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Should I sell my FKS/MFD and get Trackers or Dukes?

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Smilemon
Posts: 421 - Karma: 43
I have Moment Night Trains, and I'm going to use them for inbound pow riding, side-country, and occasional (likely short) BC outings and BC booters.

I already own the MFD plates and I have a pair of FKS 155s to slap on them. I haven't bent the brakes yet, and I can pretty easily sell this setup and get all my money back.

I'm much more concerned about downhill performance than touring, which is why I bought the MFD setup, but it looks like its gonna be brutally heavy.

I'm debating on whether or not to go through with this install, or to buy trackers/guardians or the new Dukes.

Thought I'd ask you guys before I pay a bunch of money to get holes drilled in my new skis.

Thanks all.
Nov 12 2012 2:56PM
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LC.
Posts: 5952 - Karma: 2,423
Trackers or Dukes, whichever you can get cheaper.
Nov 12 2012 2:59PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6638 - Karma: 10,532
The Tracker/Guardian binding will offer you the downhill performance you expect from a 2-piece 16-DIN binding, while being lower to the ski than other frame-style A/T bindings. Metal frame, metal heel tower, and metal on metal connection to the ski.
Nov 12 2012 3:02PM
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kirkg8
Posts: 579 - Karma: 57
I bent the piss out of my mfd's I'm personally sticking with my dukes
Nov 12 2012 3:36PM
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bobs
Posts: 4801 - Karma: 869
From what you described, I would suggest Tracker/ Gaurdians as well - should give you the on piste performance you're looking for as well as BC potential

If you decide on trying to sell the 155's shoot me a PM - Ii'm looking for pair for park skis
Nov 12 2012 3:53PM
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cwillygood
Posts: 6831 - Karma: 1,829
id go with the Dukes, the FKS would be a pain in powder getting in and out
Nov 12 2012 4:44PM
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KyleA
Posts: 865 - Karma: 510
Why does this misconception exist?  Is it really that difficult to rotate your heel piece after you dig your ski out?  Also, Dukes actually are a pain in the ass when the heel plate or pivot latch gets iced over.

OP, have you considered going the BCA Trekker route?  If you are riding a ski mainly in bounds, I would not want to be on an AT binding or have an MFD plate.  As long as you check your Trekkers frequently and make sure everything is tight and in working order, they are not that bad.  If you are not going on super long tours and a major reason for touring is hitting jumps, an FKS / Trekker setup is ideal.  I have personally been on Dukes for the last three years and plan on going back to Trekkers this season.  Guardians or Trackers may prove themselves to be a decent binding, but I have my doubts that they will be any better than a Duke.

I suggest you sell the MFD's, keep the FKS's, buy some Trekkers and a handle of whiskey with the extra MFD money, and you will be a happy person.  That is until the Trekkers break in the middle of a long hike.
Nov 12 2012 5:51PM
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Dirty.Harry.
Posts: 1779 - Karma: 351
MFDs are heavy, yes, but it's completely manageable. The downhill performance of my Caylors is still flawless. If you are indeed concerned about downhill performance over weight then the MFD will work.

If you really aren't keen on the MFD anymore, then I would recommend the Guardian over the Duke. The goal of the Guardian is really to achieve what the MFD does but in 1 package: downhill performance and durability over saving weight. The Guardian is also designed for ISO soles not tech soles.

Something to note: the FKS/MFD is ~3300 g, while the Guardian is ~3000. That doesn't seem like much weight savings.
Nov 12 2012 9:37PM
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Smilemon
Posts: 421 - Karma: 43
So... less than 1 lb difference per ski is what you're saying?

Does anyone have input on the uphill performance of the tracker vs the MFD?

Maybe I should just mount the equipment I bought and enjoy my skiing. Reading reviews all summer has me worked up and confused, but it seems like all three systems should work just fine.
Nov 12 2012 9:52PM
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Dirty.Harry.
Posts: 1779 - Karma: 351
No...less than 1 pound total.

FKS/MFD
1075 g (FKS) + 600 g (MFD) = 1675 g x2 = 3350 g total.

Tracker: 1480 x 2 = 2960 g total.

Total difference is about 400 grams. Given That's about half a pound per ski, or not much of a difference in sidecountry/slackcountry/day trips.

If I was doing serious/technical climbs, multi-day trips, or speed laps then I would want something lighter, but I would not get the Tracker to make my setup lighter over the MFD, or even the Dukes (~2630 g). I would get Dynafit. That's why I bought Dynafit this past summer: to have a light touring setup for extended trips or climbs.
Nov 13 2012 9:34PM
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Ecar
Posts: 665 - Karma: 82
Having owned dukes and now riding on Salomons and working at a shop and learning that Marker bullshitted their way with the duke this year and bags on Salomon when Marker knows their binding is crap compared to the new designs.....ID GO WITH SALOMON. Plus they have a FIVE year warranty!
Nov 13 2012 11:02PM
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snomaster
Posts: 3337 - Karma: 5,679
One thing is for sure, all of this shit is way better than the options I had when I got into AT gear 9 years ago! Yes, each can work fine. Though the Salomon seems like the most efficient and effective on the market today for what you want now.
Nov 14 2012 12:45AM
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Ghini
Posts: 2230 - Karma: 2,883
Please, just dont get Dukes.. their are high.. you have to get out of the binding to switch between touring and walking mode, less torsional stiffness than MFD setup, you have to lean down to change the climbing aid [who wants to do that in sketch places?]
Yes the Tracker is a good binding, (you can switch modes with your pole, although its not easy...) go with them or just mount those MFDs and get a lot of pleasure back from that little bit of extra weight..
Nov 14 2012 5:14AM
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Dirty.Harry.
Posts: 1779 - Karma: 351
If you want to save the weight difference between the Tracker and MFD you can purchase Intuition Liners as well. The TFX liner that came in my Dynafit Titan Ultralight weighs 400 grams each, while the Intuition Pro Tour liner I purchased is only 200 g. Total that's 400 grams difference, or about the difference between the two setups.

The cost of the Intuitions is also probably close to the difference you'd pay if you tried to sell your setup and get the Tracker.

Tracker is a solid binder, but if you already have the MFD you may as well stick with that.
Nov 14 2012 6:51AM
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bp_pow
Posts: 7 - Karma: 15
^^Exactly. There is really no point in considering the Guardian/Tracker in regard to weight and downhill performance when you already have the MFD/FKS. I would actually be much more in favor of an MFD setup over the Guardian because you have a proven alpine binding clamped to your feet and not a touring binding that, lets face it, quite possibly may not even reach a true DIN setting of 16. The MFD is built like a tank and in the grand scheme of things is no heavier than the Guardian when paired with the right binding. The weight difference is negligible.
Nov 15 2012 1:53PM
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Smilemon
Posts: 421 - Karma: 43
This is all making me feel better. Probably gonna mount them on Saturday. Thinking about going to EVO in Seattle, they've mounted skis for me before, unless there is another shop I should consider.
Nov 15 2012 2:04PM
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627
Dude you haven't even used it yet??? Goddam don't sell it yet! If it's on the ski, fkn ski it. If there's a problem, deal with it once you've identified it in action. You won't gain much by going to a tracker/guardian, and if you're concerned about downhill, well you've got the best. It's already there, go use that shit.
Nov 15 2012 5:51PM
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division.bell
Posts: 2762 - Karma: 1,905
There are plenty of other shops in the area that I would choose before Evo. But I would call several shops before visiting to be sure the shops will mount the MFD's for you. Could potentially save you a drive for nothing.

I personally only trust Sturtevant's in Bellevue for my mounts, but that's based on my own personal experiences with their techs mounting over 20 pairs of my skis in the past few years.
Nov 15 2012 6:11PM
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