Tiger Cat 52”, which engine?

[Jon Hubert]

You were probably recommended the regular Cheetah. Theres two models I believe. At least there was the past few years. One is a two speed liquid cooled 61" big dollar monster, and the other is what I have. The dealer told me when I bought mine it was taking over for the tiger cat but maybe that didnt happen. I like my Cheetah, (52", Kohler CV740, and Im 6' ~210lbs.) but best bet is go to your dealer and try one out. They may let you take one home and mow with it once. I bet it wont go back to the dealer after that though!

 

[BobbyV43]

You were probably recommended the regular Cheetah. Theres two models I believe. At least there was the past few years. One is a two speed liquid cooled 61" big dollar monster, and the other is what I have. The dealer told me when I bought mine it was taking over for the tiger cat but maybe that didnt happen. I like my Cheetah, (52", Kohler CV740, and Im 6' ~210lbs.) but best bet is go to your dealer and try one out. They may let you take one home and mow with it once. I bet it wont go back to the dealer after that though!

A guy who has cut my grass a few times has a cheetah. He’s going to let me demo it next week for my final
cut of the season. I’m just note sure I need all that speed and fuel capacity. Right now I’m leaning towards a 52” Tiger Cat with the Kawasaki engine.

 

[jekjr]

We run commercially and on you can count on one hand over the years that we run more than 7 gallons through a Tiger Cat in a day. Normally we gas two mowers at the station one morning and fill two 5 gallon cans. That normally will run us 2 days without having to get more gas.

If you run both tanks empty on a Tiger Cat in a day you will be one tired puppy and will have made a long day.

 

[John R]

Before you decide on the 52", look at the 61" again.
The problem I seen when I was looking was the 52" deck barely sticks out past the rear tires, kind of hard to get tight to things like trees and flower gardens.

 

[jekjr]

Before you decide on the 52", look at the 61" again.
The problem I seen when I was looking was the 52" deck barely sticks out past the rear tires, kind of hard to get tight to things like trees and flower gardens.

You can get as close as you want to about anything that you mow around. We run 52" mowers all day everyday in grass season.


If you are cutting bahia grass the 52" will out cut the 61". I have operated them both. Not sure what it is but there is something about a 52" Tiger Cat that makes them cut a smoother cut at a faster speed than a 61". Both will cut it and both will do a good job.

 

[mcdonell]

I yield to the full time pros. But I will say that my 61" Cheetah mows all grass and weeds great around my place.

One consideration with mower decks is changing blades. With the Cheetah 61", the position of the fuel tanks and the mower deck bolts allows me to only use a impact wrech on the top of the center blade. I use a regular wrench on the outer blades. The fuel tanks are in the way for a air or electric impact on the side blades. I only change blades about twice a year, unless I hit something.

All that said, I am happy with my 61" mower deck.

 

[Luffydog]

Get yourself a 15/16 wrench and use your impact from underneath

 

[mcdonell]

Get yourself a 15/16 wrench and use your impact from underneath

Thanks for the tip. :thumbsup:

 

[jekjr]

Thanks for the tip. :thumbsup:

We change blades on two Tiger Cats often times 3 times a day when we are running flat out mid Summer. There is NO need to get under it to change the blades.

All you need is a cheap floor jack and a cordless impact wrench.

Take the impact and remove the nuts from the top and the blades will drop out. Then change the blades and put them back on the bolts. Then stick the bolts through one at the time and start the nuts on the bolts. then tighten the bolts with the impact wrench again. You can change the blades on one in under 5 minutes.

Very Very rarely do you have to get under it to put a back up on them. IF you have to then take a 15/16" wrench and put it on the bolt head from underneath normally with the angle facing up. wedge it on the edge of the deck. We have had to do this a couple of times a year normally after the mower hit something and caused the blade to over tighten. When that happened we had to take a breaker bar with a cheater handle to break the bolt loose.

On two different occasions over the years we had a nut that would gauld on the threads. In that instance you take a 4 1/2" side grinder with a thin blade on it and cut the nut off and drop the bolt out and put a new bold in it. You are still running in under 30 minutes if you carry the tools and parts with you.

 

[jekjr]

We change blades on two Tiger Cats often times 3 times a day when we are running flat out mid Summer. There is NO need to get under it to change the blades.

All you need is a cheap floor jack and a cordless impact wrench.

Take the impact and remove the nuts from the top and the blades will drop out. Then change the blades and put them back on the bolts. Then stick the bolts through one at the time and start the nuts on the bolts. then tighten the bolts with the impact wrench again. You can change the blades on one in under 5 minutes.

Very Very rarely do you have to get under it to put a back up on them. IF you have to then take a 15/16" wrench and put it on the bolt head from underneath normally with the angle facing up. wedge it on the edge of the deck. We have had to do this a couple of times a year normally after the mower hit something and caused the blade to over tighten. When that happened we had to take a breaker bar with a cheater handle to break the bolt loose.

On two different occasions over the years we had a nut that would gauld on the threads. In that instance you take a 4 1/2" side grinder with a thin blade on it and cut the nut off and drop the bolt out and put a new bold in it. You are still running in under 30 minutes if you carry the tools and parts with you.

Sorry I apparently missed the fact you were talking about not being able to get tools in to a Cheeta and not Tiger Cat. I will have to look at a Cheeta the next time I see one at the dealer and investigate this further.