As some of you know, I run all Scag products and currently own an 08' Scag TT with a 29DFI LC and a 61" velocity plus deck. Naturally, I wanted to try out the new cheetah and the Scag rep quickly obliged me. My review is mixed...I was pleasantly pleased in some respects and disappointed in others.
I'll start with the suspension platform. It's awesome!!!!!!!!!!:clapping::clapping:I owned a 00' Ferris IS 4000 when it was new on the market and the latest and greatest and it rode like a cloud. I was skeptical about the Scag compared to the Ferris but it rode just as good and in a simpler concept. Scag really hit the nail on the head with this one!! It soaked up everything on my properties and floated across the ground like the Ferris...talk about saving your back and increasing your time. The day of suspension mowers is here and anyone who doesn't make one is old hat.
Speed: Yea, it runs 16MPH and mows at that speed also. The speed and suspension combo make the Scag a winning mower. However, I've been on a Hustler SuperZ and give this category to the Hustler. The Scag seems to have to build up speed while the Hustler is instant speed making it more productive. I think the Scag would lose in a drag race!!!
Also, I couldn't really see the purpose in the two speed...maybe if you're climbing hills all day but it's flat in Ga. mostly and I wouldn't use it. I was able to climb the gate on my landscaping truck in high gear and it's really steep.
Cut:What can I say, it's a velocity and mows just as well as my TT but at 16MPH!!!!:drinkup: I will say that the 31 Kawi felt weak compared to my 29DFI even with 2 extra HP. The V shaped engine + the LC make the TT a much stronger and more quality machine in my opinion. I wasn't blown away with the 31.........
Controls: I kept reaching to my right for the PTO because the TT is opposite. The levers were also stiffer and took a lot of input to get the machine to move forward. The TT requires a lot less effort and is much more precise. I take the TT all day long here also.
Hill side stability:You know, the low COG and mountain goat stability is another thing that sold me on Scag. The cheetah is just like it's animal counterpart....fast and good for only flat ground. You can forget about taking any steep banks with this cat. My TT sticks like glue on a 30 degree slope and the cheetah slides around like it's on ice...reminds me of my first Hustler that would slide on flat ground. This machine literally sits there and spins when you try and turn it around...not what I've come to expect from Scag.
This is a real disappointment in my opinion. The Ferris I once owned would traverse a slope like a mountain goat also. The IS suspension would actually squat the machine and make it stick better. This is what Scag gets for two plastic fuel tanks and a higher COG...big trade off.
Quality of machine:This is where my opinion really started taking a nose dive. Let me say this much...it ain't no turf tiger!!!!The cheetah looks like a stamped out mass produced mower with budget in mind. The quality of a Scag is what sold me on the brand and I was really disappointed in this area. I was expecting a TT with suspension but it's a long ways from that. The cheetah may be fast and suspended but the TT feels like a big plush easy chair compared to a rocker...a cadillac compared to a pinto. The TT is simply a big plush tank and walks all over the cheetah in my opinion. I just hope Scag watches their quality.
In conclusion, Scag has hit the nail on the head with the cheetah in the speed and suspension department. However, they haven't built the perfect mower. They missed some very important Scag qualities with the durability issue and the hillside stability. Would I buy one? Yes, but only as a compliment to my TT and not a replacement. It will never be a replacement!!!!!:usflag:
I'll start with the suspension platform. It's awesome!!!!!!!!!!:clapping::clapping:I owned a 00' Ferris IS 4000 when it was new on the market and the latest and greatest and it rode like a cloud. I was skeptical about the Scag compared to the Ferris but it rode just as good and in a simpler concept. Scag really hit the nail on the head with this one!! It soaked up everything on my properties and floated across the ground like the Ferris...talk about saving your back and increasing your time. The day of suspension mowers is here and anyone who doesn't make one is old hat.
Speed: Yea, it runs 16MPH and mows at that speed also. The speed and suspension combo make the Scag a winning mower. However, I've been on a Hustler SuperZ and give this category to the Hustler. The Scag seems to have to build up speed while the Hustler is instant speed making it more productive. I think the Scag would lose in a drag race!!!
Also, I couldn't really see the purpose in the two speed...maybe if you're climbing hills all day but it's flat in Ga. mostly and I wouldn't use it. I was able to climb the gate on my landscaping truck in high gear and it's really steep. Cut:What can I say, it's a velocity and mows just as well as my TT but at 16MPH!!!!:drinkup: I will say that the 31 Kawi felt weak compared to my 29DFI even with 2 extra HP. The V shaped engine + the LC make the TT a much stronger and more quality machine in my opinion. I wasn't blown away with the 31.........
Controls: I kept reaching to my right for the PTO because the TT is opposite. The levers were also stiffer and took a lot of input to get the machine to move forward. The TT requires a lot less effort and is much more precise. I take the TT all day long here also.
Hill side stability:You know, the low COG and mountain goat stability is another thing that sold me on Scag. The cheetah is just like it's animal counterpart....fast and good for only flat ground. You can forget about taking any steep banks with this cat. My TT sticks like glue on a 30 degree slope and the cheetah slides around like it's on ice...reminds me of my first Hustler that would slide on flat ground. This machine literally sits there and spins when you try and turn it around...not what I've come to expect from Scag.
This is a real disappointment in my opinion. The Ferris I once owned would traverse a slope like a mountain goat also. The IS suspension would actually squat the machine and make it stick better. This is what Scag gets for two plastic fuel tanks and a higher COG...big trade off.Quality of machine:This is where my opinion really started taking a nose dive. Let me say this much...it ain't no turf tiger!!!!
The cheetah looks like a stamped out mass produced mower with budget in mind. The quality of a Scag is what sold me on the brand and I was really disappointed in this area. I was expecting a TT with suspension but it's a long ways from that. The cheetah may be fast and suspended but the TT feels like a big plush easy chair compared to a rocker...a cadillac compared to a pinto. The TT is simply a big plush tank and walks all over the cheetah in my opinion. I just hope Scag watches their quality.In conclusion, Scag has hit the nail on the head with the cheetah in the speed and suspension department. However, they haven't built the perfect mower. They missed some very important Scag qualities with the durability issue and the hillside stability. Would I buy one? Yes, but only as a compliment to my TT and not a replacement. It will never be a replacement!!!!!
:usflag:
