Does anyone have experience with the Ultra Vac and Scag 3 bag system? Wich has more suction more durable eats less belts etc? Thanks in advance.
Our Exmark vac works great but it does use alot of belts, one today in fact. Don't really know much about the Scag vac system
I have never tried the scag system but I run 2 ultra vac systems for a exmark 52 inch lazer hp two bag and a 60 inch lazer with 3 bags. I have to say that they really do work well. I 60 is great on leaves in the fall. The 52 has alot of blowout on leafs. Have went threw about 15 belts for the 52 in a 3 year span. On the 60 only one. I will say this if you bag alot of lawns it is like night and day over a side metal catcher. Hope this was some help.
As far as common sence design goes, my vote goes to SCAG. The blower is mounted vertically so it dosn't hang out as far and the grass and leaves actually goes thru the blower fan, this shreads everything up a bit better and allows more to pack into the bags which means less trips to the truck to dump. The ultravac is mounted horizontally and the fan impeller does not actually contact the material going thru it. All the fan does is spins to make airflow. Great theory, but every time the top of the tube plugs, just for a second, it stops the airflow and then the boot that connects the blower to the deck clogs up. Once the bags are emptied and you kick on the blower that boot won't clear itself, leaving you to have to shut the machine down and reach an arm in the blower up to your elbow to push or drag out the clog. This leaves you with one green arm and one bad mood. My other little complaint was that the hopper lid only opened like 6 or 8 inches making removal of FULL bags really difficult. A good design should allow the lid to open all the way...
Havenot had good luck with the "bag" systems, to dusty and weak. Quik vac or peco vac systems with belt driven impellers is the way to go!
I have a 52" Scag with the triple bagger. Overall I have been pleased with it. I have gone thru a few belts, but that is my only complaint. Packs the grass in tight and hardly ever run into any clogging situations. I have a little blowout with leaves, but I think that is more a deck issue than the blower unit.
Mustang, Lower your front baffle and that will help. I have Scag bagger and love it. It will fit on a trailer for 61" where the exmark I demoed did not. Also, Scag has all metal housing where Exmark has plastic which wears out. Also, Scag uses flexible hose where exmark uses rigid, which doesn't give as much. The Scag hold more and sits higher, but is also narrower out back, which is nice when turning. Exmark is lower, but is wider, which when turning have to be more careful. IMO Scag has better design, which physically sucks and throws into bagger like a leave vac. Toro and Ferris also have similar set ups like Scag's.
I have the Scag clam shell bagger on 52" tiger cub. The vertical blower makes it the same width overall as my 60" Exmark with OCDC. Works great. Dumps from the seat. Has been very durable. My only complaint is there is nothing to tell you when its full. With leaves you know its full when you start getting blow out around the blower. With grass it plugs the blower and overheats the blower belt. It needs an alarm like my Walker or at least a window like grasshopper and Peco vac. Its easy to unplug but it wastes time.
