Tiger Cat II - Overkill for Homeowner?

Scag makes very well built machines and like everyone else has said, the machine you are looking at will last you forever. As long as you do not have any issues with the price, the size of the deck in regards to fitting into certain areas (around landscaping, through gates, etc.) then why not get what you want. I personally think that the most important thing on any mower is not exactly the mower but the way in which it is used. Having ample power to do what you ask of it is important, but more importantly is having sharp blades, keeping things lubed and operating smoothly and never operating the mower outside of the manufacturer's recommendations.

If you love your lawn, you might as well love the equipment you use to maintain it.

If I had the $ I'd buy it too.

Be sure to alternate mowing patterns regularly as a 52" TT2 is ~400lbs heavier than a 52" Freedom Z

With all the beef comes the weight

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I am in the same boat. I am a homeowner and currently mow between 2-3 acres. Occasionally, I might mow my neighbors yard if they are away on vacation or something so that adds another 2 acres. Currently, I have a ride on John Deere D170 54" deck. It gets the job done but not as fast, and I feel I waste a lot of time trying to turn to try to get a more professional to my lawn. I have also added a stripe kit which even with a stripping kit it does not look closely to a professional cut. I have been looking at all kinds of mowers and have researched and asked friends for their opinions. Unfortunately, it seems that there are many different brands to choose from that people swear by. I have looked at Scag, Bobcat, Spartan, hustler, Exmark etc. So far I think I have narrowed down my list to Scag and Bobcat but leaning towards the Scag as the dealer is close and that is a major plus. Scag has a great name in the business and I believe the Velocity deck is top notch. I believe Bobcat has the airfx deck but they arent as common here in my area so that worries me for any repairs etc.

I was looking at the Patriot 61" but I really would like the Velocity deck which is not an option for the Patriot, so it appears I would go with the Tiger Cat II. If anyone has a Patriot I would appreciate if you could tell me your like dislikes and whether or not the deck and cut is worth it? Not 100% sure on the motor but I am thinking the Kawasaki 23HP 730 would suffice. However, I know Scag offers the Kawasaki 26HP 730FT and was hoping someone could weigh in if the 3 horsepower would make a huge difference?? My yard is pretty flat, but I do have a small hill towards the side. There are about 10 trees to cut around but are pretty spaced out. I am looking for a quality mower that 1) will last me 15-20 years, 2) has enough power and speed to cut my 2+ acres as cleanly as possible and 3) cut down on the time it takes to mow. Right now with the John Deere it takes me about 2.5 hours and if the grass is super long close to 3 hours. I know a 61" mower may be overkill and the price point a bit on the more expensive side, but I think I am ok with spending up to 9-10k for a great mower and the time saving would be an additional plus.

Any help and feedback would be greatly appreciated.

thank you!

I wanted a Tiger Cat for my 4 acres but in the end I decided to go for a 2007 John Deere 1545 front mower 72” flex deck enclosure with A/C - heat and happy as a clam. What a nice way to cut grass in comfort and it came with a spare 72” reg deck. Anyway happy grass cutting season all.

I owned a john deere 318 with a kohler, john deere lx 188 with a Kawasaki. A Deere like yours with a briggs. All were good mowers,very dependable. I used my hilly ground as major excuse to not buy a zero turn for years. And they are expensive. After our street department got our city cemeterys old scag commercial grade many,many years ago I became a scag fan. It mowed everything asked of it by many different operators. And it mowed stuff I felt needed bushhogged, but the scag would wade through it. Last year we parked it with over 4500 hours and the original Kohler engine. Our cemetery crew has a Scag and Exmark the last few years and brag on them both equally.And like their two old scags work hard all season with little trouble. I cant speak for the other brands you mentioned.But after owning a commercial grade 36 hp Briggs van guard on an Exmark and a Tiger cub with a Briggs and now a Tiger Cat two with a 29hp Kohler I have no plans to ever own another garden tractor type mower. The Scag mows so fast I rarely hook up my six foot Bush hog brand finish mower anymore. And like JEKJR mentioned, we can still get parts for the old city Scag.