhile back. they seem to sit alittle lower and are a lot bigger then any atv i have ever seen. myself i would be very interested in buying one of them.

They have a mechanical injection system, and no turbo from the factory.

Power from the factory is going to be anemic at best, but the question to ask here is when is the transmission's capacity going to be exceeded?

Mechanical injection = tweakable
No turbo = room for upgrade


They can be made to be much more impressive. Anyone drive a stock 12v lately? I rest my case LOL!!