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Save The Scag - It is Now Toast - Literally

88K views 257 replies 53 participants last post by  kawasaki guy 
#1 ·
Hi All,

I have been a member on this forum for a while but mainly just lurked never really having much to say. I do not own a landscaping business but live on 10 acres that I mow myself. I have been the proud an happy owner of a Scag Tiger Cub model stc48-20CV. It has given me great service for the last 7 years. I was mowing this past FRI and smelled something like burning rubber. Got off the mower saw nothing and flipped up the seat. Then I saw flames licking up the front of the engine. It was still running! I took off my shirt and tried to beat down the flames. Needless to say that did not work. Hydro hoses caught fire and the fire started to climb towards the fuel tanks. I backed away realizing there was nothing I could do. All happened probably in about a minute. Dialed 911. Within about 2 minutes the entire machine was ablaze and the tires started exploding. The grass around it started to catch fire. I moved further back. Fire dept got there within a few minutes and put it out. It is pretty much completely destroyed. Needless to say I felt terrible and moped around the rest of FRI. Did the usual soul searching - should I blame somebody, file an insurance claim etc. Then I thought some more about it. The thing is I love that mower. It is built like a tank. This may be nuts and I don't really know if I can pull it off, but I am determined to rebuild it or at least try my darndest. Attached is a pic from the site where the fire happened. It looks like somebody dropped a bomb on the poor thing. I spent some considerable time yesterday (SAT) and today tearing everything apart. I am now down the the bare chassis. Had another neighbor stop by to see what all the fuss was about and he could not believe the steel in the chassis. He swears auto frames don't have steel that thick. Anyway I am going to sandblast the chassis and rattle-can prime it as a first step. Then I'll decide what to do next. I know there is lots of experience on this forum. I welcome any and all suggestions for how to proceed. I'm not looking for a pity party. I also don't intend to try to make it a museum piece or a souped up hot-rod mower. I want my scag back as close as possible to the way it was before!

Thanks in advance,

Paul
p.s. Hard lesson leaned: I will never again operate a machine like this without a class B fire extinguisher mounted to it.

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#2 ·
Wow... sorry about your mower. Cool idea- I supposed you are going to have to walk up to the parts counter and say,

"Hey, I need some parts for my Scag."
"What do you need?"
"All of them!"

I'd file a claim.... but good luck!
 
#5 ·
It can be hard loosing a loved one and bidding them farewell, This looks like a time to do just that. Bid er farewell and let er mow around the pearly white gates above.

My condolences in your loss......
 
#7 ·
I had a customer hit a rock truck head on and mower flipped over vehicle. We traded for it for parts but i couldnt stand seeing it go to waste. We repaired the mower and sold it, but as a dealer with parts at cost i still had $2500 plus several days labor and it was no where near that bad. In fact seat frame was the worst part. I wouldve made more money just selling the tranny and motor....
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#8 ·
Believe me when i say this that is nowhere near repairable you can buy a new one for what you are gonna have in that. I highly recommend changing ur mind! And get the $100 the scrap yard will give you.
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#9 ·
I appreciate everyone's comments. Insurance considerations: I have a $2500 deductible. How much would I end up getting for a 7 year old mower? If I file a claim, how much will my premium go up? I live in FL where homeowner's insurance is not always so easy to get. I changed companies last year and save $1,0000 on the premium. Do not really want to rock the insurance boat.

I am going to look at a used SCAG from a private party this evening. I want to purchase a used one so I have something to mow with.

If I try to put it back together, it won't be to save money. I called the same SCAG dealer where I purchased it 7 years ago. A new mower that is as close as possible to what I have is $8300. Obviously, if I think that I will spend more than that in parts to restore this, I won't do it. What I am not counting is my time. Frankly, I don't care how long it takes or how much time I put in. I am not a trained mechanic but I like working on stuff. Up till now the most complex thing I have done is replacing a timing belt in a Hyundai Sonata. On the SCAG itself, the most complex thing was replacing the PTO clutch. I also had a leaking wheel motor and I replaced all the seals in it using a $59 seal kit. I view this as a challenge and learning experience. I plan to do all the work myself with help from my son and some friends of course (none of whom are also trained mechanics).

If this works out, I want the repaired/restored mower to be my backup and want to keep it for as long as I live where I live then hope someday my son wants it. Another fantasy is to have some before and after pictures framed and hung in my garage and have a few cold beers with my friends while we admire it.

Anyway, that's my plan. Not saying things are going to necessarily work out. I will post pictures here as things go along. Only real time I have to work on it though is weekends so it will be slow going. Fortunately, I am not in a hurry.

Thanks again for the comments.
 
#11 ·
Unless you have full replacement insurance dont file.
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#12 ·
I say go for it .. Phoenix Rises from the Ashes .. I know how you feel when you wanna take something that was destroyed and make it new again .

Id take the pumps and wheel motors and have them re-built if needed. Have the hydro shop make new hoses .(cheaper than buying from dealer.)

Id have it sand blasted and powder coated or painted .

New wiring harness is gonna be about $300
New seat $400 plus
Fuel tanks ??
Replace the tires and repaint rims
New engine 1500 Plus
The deck is steel and id venture to say its still fine other that anti-scalp rollers and belts , and pulleys..

Have fun and post pics.
 
#13 ·
I personally wouldn't rebuild it.

Mainly from the standpoint of not only the time and effort in rebuilding it, but also the fact that the heat did a number on any metal parts that are left.

Wouldn't be surprised if it especially warped the frame.



.......
 
#14 ·
You should have let the people from Scag inspect it before you took it apart...
Might have been a Mfr defect that caused the meltdown...possibly a FREE mower....
Look around for used or damaged mowers to cannibalize to fix your flame tempered mower...
 
#16 ·
White gardens is right the remaining metal if it did not get bent or melted definitely had been severely weakened due to fire. I would advise against rebuilding even though it seems like a cool idea. Im a firefighter and would recommend a ABC fire extinguisher because that will work better and will do better job on grass and electricial components. And buy the biggest fire extinguisher that u can fit on mower.
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#17 ·
Hi laman - I don't honestly know. It is pretty dry in my part of FL now. The fire dept guys told me that mower fires do tend to happen around here starting this time of year through Jan (they "dry" season in FL). I don't know all that much about how flammable the hydro fluid is (20w50 oil). If some fluid ignited I'd think it had to be gas. There is a hole in the front of the aluminum block on the engine big enough to stick your fist through. It was from the front of the engine that I first saw the flames, but it could have been coming up from under the engine. I had mowed through a "woody" area. It is possible that a stick or small branch got run over and wedged near a pulley or belt and perhaps some friction caused it. Again, I honestly do not know.

On a separate note, I have hooked up with a guy that has a small landscaping business. He has a Tiger Cub that was involved in a highway accident while it was on his trailer. His insurance company paid for the trailer but did not cover what was on it. The SCAG ended up being hit by a truck and the frame is bent. His Cub only has about 800 hours on it. He is actually interested in my frame! Only thing I don't like about his Cub is that it has a Kawi and mine had a Kholer. He has since brought a 61 inch SCAG that he uses now. He said though that he has some small fenced properties that were perfect for his Cub. He has laughed at some low-ball offers of $300. He said he would sell it to me for $1000 or possibly buy my frame. He is sending me some pictures. We'll see where this goes.
 
#18 ·
About the metal fatigue from the heat. There is no doubt that the heat was intense. I could feel it from across a street. While it seemed like it was engulfed in flames for an eternity it was only a matter of minutes. The Fire Control District Report reads this:

Alarm: 11/30/2012 - 11:40:00 AM
Arrival: 11/30/2012 - 11:49:00 AM
Controlled: 11/30/2012 - 11:51:00 AM
Last Unit: 11/30/2012 - 12:14:00 PM

So while the heat was intense and burned all the plastic and rubber it did not last all that long. As I understand it steel subjected to intense heat for a prolonged period of time is what weakens it. It may be wishful thinking on my part but I don't think this was anything close to a prolonged period of intense heat and we are talking about some pretty thick steel here.
 
#19 ·
About the metal fatigue from the heat. There is no doubt that the heat was intense. I could feel it from across a street. While it seemed like it was engulfed in flames for an eternity it was only a matter of minutes. The Fire Control District Report reads this:

Alarm: 11/30/2012 - 11:40:00 AM
Arrival: 11/30/2012 - 11:49:00 AM
Controlled: 11/30/2012 - 11:51:00 AM
Last Unit: 11/30/2012 - 12:14:00 PM

So while the heat was intense and burned all the plastic and rubber it did not last all that long. As I understand it steel subjected to intense heat for a prolonged period of time is what weakens it. It may be wishful thinking on my part but I don't think this was anything close to a prolonged period of intense heat and we are talking about some pretty thick steel here.
Assuming it only took you 1 minute to call in the alarm, ans another minute for the dispatcher to relay it to the station, your mower would be exposed to the heat for approximately 13 minutes. Gasoline fire temperatures range from 1650 F to 2280 F. Even if you use the lower figure, that's a lot of heat that your frame was exposed to. I'm not a metallurgist but I would be concerned about the frame integrity. These mowers are exposed to a lot of harsh terrain. Could be a problem.
 
#20 ·
Thats still alot of exposure to high heat which it was not engineered to take. I would scrap the frame personally. If you wish to use the frame I would recommend speaking to someone more knowledgeable on this subject before you spend money on it. Your dealer or a scag rep would probably be good or a welder.
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#21 ·
Doing some sorting through what I've taken apart and posting some more pictures. The front of the engine with the big hole in the block. The CUB logo which interestingly enough has not even had the paint completely burned off it (it wants to live!!). A hyrdo hose with the rubber burned off but the metal innards and fittings are still pretty much intact. The roll-bar which seems pretty much unscathed.

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#23 ·
I paid a local SCAG dealer a visit today and brought a used mower. I'm planning to use this while evaluating options on the burned mower. It is a SCAG Turf Tiger (my burned up one was a Tiger Cub). It cost me $3000 out the door (pic is attached). Would appreciate opinions on how good or bad a price this was. That this was available from a dealer for $3000 pretty much tells me there is no point in filing an insurance claim since I have a $2500 deductible. I have an 8 acre plot to mow this weekend for a friend. Before that though I want to get a fire extinguisher to carry on it (I am bit paranoid but I think it is for good reason). Forum member nnusskern said: "Im a firefighter and would recommend a ABC fire extinguisher because that will work better and will do better job on grass and electricial components". I am having trouble finding an "ABC" but there are lots of "BC". I am considering a Kidde Pro210 extinguisher:

Pro 2A10BC multipurpose rechargeable fire extinguisher
Pressure gauge allows for immediate pressure-status check
UL-rated 2-A, 10-B:C
Optional metal strap bracket part # 466400
Durable aluminum cylinder
Heavy-duty chrome-plated brass-valve assembly
UL-approved wall hanger
D.O.T. and Coast Guard (U.S.C.G.) approved when fitted with optional-mounting bracket
Powder-coated cylinder for corrosion protection

Does anybody have any suggestions for mounting an extinguisher on the mower? Unfortunately it does not have a roll bar.

Thank You

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#26 ·
Thanks for the advice ed2hess. Put the caps on already. Took care of that right after the fire extinguisher. Have pulley guards on order.
 
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