Scag Turf Tiger ll / Diesel

cpurvis

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While we're spending your money, an option I'd recommend would be the air filter minder system. It's electronic on the Scag. It will pay for itself pretty quickly by preventing you from replacing air filters more often than is necessary. The air filter element on my Kubota is about $30, so I like to get all the good out of them I can. The air filter on a diesel is a critical element and diesels don't tolerate dirty air at all. I had an air filter element failure on a Cat 3406B and the rings were cut out of it in less than 1,000 miles of highway operation. It didn't help that the air filter can was located right behind a front wheel. It was a Donaldson element and to their credit, they paid a pro-rated amount of the cost of the engine overhaul, which amounted to about 1/3rd of the cost.

I've laid out the positive aspects of diesel power. I've owned diesels since 1971 and currently own three; the Kubota, a Dodge Ram and a VW.

Only you can decide if a diesel is right for you and it may not be, depending upon how many hours you'll use it in a year's time. There's an extra cost to buy a diesel and an hourly savings in running it. Divide the extra cost by the hourly savings per year and you'll see how many years it takes to break even.
 
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While we're spending your money, an option I'd recommend would be the air filter minder system. It's electronic on the Scag. It will pay for itself pretty quickly by preventing you from replacing air filters more often than is necessary. The air filter element on my Kubota is about $30, so I like to get all the good out of them I can. The air filter on a diesel is a critical element and diesels don't tolerate dirty air at all. I had an air filter element failure on a Cat 3406B and the rings were cut out of it in less than 1,000 miles of highway operation. It didn't help that the air filter can was located right behind a front wheel. It was a Donaldson element and to their credit, they paid a pro-rated amount of the cost of the engine overhaul, which amounted to about 1/3rd of the cost.

I've laid out the positive aspects of diesel power. I've owned diesels since 1971 and currently own three; the Kubota, a Dodge Ram and a VW.

Only you can decide if a diesel is right for you and it may not be, depending upon how many hours you'll use it in a year's time. There's an extra cost to buy a diesel and an hourly savings in running it. Divide the extra cost by the hourly savings per year and you'll see how many years it takes to break even.

At this point in my life very little of what I spend has to do with what I need or what makes sense from a financial perspective..I'm blessed in that most of what I buy now is simply what I want....
 

cpurvis

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That's cool, and assuming you got there doing what your screen name suggests, thank you for spending your career risking your life daily, dealing with the types of people I hope to never meet. Somebody has to do it and it's a good thing there are people like you who are willing to do it.
 
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That's cool, and assuming you got there doing what your screen name suggests, thank you for spending your career risking your life daily, dealing with the types of people I hope to never meet. Somebody has to do it and it's a good thing there are people like you who are willing to do it.

Wow! Makes my day.... 42 years and never a serious injury to myself...24 years with Houston P.D. and 18 years as Shelby Co. TX PCT 3 Constable.. Very unusual these days for someone to voice that opinion about law enforcement..

Loving retirement..

Got more tractors and toys than I can keep properly maintained..

What's not to like about retirement?


Thanks!
 

helomech

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Horse power is not what gets work done, torque is. My 25k lb Army 5 ton only makes 275 hp (I believe), but I promise you it will drag any normal truck around with 5 times the hp.
 
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Horse power is not what gets work done, torque is. My 25k lb Army 5 ton only makes 275 hp (I believe), but I promise you it will drag any normal truck around with 5 times the hp.


But I need something that will cut tall thick grass...I have a 93 hp John Deere tractor I use for dragging big stuff..
 

jekjr

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I don't even know what Bahia grass is, but I'll bet the diesel cuts it better than a gas engine. It has more torque and that's what does the work.

I can tell you that the engine is not the difference on Bahia Grass. It is the Velocity Deck that makes the difference.

I will cut 25 acres of Bahia Grass Monday if we don't get rained out and NOTHING I have ever seen will cut Bahia Grass with a Scag because of the Velocity Deck.

Actually I have been running three Tiger Cat Scags. All three have 52" Decks with Kawasaki motors. We cut over 90 properties in Lower Alabama every 2 weeks.

95% of them will have a large percentage of Bahia Grass.

We are going to demonstrate a Turf Tiger II Monday with a 35hp Vanguard.
 

jekjr

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But I need something that will cut tall thick grass...I have a 93 hp John Deere tractor I use for dragging big stuff..

As I have said on this forum many times. I cut large amounts of Bahia Grass in Lower Alabama. The way it has rained this year it has been incredible how fast it has grown. We have cut bahia grass that you could have let dry and then raked and baled it in one pass. Acres at the time.

The Velocity Deck on a Scag is pretty much unmatched when it comes to cutting it.
 

jekjr

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I run Scags have three of them. All three are Tiger Cats. I am looking at either buying a Turf Tiger with a 61 or 72" or either a Cheetah with 61" or 72" deck.

Here is one thing that I have looked at. In the event of a catastrophic engine failure after the warranty goes out with the diesel engine you are looking at probably twice the money to replace it that you would be with the gas engine.

I am not sure how many hours you would be looking at difference in how long they would last diesel verses gas.

I have a Tiger Cat with the Kawasaki engine on it that has over 1600 hours on it and does not use oil.

There are many variables you can add to equation as to what is the best machine.
 

jekjr

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Horse power is not what gets work done, torque is. My 25k lb Army 5 ton only makes 275 hp (I believe), but I promise you it will drag any normal truck around with 5 times the hp.

When it comes to cutting Bahia Grass it is all about deck design and blade tip velocity.
 
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