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My scag won't throw grass far enough

Discussion in 'Lawn Mowing' started by little green guy, Aug 11, 2000.

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  1. little green guy

    little green guy LawnSite Senior Member
    from Somerset County, New Jersey,
    Messages: 955

    I have a 52" scag hyrdo w/ a 18hp koler and latly it leaves like a row of grass next to the deck that ihave to go over the lawn with a blower to spread it out. I just put on a new belt today and tried tightening the belts up, ii can't figure out whats wrong, anybody got any sugjestions?
     
    little green guy, Aug 11, 2000
    #1
  2. richard2

    richard2 Banned
    Messages: 101

    might be time to sharpen your blades!!!!
     
    richard2, Aug 11, 2000
    #2
  3. KirbysLawn

    KirbysLawn Millenium Member
    from Just east of Charlotte, NC
    Messages: 3,486

    Either sharpen the blades or try a different type of blade, Gator, high lift or what ever.
     
    KirbysLawn, Aug 11, 2000
    #3
  4. eggy

    eggy LawnSite Senior Member
    from Seymour Indiana
    Messages: 995

    I have a high lift on my turf tiger and it works great..sometimes throws grass to far in small yards...the gator blades.....what do you guys think of them???
     
    eggy, Aug 11, 2000
    #4
  5. Evan528

    Evan528 LawnSite Silver Member
    from Montgomery County, PA.
    Messages: 2,144

    i have used the scag 52 and noticed it does exactly what you are talking about. I dont think you can do anything about it.... the deck is just porly designed. The side of the deck behind the discharge chute is curved slightly inward so that the grass is getting caught there and not thrown far. A friend of mine has the scag 48 hydro and also complains about that along with the fact that no matter what blades he used the mower always leaves grass uncut..... sell the mower!
     
    Evan528, Aug 11, 2000
    #5
  6. Charles

    Charles Moderator Staff Member
    Messages: 8,185

    I have used gator and high lift. NOw just using high lift. The gator cut is just not smooth enough due to the low lift. I will go back to them in the fall and use 2 on a spendle. Now you can use the gator magnums. They have a higher lift. But I can't see paying what they cost. Gators do mulch great when they are new. But soon lose the sharp edges on the teethe and are not quite as effective. Then you have a non lifting mess. I am not happy with the high lifts that much either. Damn things could knock a bird out of a tree with the length of grass thrown. They take power from the mower throwing grass 10 ft.
     
    Charles, Aug 11, 2000
    #6
  7. sunrise

    sunrise Banned
    from Stafford Va.
    Messages: 247

    I had a scag that did this and we raised the deck and lowered the blades so the blade are closer to the bottom our grass snail trail was gone
     
    sunrise, Aug 11, 2000
    #7
  8. DTM65

    DTM65 LawnSite Member
    from Evansville, IN
    Messages: 52

    Instead of using all high lifts, you may try one high lift on the discharge side. I'm using all high lift blades on a Turf Tiger and have absolutely no problems with "windrows".

    I bet by playing with combinations of std. lift and high lift blades, you'll find a solution.

    D. Tom
     
    DTM65, Aug 12, 2000
    #8
  9. SKDCO

    SKDCO LawnSite Member
    from East Tennessee
    Messages: 88

    sunrise has the right answer. I have 2 Scag 52" hydros with the decks as high as they go and three 1/4" spacers between the blades and the deck. That gives a cut heighth of approx. 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 inches and I have never had a problem with "windrow" or trails of uncut grass.I know little green guy does'nt have a problem with uncut grass but Evan528 said he did. Evan528, either sharpen your blades or, maybe increase your overlap but these decks are NOT poorly designed. The deck design that Scag has is an industry leader (I know, just an opinion) and many mfg's have copied it


    $0.02
     
    SKDCO, Aug 13, 2000
    #9
  10. Evan528

    Evan528 LawnSite Silver Member
    from Montgomery County, PA.
    Messages: 2,144

    skco, I do not own a scag! no way! I have only used them before on several ocations and definitly didnt think they handles tall grass to well. Besides the trail of grass they leave they also clupm quite easily. Yes the blades were sharp. Its just my apinion.... but id never buy one.
     
    Evan528, Aug 13, 2000
    #10
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