Troy-Bilt has come out with FLEX, the first modular outdoors power equipment tool system. Troy-Bilt’s FLEX line of tools is similar in concept to the modular power tool systems, with their power base units and interchangeable tool heads, that hit the market in recent years.
The FLEX system consists of a power base unit, and several attachments. When the FLEX line launches in the Spring of 2015, there will be one power base and four attachments available – a mower, a snow thrower, a pressure washer, and a jet air sweep. Additional FLEX attachments are planned for the Fall of 2015 and beyond.
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Troy-Bilt says that users can save money and up to 60% of garage or shed storage space by going with the FLEX system instead of individual single-purpose products. Plus, it’s easier to maintain one gasoline engine than separate engines with each tool.
This makes a lot of sense when you think about it. For instance, how often do you need a lawn mower and a snow blower at the same time? There is a tradeoff, in regard to how users don’t have multiple engine or attachment feature options to choose from, at least not yet.
Troy-Bilt FLEX Power Base
The FLEX power base is designed to be rolled up to attachments, which easily click into place for use. A kickstand is then used to disengage the base when it’s time to switch to a new attachment.
Power Base Features
- 208cc OHV all-season engine
- Innovative power interface
- Variable-speed transmission for self-propelled operation
- One step Latch ’n Lock attachment system with kickstand release
- Quick height adjust lever for easy changes when using attachments
- Adjustable ergonomic handle that folds easily for compact storage
- Fully pneumatic turf tires
- Side grab rails for easy lift and transport
- 4-year limited warranty
Price: $399
FLEX 28″ Wide-Cut Mower
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Features
- 28″ offset twin-blade cutting deck
- 3 cutting modes: side discharge, mulch (mulching kit is included), and bag (sold separately)
- Adjustable cutting height of 1″ to 4″
- Front caster wheels can rotate a full 360° for zero-turn maneuverability, and can be locked in-line with rear wheels
- Deck washing system
- 2-year limited warranty
Price: $499
FLEX Snow Thrower (2-Stage)
Features
- Two-stage performance
- 26″ clearing width with four 12″ X-treme auger flights
- 21″ intake height
- Signature Troy-Bilt embossed auger housing with safety reflectors
- 12″ impeller
- Fully adjustable chute direction and pitch control
- 2-year limited warranty
Price: $399
FLEX Pressure Washer
Features
- 3,000 psi
- 2.8 gpm flow
- Flexible 40-ft hose with convenient front-mount storage
- Five quick-disconnect spray nozzles with integrated storage
- Unique on-board tray accommodates multiple sizes of cleaning solution bottles and eliminates traditional solution tanks
- Wand holster for in-use or storage mode
- 2-year limited warranty
Price: $279
FLEX Jet Sweep Leaf Blower
Features
- 14″ impeller fan
- 150 mph max air speed
- 1,000 cfm air flow
- Operator-controlled airflow shut-off
- 0° to 15° adjustable airflow direction
- 90° chute adaptor for front or side blowing
- Lockable front caster wheel
- 2-year limited warranty
Price: $279
Future Attachments
Troy-Bilt has announced plans for additional attachments beyond the four that will be launching alongside the FLEX power base unit.
Fall 2015: 28″ FLEX power broom attachment for cleaning pavement debris, light snow, and leaves. Expected price: $499.
2016: Log splitter, water pump, chipper shredder.
Beyond: Generator, aerator, dethatcher, brushcutter.
Blythe M
Looks cool, but I wouldn’t say the first. My father has a Gravely that works on the same principle; he bought it new in 1980 and still uses the mower and snowblower. Here’s a link that shows some examples of attachments http://www.gravelytractorclub.org/index.php/annual-mow-in/photo-galleries/106-2011/145-photos-by-dwaine-van-bibber
Mike
The old Gravely walk behind Lawn Tractors were the first thing I thought of when I read this, too! Fantastic little machines for taking care of a large lot or small farm and just about as indestructible as non-industrial equipment gets.
AL
Ariens also had a unit with a snowblower, mower and tiller attachments back in the 70’s. It was a fantastic, 10HP machine that lasted about 20 years without any major repairs. I do wish they were still being made, but, after many letters to them, they don’t see any future production of the model. Ariens quality over TroyBuilt??? No question which one my dollars would go to!
Magandsons
My dads gravely is still going strong and it was the first thing i thought of when I went looking for an attachment tractor for my husband and I. Some day I will be the third generation to use and maintain the beast but for now I need to find something that will serve the same purpose. I already know the first thing I’ll miss with this product is the pull behind metal seat 🙂 it was very handy for mowing the larger fields
Szymon
Great idea… For someone that does not have any of these individual tools already.
If you are a new home/farm owner this is great. But if you have already invested thousands of dollars in individual tools, its hard to justify reinvesting money into the same purpose.
I draw back that I see is that because of its need to a multi attachment “tool” it seems to be bulkier than a comparable individual tool. The lawn more seems to be huge in my opinion.
I cool attachment would be something like a trailer mover. The attaching part would have a receiver to allow for a trailer hitch ball to be mounted.
This would be used for maneuver trailers/boats in tight spaces.
(something I have been thinking about as a winter project with a half working snow blower)
Eric
This is a great idea, hopefully it functions well. Modular systems can fall flat in reality.
Jason
This is awsome Evolution tools in the UK offered a similar system. http://www.evolutionpowertools.com/uk/evosystem/
Half the problem with gas outdoor power equipment is maintaining the engine. This cuts down on it substantially you have only one engine to maintain not 3 or 4 for each tool like before.
Jason
I was curious if we would see the modular design creep up into the larger equipment market on a more substantial scale.
Personally, I would want the power base with the mower attachment, that’s a good looking piece of machinery. Plus, my nosy neighbor wouldn’t know what to think when I fired it up.
Steven K
I will revisit this in 2016 when the chipper and log splitter comes out. I hope this will convince the other mower makes to develop something like this. An all in one does make life easier, but if you do lose the main section the attachments are lawn ornaments.
Hang Fire
As Jason said, this cuts down on the number of engines to maintain. A side benefit it you’ll be running that one engine more often, so it will be less likely to be another victim of ethanol gas and its hygroscopic properties. Many a snow blower has failed its owner when stored with last Winter’s fuel.
To be successful the street price of each Flex module has to be lower than the comparable self-powered OPE. Hopefully a homeowner, carefully budgeting their money and adding one more module per year, will find the modules still available at the 4 and 5 year marks.
Adabhael
Maintaining a single, frequently-operated engine would be great, particularly at remote or second properties.
I agree about the price per module needing to be less than comparable OPE, but the price for the base is also critical. It seems to me that per Szymon’s comment: for many people, the decision will come not to go from owning no equipment to some equipment, but when the time comes to replace (or acquire the next) item of equipment. So the comparison will be between a new single-use item or or a base+module with the promise of future savings as equipment hits end of life, is upgraded or new equipment capabilities are needed. I imagine TroyBilt looked at that pretty closely (or I hope the did). I guess now I need to do the same for my situation.
I am surprised they did not do the generator first, it seems like that would be a fairly-common need, and help justify buying in. I could imaging using the argument that “oh look, we’ll get a new piece of ___ equipment, and it will also be our backup generator…”
SawdustTX
Basic question that I can’t find online – what’s the power output of the power head? Kinda important….
Stuart
It might not have been fully determined yet. All of the images above are of prototypes. If Troy-Bilt is finalizing things for production, they won’t provide power output ratings until production units are off the assembly line and tested.
SawdustTX
Thanks for the update.
Jim
Given a spec of “208cc OHV all-season engine’, it is likely between 5 – 5.75HP.
Jason
No company rates small engines by HP anymore after a class action lawsuit. Companies were rating the engines with higher hp figures than they really developed. I would have pushed a generator head be released sooner. I would swap the generator with the log splitter if I was the product manager.
Dave L.
A generator is too cool an idea not to make…I’d be surprised if they didn’t in the future.
Stuart
It’s on their planned roadmap for 2016 and beyond.
John S
I am definitely digging the concept – it would be nice for somebody like myself who is tight on storage space but could use several of the attachments. The only concern I have is the fact that they are Troy-Bilt… not sure I have a ton of confidence in their quality
RKA
I like the idea, but 208cc’s? More power, a generator head and I’d consider it. As previously stated, the engine would get more frequent use which would cut down on ethanol issues.
Mike
Didn’t someone else just release something like this over in Europe a year or two ago? It might not have been to the scale Tory-Bilt is trying to do. I figured it was just another cool thing only europe gets.
My general concern about all these interchangeable products is the ease and fit of the power transfer. Tight “gears” could make it hard to hook up. Where as an easy fit could leave for a loose connection.
firefly
The idea is not new, as some have already mentioned the gravely tractor.
If you are looking for a some serious gardening/farming equipment with attachment I suggest look at http://www.bcsamerica.com/tractors/
Stuart, do you know if the base station is self-propelled? If it’s I can see myself getting one if the future. The generator/snow blower combo as previously suggested sound nice. I also like the pressure washer and the leave blower.
Again I can only see the mower/snow blower as being useful if the base is self propelled. If not it look way to heavy.
Stuart
The press kit I read specifically said it is self-propelled, and then under specs it says: variable-speed transmission for self-propelled operation. I’m not sure what the difference is, but I would assume that tools of this size would be self-propelled.
Jim
Firefly,
Per a recent review by Consumer Reports, the base unit is self=propelled.
“The heart of the Troy-Bilt FLEX line, made by MTD, is a base unit with a 208-cubic-centimeter, overhead-valve engine designed to work in all seasons, a gear-drive transmission, a handle you can adjust for height or fold back for storage, and a one-step latching system for hooking up the attachments. For safety’s sake, the base unit won’t start without an attachment in place”
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/10/it-s-a-snow-blower-it-s-a-lawn-mower-it-s-both/index.htm?loginMethod=auto
Hang Fire
Lol for sale on eBay next year: “for Troy-Bilt FLEX, Starter Override. Allows you to service engine without attachment, or make your own modular attachments.”
Dave L.
A clever idea but not a new one: Toro made a very similar thing in the late 50s-early 60s. One attachment was a reel mower.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aAqUWWL3_g
One problem I can see with this idea: Suppose 10 years down the road you the power unit and several attachments and a major part breaks in the power unit. Many manufactures these days don’t seem to want to make parts for older equipment anymore. What would you do?
RX9
Good point, but the fact that this is created and backed by MTD (who seems to provide a number of replacement parts) makes it more likely for replacement parts to be available. What’s more, if they can get this system to catch on with consumers (by leveraging their other brands and creating the appearance of a widely adopted universal standard) there will be other attachments available as replacements.
Chad
This is cool, one motor many attachments !!
Gonna look into this — hope the make a bagger for the mower
I’m in for the mower blower washer might go for the genny and the log splitter
Need to make an edger and a weed eater or brush attachment for small saplings
Great stuff
Grady
Add DRpower to the list of modular outdoor power equipment.
Bob
What does DRpower have? I think this flex system could be huge but some of the costs do have to come down. I just hope it is not cheaply made and will hold up.
RX9
I feel like this should catch on provided:
1. MTD extends this to the other brands in its lineup, and possibly gets Craftsman and Husqvarna in on the standard. The more brands using the system, the less likely the customer will see it as a gimmick. When the oscillating tool first came out, I didn’t want one because I thought it was a dualsaw like gimmick that would be unsupported in a few years. When I saw Dewalt, Bosch, Makita, Milwaukee, and a host of others getting in on the act, I knew it was not a fad/gimmick and I bought an oscillating tool.
2. The attachment prices are no more than 60% the price of stand-alone units. If I can get a whole new engine for just a few dollars more, why should I bother with a mere attachment?
3. Multiple power heads become available. One of the things that made me comfortable with investing in a wide variety of trimmer attachments was the fact that if the power head broke down, I could replace/upgrade it with a number of choices. At this point in time, you can run your standard square shaft trimmer attachments (Expand-It, TrimmerPlus, Pro-link, etc.) on a variety of platforms, including 2-cycle and 4-cycle motors of various displacement, cost and build quality, as well as Propane, Corded and Cordless electric units.
4. This system gets advertised heavily.
John Sullivan
Kinda wish they would plan to release the generator before 2015’s hurricane season…
Ken
Power head fuel tank only holds a half gallon of gas. You would be refilling very often.
Marvin Fairbank
My great little Troy-Bilt sickle mower is about shot, and they don’t make them anymore. Hopefully, that will be considered in the Flex line too!
Chuck
The Troy-bilt website says that the Flex is “first of its kind”. Really? This very common approach in Europe. Here in the U.S.A., DR has had theirs out for years (brush mower, finish mower, and snow blower attachments) and BCS America has had similar for over a decade (with many attachments including the best tiller made). Gravely has been doing it since the 40’s. If by first of a kind they mean made in China then probably true.
Bob
So according to the Troy Bilt website the cost for the power base, mower, and blower would be $1179.97! I am pretty sure that I can buy two separate machines for less than that. This seems like a way for Lowe’s to get more money out of their customers pockets. I hope that people will do the math before they buy something just because it seems cool.
FT
Troy-Bilt is a copy of LawnCombine’s powered lawn and garden equipment with one powered unit and multiple attachments. Visit http://www.lawncombine.com.
Don
I can find no indication that an electric start is included on the Flex power base – yet the cost comparisons between individual components spec electric start components – an unfair comparison…
Scott
I’ve seen several comments about 10 years worth of use. My thought on that is that if I get 10 years out of a small piece of equipment that is frequently used(mower), I’d be pretty darn happy! I love the concept and was not aware that this had been done before. I really think I’m in! Looks like a very smart way to go.
Pete
The absolute best idea is the single engine. Before the damn EPA started messing with
the fuel,(remember the smell of vaporized MTBE, ugh)gasoline would last two years with little or no degradation. My issue is with my generator. It is used infrequently and I use Stabil in the gas, but that still won’t keep small carb jets from clogging. My
snow blower, I drain the fuel and run it dry, that seems to work the best. If you had one gas engine, it would run year round. The kicker will be affordability!
Scott
I purchased the head unit, and the mower deck was not out yet. Reluctantly, I wanted to try and start the head unit without an attachment, and it will not start. Think there is a safety switch on board to ensure a head unit is attached? If not, I Want to return the unit. Thx
Stuart
It seems like there is – or should be. Otherwise the exposed bits could present severe risk of bodily harm.
Dan
I own the unit as well as most of the attachments. You have to have one of the attachments connected to the power base then it will start. There is a safety switch located on the lower front of the base that will engage once an attachment is in place.
Bob M.
Would think an air compressor would be very handy for small contractors, farmers ,etc. Air nailers, air up tires, etc.
Dave W
The Flex is a little light at 5HP. Small 21″ mowers are about 4HP, including Toro mowers. The size of the snow blower attachment in other versions usually approach 8HP. Put 8HP on the base and I would be interested. Thanks.
Ray
Both my Craftsman chipper/shredder and Cub Cadet Snow Blower are 208cc, and they take all the abuse I can throw at them. 208 is a nice compromise for overall size, weight and power. More power equates to more weight for the power unit as well as the attachments.
Joshua
troy built this is a great concept. Do not cheap out on the handle. Keep in mind it will be pushing snow, and used alot for mowing, as a customer i could care less that it folds down, i have never changed my mower handle for storage. Bulk this up in 1 ss mold and make it sturdy. Another piece of advice to make this more successful. Price the engine at the premium each attachment should be approx $200. This makes the other feature more attractive, when each item is $500 you are not going to gain market share. But if you sell the engine and mower/snowblower for $1500 then additional attatchments for $200, makes this a more attractive option. Also i see issues with your design, do not be afraid build this sturdier or bulkier then the modem shown, i purchase quality, and what a tool that is well built, the frame looks week. The attatchments connections have to be very easy to connect, think of older people here, there is a saver way to do this. I gave you free marketing advice, and helped you gain market share, why not just contact me and i will be glad to beta test what you got, and give you feedback.
Rhonda Helmke
Where’s my tiller?
brian neibert
Why no plans for a tiller attachment???
Ray
Yep, come up with a decent tiller attachment, and I think Im in. Huge space saver and maintence time saver. I currently do not own a tiller due to once a year usage vs year long storage, and no place for it. I do have a push mower, a lawn tractor, a chipper/shredder, a snow blower and a pressure washer, all gas powered and taking alot of space and time to keep maintained. Im seriously thinking about selling all of it for this troy built unit. Only question is quality and support. Waiting to see some long term useage reports. I know what I have works when I need it. My newest piece is the Cub Cadet snow blower, absolutely trouble free for 6 years now. I only buy what I’m confident will last.
Tom
Since Troybilt moved to Chinese production, their quality has gone to Hell. I would never buy another one of their products.
BJ
We just bought a house and I’m interested in this system, but it worries me that new attachments haven’t been announced yet. Is this DOA already?
Rihard Cunningham
I have looked at this several times and am very interested in the concept but need to see some “senior” improvements. I am 66 and my wife is 65. Just moved into a new place with a larger yard so the mower, blower, thrower looks to be just the ticket if I could be sure of the following:
1, Usable by my wife
1. Electric starter
2. Zero turn, eazy turn mower
3. Interlaced mower blades
4. More agressive tires for snow and ice
Otherwise I will wait for a couple of years to see design changes and just go out and buy some used equipment to get by. It would also be good if we could go somewhere to get a hands-on demo to see how it feels. Cannot judge how difficult it would be to turn the mower just by looking at a box at Lowes.
Rihard Cunningham
Hearing reviews from some women who have used this system would be of help.
gene
I looked the other day and the base unit was like $400. The mower was like 3 more. That would buy one hell of a mower!
Scotty
I just got the Flex Base and Mower attachment, and was very disappointed (my fault in not actually using one before buying it) in trying to use it. The following are some of the issues I had:
1. This is NOT a machine for small yards (less than a half-acre) with a lot of items/obstacles (planters, curbs, walls, etc).
2. There is no “speed control” (throttle) on the drive – the only way I can find to move at a slow pace is by gripping the drive lever. This can work if your going basically straight and on a smooth run. If you’re trying to turn around items (trees, planters, etc) or if you hit bumps in the lawn, you can’t really control it very well.
3. There is no “reverse” on the drive – it wasn’t a major problem for mowing, but I can see a definite problem in using the snowblower attachment.
4. As someone mentioned in the thread above, the engagement of the power to the attachment is very hard and I can see if this done multiple/many times in the regular process of mowing, etc there will be a serious maintenance issue with the belts, etc.
5. As several people also mentioned, the concept is great, but the quality needs to be much greater for something of this expense. One item I notice right of the bat was in the adjustment of the wheel height, the “wing nut” on the bolt holding the tires on is made of “plastic” – even if you only change it once in a while, I can see this breaking pretty quickly.
Dan
Just got this machine and I like the concept. Used the leaf blower and just used the
snow blower today. Both worked well.
Only two problems I see thus far.
One, as you stated, no speed control. When you
barely hit the gas it lurches and the front lifts up and it does a wheelie. I try to squeeze it slowly, but it is hard to do.
Two, the fact that there isn’t a reverse gear. It would make some maneuvers a little
bit easier.
jim
I wish they had done a better job marketing this – I love only having one engine to maintain. Yes, there are compromises with all the accessories, but it is pretty neat to have a self propelled chipper shredder or pressure washer when you are lugging it across the yard. Once you have a base, accessories are easy sells. The plug aerator is the cost of one or two lawn aerations or rentals. The snowblower and mower are hundreds less than a comparable.