I know this will be biased so I posted on both. I am looking at used (1999-2002) Mach Z''s and Tcats. Can anyone tell me pros/cons of each. Which will peform better. Twisty trails, long trails, lakes, gas mileage, power, short drags, long drags and aftermarket mods. Basically anything you care to comment on. Oh, and if anyone has one for sale let me know!

Having owned 3 machZ's, I myself would try the T-cat. Lets face it, you ride these sleds for their intended perpous, go fast and to let people know you can go fast. The machs have been good sleds for me, but it's 200 cc's smaller. Your screename would still work too :D


Do make sure it is dialed in, I have given many T-cats fits :devil:

They're big, they're heavy but damm their fast. Neither are my kind of sled but I do agree that given a choice "theres no replacement for displacement". I'd lean towards the big kitty.

isn't it like big block or small block?? lol :p

I agree completely with sled head........ go with the big cat. Alot of work on the trails cuz they're so heavy but get em on a lake and hold on tight. :hallo8:

You may have opened a big can on this one, lol. Obviously I'm a tad biased, but either is a great sled and very fast. The TCats in stock form win some and loose some to the Mach's, but with a few mods the extra 200cc can do what they should. I've never ridden a Mach but in talking to people who do, they seem to handle about the same as a TCat, but the TCat does have more rear travel which is a big plus. AC has always engineered good suspensions.

I am also a bit bias having a 2002 T-Cat.

From riding both, (mine and a 2000 Mach Z), and in discussions with other riders I have the following opinion.

For lake racing and limited trail use it is a toss up between sleds. The Mach being down 200cc is dialed in very good by Ski -Doo and gives the Cat all it can handle as other replys have stated. If you want to trail ride on twisty tails or are looking for handling the Cat is the better choice. The front susp on the Cat, in particular, is a much better handling suspension than the Mach.

All in all, I think the Tcat is a better all around sled. Better looking, better suspension, more engine. The only thing I give to the Mach is weight. The reason it keeps up with the Tcat is because it's bullet style looks and Doo does a better job of getting all that power to the ground. Go for the Cat. Once you go cat, you never go back!

PS - I'd love to run into one on my 900 this year! He'll probably get me if the run is long enough, but IF I get a good holeshot I should get a good enough lead to hold him off for a while. Time will tell.

Oh, yeah, look for the 01 Tcat - the best box stock without the added weight of std. reverse and SS, unless you want the comforts of the 02 accesories.

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the honest answers. I didnt want to turn this into a brand bashing post and neither did you. Thats pretty cool!

Thanks!

Bigdude, I'm not sure where you're at in Michigan, but http://www.sledventures.com has several used Machs at pretty good prices. They also have 2 TCats, a '99 and '01. They're in Harrison Twp. and have pretty good deals on used sleds. That's where I got my TCat from.

just remember after taking the big kitty on the trails all day...have plenty of
advil handy for the next morning! :hallo2:

The reason the Mach can beat a Tcat is not weight. Its engine, Clutch, and rear skid.

The Mach 809 engine is probably the Fastest reving sled engine in the industry, It is very hard to hook up becasue the track is always spinning.

The Clutching on the skidoo is also much better. It grips the belt harder preventing slip, Its also more efficent and puts more HP to the ground. However the Arctic cat secondary is better then the skidoo but its the primary that makes the big diffrence in a race.

And the Rear skid offers much less drag then the cats.

In all honesty even though the Mach is down in Hp to the cat it will hardly ever loose a drag and has just a tad more top speed.

The proof is in all the Muscle sled shootouts that the Mach has dominated in.

Now performance aside. The Tcat will have a better ride thanks to independent front suspention and a taller rear suspention. I would give the Tcat better handling to a regular Mach. But a Mach with presision skis will out handle any Tcat and will give ZR and MXZs a run for there money if the trails are twisty but not to rough.

You have to realize that both these sleds can make do on the trails but they are intended to run on lakes and runways. There ride wont be as good as some of the SnowX machines but on groomed trails they rock.

And thanks to them being triples they are not that bad on Gas.

Either way I applaud you for choosing a triple/Triple 2 stroke sled. This is where the real fun is.

Good luck.

Originally posted by 02_mc_500@Oct 17 2002, 01:07 PM
isn't it like big block or small block?? lol :p
GEE think about it BIG BLOCK, :hallo5:

Yea that small block will kick the big blocks ### 99% of the time stock for stock.
Besides if Acrtic cat hated them so much that they quite building them, why would you even consider buying the Tcat LMAo



Last edited by Snow Monkey at Oct 18 2002, 12:40 AM

Cat didn't stop making the Tcat because they "hated" if. It is "mainly" due to the fact that ALL triples sell for almost the same price as the twins and Cat isn't making the extra money to justy the extra triple. Then you have the fact that everyone seems to think they need a twin these days. ;)
So, lets not turn this into bashing guys. :thumbsup:

Skidood, it has nothing to do with hating a sled. It's a matter of business meeting market demand. There have been many threads on this in the past months.

I can pass on a great place to buy left over 2002 Machs right now. Spicer's in Houghton Lake has New 2002MachZs for $5999. That is under retail trade sell used, and only $200 more than retail trade in.

The 2002 Has allot of features over the Tcat

SC10II Suspension (Same as the MX-Zs last year)

RAVE Variable Exhaust = More Bottom end and Better MPG)

DPM Computer Conrolled carbs that dial jetting for temp changes - runs spot on with weather conditions, but works with modifications like pipes, etc... (unlike EFI)

TRA Clutching - Easy to tune for elevation changes using clickers

A few reasons I would pick the Mach over the TCat:

I am a big fan of the big Cats, but Cat has massaged them some. The new chassis sleds do not have the HP that the 96 900s and and 97 1000s did. The clutching also has gotten weak from the origonal sleds.

While the origonal Tcat 1000 was 172 HP, they have quitely crept back into the low 160s, about 10-12 more than the MachZ

Also, when it comes to a trail sled, the CK3 is quite nice (with precision skis), IMHO the Mach is just a bit better suited for the job.

Stock vs. Stock, the 2 sleds are actually quite close as far as a drag race. After mods they get quite close also, unless the Cat goes 1107 or bigger.

THe 809 is a very nice engine, and can be easily built to 162-165 HP for not allot of $$$.

Please guys, I am not bashing
Just trying to pass on my opinion, and the fact that there is a great deal currently on these sleds.

:withstupid: Those are great prices on those machs!! Should have told me a week earlier and I may have had a new mach instead of a zr. Probably not, but just maybe...hehe :D



Last edited by phazerhater at Oct 18 2002, 09:46 AM

Go with the T-Cat. My friend had a Mach Z, and had constant problems w/ fowling plugs.

Don't get me wrong it was very fast but only when it decided to run good. He sold it b/c he finally got sick of all the problems.



:cussing: =my friend w/ a mach z

You have to go with the Arctic Cat because it is a qyality machine. I am on my third sled and all have performed well for me. The only thing that you might want to look into is the middle cylinder likes to get hot. :)

all you have to doo is look at all the wins that the machz has acrued since it's inception in 94 and that will tell you what sled is faster,or it's just that the doo guys are better tuners.Anyways if your looking for pure speed you cant go wrong with the mighty mach,sure the t-cat has more hp but it doesn't put it to the ground as well as the mach.I'v never lost a race to a t-cat,even a piped and clutched one of course i'm also piped and clutched.But even stock for stock the mach will win most of the time.Now in the handleing department both sleds are heavy and you really have to muscle the sleds around in the trails,haveing a 97 mach i know that it pushes in the corners and has alot of inside ski lift.I'm not sure about the cat i'v never riden one but i'v heard they handle a little better,the new precesion skis and the new skid on the mach should make it handle better than the older ones.I have had no problems what so ever with my mach even after i put on crankshop pipes and delta 2's,it's been a great sled.So if you'r the kind of guy that likes to smoke larger sleds and make them look bad the mach is you'r sled.

AMEN, PHAZERHATER!!

just go and check out any magazine shoot out on the net and u will see clearly that mach just kills the big cat. and that is just why they stopped making the 1000 they just could do anything with it ...........lol. anyone who say that stock for stock that the thunder is any match for a mach has no dought never realy races a mach. i too have done alot of tunning on the thunders and finaly had to give in to the power of a machz :devil: :p

IMO a Mach Z with presision skis will kill a tcat in handling. That along with all its other technological advances makes it a clear winner over the cat.

LIL Dave. It sounds to me like your saying that Skidoo doesnt build reliable machines. Well im not here to bash but ive got a few good Arctic cat stories that would keep you and your friends busy reading all night. And it was more then just fouling plugs.

If the Mach Z is set up half decent it will not foul a plug. Also running a good plug like Super Bosch or the anti fouling plugs makes a big diffrence. I belive that BR9ES come fouled from the manufactor.

I have never fouled a plug last year in my mach. And with DPM you will never foul one anyways as long as your oil pump is set right.

If the main jets are set up for the wrong weather then plugs will foul the warmer the weather then jet leaner but colder it gets you need to jet up richer so maybe somebodys got too rich of jets in the mach. My zrt from factory was jetted too rich and fouled all the time . The factory jets on the rich side to make sure their not responsible for melting your pistons. i don't rejet yet but i icreased the air flow to the carbs and made it run a little lean enough to not foul plugs. but if it was me i'd pick the big cat don't let them mach fans fool ya get what you want everyone in here is just stating opinions and little facts.

Fact - Mach Z is a faster more dangerous Machine.

Fact - Its still in production.

Fact - DPM, RER, MPEM, DESS, and RAVE are all on the Mach to help performance and drivablity and not on the Tcat.

Opinion - The Mach with presision skis will out handle a Tcat.

Opinion - You will enjoy the Mach more.

the only reason why the t-cat is gone cause nobody could afford to pay $10,000 for a new t-cat. besides triples are coming to an end cause 2 cylinders are starting to be on demand but i know the triples will come back and soon 2 strokes in the next 5 years will be phazed out. Which i think is BS!! damn polution laws :(

I dont think that 2 strokes will be phazed out. I think that they are the future of sledding.

New technology is coming to make them the best choice.

As for 10000 a sled. Buddy, Almost every damm sled cost you over 10000.00 I just bought a REV for 11900 before tax. And that was a good deal compaired to what 3 other dealers wanted.

My buddy just bought a 007 REV for 10600.00 before tax and was quoted 11600 at an other dealer before tax.

I bought a 2001 Mach Z standerd Yellow Brand New for 9889.00 Before tax and Im reading this of the dealer statment as im typing this. That price also includes a Skid Plate, Super Cover, And electric visor plug. So i spent less for my Mach then I did for my REV.

yes your right about paying that much for those sleds the only thing is though it's a canadian price, i was talkin USA retail price so a $10,000 us would be around $15,000 - $16,000 your price in canada for t-cat.because around here sleds are around $6,000-$8,000 including the mach. And i hope so too that 2 strokes never die but i guess in USA that's under attack and since Arctic cat, polaris are american they gotta plan for 2 stroke extinction :(

I think your mistaken on your Tcat price. However if your not no wonder they got rid of them. 15000-16000 cdn is a huge rip off for a sled that doesnt even have half the stuff its competitors do. As for reliablity, there both just as reliable and well built so theres no reason it should cost that much.

nope i'm not mistaken it cost that much, the t-cat had everthing others have but even if it didn't the technology of competitors it's because it has no competitors cause it's the only one on top em all and even if it did have competitors they needed all that high tech fancy performance stuff to even compete against the 1000cc cat. OK besides i'm trying to help the dude out on used sleds and i'm saying buy the use t-cat while it's cheaper and have something the few elite ppl have. but like everyone else thats my opinion on the subject ;)

I have to admit I was leaning towards the Tcat. I even went 150 miles this weekend to buy one but the guy sold it before I got there (long story :devil: ). Anyways Spicers is selling '02 Mach Z Sports for $5,499 plus tax, prep, and whatever. For that price I might have to jump ship and buy the Z!

bigdude buy the mach Z you will not regret it. IMO the mach has better fit and finish all the cats i ride with seem to have alot more little things go wrong with them than the bomers.I'm not bashing i'm just stating facts.it is my opinion that bombardier puts together a better built sled