Buying a new Tiger Cat 52". What Engine should I get?

[tigercat]

You drive a zero turn like a motorcycle. In other words you counter steer. On my bike, I push the handlebar to turn the way I go. If I want to go left, I push forward my left arm on the left handlebar. So, when I ride my Scag I operate it the same way. No wonder I feel like I do when ride it around as I'm always reaching for my helmet!:laughing:

A lot of safeties to know about. You start it with both handles swong out and parking break on. You need to b on the seat as well. I got stumped once while doing leaves as I shut it down so a neighbor could chat with me and I couldn't re-start it. I thought I broke down, until I remembered....:confused2:

 

[dnewton3]

You drive a zero turn like a motorcycle. In other words you counter steer. On my bike, I push the handlebar to turn the way I go. If I want to go left, I push forward my left arm on the left handlebar. So, when I ride my Scag I operate it the same way. No wonder I feel like I do when ride it around as I'm always reaching for my helmet!:laughing:

Ummmmmm - NO!

You have the countersteering concept correct when it comes to bikes.
You have it wrong concerning ZTRs. There is no "countersteering" on a ZTR because it cannot pivot it's CG transversly over the vertical axis of it's path of travel.

You can "lean" a motorcycle left or right and you balance the effects of centrifugal and centripedal forces. Counterstreering only applies to traditional two-wheeled vehicles, and is the concept of making the front wheel transfer off the travel line of the rear wheel, creating a controlled fall of sorts. When you push with your left arm on the left handlebar, it causes the handlebar to "turn" right, which causes the front tire to move to the right of the CoG by altering the front tire off the path of travel of the rear, and therefore the bike "falls" to the left. As the front wheel continues to stay outside the relative path of travel, the bike is traveling in an arc to the left. That arc begets the centripedal force; it's the acceleration of your mass trying to continue in a straight line at infinite vectors. Gravity provides the centrifugal force (falling toward center of the arc with infinite continual vectors). They balance out as long as you maintain the arc via the velocity and steering input. Yada, yada, yada ... simply put; push left, go left. The reason it's referred to as "counter steering" is because four-wheel folks consider it turning the "wheel" (handlebar) to the right, but the bike goes left. If the motorcycle had a wheel rather than a bar, it would indeed mean you'd have to "turn" the "wheel" to the right to go left. Hence, the term "countersteering".

But you don't "lean" a ZTR. When you push on the left control lever on a ZTR, the unit will go RIGHT and not left (presuming you're holding the other control lever at some constant relative to the motion of the left one being moved forward) because you are advancing the left wheel motor drive relative to the other. ZTRs don't counter steer. simply put; push left, go right. If the ZTR had a wheel instead of control levers (and some do), you'd turn the wheel right to go right. There is no "contersteering" on a ZTR.


I understand what you were trying to say, but you were incorrect in the way you stated it.
Yes - when you drive a ZTR you push the left bar to go right; in a way that could be "counter driving". But it's not counter-steering. And the two are NOT the same when it comes to bikes versus anything with more than two wheels.

 

[dnewton3]

Later model Tiger Cubs have the Velocity deck and continued on to the Tiger Cats.
Suspension seat or better depending on the model.
Hydraulic hoses have an outside covering similar to what is required on aircraft.
All Kawasaki engine options have the two stage HD air filtration system standard. The Kohler engine option does also. The Briggs option is the Commercial Turf series also with an improved air filter.
Foldable ROPS is standard.
Wider rear tires, less turf damage while turning.
Tapered roller bearings in the front axles, had been ball bearings.
Redesigned rear frame in the engine exhaust area.
Cast iron deck spindle housings, Tiber Cubs have aluminum housings.
All new machines regardless of make are required to have the fuel evaporative system, not an upgrade and adds to maintenance.
There may be more.
In March of 2013 I repowered my 2008 tiger Cub with a 30 HP Briggs Commercial Turf series engine as I was having a problem with the original 26 HP Briggs ELS engine.
Scag has always been quick to make changes when they become aware of problematic components. For example, the engine hour meters, engine start solenoids, engine cranking circuit relays, fuse holders and the bearings on the collection blower fan shaft come to mind at the moment.
Had I not repowered my Tiger Cub, I would now have a new Tiger Cat, but still with a 48" deck as with the collection blower installed, a wider deck would come too close to the cables on the ramp of my trailer.
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

Interesting ...

I think my Tiger Cub is a 2003 model? I bought it new, but don't recall the year. I know I bought it two years after moving into our home, which was 2001, so I can only presume I have a 2003 Tiger Cub. However, as I bought it early in the season in 2003, it may have been a left-over 2002 model. I truly don't know. I'd have to pull out the paperwork to know.

My Cub is a STC48 with 19hp Kaw, and has many of the features you describe. I do have the velocity deck. However, my seat is just a basic one. I don't recall my hoses being covered, but they are well routed and stay reasonbly clean so I don't know that matters much to me. I do have the OEM two-stage high-end air filter set up; it came that way. My Cub has mounts for ROPS, but did not include one nor a belt. I know the front bearings are tapered; I've had it apart. I know my blade spindles are cast iron and have the over-grease protection poppet; they are not aluminum because I was showing my son the difference between our Scag and a cheap L120 Deere deck so he could see the difference. The spindles have the large pass through bolt design which enables easy and quick blade removal as well as the very thick mounting flange for the spindle to mount to the deck.

Seems like my Cub was perhaps built around a time when they were melding some features across the brand line? I still have the brochure from when I purcased the unit, and as I recall, many of the heavy duty features (Vel deck, cast iron spindles, etc) were even touted in the brochure as being present for all models. That's one reason I bought the Scag at the time over Deere and Exmark; the Scag was truly commerical in its approach even down to it's smaller models. My Tiger Cub is built as heavy and well as any Tiger Cat or Cheeta of the day. I wanted a smaller unit for trim mowing around obstacles on my 8 acres and to be able to pass through our walk gates, so I got the 48" Cub. But it has every HD feature that all the other Scag models had at the time.

We just prep'd it yesterday for this mowing season. I will never regret buying it; it's commercial grade and will last me a lifetime.

 

[tigercat]

Oh nevermind my post... too early in the morning... After I read what I posted your right!:laughing:

 

[Champ]

You drive a zero turn like a motorcycle. In other words you counter steer. On my bike, I push the handlebar to turn the way I go. If I want to go left, I push forward my left arm on the left handlebar. So, when I ride my Scag I operate it the same way. No wonder I feel like I do when ride it around as I'm always reaching for my helmet!:laughing:

A lot of safeties to know about. You start it with both handles swong out and parking break on. You need to b on the seat as well. I got stumped once while doing leaves as I shut it down so a neighbor could chat with me and I couldn't re-start it. I thought I broke down, until I remembered....:confused2:

I'm in a lake with that method! :smile: Cut the lawn at my building property today and was a pleasure to use. Great cut.

 

[RedEyedRooster]

I bought a Tiger Cat 52" with Kaw FX691V motor for $8000.00 after taxes 4/23/14. I mow 4.5 acres that is hilly and was worried I bought to small but have to say I'm impressed. Never drove a zero turn before and haven't mowed this year (grass between 5-9 inch) till I brought it home. I asked for some hearing protection for Christmas sense I cut wood for supplemental heat and ended up getting a pair of Howard Leight AM/FM radio ear muffs. So put about 2.5 gal. of gas in each side, put on my ear protection and took off. First I was going to go around the house (being lazy) then thought I'll just do the front yard (went pretty fast) then might as well do the back. Radio said rain tomorrow so I'll go around the barn, well might as well do the other half of the property where I planted 40 trees 5 years ago. It probably took 2hrs (guessing) not knowing what i was doing (I looked like Tony Stewart on a dirt track coming around those trees) grass was high in areas but never bogged down and yard has no clumps at all, amazing. I did use one side of the gas tanks ( full throttle @ 2hr stopping to pick up branches over 2" diameter) Now I'm looking at fertilizing my yard where before thought I couldn't keep up with the growth, lol. Man you all probably know but the hearing protection really made a difference ( I had a apple tree rake them off my ear once and couldn't wait to get them back in place). Really am impressed with the power, speed, and quality of cut with this unit.

 

[tigercat]

Only bad thing about the Tiger cat is if the grounds are wet or damp, on hills your going to spin your real wheels, going up or down.
So, I just cut in the afternoon. No big deal. The machine weighs a lot with more power than you imagine.

 

[djdicetn]

The Scag web site says the 52" Tiger Cat comes with the 691FX and the 61" with the 730FX. Are they similar builds with different HP?. I'm going to the dealer tomorrow and hopefully will make an engine decision. Kohler is $300 more. Thanks for your help. I'll let you know how I make out.

I have the Kawa FX691V on my Gravely and it is one lean, mean cutting machine. If you compare the torque on the Kawa compared to Kohlers and others you will find the Kawasaki has an edge. And others on the forum will tell you that since the class-action and subsequent overhaul of hp ratings you should pay little attention to that spec compared to the torque produced. Torque is what cuts tall, thick grass without straining the engine....not hp!!!

EDIT:Ooooops, I should have continued reading this thread before responding.......but I see you made the right choice on engines:0)

 

[Mad Mackie]

Only bad thing about the Tiger cat is if the grounds are wet or damp, on hills your going to spin your real wheels, going up or down.
So, I just cut in the afternoon. No big deal. The machine weighs a lot with more power than you imagine.

Loosing traction on damp grass is normal for ZTRs.

 

[Loosenut]

Reading online the other day I saw that the Kawasaki has higher torque than it's US counter parts even though they we huger HP.