Hey guys, I bought this Exmark Vantage on Saturday to give it a try after doing some research. So far I have mowed 19 lawns with it, varying from steep hills to flat and bumpy ground. Now that it has been put to the test I wanted to do a good review for those of you on the edge about buying one.
Some Good Things:
1) Versatility. The Vantage is much more powerful than most walk behinds, and the model that I have is a 24hp Kawasaki. It seems like it has plenty of power for what it does.
2) Maneuverability. The Vantage is a lot more compact than walk behinds, and is shorter in length. The fold up platform saves a fair amount of space, and is very comfortable. I am only 140 pounds, but personally I can really feel the spring in it as oppose to a sulky. The impact from the bumpy areas goes in to your back not knees. This may be good or bad depending on your own situation.
3) Back tires. The rear tires are so much larger than a wb which is very nice on hills, but can make turf tearing a bit easier. The large rear tires are good for stability though.
4) Controls. The controls are basic imo. I have only used an actual ztr a few times, and have used pistol grip wb's almost 100% of the time in the past. The ztr like controls were easy for me to get used to in about 2 hrs of use, and of course being careful.
5) Speed. The speed is average, but what is nice is I am able to get up to higher speeds where in the past my wb's were too hard to adjust speed quickly enough to be efficient. The speed of the the Vantage has taken about 15% off my mowing time, and now i need more accounts :laugh:
6) HILLS. The Vantage did surprisingly well on hills (about 40% of my properties) I was a little scared to go up and down some of the hills that my wb could barely make it up, but I was pleasantly surprised. The nice part is you can lean foreward when going straight up a hill, and I never slipped once up or down. On the other hand, going sideways across a hill, I did slide, but I think in time I can improve that as i fully master the controls.
7) Hydros. The hydros are a little touchy and very reactive. Its something that I like alot, but would suck to teach employees.
Some Cons:
1) Fuel Consumption. This thing gulps gas compared to other mowers I have run. It does have a fuel gauge on the tank which helps some.
2) Filling up at the gas station is a pain in the @ss The tank is designed where the cap is at an angle to make fueling easier, but there are two problems, 1. its on the wrong side, 2. If you were to fill the tank to full capacity it would overflow out of the opening
The opening on the wrong side is only a problem if you fill the mowers at the pump, using a gas can would solve this, but I am waiting for the time that I accidentally over fill the tank, it would be easy to do, esp for employees 
3) Deck lever. The height adjustment is barely assisted by the springs. It feels like you are lifting the whole deck. The .25 adjustments are nice though.
4) Backfiring? Every time I shut the engine off after using it for a while the muffler back fires. I dont think its a problem and I heard of it happening to others, but its just annoy AF to me
Overall the Vantage is a great mower, and I am happy that I bought it for the reasons above. Feel free to ask questions, and i can get more detailed pics if anyone wants.
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Some Good Things:
1) Versatility. The Vantage is much more powerful than most walk behinds, and the model that I have is a 24hp Kawasaki. It seems like it has plenty of power for what it does.
2) Maneuverability. The Vantage is a lot more compact than walk behinds, and is shorter in length. The fold up platform saves a fair amount of space, and is very comfortable. I am only 140 pounds, but personally I can really feel the spring in it as oppose to a sulky. The impact from the bumpy areas goes in to your back not knees. This may be good or bad depending on your own situation.
3) Back tires. The rear tires are so much larger than a wb which is very nice on hills, but can make turf tearing a bit easier. The large rear tires are good for stability though.
4) Controls. The controls are basic imo. I have only used an actual ztr a few times, and have used pistol grip wb's almost 100% of the time in the past. The ztr like controls were easy for me to get used to in about 2 hrs of use, and of course being careful.
5) Speed. The speed is average, but what is nice is I am able to get up to higher speeds where in the past my wb's were too hard to adjust speed quickly enough to be efficient. The speed of the the Vantage has taken about 15% off my mowing time, and now i need more accounts :laugh:
6) HILLS. The Vantage did surprisingly well on hills (about 40% of my properties) I was a little scared to go up and down some of the hills that my wb could barely make it up, but I was pleasantly surprised. The nice part is you can lean foreward when going straight up a hill, and I never slipped once up or down. On the other hand, going sideways across a hill, I did slide, but I think in time I can improve that as i fully master the controls.
7) Hydros. The hydros are a little touchy and very reactive. Its something that I like alot, but would suck to teach employees.
Some Cons:
1) Fuel Consumption. This thing gulps gas compared to other mowers I have run. It does have a fuel gauge on the tank which helps some.
2) Filling up at the gas station is a pain in the @ss The tank is designed where the cap is at an angle to make fueling easier, but there are two problems, 1. its on the wrong side, 2. If you were to fill the tank to full capacity it would overflow out of the opening
The opening on the wrong side is only a problem if you fill the mowers at the pump, using a gas can would solve this, but I am waiting for the time that I accidentally over fill the tank, it would be easy to do, esp for employees 3) Deck lever. The height adjustment is barely assisted by the springs. It feels like you are lifting the whole deck. The .25 adjustments are nice though.
4) Backfiring? Every time I shut the engine off after using it for a while the muffler back fires. I dont think its a problem and I heard of it happening to others, but its just annoy AF to me
Overall the Vantage is a great mower, and I am happy that I bought it for the reasons above. Feel free to ask questions, and i can get more detailed pics if anyone wants.
