Can't decide.. '10-'11 M8 vs. '11-'12 RMK

[MTsled3]

So here's the deal, I'm finally gonna be able to buy my own "first" sled this spring. I've been riding an '03 RMK 800 that my parents own, since I was a freshman in high school('09-'10 season).

I've decided on a budget of $6000 +/- $500. The 2 sleds in this price range that interest me are the 2010-11 M8 h.o, and the 2011-12 pro rmk 800. I've ridden a few pro rmk's and I love how they ride, I've ridden an m7 that rides decent, and I've ridden the 800h.o. in a 2014 cat, and I loved the power of it. As far as handling and performance, I'd be happy with either sled. My main question is on the reliability.

I know the Polaris engines can be hit-or-miss, but other than the engine there doesn't seem to be a whole lot more to worry about with this sled, and compared to the dragons the reliability seems to be pretty decent. My cousin has had his 08 Dragon since new and it's never had a problem with it, although I know many of them had lots of problems

The problems I've heard with the M8's are mainly with the diamond drive and clutches, but I've also heard of bulkhead cracking on the m-series, I've never known anyone who's owned one though.

I'd like to hear from owners of either or both sleds, how reliable do you think these sleds really are? The internet can blow things way out of proportion, so I'd like to hear from people with first-hand experience with them. I've seen both with 3000+ original miles no problem, and I've seen both with 1000 miles that have had everything go wrong that can go wrong.

Thanks in advance, and on a side note there's a 2013 600 pro-rmk on craigslist right now for $6500 with really low miles, that's another option I'd consider, just not sure if I want to give up power

 

[polaris dude]

Not sure if you have looked at the market much lately, but if you wait till August or so I bet you could pick up a newer Pro for $8,000 or so. Already they are going at about that rate and with the 16s on the way there is going to be a huge number of 13' 14' and 15's on the market.

This 2012 is going for 5k
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=391992

this 2015 is 8.4k
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=393156

This one is 8k(with a strange wrap)
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=392942

This one is 2013 and 7k
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=393376

Also I've heard of dealerships with 15's still and selling them for 9.4k too. Just some options on the polaris side. It is a buyers market for sleds though.

 

[CO Powder]

I have owned an M7 and picked out and maintained a fleet of two M1000s and two 2010 M8's one standard one sno pro. My buddy just sold his two M7s a couple of weeks ago, he had them since new. I have spent a lot of time riding all of those sleds, great machines.

Last year(13-14) I bought a '13 Pro with 5 miles on it and put over 1300 on it that season. This Dec I sold it for $7500 and went and picked up a new '14 with a 4 year warranty. I LOVE the PRO, makes me feel like a much better rider. It tires me out much less, I love how much easier it is to un-stick. I gets up on the snow much better than those Cats, especially useful if everybody is stuck and slightly uphill is the best line. With practice, I can ride the Pro out of spots I doubt I could with the Cat. As much as I love those Cats, the Pro makes them feel old.

Reliability... The Cats seem to be harder on clutches, $400 each, sometimes the primary spider failure bends or breaks the crank. I have been around a lot of these Cats and never seen one with a broken bulkhead, even the hard ridden mod M1000. We don't jump them though, if you do, maybe a concern but usually an easy fix. My M7 needed a top end at 2200, scuffed piston, maybe snow ingestion. It blew a DD in the back country. Couple of days and $400 later I swapped it in the field, took 15 minutes, rode all day. Just keep $500-1000 in reserve and you can almost always get a broken M-Cat back on the snow quickly and easily.

Since it is not my intention to keep a Pro more than a season ~1500 miles, you know how I feel about the engine, and mine has improved cylinders and fuel mapping over the 11-12s. I just wouldn't own an 11-12 without something like an Indy Dan motor in it. You could probably do well with a new top end every 1500, a fuel controller and turned up oiler. I agree, the rest of the sled is pretty bomber. I only lost a QD belt on the '13 because I didn't break it in. The second belt made it 1200 miles no problem when broken in by the book. I turned up the oiler on the '13, never had a moments issue with it. It is plenty of power for me, I don't need the highmark and I leave them for dead in the trees. The '14 now has 769 miles on it. Runs awesome, pulls hard, I love it all over again, not a single problem.

I think the Pro is a high maintenance mistress but worth it. The Cat will be overall a safer bet due solely to a better engine. I would stretch a little for a '13 Pro with low miles but expect a top end at 1500 and a full motor at 3000 miles. It should survive that but do not expect 2000 mile top ends and 6000 mile bottom ends like Cat has. Of course you have already been riding a Poo with a 3000 mile bottom end, I don't see the Pro as a whole lot worse than the crank breaking Edge 800's.

 

[89sandman]

I'd buy the pro, no question. Loved my highly modded 07 M8 I bought new and rode until I bought a new 11 Pro. Once I got the pro I knew I never wanted to ride my M8 again...

 

[ripnit]

I have both so heres my take....of the 2 the Pro is a little better handling. Saying that the 2011 M is more durable has more power the valving of the shocks(fox zeros) was good this year and the powerclaw track is excellent in harder snow. She has been gas and go for 1900 miles. The 12 Pro is a little better handling in the trees and very steep side hills BUT the motor sucks. Down on power but still the sled gets threw the snow very well. The 11 & 12 Pro cylinder/piston skrits crack around 2000+\- (not all of them but enough to worry about IMO). The tunnel around the foot well area CAN buckle if you hit something with the a arm. The Polaris track is great in soft snow but it sucks in hard snow too the point I won t ride it, I take the M. Unless you are good enough to ride when theres only 40" between the trees and at speed or sidehilling 60° slopes my opinion would be a 2011 M8.

 

[TIM]

2011 pro would spank the 2010 m8, had both at the same time.

 

[MTsled3]

Not sure if you have looked at the market much lately, but if you wait till August or so I bet you could pick up a newer Pro for $8,000 or so. Already they are going at about that rate and with the 16s on the way there is going to be a huge number of 13' 14' and 15's on the market.

This 2012 is going for 5k
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=391992


this 2015 is 8.4k
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=393156

This one is 8k(with a strange wrap)
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=392942

This one is 2013 and 7k
http://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=393376

Also I've heard of dealerships with 15's still and selling them for 9.4k too. Just some options on the polaris side. It is a buyers market for sleds though.

Yeah, I've been keeping an eye out. As much as I'd love a newer one, I've already decided on my budget, and I've seen a few good deals on '13's, getting down in my price range, but I'm not quite ready to buy.
Thanks for the input guys. It might end up coming down to the best deal I can find, I think I'll be plenty happy either way!

 

[rteller]

m8

Love my 2011 m8!!!!

 

[polaris dude]

Honestly right now money talks go put a WTB thread in both polaris and arctic cat sections and give your top dollar. People will come flocking to cold hard cash.

 

[CO Powder]

Contrary to popular belief I have done well buying in Dec. Lots of guys getting into new sleds, the Nov hype is over, lots of good deals. Save your nickels over the summer, take the plunge right when the season starts.

I also suspect you will be happy either way!

 

[Chris6060]

Clutches are cat's weakest spot.

On the old M-series, they didn't blow belts, but the clutches are NOT rebuildable and they do wear out over time.

Had a primary explode on me on my M7 on the top of Powderking Mountain, BC, and it wasn't fun.

That being said, I now ride a '12 cat which supposedly has the worst clutching on the planet with absolutely zero issues, with minor mods done.

I'd personally go for a 10-11 M8 153 or 162 and put a longer lug track on it as a primary mod, assuming the previous owner had the common sense to install a can.

We own a 2005 M7 with all original Diamond Drive, with just over 5500KM's on it. Rebuilt the top end at 4500km's just for maintenance and it did have minor bubbling in the nikasil coating on one cylinder, but it was below the piston's range of movement and pretty minor. One of the most reliable sleds I've ever encountered, apart from the exploding primary, but that was our own lack of maintenance.

 

[AZ800]

Contrary to popular belief I have done well buying in Dec. Lots of guys getting into new sleds, the Nov hype is over, lots of good deals. Save your nickels over the summer, take the plunge right when the season starts.

I also suspect you will be happy either way!

I also got a screaming deal on a wake boat in June '09, but that was not the norm, it was the economy at the time. Just like good deals on sleds are not the norm in the fall. Got a deal on my Pro in '13 in Jan, but same thing, woman kicked her lazy soon to be ex husband out of the house and sold his brand new Pro for $7500, what she owed on it.

From now til May 1, especially given the sh!tty snow everywhere is the best time to buy IMO.
Regarding Pro vs M, I only have about 600 flawless miles on my Pro, so too soon to tell how long the engine will last, but I've had a mod M1000 that was reliable except grenading the primary and tearing a couple motor mounts for the 2000mi I owned it and still have a M7 that has never died in the field with about 3k miles and a lot of towing, either dead sno machines or the kids snow coach, so the engine and drivetrain has been worked hard.
I can go the same places on the M or Pro, just lighter and a little easier on the Pro. A 800HO Cat will spank it for power. I came from high alt riding on the Cats to having never taken the stock pro over 5kft, so it has decent power, but I'm sure it would feel weak at 10kft.
All sleds need TLC to keep in top shape. For $6k, I'd look for a low mile Pro that needs to be gone from someone's garage. Unless you're not a gearhead then go for the HO Cat.

 

[FitShaced]

I was in same boat last year. I went with m8 for reliability. I rented a pro rmk 800 when they first came out for a trip and while it was a good running sled ad I felt very comfortable on it, it just felt gutless. Could been the fact that it was a tuned down rental, always seems they could use fine tuning. You can drop 30 pounds of weight on the m8 pretty easy too. A can, intake, headlight delete would get you pretty close. I have almost 3,000 miles on and only replaced primary clutch. About only thing other than user error. It is a strong running sled. I did geo mod which i felt helps alot. The cat motor is almost bomb proof. I run with a group almost all cats... not a Single engine issue in 8 trips of 7-8 sled.

My theory was it's easy to replace clutches, cat issue vs a motor rebuild, polaris issue.

I do know that you can turn oil pump up on polaris which should help motor and there is an engine / piston kit you can put in. And both very popular sleds so dealers usually have parts on hand if something should happen as well as huge used parts for sale. Last year i scored 4 a arms for m8 for $150.

 

[CO Powder]

I also got a screaming deal on a wake boat in June '09, but that was not the norm, it was the economy at the time. Just like good deals on sleds are not the norm in the fall. Got a deal on my Pro in '13 in Jan, but same thing, woman kicked her lazy soon to be ex husband out of the house and sold his brand new Pro for $7500, what she owed on it.

From now til May 1, especially given the sh!tty snow everywhere is the best time to buy IMO.
Regarding Pro vs M, I only have about 600 flawless miles on my Pro, so too soon to tell how long the engine will last, but I've had a mod M1000 that was reliable except grenading the primary and tearing a couple motor mounts for the 2000mi I owned it and still have a M7 that has never died in the field with about 3k miles and a lot of towing, either dead sno machines or the kids snow coach, so the engine and drivetrain has been worked hard.
I can go the same places on the M or Pro, just lighter and a little easier on the Pro. A 800HO Cat will spank it for power. I came from high alt riding on the Cats to having never taken the stock pro over 5kft, so it has decent power, but I'm sure it would feel weak at 10kft.
All sleds need TLC to keep in top shape. For $6k, I'd look for a low mile Pro that needs to be gone from someone's garage. Unless you're not a gearhead then go for the HO Cat.

Big influx of nice used Pros in the swap meet due to snow check and a weak season most places. Make offers, these guys are buying a new machine and want the one in the garage gone.

 

[bobback]

I came off an 2011 m8. 153; before that had an 08 m8 153. Went to a 13 pro 155 last season due to the pro flat out gets up on the snow and floats better.

 

[The Fourth Wolf]

Buddy had a piped/clutched M-8, I have a 12 Pro. We'd switch out.

Love the M-8--snappy, nimble, fun to ride. Love my Pro more.

Put almost 2,300 miles on mine before getting a top-end and decided then to long-rod it. Local shop has a Kick-butt clutch kit for the Pro so I had that done too.

If you're buying used and choosing between an M-8 and a Pro, get the sled that was better taken care of.

 

[ullose272]

came off '10 m8 that weight 455 lbs ready to ride with about 2 gallons of gas, was an awesome sled and had a ton of power. rode a 13 600 pro and wanted one, bought a 14 800 pro and ill never look back. my cat did have more power and never missed beat. but the pro handles way better and gets on the snow way better. i get stuck about half as much, no joke. its my fault if i do,

 

[MTsled3]

Well thanks for the help! Picked up a 2012 800 pro rmk today with 1000 miles on it, very well taken care of, super clean sled, now I hope we get some more snow so I can ride it a little this season!