Export thread

New to the forum.

Looking to buy my first Scag ZTR mower and would like some advice from the experts.

INFO:
1. I absolutely want a SCAG commercial grade mower
2. I have 3 places to cut:
Primary residence (1 ac. flat terrain)
Rental house #1 (1 ac. mostly flat terrain)
Rental house #2 (4 ac. mostly flat but some bumpy terrain with some thick grasses and lots of obstacles)
3. Will be cutting primary residence and rental house #1 every 2 weeks during season
4. Will be cutting rental house #2 every 4 weeks during season
5. Will be looking at 52" deck

Based on the specs shown above ... which model (AND WHY) would you recommend? (Tiger Cat, Cheetah, or Turf Tiger)

Thanks in advance!!!

db52282 said:

New to the forum.

Looking to buy my first Scag ZTR mower and would like some advice from the experts.

INFO:
1. I absolutely want a SCAG commercial grade mower
2. I have 3 places to cut:
Primary residence (1 ac. flat terrain)
Rental house #1 (1 ac. mostly flat terrain)
Rental house #2 (4 ac. mostly flat but some bumpy terrain with some thick grasses and lots of obstacles)
3. Will be cutting primary residence and rental house #1 every 2 weeks during season
4. Will be cutting rental house #2 every 4 weeks during season
5. Will be looking at 52" deck

Based on the specs shown above ... which model (AND WHY) would you recommend? (Tiger Cat, Cheetah, or Turf Tiger)

Thanks in advance!!!

Click to expand...

I run an operation in South Alabama. I operate two Tiger Cat mowers with 52" decks. I personally have not found anything that I like better. I have not operated a Cheeta but I actually have a Turf Tiger demonstrator right now that I am trying out. it has a 61" deck.

I have also demonstrated a Turf Tiger before.

We cut properties from very small to numerous acres. Some days we cut over 20 acres in a day.

In my opinion a person can get a Tiger Cat with the Kawasaki motor and he will not go wrong. In my opinion the $$$ difference in the others is not economically sound. I might go ahead and buy a Tiger Cat with a 61" deck in the future. For us the Tiger Cat is so much more maneuverable, it is lighter, it does less turf damage, it will handle wet conditions better, and is a great all around mower.

Hope that helps. If there is anything else I can help you with feel free to ask.

db52282 said:

New to the forum.


5. Will be looking at 52" deck

Based on the specs shown above ... which model (AND WHY) would you recommend? (Tiger Cat, Cheetah, or Turf Tiger)

Thanks in advance!!!

Click to expand...

If you want a 52" deck Tiger Cat is a no brainer. Tiger Cat and Turf Tiger would be major overkill in my opinion.

Thanks Jekjr!!!

I have actually used a friends older Tiger Cub and was sold on Scag mowers at that time. His Tiger Cub was extremely used (and possibly abused) but just kept on going. He is a forester and uses his equipment (like a landscaper) to make a living. I respect his opinion and he sold me on Scag.

I like the Tiger Cat but really like the Turf Tiger too. I like the fact that it has a shaft drive to connect the deck. It seems like that would be less to worry about (regarding belts) but could also require more maintenance because of complexity. I'm a stickler with maintenance and enjoy taking care of my equipment.

Since I am buying new ... there is a $2600 difference between the Tiger Cat and Turf Tiger mowers based on a quote from local dealer.

That would buy a LOT of parts and gas if I got a Tiger Cat.

Thanks for the advise!!

db52282 said:

New to the forum.

Looking to buy my first Scag ZTR mower and would like some advice from the experts.

INFO:
1. I absolutely want a SCAG commercial grade mower
2. I have 3 places to cut:
Primary residence (1 ac. flat terrain)
Rental house #1 (1 ac. mostly flat terrain)
Rental house #2 (4 ac. mostly flat but some bumpy terrain with some thick grasses and lots of obstacles)
3. Will be cutting primary residence and rental house #1 every 2 weeks during season
4. Will be cutting rental house #2 every 4 weeks during season
5. Will be looking at 52" deck

Based on the specs shown above ... which model (AND WHY) would you recommend? (Tiger Cat, Cheetah, or Turf Tiger)

Thanks in advance!!!

Click to expand...

Since you already said I absolutely want a SCAG commercial grade mower there isn't a whole lot of advice anyone can give you. If I was to give you advice it would be to go look at some other mowers before you drop the money on a Scag, not that it's not a good mower but there are others out there that are just as good if not better. Like Exmark, Toro, Hustler. I'd shop around a little and Demo some others.

The Turf Tiger with a horizontal shaft engine, has gear boxes and a drive shaft included in the deck drive system, the shaft is driven by a V belt at the engine mounted clutch and at the deck the shaft drives the deck V belt.
The Tiger Cat with a vertical shaft engine has a deck drive V belt and a deck V belt. The deck drive V belt although under the machine, is fairly easy to replace.
I've never owned a Turf Tiger but I've serviced some for customers over the years, they are no doubt a fine machine with lots of them in use. Having used one of my customers Turf Tigers at several of my own lawn customers places, I decided to go with a Tiger Cub as it is smaller and more maneuverable for the type on lawns that I regularly do. The Turf Tiger that I used had a 61" deck which was too wide and scalped too much on the uneven areas that I encounter. My 2008 Tiger Cub has a 48" deck with a Scag collection system installed and used about 90% of the time.
If you need to transport the machine, then deck width is a consideration loading and off loading in a trailer.
The Tiger Cub upgraded to a Tiger Cat when Scag made the model change and also discontinued the Wildcat model. The Tiger Cat includes all of what a Tiger Cub was with some of the upgrades that were found on Wildcat models.
Scag has also come out with a Tiger Cat II which has some refinements above the Tiger Cat, specifically the electrical/electronic panel, fuel gauge, disc brakes, foot operated brake/parking brake, four position deck leveling.
You may also consider looking at the Scag Patriot which is a new model in the commercial entry level. What is nice about the Patriot although it is an entry level machine is has a high level engine.
I also have a Hustler X-ONE 60" rear discharge deck, Kawasaki FX730V engine and Hustler upper level machines are excellent.
Hustler machines have the parking brake incorporated into the control levers and when extended out, the parking brake is on. If you need to get on and off the machine during mowing operations, the Hustler parking brake system is the easiest.
Just a few thoughts from Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

Ric said:

Since you already said I absolutely want a SCAG commercial grade mower there isn't a whole lot of advice anyone can give you. If I was to give you advice it would be to go look at some other mowers before you drop the money on a Scag, not that it's not a good mower but there are others out there that are just as good if not better. Like Exmark, Toro, Hustler. I'd shop around a little and Demo some others.

Click to expand...

There are probably a few good brands of ZTR mowers out there that are comparable to the SCAG.I think the best thing to do is to make sure to get a COMMERCIAL unit.I think a lot of people trust the reputation and fact that SCAG has been doing this longer than most ZTR mowers on the market right now.

Having gained experience with ZTRs, I've come to some conclusions about them and basic recommendations for perspective ZTR buyers.
Tight turns will tear up turf, larger diameter and wider tires reduce turf damage.
As most ZTRs are ridged frame machines with no suspension, they are hard riding.
A suspension seat increases operator comfort as compared to the basic seat.
ZTRs are dusty by nature of their design, an engine with increased air filtration is recommended.
Unless you are operating on absolutely flat and smooth lawns, maximum ground speed of the machine will not be attained.
As there is no direct control of the front wheels, ZTRs will slide sideways unexpectedly on hills.
Being specialized machines for mowing, they don't do much else very well.
They have a very limited towing capacity, usually 250 LBS max.
The ZTRs that have electrically actuated deck height adjusting are slow to react and difficult to return back to a specific deck height.
Foot actuated deck height systems are quicker to temporarily raise up to pass over hard objects.
Generally the decks are not easily removed from the machine.
No matter how the blades are attached to the spindles, the machine front must be raised up to do blade changes and under deck cleaning.
Support your local dealer and they will generally support your needs.
Once familiar with the machine, mowing time will decrease.
Read and understand the operators manual, read it again!!!
I'm not bad mouthing ZTRs, but having been a garden tractor operator for many years, I went thru moments with my first ZTR that were frustrating for me.
It took me a long time to get acclimated to ZTR operations, now I won't be without a ZTR.
I do get long winded at times, this will end soon as the mowing season has started.
Enjoy!!!:laughing:

Did you consider a Freedom Z Pro? Based on your volume, it seems that would suffice and you probably will save some $$.

jac233 said:

Did you consider a Freedom Z Pro? Based on your volume, it seems that would suffice and you probably will save some $$.

Click to expand...

jac233, yes I did consider a Freedom Z. It is, in my opinion an excellent machine but I don't think it come with the Velocity deck that is on the commercial units.
Also, I am looking at picking up some more rental units and my cutting volume will increase. The extra $$ certainly are a consideration but not high on the list of concerns since I can expense the unit to my real estate business.

Thanks for the suggestion!!!

I'm no expert but can tell you that the more robust construction of the Tiger Cat along with the larger wheels that come with the 52" model make a big difference on rough ground and steep terrain. I mow approximately 5+ acres of pasture with my 2013 Tiger Cat 52" and depending upon how detailed I mow around trees and in gullys I can spend 6 hours a week each time I mow and look like an old racoon by the time I finish due to the dust.

The more you are mowing on lawn conditions the time it takes to mow goes down considerably but rough ground and obstacles is what it is. I believe with the amount of mowing you are stating you'll benefit from a commercial grade mower like the Tiger Cat.

Best of luck to you.

The Tiger Cat is a great machine, if you look around you might find one, the new version is the Tiger Cat ii.
The dealer I bought mine from had the older Tiger Cat and the Freedom Z at around the same price.

I know that this thread is getting a little old. However you mentioned the Turf Tiger having the shaft drives and gearboxes verses the v belts. Think about this point. The gear boxes are just something else to maintain and tear up. I ran two mowers of another brand with drive shafts and gearboxes and had problems with both at less than 400 hours. I have been able to run the Tiger Cats over 300 hours before changing the main deck belt and I have 700+ on one and 800+ on the other and have never changed the other deck belt on either. I have changed the pump belt on both at 500 hours and I had an idler bearing go out on one on the pump drive and I went ahead and put a new belt on it but I saved the belt and will probably run it again.........

jekjr said:

I know that this thread is getting a little old. However you mentioned the Turf Tiger having the shaft drives and gearboxes verses the v belts. Think about this point. The gear boxes are just something else to maintain and tear up. I ran two mowers of another brand with drive shafts and gearboxes and had problems with both at less than 400 hours. I have been able to run the Tiger Cats over 300 hours before changing the main deck belt and I have 700+ on one and 800+ on the other and have never changed the other deck belt on either. I have changed the pump belt on both at 500 hours and I had an idler bearing go out on one on the pump drive and I went ahead and put a new belt on it but I saved the belt and will probably run it again.........

Click to expand...

Thanks Jekjr!! I have pretty much decided on a Scag Tiger Cat 52" with a Kawasaki 22hp engine. I think it will last me the remainder of my cutting days and will be passed on to one of my kids. Now if I can get my dealer to sell me one at a super good deal. I have called several Scag dealers in my area and they all quote the same price for this unit. I can't wait to get it and will post pictures one I do.

Some great advice has already been provided. All Scag mowers are commercial grade and will serve you well. When reading your requirements, I thought you probably could not go wrong with any 52 inch deck Scag. I think the 61 inch deck may be too large with a lot of obstacles on small acreage.

I have a Cheetah 61" with the 27 hp Kawasaki with 66 hours on it. I mow 3 acres with trees. I was drawn to the suspension seat and the longer frame of the Cheetah. I wanted a mower that would be safe, comfortable and get my place looking like golf course in a hurry. Some people thought I bought the larger Scag because I wanted to mow their place. Wrong, I hate mowing. If I am going to do it to save money, I want a good mower that will get it done fast. I have never used the high speed gear selection on the Cheetah, which means all my mowing is 11 mph or less. The high speed could come in handy if I wanted to drive to a gas station but that would be risky in my area.

In my search, I found Scag prices to be consistent between dealers. I felt my closest dealer would be best and so far they have been excellent.

I am 65 years old and hope my Cheetah will be the last mower I buy. So far, it is smooth, fast, and easy to control. When I do screw up and hit something, the Cheetah is not harmed. However I have bent several fence posts and moved propane tanks. lol

db52282 said:

Thanks Jekjr!! I have pretty much decided on a Scag Tiger Cat 52" with a Kawasaki 22hp engine. I think it will last me the remainder of my cutting days and will be passed on to one of my kids. Now if I can get my dealer to sell me one at a super good deal. I have called several Scag dealers in my area and they all quote the same price for this unit. I can't wait to get it and will post pictures one I do.

Click to expand...

I have a buddy with a Tiger Cub that is around 20 years old and it runs great. I don't see why his won't run 10 more years or more. So if you maintain yours reasonably you outta get 20 to 30 years plus unless you cut a lotta grass.

I have seen some in our area that are years old with 1000's of hours on them still running hard every day.

Hi Troops,
Was at my local Scag dealer yesterday and saw Kawasaki engine oil synthetic blend with zinc stated on the label. I think that this is fairly new from Kawasaki.
I've been using straight 30 in the FX730 on my hustler X-ONE, but I may change to the Kawasaki oil 20W50.

Zinc is in all oil. Some more than others. Good marketing for you I guess. By the way they do not manufacture that oil they just slap a label on it.

BlazNT said:

Zinc is in all oil. Some more than others. Good marketing for you I guess. By the way they do not manufacture that oil they just slap a label on it.

Click to expand...

Truth is most oil is just labeled..... If an oil has the certification stickers on it the more you pay for it the better the marketing got you...

mcdonell said:

Some great advice has already been provided. All Scag mowers are commercial grade and will serve you well. When reading your requirements, I thought you probably could not go wrong with any 52 inch deck Scag. I think the 61 inch deck may be too large with a lot of obstacles on small acreage.

I have a Cheetah 61" with the 27 hp Kawasaki with 66 hours on it. I mow 3 acres with trees. I was drawn to the suspension seat and the longer frame of the Cheetah. I wanted a mower that would be safe, comfortable and get my place looking like golf course in a hurry. Some people thought I bought the larger Scag because I wanted to mow their place. Wrong, I hate mowing. If I am going to do it to save money, I want a good mower that will get it done fast. I have never used the high speed gear selection on the Cheetah, which means all my mowing is 11 mph or less. The high speed could come in handy if I wanted to drive to a gas station but that would be risky in my area.

In my search, I found Scag prices to be consistent between dealers. I felt my closest dealer would be best and so far they have been excellent.

I am 65 years old and hope my Cheetah will be the last mower I buy. So far, it is smooth, fast, and easy to control. When I do screw up and hit something, the Cheetah is not harmed. However I have bent several fence posts and moved propane tanks. lol

Click to expand...

I thought the same thing when I was looking, The only thing that made me go with the 61 inch deck was that it hung out past the rear wheels, the 52 inch was almost flush with the rear tires.

They both are great decks.

John R said:

I thought the same thing when I was looking, The only thing that made me go with the 61 inch deck was that it hung out past the rear wheels, the 52 inch was almost flush with the rear tires.

They both are great decks.

Click to expand...

I guess that is really a personal preference thing or possibly an application issue as far as size of deck. If we cut the same property over and over again that was level I definitely would go with the 61". In our application we run the 52" decks for numerous reasons. First they don't seem to scalp quite as bad on rough ground. They will go in tighter spots than the 61" decks will. Third they take less space in the trailer.......

We cut properties at times that I wish we had 61 or even 72" decks but overall the 52" decks serve us well because they work for us better in such varied applications.

Wider decks make transporting the machines more difficult and the wider the deck the longer the reach to change the middle blade. I'm on my 4th cargo trailer which is a 7' X 16' and the ramp cables limit me to 52" decks as I use a collection system. My Hustler X-ONE is a 60" rear discharge deck machine and I can load it with no problem as it doesn't have a side chute. My 2nd cargo trailer was an 8 X 20 10,000 GVW unit, nice trailer, but too big to get in and out of places. I was never one to park on the side of a street or highway while I did the job either mowing or snow removal.
Several of my full time lawn care guys got a hankering to get new machines with wider decks, one of them did. It took him a season to get his employees to take advantage of the wider decks and a long time to realize any time savings.
I've been mowing part time and doing maintenance part time for over 30 years and I've seen frequent turnover in company ownership and employees. Not many stay in this business long term.