What do you think of scag?

[jhawk71]

I wanted to know what all you guys thought of scag? WHat are the pros and cons? thanx

Jhawk71

[yardman1]

I LOVE MY SCAGS!!!!! I own two and going to buy another turf tiger with the kawisaki 27, in a couple of months. alot of people have there opinions about scag but i have had only minor problems with mine, like trash in the carb and small stuff like that, my dealers are great and customer support is good frm what i can tell. that is my opinion about them...

KEVIN
WILLIAMS LAWN MANAGEMENT:D

[Dennis E.]

I can't speak for anyone else but mine was a POS. Had the Z-turn with the 18 Kohler(48) and it was nothing but trouble from day one.
Deck was not hung right. Dealer tried nine ways from Sunday to correct it but nothing worked. Idler pulleys one after another.
Carb problems as mentioned above. Key switch (times two).
Starter twice and it liked to eat batteries.
Never any problems with the pumps or spindles. Lousy dealer. (They lost the line.)
I've talked to other guys that run them with hardly ever a problem. Mine must have been a lemon.
They seem to have fixed a lot of the flaws in the Z's though.
Best thing you could do is demo one out if the dealer will let you. Put it thru the paces and see how you like it.;)

[lawnkid]

I also love my Scag just as much. They may not be as good as Exmark like everyone says but i think it's a hell of a machine. My dealer has very good customer service and always give me personal discounts on parts and stuff.
Scag for Life! The LCO that used to do my neighbors grass had Scags all the time so i alwaysa watched him as a kid and so my first mowers a Scag. Too bad for him i service that property now.:D

[Mark]

I purchased a new Scag 52-SWZU and its really does a great job with the doubles, it lays down some awesome stripes very detailed look, just now have 50hrs but so far so good my dealer treats me great ive been dealing with him for 11yrs now and get the 15% discount off all items.I can say that the 17hp Kaw don't swing doubles as good as my 16hp Vandguard,but so far im very happy with my purchase. Im glad that Richard told me about the valve and joint for oil changes on the Kaws,it was a mess changing oil untill i installed that now its mess free. Marks Mowing Service

[rodfather]

Scag = Toro(mowers) = Jaguar(cars) = you pay large dollars for the name.

BTW, I have 3 Toro 72" Groundmasters Mowers...can't afford the Jag cars, though.

[BOTURF]

mark i see you run a ultimate deck where did you find longer blade bolts to run doubles i have 2 48 ultimate machines and want to run doubles also but seems bolts arentr long enough

[chariot]

I have a 52", 20 Horse SCAG Hydro. I bought it used in 1997 and have only replaced bearings on one spindle since. This is all the mower has required. My opinion, strong machine.

[statman]

I have a Scag Super Z 52 (22 Kohler)...runs good, clumps bad. I even run doubles, and still get clumps when cutting 1.5 - 2 inches.

[C4chris70]

I purchased my 52 inch Scag TT w/22hp liquid cooled almost 4 months ago. awesome machine! The 22hp gives me all the power I need along with pretty good fuel economy. The new advantage deck gives a great cut. I have a friend who purchased a 52 exmark w/25 Kohler about the same time. Both mowers cut beautifully, but we both think the direct driveshaft to the blades gives the Turf Tiger an advantage in thick wet grass. Demo all mowers you are interested in before making your decision. While I love my TT, others may hate theirs, you will ultimately be the one who has to mow with the unit you choose.

[Shady Brook]

I like my scags, especially the walkbehinds. They are built like tanks, really take the abuse. I will likely try some other brands for my next mowers. I do not care much for the deck design, the clumping in my Tiger gets anoying. Seems to be a primative deck compared to some of the other major brands. If your getting them for employees to pound, I think Scag is a good choice. Customer service at the factory has been most excellant. If they mulched better, and went away from the driveshaft driven deck on the Tigers I would favor them more.

Jay

[Mark]

BOTURF your bolts should already be long enough. I just put on the first blade,5/8 washer then top blade and tighten down and ready to mow. If yours is to short take off the spacer it came with and get four 1/4 inch spacers then youll have plenty of room, remember to adjust for height. Marks Mowing Service

[Duncan IN]

I've owned two scags, one 22 Kaw 60 in deck and a 27 kaw 60 in. My opionion is that they have a strong frame there hydros stink. My first mower blew a hydro at 300 hrs and 500 hour s my second on blew a hydro at 325 and the other hydro is leaking at 530 hrs. I just purchased a 2002 DC 50 hp 72 diesel. Love it mower has not bogged yet and i have mowed grass over a foot high, but this machine is totally different from most. I think DC has a really good hydro system. Very responsive if you get a DC get one with the VTC oil in it. My scag's are not very responsive you don't notice till you get to use the DC's. My scag will not cut as good as a DC I have had it in to the dealer too. I say if you use a DC for 10 hrs then you will dislike scag. My opinion. I have logged over 1000 hrs on two scags.

[Oliver1850]

I love my 2002 Tiger Cub! Scag did an awesome job with the new improvements for this year. The Tiger Cub blasts through the wet thick stuff.
For a compact ZTR with a shorter wheelbase, I was amazed by the quality of ride. In addition, all mechanicals are very easy to get too.

[sdwally]

We have 3 72" Sabre Tooth Tigers w/31hp diesel engines, about 1 year old. They work bitchin'! Mows though heavy grass no problem. All of these units are in severe use at a cemetery. In the past year we have had a few hydro hose leak(defective crimps, all hoses replaced) and all three electric clutch(defective spot welds by clutch manufacture) all covered by warranty. Not cover by warranty: 1 blade spindle(thrashed by large stone) and about 3 front wheel yokes(thrashed by operators sliding hard off of steep curbs.
These Scags replaced Toro 325D w/72" recycling decks. Mows the same area in almost half the time. Biggest drawback is the the mulch plate that mounts to the deck exhaust ports is a little flimsy and sets a tad lower than the edge of the deck, causes some gouging at lower heights on uneven terrian. Scag is having our dealer modifying 4 new plates for us, one which will be sent back to the factory. We will have direct input into the new design.
We will be buying more of these units.

[LawnSmith]

i have 2 SCAG walk behinds, 36" w/ 14 Kohler, 48" w/ 14 Kaw, and 3 TT, all 61" w/ 25 Kohlers. these mowers are great! i havent had any problems from the Tigers(knock on wood) and i have replaced the clutch on the 48" 1 time while it was under warranty. the TT have 500+ hourse each and the walk behinds have 1000+ hours each. my dealer is unbeatable and is part of the reason of my SCAG loyalty.
on a side note, i am going to demo a super Z in w/ in the next few days. i may be switching to super Zs because of the ground speed.

[econprof]

I purchased a Scag STT, 31 hp turbo diesel with a 61 inch deck, last year year to mow grass at my residence...12 acres+ per week. It is a beast; the mower is exceptionally stable on hills, easily and cleanly mows heavy wet grass, and lays excellent stripes. Of the mowers I have owned (Exmark, Kubota, JD, and Bunton), the STT is by far the best. The build quality is superb and the mower performs flawlessly.

[jhawk71]

What do you guys think of the scag 36" 15 hp kaw belt drive for starting out, I'm getting a belt because of low budget. and a 36" because of gates. THis would be my first mower. If you dont think this is a good setup what is. My local scag delear will sell it to me for 2499 with the advantage deck. What do u think?

[Esby]

Sounds decent enough to me. I would make sure to get a floating deck. It makes deck height adjustments so much easier! I would go for a 48", but if you can't because of your properties, stick with the 36". I personally only run Exmark machines, they have been very good. I would never buy anything else, so I can't speak of the quality of Scag.

[Turf Cutters]

jhawk71, if your dealer is Smittys in Overland Park there service sucks. They didn't have the basic parts to fix my 48" Scag. The Scag is a good mower and it does a great job of stripping. I just won't buy another because of the service. Good luck.

[LawnSmith]

Originally posted by jhawk71
What do you guys think of the scag 36" 15 hp kaw belt drive for starting out, I'm getting a belt because of low budget. and a 36" because of gates. THis would be my first mower. If you dont think this is a good setup what is. My local scag delear will sell it to me for 2499 with the advantage deck. What do u think?

i havent priced a belt driven mower in some amount of time but 2499 doesnt seem all that low to me. i mean i only paid 3900 for my hydro 48" w/ 14 kaw in '98. but, one plus for a belt driven mower and/or a 14+ hp motor on a 36" deck is they can flat out mow some stuff down! i have gone through grass 18" high with my 36" SCAG and it just knocks it down. i dont make a habbit of it but that "big" motor on a small deck really keeps the blades turning.
are you familiar with both hydro and belt driven walk-behinds? personally, just not having to mess with a gear shifter for reverse is what sells me on hydro mowers. also, the maintenance is easier to keep up in my opinion.
shop around a little more to see if you can find one cheaper than 2499.

[mklawnman]

WOW, a Scag thread that mostly has positive feedback, great to hear that :cool:
I have a 2001 Scag TT 52inch 23Kaw with the advantage, now has easily over 250hrs on it and running strong. This spring i have notice some clumping in some heavier grass types, though i never did clean the deck out this year yet. Speaking of the deck, im kinda disappointed in the Advantage, the grass sticks to the deck all the time, then spits it out in clumps once in a while. Also mine stripes kinda funny in certain types of grasses, almost looks like their is a third wheel mark down the middle of the cut, though i think its due to the advantage deck, cause i've seen this stripe on other lawns done by a Turf Tiger. Other than some of that minor stuff, the thing runs like a tank i think, hangs hills awsome, cuts heavier grass without bogging down, kinda like the shaft driven deck when in the heavier grasses.
The other Scag i have is a 2002 SWZ 52inch 17kaw, just got it about a month ago and starting to get the hang of the machine. Now am starting to wish i would have bought the Ultimate cause on some lawns it scalps. Otherwise fast machine love the pistol grips actually.
Hopefully scag can tweek their decks abit more so they can stripe like the Exmarks and the Dixie's
Matt (lawnman)

[jhawk71]

Where else would you go other than smittys? Whats so bad about there service? Also to anyone would you go hydro to start out with or belt?
Thanx
Jhawk71

[SLS]

No question about it...

...if you can afford it go hydro!

[P&J Lawncare]

Anyone having problems with clumping this year should switch to the offset high lift blades made for bobcat mowers it will help alot (they are the interchangable) so they will fit your scag mowers. J Thomas has them for under $10, 61 blades are part #bo-21 36 and 52 are part #bo-17a 48 are part #bo-15a from J Thomas. I guarantee you they will make a huge difference with clumping.

[Shady Brook]

P&J I am taking your word for it on the blades, ordered some yesterday, should get them tomarow at the latests. Just in time for more wet grass. Thanks for the tip.

Jay

[jhawk71]

Would you guys run gator blades? If not what would you run fall/spring/summer

Jhawk71

[P&J Lawncare]

JHAWK 71 I have tried every blade out there and the blades that I posted about earlier are by far the best blades for scags. I tried the gators and they missed alot with my mowers. Shady brook make sure you post your results for these blades so I know how they worked out for you.

[jhawk71]

Thanx i will try out those blades and will reply back i will probaly get them this weekend
jhawk71

[Shady Brook]

P&J

The blades came in the mail today. I am very excited, and pleased with the one day shipping! The Tiger is in the shop, will get to try a Saber Tooth for a day or two, but it is supposed to rain. It was terrible wet here most of the day, and it was clump city. Just Awful! I will post the results for sure, should be interesting with the heavy growth, and am also encourged that you probably have similar grass in Ohio as do I. P&J, have you used the offset blades on scag walkbehinds with any success?

Jhawk, I agree with P&J, I have not found a real good performing blade, or blade combo for my Tiger when the grass is long or damp. Gators for leaves only from my experience.

Jay:D

[P&J Lawncare]

My brother uses them on his tiger also (I gave him a set) and he is going to order some for his 52 and 36 this week. He couldn't believe how much better these blades perform compared to high lifts.

[jhawk71]

Where do you get theese blades? you said J Thomas dont have a clue what you mean:confused: If you could give the web adress or something to contact them i would apreciate it:D

[P&J Lawncare]

website is www.j-thomas.com
phone is 800-828-7980

[jhawk71]

thanx a bunch! I will reply when i get them i hope by friday.
Jhawk71

[edward hedrick]

I have a Scag STHM 61" w 22 Koh. solved the clumping put a

Husq left baffle on left and a Scag turbo baffle on right. Also

Enginaire precleaner and Koh Large muffler. use std blades

would like to try a blade sharpened to center like Exmark

excaliber, Ihave a Thomas book. Ed.

[Shady Brook]

Ed

May have asked you in the past, but do you know if the Husky baffle for a 52 will fit a scag deck?

I am not thrilled with that turbo baffle. I do have to do some bagging especially now, and it seems to hinder the bag from filling very well.

Tiger still in the shop. Hopefully it will be a Sabertooth day tomarow.

Jay

[edward hedrick]

Jay I tried a turbo baffle on my 52 Lesco. I bought a Toro 52 a 96

w horizontal pins and hung deck, have been using the Toro. The

left baffle is a bolt in for 48,52 & 60. Looks almost like the new

advantage deck. I use std Lesco blades bags well w grassgoobler. The turbo helps keep suff off the operator.

[Gary Campbell]

I run a turf tiger, 52 inch, mostly for residential., I have a Ferris for commercial....61 inch.....I really think the scag is a great mower, Ive had little trouble with it, and it cuts great.well built...the Ferris is a tad faster...they both have Kohler engines,, the scag is rougher, due to the ferris having the independant suspension..but, otherwise, I like the cut of the scag better.....:)

[shortgut]

I love my 3 Scag 2 Saber Tooths and 1 Turf Tiger

[jhawk71]

Check the Date

[Wayne Landscaping]

I couldnt be happier with my tiger cub. Its a tank and holds up great. My next purchase is gunna be a 72" STT