I got a new Tiger Cat 2 today, not sure if it is for me

[Darryl G]

This is exactly how I teach customers to drive their ZTR's.
Use your writing hand to steer and your other hand to balance the speed.
Forger about one stick forward & the other back, all that will do is dig a hole in your lawn.
Concentrate on the steering hand and just let the other follow to maintain or reduce your speed.

After a few mows you will develop the required muscle memory and will be driving without thought.

I beg to differ. Separating the sticks on turn-arounds does far less damage to turf. Yes it takes some practice. Dragging and scrubbing the inside tire on turns tears turf.

 

[JGGMC]

That is about how we do ours. If we are cutting deep bahia grass mid summer we change them 3 times per day.

We run high lift Oregan blades and try to keep about 20 to 25 sets in the rotation. We hire them sharpened. We have 4 Tiger Cats. Normally run 2 to 3 of them a day depending on the day.

If you don't have a Battery 1/2" drive Impact Wrench it would be to your benefit to get one. With it and a cheap floor jack you can change blades on a Tiger Cat in about 5 minutes. The nuts on top are a game changer. If you ever have a nut tog auld on one you can take a 4 1/2" grinder with a wafer thin blade and cut the bolt off at the nut in minutes and be running shortly.

What size bolt and nut should my Tiger Cat 2 have on the mower blades?

 

[jekjr]

I beg to differ. Separating the sticks on turn-arounds does far less damage to turf. Yes it takes some practice. Dragging and scrubbing the inside tire on turns tears turf.

The key to not tearing turf is to keep the tires rolling instead of locking one or spinning one backwards. I actually can turn around soother with one hand than I can two believe it or not.

 

[jekjr]

What size bolt and nut should my Tiger Cat 2 have on the mower blades?

All you NORMALLY need is a 15/16 impact socket on an impact wrench. On occasion you have to wedge a 15/16 combination wrench underneath and put some persuasion on it with a breaker bar on top. If you can't get it to come loose that way take a wafer blade on a side grinder and cut it off and put a new bolt in it.

Out of hundreds of blade changes since we started running Scags in 2014 though we have only had to do that twice. Almost had to do it on one recently New mower on first blade change......Took it to dealer and they had a large breaker bar with a pipe on it and fowled a combination wrench underneath and finally got it to break loose. Then replaced the bolt and nut.

Normally you can start the nut with your fingers and then take the impact and tighten it with out holding a backup.

ONE WORD OF CAUTION. DO NOT. repeat DO NOT. use impact with your hand underneath trying to hold a wrench. An impact can spin the blades at times like the motor running.

 

[Luffydog]

The cheetahs are the worse about tighten themselves up too tight but I haven't seen one yet that that my big ole 1" impact can't get off. And for the bolt size it is a 5/8 bolt with a 5/8 nut and sorry I forget the length right off. All fails add a little heat from a hand held torch it works wonders but takes longer but gets it done.

 

[jekjr]

The cheetahs are the worse about tighten themselves up too tight but I haven't seen one yet that that my big ole 1" impact can't get off. And for the bolt size it is a 5/8 bolt with a 5/8 nut and sorry I forget the length right off. All fails add a little heat from a hand held torch it works wonders but takes longer but gets it done.

5/8" bolts. 15/16" wrenches......Sockets...

 

[Darryl G]

The key to not tearing turf is to keep the tires rolling instead of locking one or spinning one backwards. I actually can turn around soother with one hand than I can two believe it or not.

Yes, the tire needs to be rolling either frontwards or backwards. But doing a very tight turn can cause the inside tire to scuff and tear turf.

It's easier to learn how to operate a Zero-Turn if you first operate a hydro walk-behind mower, because you can easily see both wheels and what they're doing. I see a lot of homeowners that mow "tractor style" with their Zero-Turn mowers. Kind of defeats the purpose.

Where I am it's expected that professionals mow with straight stripes back and forth, or in some cases along a contour. I do zero turns all day long without damaging lawns. Not like it can't be done. And if it can, then why not?

Note that I run compact and fairly light 52 inch mowers, not full-sized 60 inchers like most around me do.

Edit:. Oh, you run Scags. No wonder. Great machines but heavy. Probably would do a lot of damage if you did what I do. My Bob-Cat is only 850 pounds without the bagger. 52 inch Tiger Cat is 1,100 pounds.

 

[JGGMC]

5/8" bolts. 15/16" wrenches......Sockets...

thanks

 

[JGGMC]

All you NORMALLY need is a 15/16 impact socket on an impact wrench. On occasion you have to wedge a 15/16 combination wrench underneath and put some persuasion on it with a breaker bar on top. If you can't get it to come loose that way take a wafer blade on a side grinder and cut it off and put a new bolt in it.

Out of hundreds of blade changes since we started running Scags in 2014 though we have only had to do that twice. Almost had to do it on one recently New mower on first blade change......Took it to dealer and they had a large breaker bar with a pipe on it and fowled a combination wrench underneath and finally got it to break loose. Then replaced the bolt and nut.

Normally you can start the nut with your fingers and then take the impact and tighten it with out holding a backup.

ONE WORD OF CAUTION. DO NOT. repeat DO NOT. use impact with your hand underneath trying to hold a wrench. An impact can spin the blades at times like the motor running.

I took my my blades off with 2 box end wrenches after 9 hours of use. I sharpened the blades with a 4 1/2 grinder. I am waiting on a blade balancer tool from ebay. How much better are the 100 dollar wall mount blade balancers? Is there a hitch for my scag to pull a fertilizer spreader?

 

[jekjr]

I took my my blades off with 2 box end wrenches after 9 hours of use. I sharpened the blades with a 4 1/2 grinder. I am waiting on a blade balancer tool from ebay. How much better are the 100 dollar wall mount blade balancers? Is there a hitch for my scag to pull a fertilizer spreader?

I honestly don't know about the blade balancer. We hire a shop to sharpen and balance our blades because there are so many. I am not sure about the hitch either. This one might work. https://www.rcpw.com/scag-parts/gen...MI2Zjnsc2Q2wIV07XACh2BTgvjEAYYAiABEgJvpvD_BwE