Exmark Turf Tracer HP with ECS

[River Hill]

I know a great deal of you have seen the new Exmark Turf Tracer HP with ECS, but has anyone tried it? If so what did you think? I currently have a few Exmarks and thinking of trading in one of mine for a new Turf Tracer HP with ECS and electric start. Thanks in advance for you help. I need to make a decesion soon because I will need to put a little money into my current Turf Tracer or Trade it for the new one.

[Double D]

What is the great deal? My local dealer quoted about $4700 for 48" w/17 Kaw. How does your dealer stack up?
Double D

[Cutter1]

Trade it in!!! I plan on trading one of my Turf Tracers in on a new ECS. I tried them and I really liked using it. That price is about the same as my dealer said.

[Runner]

I was thinking of getting one for this year myself as my walk behind is getting up there in age. Granted, it's seldomly used, (about 15 minutes a week) I think it would be nice to have something newer like that. I would probably use it a little more, as I would perhaps use it on ditches and stuff that I don't use my walk behind on now.

[Ground Pounder]

I just bought a 52" Turf Tracer hydro with ECS. Paid $4750.

[Mid Rivers]

Does anyone know when these will be available? I have heard this year and I have heard not until next year. What is the scoop? Surely there is an Exmark rep out there that is going to read this! :)

[Cutter1]

My dealer was getting them in this week sometime. They are available this year. I heard that exmark isn't even going to make the old style walk behinds do to the positive response on their new design.

[Island Lawn]

I know old threads exists of this! There is real value in that old (4wks or so) info! everybody coud share it if you search for it and "bring it back up"!

I was looking at the ECS.
But in the end, I rarely can justify bells and whistles (maybe one day!).

I went w/ 48" MetroHP (belt dr, floater, 15kaw)
$3000
I'm happy.
Although, I'm seriously considering the "micro-mulch" upgrade



[Edited by Island Lawn on 02-23-2001 at 11:41 AM]

[syzer]

I am trying like heck to get my hands on a hydro ECS unit to test drive, though I just bought the toro belt, hopefully i will be able to get one next year. They look awesome those who have them or have tried to use them, how do you like them.

[Mid Rivers]

Island wrote;
I know old threads exists of this! There is real value in that old (4wks or so) info! everybody coud share it if you search for it and "bring it back up"!


Island, what are you saying? I did a search on ECS, this came up, I asked the question? What is your point with the "there is real value in that old (4wks or so) info!"

[Island Lawn]

My bad.

But there is a thread back there w/ a photo of the ECS

[jimsmowin]

i run one this week. ordered [2] of them 52" very nice,price about 4800.00 hydro seemed a little touchie, i think once you get adjusted it will be fine.

[TJLC]

I think my dealer said there will be an ECS kit to upgrade older models also. I'll find out for sure and also the cost.

[Cutter1]

They said that they are making the price on the upgrades a little hi so people would want to buy a new one. I think the upgrade is between $400-500.

[Acute Cut]

Ok all. It is strange that some ppl dont see the "bells and whistles" as worth it. Of course, he bought a belt vs a hydro too, so i guess if you want cheaper then you get cheaper. I have re-read that a few times and i cant make it sound nice. sorry. It is NOT meant as an attack or beratement. I am jsut saying that my dealer and i are just about drooling over the idea of this upgrade. I had some medical problems come up last year in my wrists because of the old system. I am exstatic about geting the new ones. He said maybe in late march, early april. Any of you get yours in that you were waiting on when the thread poste? How are yall liking them?

[yorkpaddy]

it looks ergonomically perfect. i have a toro t-bar and it is very good, except that i cant easily lift up the dcek. the only disadvantadge i can think of for the ECS is that you can't really reposition your hands like you can for t-bar.

for the turf tracer HP, is 17hp enough to turn 52 inches? it would be sweet to get a turf tracer with 52 inches and 23 hp. for a scag i could get 21 hp and 52, and toro 54 and 20. but i'm guessing that the turf tracer 52/23 would be around 5-5.5+500 for ecs, thats a lot for a walk behind

[Roger]

I talked with an Exmark rep at a recent Turf show. He said an upgrade is available for older machines, but no price given.

I have an Exmark 36" hydro, so was anxious to try ECS out. Obviously, a trade show floor is poor to learn field operation. I was not impressed, and lost interest quickly. A couple of reasons: (1) Much more difficult to raise the front casters (getting over obstacles, raising the deck when mowing to the left of beds, ..) (2) Handles are closer together than pistol grips, reducing the leverage for side-to-side control of machine (when not turning, I "drive" my machine with the handles, not feather the hydro - I can make much straighter passes this way). (3) I can't get excited about hand problems (e.g. carpal tunnel) when 10 minutes earlier I was beating my hands to death with a string trimmer - other pieces of equipment are far more damaging to my hands than my pistol grips.

An improvement could be made on existing pistol grip machines with better built connections, pins, etc. I like my present machine very much, but am not going to get excited about refitting with ECS.

[Mid Rivers]

OK anyone have one yet? What do you think of it?

[Cutter1]

I would tell you about mine, if it would ever come in!! THats right, back order. I was told it would be in, to my surprise, it won't be in until the end of may. They have some in, but no electric start. I'm a little pissed about it, but what am I going to do?? Just have to suck it up and use my old one.

[River Hill]

I keep hearing in 2 weeks, in 2 weeks, if I hear 2 weeks 1 more time I will ask for a discount. I hope this machine is what it is built up to be.

[Ground Pounder]

I have been using my 52" Turf Tracer Hydro with ECS for three weeks now. It is simply amazing! I mounted a Proslide sulky to it. The ECS is great and with the Proslide, it beats a rider hands down.

eXmark says next year they will offer ECS on all walk-behind models.

[Cutter1]

Te way my dealer is talking, exmark isn't even making anything other than the ecs.

[Ground Pounder]

I keep hearing in 2 weeks, in 2 weeks, if I hear 2 weeks 1 more time I will ask for a discount.

I ordered mine on Jan 3 and took delivery on April 6. eXmark had some QA issues with the welds on the handles. They went back to the drawing board mid-production. They are waaaay behind.

[Cutter1]

I ordered mine awhile ago, suppose to be in at eh end of may!! It sucks, but what are you going to do.

[Henry]

Got a 36 and a 48. Haven't cut with them personally but the guys like them. Even my dealer said it would be hard to lift the deck but I didn't find it hard at all.

I waited a week and 1/2 for the 48 but still had it 2 weeks before cutting. Called the other day to order a the 36 and he actually had one that wasn't sold yet so I took it.

[Mid Rivers]

Got a 48in Turf Tracer HP Saturday. I really like it. Cuts nice and is very comfortable (except when I let go of one handle and not the other)

[Nathan]

I saw that someone was quoted 4700 for 48 with kaw 17. We were quoted 5600 for 36 with kaw 15.

[Eng Mwr Guy]

I paid $4775.00 for ECS 52" Hydro.

I also think they are highly overrated.

The handle positioning is excellent. There prob will not be much difference in Carpal Tunnel though since it still requires same grip force muscles to operate.

The T-Bar is better since you can re-position your hands and it uses your larger muscles/joints etc. The machine is jumpy as hell though and seems light duty compared to Scag or even Exmark. I would think cutting in a straight line w/the Toro T-Bar would be difficult.

Barry

[scottb]

I was quoted 5099.00 for a 52" hydro with a 17hpkawa. yesterday. But did not get into the what would you really take. I do think I want one though it seemed really easy to use and very comfortable. I hope when the time comes I can better prices. And one question for the guys in the field is 17hp big enough for the 52".


[Edited by scottb on 05-08-2001 at 07:46 AM]

[Eng Mwr Guy]

Scott

Good question.

I just got back from cutting 5.0 - 5.5 inch high Ky Blue grass in early morning dew. It rained here for the last 2 days. I cut it down to 2 inches.

The 1752 bogged down w/out sulky riding at about 3mph. I would prefer a 19 or 23 if it were me.

Barry

[scottb]

I would perfer a larger engine myself. I even asked about the chance of getting a Kolher and was told that it was not offered at this time. Im going to wait a year anyway so they can work out all of the bugs. Maybe they will have a few more choices by then.

[Will Fries]

I may be 15 years old but i'm a walking talking landscaping equiment info center. I got a 32" Exmark Merto, 48" Ferris Hydrowalk Sd and A 52" Wright Stander. I wanted to trade in my Ferris. I like fix deck macines, because of their low weight. I tried one out, easy to use but the price and floating deck, made me not like it. The dealer I use said there is going to retro kit for older machines. So I was all set to buy a 48" viking and later put the retro kit on. I put the order in and the next day I got a call back. The dealership told me their having problems with the ECS system. So I cancel my order. The problem is strucal, some truf tracers are forming cracks on their ecs systems. So now i'm going to buy a randsom. It's a great machine, but they still got to work the bugs out.