The fact that there is a flexible section of exhaust hose means that Scag knows there is a vibration issue. That stuff is EXPENSIVE and isn't added to an exhaust system simply to add "good looks" !!!
1. As I understand it.... the muffler mounts to the back plate on the mower, while the pipe mounts to the engine. Therefore you have a mount that's "3 generations" removed from the source. That is... motor mounts to the frame, frame mounts the back plate, back plate mounts the muffler. The break in the muffler could be a
symptom that the back plate is not firmly mounted to the frame, or that the engine is not firmly bolted down.
2. It is also possible that the back plate is moving despite being firmly bolted to the frame. This happens when the "natural frequency" of the back plate matches one of the frequencies generated by the engine. In that case you may need to add
rubber isolation mounts between the muffler and back plate to allow the muffler more flexibility. Lots of cars and motorcycles use this system.
CLICK HERE. Simply replace the fasteners between the muffler and back plate with some of those rubber mounts.
Hope this helps.