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The velocity deck was designed to get the clippings out quick. In almost all conditions you will never have to double cut. In thick or wet grass it will not clump even in the rain. The cut quality is amazing 99% of the time. It is the most versitile deck in a veriety of conditions. BUT Goldpro is 100% correct, I have found when cutting grass in the 8 inch plus range the clippings just are not small enough and if you try to double cut them they just get blown a row or two over. Goldpro just happened to find the velocity's weakness. Just like when I demoed an exmark in wet conditions, I have yet to recover from the clumping and packed deck due to the deck making very small clippings and not getting them discharged fast enough. I have since been told to try an exmark again in dry conditions for a smooth cut.
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I have a cheetah and I have to agree. I didn't buy the cheetah to have to double cut and when I have done it to see the difference there isn't much. I'm a part timer as of now and if can't mow when it is alittle wet or starts raining once I've started I would be in a world of hurt. My yards are no where near GP's and they might only be a hand full where I live. The cheetah leaves a very good first cut in any condition and thats what I'm looking for.
 
Discussion starter · #22 ·
All good points, This mower would be PERFECT for the guys who only cut once and leave, we however do not, we double cut everything and wont leave until it looks perfect.

Im 6'2 btw and still didn't like the way the tanks blocked the deck, Im not saying i coulden't see the deck, it just wasn't user friendly. Maybe im just used to my exmark where i see every inch of the deck.
 
Gold,

In my years of mowing, I really didn't start double cutting until my SuperZ.

The following cut sufficient enough not to....

*1968 Cub Cadet 125 48"
*1985 JD 318 50"
198? SCAG Classic deck 48"
1993 JD F-935 60"
1996 SCAG 48" Ver 1.1 Classic deck
1997 DC Flatlander 60"
2001 LC Lazer 60"

*'s = Non commercial Garden Tractors that survived thousands of hours of commercial use.

Only time I'd double cut anything was if there was an abundance of clippings clumped up after first cut.

Once I got my 2006 ver 1.0 XR-7 60", I had to double cut to get a clean crisp cut. I could no longer mow at or above 3.5" either. Only time I don't double cut is on 3+ acre lawns and during drought conditions.

It's those drought conditions that I realize just how much time I waste double cutting!

If I can get a deck to cut pooltable smooth like my old DC or Lazer, I'd be happier and richer! I could care less how long the clippings are, as long as there is no grass left behind!
 
Goldpro, if you have time and get a chance try to demo a Gravely 460. What I found was the X-factor deck is a nice in between. It cuts almost as good as a velocity in wet conditions with no clumping and almost as good as an exmark in dry with small clippings and carpet like finish. Its worth a try and would be great to get your opinion.
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All good points, This mower would be PERFECT for the guys who only cut once and leave, we however do not, we double cut everything and wont leave until it looks perfect.

Im 6'2 btw and still didn't like the way the tanks blocked the deck, Im not saying i coulden't see the deck, it just wasn't user friendly. Maybe im just used to my exmark where i see every inch of the deck.
i see. i'm the same way, i go over a lawn two or three times if its necessary to make it look perfect. usually 2 cuts will make it look perfect, sometimes 1 cut is all thats required especially for Kentucky blue grass....
 
Far as the tanks blocking the deck. Wish they didn't but not that big of a deal I don't trim around stuff too much with the cheetah and if I do I can lean foward a little. I'm 5,7. Also I use G6 gators and it doesn't leave that big of clipping that GP mentioned.
 
No double cutting here. I feel my properties look great. Only decks I have used in 15 years that allow me to do this are the velocity and x-factor. I also had an exmark walkbehind in late 90's that cut great but cant remember what deck it had? Tri-vantage or something? Maybe.
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Gold,

In my years of mowing, I really didn't start double cutting until my SuperZ.

The following cut sufficient enough not to....

*1968 Cub Cadet 125 48"
*1985 JD 318 50"
198? SCAG Classic deck 48"
1993 JD F-935 60"
1996 SCAG 48" Ver 1.1 Classic deck
1997 DC Flatlander 60"
2001 LC Lazer 60"

*'s = Non commercial Garden Tractors that survived thousands of hours of commercial use.

Only time I'd double cut anything was if there was an abundance of clippings clumped up after first cut.

Once I got my 2006 ver 1.0 XR-7 60", I had to double cut to get a clean crisp cut. I could no longer mow at or above 3.5" either. Only time I don't double cut is on 3+ acre lawns and during drought conditions.

It's those drought conditions that I realize just how much time I waste double cutting!

If I can get a deck to cut pooltable smooth like my old DC or Lazer, I'd be happier and richer! I could care less how long the clippings are, as long as there is no grass left behind!
TLS, this is the same thing I was thinking. Even my old standard SZ deck did better than my XR7. I think there are a lot of similarities from the Velocity and XR7 when it comes to high volume at higher speeds but not chopping up the clippings and making them disappear. My XR7 cuts clean with very little clumping ever but the carpet of clippings it leaves costs me time and money. I think my new X Factor deck probably runs closer to a Utracut with a better discharge. The Ultra may have a cleaner cut in certain grass types.
 
Soooooooooo i went ahead and demoed a cheetah today to see what all the hype was about, and also because i'm looking to buy another z-mower so i figured id give it a shot.....

Now before anyone says its not an honest review because im an Exmark guy blah blah blah, please shut your mouth's, Im not brand loyal by any means. I will buy whatever works the best for my needs no matter what brand it is.

Anyways here goes..... Took the mower to the horse farm we mow bi-weekly, grass was roughly 8 inches high give or take. The mower i demoed was the 61 inch with a 34hp i believe. Now, The mower really shined in the thick high grass and didn't bog one bit which impressed me. It was smooth while mowing, the suspension platform is a thing of beauty for sure. It felt amazing on the body with literally zero user fatigue.

Like i said i was real impressed with the mower on the first cut, it seemed to spread the grass out nice and didn't clump at all. Then came the nightmare lol, i had to mow the grass 5 times to make it look "Just ok". The mower did not fan the grass out like my Exmark usually does while double/triple cutting an over grown area. It just seemed to move the grass from one stripe to the next stripe ,never actually smoothing it out and making it disappear like the Exmark does.

As for finished cut quality it was just kind of so so, it didn't give the same type on smooth seemless stripe the Exmarks give. It left lines/blade marks down the middle of the stripe unlike the Exmarks which leave a nice smooth finish. It also did not stripe nearly half as good as the Exmark does.

So my over all review would be this..... Great feeling mower, amazing feeling hydros, great on hills, very stable, amazing feeling suspension platform, wayyyy too fast for any real world mowing, Endless power, Horrible cut quality, horrible discharge pattern, Horrible finished product compared to the Exmark.

So my over all conclusion.... Altho the Cheetah is roughly 2k cheaper then my Exmark was, I'm going to stick with Exmark based on the over all better cut quality.
What you have here is the reason people prefer certain decks in different parts of the country.

The Exmark Ultra Cut is designed for further processing of grass as it moves through the deck. The further processing allows grass clippings of a much smaller size to be discharged, which in return helps the clippings disappear by filtering into the standing grass. You will also find that because the Ultra Cut has stronger suction it will require more scraping to keep the underside clean where moisture is involved.

The Scag Velocity Plus deck is designed to handle large amounts of grass; but to process it in a faster manner, which in return causes the grass to be discharged in a larger size. The larger size clippings have a tendency to lay on top not filtering into the cut grass, as does the clippings of the Ultra Cut.

The advantage of the Ultra Cut is enabling the grass clippings to disappear more easily, which in return leaves a more manicured look.

The disadvantage of the Ultra Cut is more scraping to keep the deck functioning as designed.

The advantage of the Velocity Plus is its ability to cut grass and weeds of any size at a high rate of speed. The decks free-flow design allows it to handle moisture laden grass without requiring the under-deck cleaning needed by the Ultra Cut.

There is no deck that performs better than the Ultra Cut for a manicured look in plush grass, the same as, there is no better deck than the Velocity Plus for performing in all other conditions.

There is a place for both decks, and there are large numbers of both decks sold throughout the country proving this point.
 
Discussion starter · #31 ·
Sounds like we have a winner. Like i said, its a good mower and would be perfect for guys who mow fields/dont double cut, its a great mower just not for my application. I prefer the more manicured look of an exmark.

What you have here is the reason people prefer certain decks in different parts of the country.

The Exmark Ultra Cut is designed for further processing of grass as it moves through the deck. The further processing allows grass clippings of a much smaller size to be discharged, which in return helps the clippings disappear by filtering into the standing grass. You will also find that because the Ultra Cut has stronger suction it will require more scraping to keep the underside clean where moisture is involved.

The Scag Velocity Plus deck is designed to handle large amounts of grass; but to process it in a faster manner, which in return causes the grass to be discharged in a larger size. The larger size clippings have a tendency to lay on top not filtering into the cut grass, as does the clippings of the Ultra Cut.

The advantage of the Ultra Cut is enabling the grass clippings to disappear more easily, which in return leaves a more manicured look.

The disadvantage of the Ultra Cut is more scraping to keep the deck functioning as designed.

The advantage of the Velocity Plus is its ability to cut grass and weeds of any size at a high rate of speed. The decks free-flow design allows it to handle moisture laden grass without requiring the under-deck cleaning needed by the Ultra Cut.

There is no deck that performs better than the Ultra Cut for a manicured look in plush grass, the same as, there is no better deck than the Velocity Plus for performing in all other conditions.

There is a place for both decks, and there are large numbers of both decks sold throughout the country proving this point.
 
What you have here is the reason people prefer certain decks in different parts of the country.

The Exmark Ultra Cut is designed for further processing of grass as it moves through the deck. The further processing allows grass clippings of a much smaller size to be discharged, which in return helps the clippings disappear by filtering into the standing grass. You will also find that because the Ultra Cut has stronger suction it will require more scraping to keep the underside clean where moisture is involved.

The Scag Velocity Plus deck is designed to handle large amounts of grass; but to process it in a faster manner, which in return causes the grass to be discharged in a larger size. The larger size clippings have a tendency to lay on top not filtering into the cut grass, as does the clippings of the Ultra Cut.

The advantage of the Ultra Cut is enabling the grass clippings to disappear more easily, which in return leaves a more manicured look.

The disadvantage of the Ultra Cut is more scraping to keep the deck functioning as designed.

The advantage of the Velocity Plus is its ability to cut grass and weeds of any size at a high rate of speed. The decks free-flow design allows it to handle moisture laden grass without requiring the under-deck cleaning needed by the Ultra Cut.

There is no deck that performs better than the Ultra Cut for a manicured look in plush grass, the same as, there is no better deck than the Velocity Plus for performing in all other conditions.

There is a place for both decks, and there are large numbers of both decks sold throughout the country proving this point.
That's the best it has ever been explained in the difference between the two.
I had a guy argue with me not to long ago saying he would take his velocity any day vs my clumping Ex. His words.. Saying that i have to double cut everything. But like you said the velocity is designed to move the grass out quickly leaving large blades of grass on top of what has already been mowed. Dry or wet you still have to double cut with it as well if not you would be left with a bunch of dead clippings on top of the lawn..
 
The way scag designed the discharge opening on the velocity deck "fans" the clippings. This almost eliminates the need to double cut. Honestly I double cut maybe 3 times per season. I cut in all conditions including rain. Clumping with the velocity is a rarity, maybe once per season. You do give up some of the smooth carpet like cut in perfect conditions but its a trade off. The ultra cut will give you that pool table smooth cut but lacks the versatility in tough conditions. Here in NH we rarely have perfect conditions and double cutting means not moving on to the next job.

Now I have found the deck that is the best of both worlds. The Gravely X-Factor almost cuts as good as the velocity in tough conditions and almost as good as the ultra cut in perfect conditions. My customers have been extremely happy and I stay efficient!
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Put a $500.00 SCAG striping kit on, an it will be just as nice as ExMark.
 
Also, put on aftermarket blades too. I hear they would help.
 
Scag might maker cheaper stuff, but that is the one I know of
 
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