Exmark has been making waves in the commercial mower industry for a while now, but they have raised the bar even higher with recent additions.
Bringing in a stand-on, zero turn mower in the Staris series is a very welcome addition. Perhaps to reinforce the amount of thought, design and futuristic approach that has been taken to this unit is the name.
Sporting a 2019 tag, the mower is sure to redefine the way this form factor of the machine is viewed among users.
Before we go forward, the Staris is being made available in a variety of sub-series: The E-series and S-series. These will help broaden the choice better for the market. To cap it all off, the latter series has also been developed with a special EFI-model for interested users.
In this review, we will be taking an extensive look at the Exmark Staris Stand-on Mower to see how it holds its own, compared to other units present in the market.
Comparison
The Exmark Staris stand-on mower is not to be expected till spring of 2019. However, it can still be compared against the likes of the Scag V-Ride II, which is yet another sturdy machine in the same category.
Even though the two mowers would be able to compare in terms of functionality, a modern approach gives the former machine a better edge. Consider the better stability and ease of use on the new Staris, and it gets the crown in this battle.
Power
The Staris series features a small range of engines across the various models obtainable. Going into the E-series, a single Kawasaki FS600V engine is available for all the three models.
This engine can manage a speed of 3600 rpm and is powered by a hydro drive system. Coming in a V-twin engine configuration, that is sure to generate enough power needed for some of the most tasking commercial operations.
The S-series is much different and broader in its engine offerings. Two models in this series use a Kohler ECV730 engine supported on the Electronic Fuel Injected system for better fuel management.
Yet another two models carry a Kawasaki FXV730V while the last one is being run on a Kawasaki FX651V engine. All of these engines carry a V-twin configuration and would allow up to 3600 rpms too. They all come with the hydro drive system as before and would support better fuel efficiency too.
While the very last one could be said to carry the smallest engine, that does nothing to take away from its efficiency on the field
Features:
- Series is further divided into E-series and S-series models
- E-series models have cutting decks sized at 32’, 36’ and 44’
- S-series models have cutting decks in 48’, 52’ and 60’ sizes
- Carburated fuel system
- Hydro-drive system
- Float gauge fuel indicator
- Blades speed at approx. 18,500 fpm
- V-Twin engine series
- Minimum of 5-gallon fuel tank and maximum of 10-gallon fuel tank
- Compact design for easy storage and management
- Quality cuts with streamlined decks
- Implementation of smart controller to reduce downtime
- Up to 7mph speeds on E-series and up to 10mph on S-series
The series are used to separate the cutting decks into smaller and larger ones. The E-series represent the former category while the S-series takes the latter.
The engine allows an infinite speed variation system allowing the choosing of different speeds at different times. The Gas EFI on select engines also contribute to the fuel management and efficiency of the affected engines.
Durability
Everyone mower in this series were built with welded, heavy duty steel material. This is sure to contribute some sturdiness to the unit while not making it unnecessarily bulky for comfort.
The steel material protects the machine against scratches and makes it more resistant against rock and metal abuse, among other things. Pending the time there would be commercial tests from actual users, the Staris series can be seen to be as sturdy as can be.
Match all that with the kind of superior engineering that goes into every Exmark product and we could have a winner on our hands.
Comfort
Being a stand-on mower series, it is surely not going to be as comfortable as the cousin mowers with seats. With a large, open platform at the back of the machine though, an optimal position is ensured for the operator.
In this position, they can feel like a part of the machine rather than an extra weight that makes everything clumsy. The positioning also distributes the operator’s weight effectively around the machine and the tires they will be standing in between.
Finally, this position allows for the easy mounting and dismounting of the machine when need be. Did we mention the suspension system for increased user comfort?
Aesthetics
It would be wrong to speak of this unit and leave out its beauty. A color splash of red with black and white detailing on the sturdy metal makes it stand out from afar. That color is made to pop better in how the machine is engineered to not only be functional, but look fashionable.
For all of this aesthetics though, Exmark did not make the mistake of leaving out strength. You get as much as you can hope to on welded carbon steel – which is a lot, if you ask us.
Safety
An intuitive smart controller manages the health of the machine. It does so by giving maintenance reminders and running an on-screen health diagnostic of the machine in real time. This also means more peace of mind for the operator since they won’t be getting onto a machine that could result into accident for them.
A no-slip mat is placed where the operator is usually housed to prevent falling off. This operator position is also made in such a way that allows for easy mounting and dismounting.
Price
Depending on which one of the Staris series models you are looking for, you would be paying differently. Note that costs would be affected by which of the sub-series you would be buying from, special features (if ordering special considerations) and your vendor too.
Overall:
| Performance: |  (3.0 / 5) |
| Cut Quality: |  (4.5 / 5) |
| Durability: |  (4.0 / 5) |
| Comfort: | (3.0 / 5) |
| Price: |  (3.5 / 5) |
| Overall: |  (3.6 / 5) |
Conclusion
We are still a pretty long way away from seeing the first of these units running around. When the time comes though, do they look like a series you would be interested in?
Let us know your thought about the Exmark Staris stand on mower series in the comments section.
