Scag vs Bad Boy

[DK35vince]

Even at 2 gallon per hour, that still isnt terrible when you consider just how much grass you can mow in that hour.

You got that right. I'm still impressed on how fast it will mow every time I use it.
I can mow my 7 acre yard in 2 hours or a little over.
The tractor with an 84" mower took me just over 3 hours.

 

[4570Man]

So you are saying you can mow over 4 hours with the diesel F2560 on a gallon of fuel ??
I'd have to see it to believe it.

That mower would come close. The B7100 absolutely would.

 

[Clay45]

I mow about 5.5 acres most of which is quite rough. My Tiger Cat 52" has been the right choice in terms of manuverabliltiy, quality of build, speed, traction, and power. But the quality of cut is dependant upon blade condition and I find the same heavy duty features we appreciate add to its mass and make jacking it up for service more inconvenient. The adjustment from homeowner grade to commercial grade servicing may surprise you if you are not equipped for it.

When you first back your new expensive mower off the trailer and do you first mowing you will just love the improvement. First time you have to jack it up, clean the underside off, get all the wire and rope and vine out of the blades, get the blades off, sharpen and reinstall them, grease every zerk fitting, etc. you may have second thoughts. I will say that changing oil & filters on newer mowers is a true blessing. Most have it well thought out.

You buy a SCAG commericial grade when you want it to hold up and last many years. And if only 1.5 acres you'll be done fast. I spent nearly 8.5 hours in the saddle mowing my place last time. Its rough and I've a number of things to navigate around. I look like a coal miner when I'm through. The mower is holding up well but my rear end isn't and I have the suspension seat. If ride quality is your #1 concern look into Ferris. If build, cut, and component quality is your #1 - get a SCAG.

Regards,

Clay

 

[TSO]

If build, cut, and component quality is your #1 - get a SCAG.

Regards,

Clay

The Scag is a good machine, but the build, cut, and component quality isn't any better than Hustler, Exmark, Gravely, etc.

When it comes to these commercial mowers, it all boils down to dealer convenience and personal seating preference...and color of course.

Hustler recently ranked number one in dealer choice, or some silly ratings category... And I think my Hustler is a great machine, but I certainly wouldn't boast that it's "number 1" in any particular category. They're all pretty equal.

 

[DK35vince]

The Scag is a good machine, but the build, cut, and component quality isn't any better than Hustler, Exmark, Gravely, etc.

When it comes to these commercial mowers, it all boils down to dealer convenience and personal seating preference...and color of course.

Hustler recently ranked number one in dealer choice, or some silly ratings category... And I think my Hustler is a great machine, but I certainly wouldn't boast that it's "number 1" in any particular category. They're all pretty equal.

Many of these brands use the same engines ,pumps, drive motors, hydrogear transmissions, Etc.

 

[David77]

have had my scag 61" turf tiger since may of 2003 (new) love it. know 2 guys at work that have bad boy mowers and have trouble all the time. there are about 8 of us at my work that have and love ths scags (do get air ride seat) I wish I had.. be sure and look at the farris also, seems to be a nice ride

 

[daugen]

Having owned a full suspension Ferris ZTR, I can also say its ride is exceptional.
BUT....it has an utterly amazing number of zerks to grease and if you don't get the ones hidden
in difficult places, as my previously owned unit had not, replacement of locked up suspension pieces is
pretty expensive. Never owned a Ferrari but that high maintenance high power mower reminded me of one.
So how much maintenance are you willing to do? A good suspension seat is nice and requires almost zero maintenance, but it is NOT the same as a full suspension mower. I have a JD X750 now due to arthritis and while its optional Michigan seat is seriously comfortable, I have always wondered what it would ride like with some tiny
Bilstein shocks on it...

Advertised top speeds are nonsense except perhaps for mowing ball fields. Real world with obstacles and lawn hazards
you drive a lot slower. If I were mowing more than five hours a week, I'd go diesel based on fuel burn. Those high hp gas motors are wonderful but they do suck gas. EFI is likely worth the extra cost if offered.

Likely the OP would be quite well served by either the commercial Bad Boy or the Scag.
For comfort an optional or aftermarket seat is a must.

Set a budget and buy from the most convenient, friendliest dealer.
And make sure a 62-72 inch wide mower really will fit in or through the places you need it to.

Most convenient mower design I have ever seen are the front mount mowers like the expensive JD and Kubota models.
$20K lawn mowers but they can lift their mowers up and out so blade changing is remarkably easy. And they trim exceptionally well, very maneuverable. These are the mowers you look for used that are relatively low hour, if you can find them, likely diesel, and are reasonable alternatives used to the new mowers you are looking at. So the previous suggestion to also consider used if you find a real bargain nearby gets my nod too.

 

[TSO]

Hydro-gear uses and integrated pump / motor / gear set to drive the wheel. A small fast motor spins faster than the wheel and gear reduction is used to get the necessary torque. They make 6 models that I know of from the cheapo transmissions in the home depot ZTRs to light commercial and heavy duty commercial units. I found this really nice illustration of how they work on their web site (see link). I believe hydro-gear started with the cheapo units and later expanded into heavier and heavier duty markets. So there was an initial (and probably correct) perception that you don't want a transaxle and separates are better. Just not sure that holds up anymore.

ZT-5400 Powertrainｮ Internal Components & Operation

Parker Integrated pump / motor transmissions are exactly that. Think of a separate motor and pump. Get rid of the hoses that connect them and bolt them directly together. Compared the hydro-gear, the motor is larger and spins slower. The motor spins the wheel directly with no gears. Because there are less moving parts, and no hoses adding resistance like with a separate pump / motor set up, these are the most efficient option. In theory, this leaves more power for your deck and saves fuel. In the real world, I don't know if it's a difference you can notice or not. The advantage that you definitely can feel is that they are supper smooth and controllable. They also have fewer leak points than separates.

I think Parker still makes separates as well as do others and I'm sure there are many that are good.

So ... looked further, apparently I have dual Hydro-Gear 21cc hydraulic pumps, and Parker TG0335 wheel-motors. Now I don't know what to think.

 

[Matt95684]

For about half your budget you could get a used low hour diesel Kubota or grasshopper. I have diesel and high end gas mowers, and the difference is night and day. I probably would rather have the scag vs the bad boy.

Thanks for the input! I was just talking with a guy the other day who told me that he mows 10 acres and moves snow with a grasshopper 725d. Said that it has tons of torque for mowing or blowing and the front deck is a blessing. He even gave me info on his dealer...who is pretty far away, but their page says free pick up and delivery. He was saying the diesel engines will last 6000-7000 hours and that would be a lot of use on my property. Plus I can use it year round. I'm still going to demo Scag and Bad Boy, but that Grasshopper idea doesn't sound bad either.

Thanks everyone for the posts/opinions. Always nice to get a little nugget of info from experienced people that I had never considered!

 

[4570Man]

I don't have a grasshopper, but my F series Kubota is about the same machine. The front deck is really nice, and has plenty of power. Even 10 inch tall thick grass doesn't bother it. The Kubota's have double belts that don't slip like the regular belts do. Only mowing 1.5 acres your grandkids probably couldn't wear a diesel machine out. I keep about 20 acres mowed, and get 800- 1000 hours of seat time a year.