Jones Mercury FASE vs K2 Excavator

79 facts in comparison

Based on 463 Reddit opinions. K2 Excavator leads by 23 points.

463 opinions
K2 Excavator leads by 23pts
Jones Mercury FASE
73%
B-
Based on
514 Redditors

Jones Mercury FASE

~$359.95
194 opinions

tldr; The Jones Mercury FASE receives mostly positive reviews on Reddit (72% positive across 515 mentions). A solid choice in its category.

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VS
Reddit's Pick
K2 Excavator
96%
A+
Based on
616 Redditors
Winner

K2 Excavator

~$503.96
269 opinions

tldr; Volume-shifted powder board that carves groomers hard. Shorter and wider design floats deep snow without sacrificing edge control.

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Flex & FeelTerrain SuitabilityDurabilityComfort & FitEdge Hold
⭐FLE
⭐TER
πŸ”§DUR
❀️COM
🎯EDG
76
Points
93
Points

Score by Category

Flex & Feel
100%73%
Terrain Suitability
50%95%
Durability
70%100%
Comfort & Fit
62%100%
Edge Hold
β€”92%

Why is K2 Excavator better than Jones Mercury FASE?

  • Higher Reddit score (96% vs 73%)
  • Better terrain (95% vs 50%)
  • Better comfort (100% vs 62%)
  • Better durability (100% vs 70%)
  • Volume-shifted - ride 5-10cm shorter
  • Excellent powder float
  • Digs trenches on groomers
Based on 1,130 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner

Reddit prefers the K2 Excavator

Winning by 23 points (96% vs 73%)

Better terrain
Better comfort
Better durability
High confidence (1,130 mentions)

πŸ’¬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 1,130 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Mercury FASE
7.3/10
514 mentions
K2 Excavator
9.6/10
616 mentions
VALUE
Mercury FASE10.0/10
K2 Excavator10.0/10
DURABILITY
Mercury FASE7.0/10
K2 Excavator10.0/10
COMFORT
Mercury FASE6.2/10
K2 Excavator10.0/10
FLEX
Mercury FASE10.0/10
K2 Excavator7.3/10
TERRAIN
Mercury FASE5.0/10
K2 Excavator9.5/10
EDGE HOLD
Mercury FASEN/A
K2 Excavator9.2/10
βš”οΈ

Head to Head

Head to Head

Mercury FASE: 1|K2 Excavator: 4
Value
Mercury FASE100%
K2 Excavator100%
DurabilityK2 Excavator
Mercury FASE70%
K2 Excavator100%
ComfortK2 Excavator
Mercury FASE62%
K2 Excavator100%
FlexMercury FASE
Mercury FASE100%
K2 Excavator73%
TerrainK2 Excavator
Mercury FASE50%
K2 Excavator95%
Edge HoldK2 Excavator
Mercury FASEN/A
K2 Excavator92%
Mercury FASE73%
K2 Excavator96%
Clear winner - K2 Excavator leads by 23 points

Key Specs

SpecJones Mercury FASEK2 Excavator
Flex
Medium-stiff (4/5)
β€”
Entry System
FASE Fast Entry System
β€”
Baseplate
Fusion XR Baseplate
β€”
Highback
AsymFlex Highback
β€”
Mounting Disk
Universal Mounting Disk (4x4, 2x4, EST/Channel compatible)
β€”

Key Highlights

Jones Mercury FASE
Solid community reputation
Frequently recommended
K2 ExcavatorWinner
πŸ“ Volume-shifted - ride 5-10cm shorter
❄️ Excellent powder float
🎿 Digs trenches on groomers
πŸ‘Ÿ Wide waist fits larger boots
πŸ’° $320-350 range - good value

Topic Battles

Mercury FASE: 1|Tied: 0|K2 Excavator: 4
⭐Flex & Feel
Mercury FASE wins
Mercury FASE
100%
K2 Excavator
73%
⭐Terrain Suitability
K2 Excavator wins
Mercury FASE
50%
K2 Excavator
95%
πŸ”§Durability
K2 Excavator wins
Mercury FASE
70%
K2 Excavator
100%
❀️Comfort & Fit
K2 Excavator wins
Mercury FASE
62%
K2 Excavator
100%
🎯Edge Hold
K2 Excavator wins
Mercury FASE
β€”
K2 Excavator
92%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

πŸ“ˆWhere They Rank

πŸ’¬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for K2 Excavator

Best Praise
+21 pts
β€œIt's awesome! However, I think a K2 Excavator would be a better alternative for those conditions she is riding in. The Excavator would float better and have better turning ability for carving, cutbacks and deep barrel rides.”
r/snowboarding
View
Top Criticism
+4 pts
β€œDefinitely the Antidote over the Excavator if you want to be more freestyle. The excavator has a more damp core and is a volume shifted powder board. Antidote is Sage’s twin backcountry freestyle board. It is about as stiff as the Alchemist. If you want something softer but also more freestyle wait for the Sky Pilot. It’s also Sage’s other backcountry freestyle board but softer.”
r/snowboarding
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Jones Mercury FASE

Best Praise
+11 pts
β€œI’ve never been quicker strapping in from the chair with my fase… they are absolutely a convenience feature. Which I love and support. You know when you trying to strap in and you step on your angle strap and then you have to find the hole for the buckles to strap in and your there fidgeting.. Yh it helps with that and if you miss that they work like that just the same so nothing loss more to gain🫑 I really like mine. You might really like yours. Send it”
r/snowboarding
View
Top Criticism
+48 pts
β€œThis does not look like a FASE issue. This looks like a general snowboarding skill issue. It looks like the rider in the video has less than a week ever on a mountain.”
r/snowboarding
View
3 more quotes available below

πŸ“ˆHistorical Price Data

Jones Mercury FASE
K2 Excavator
$400$500$600Jul '25Sep '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Dec '25Dec '25Jan '26Mar '26Apr '26Low: $359.95Low: $464.99Current: $369.99Current: $489.99
Jones Mercury FASE
All-time low: $359.95(2026-01)
$4 below 90-day avg
K2 Excavator
All-time low: $464.99(2026-04)
$43 below 90-day avg

Which is Better?

K2 Excavator Wins
96%
Excavator
vs
73%
FASE

K2 Excavator leads by 23 points based on 1,130 Reddit opinions.

Why K2 ExcavatorWinner
  • πŸ“ Volume-shifted - ride 5-10cm shorter
  • ❄️ Excellent powder float
  • 🎿 Digs trenches on groomers
Why Mercury FASE
  • Still a solid choice depending on your priorities

❀️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

43%Positive
Positive
43%
Neutral
56%
Negative
1%
Based on 616 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

27%Positive
Positive
27%
Neutral
62%
Negative
11%
Based on 514 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, K2 Excavator or Jones Mercury FASE?
Based on 1,130 Reddit comments, K2 Excavator is the preferred choice with 96% positive sentiment vs Jones Mercury FASE's 73%. K2 Excavator leads by 23 percentage points.
Should I buy K2 Excavator or Jones Mercury FASE?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, K2 Excavator has stronger approval ratings (96% vs 73%). However, Jones Mercury FASE may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about K2 Excavator?
Reddit users highlight: Volume-shifted - ride 5-10cm shorter. Excellent powder float. Digs trenches on groomers. With 616 mentions and 96% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Jones Mercury FASE?
Jones Mercury FASE has 514 mentions on Reddit with 73% positive sentiment. It's frequently discussed as a solid option.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 1,130 Reddit comments: 616 about K2 Excavator and 514 about Jones Mercury FASE. Data was sourced from Snowboarding Gear community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

463 Reddit opinions analyzed Β· Last updated 5/31/2026