Scag Hour Meters

[Mad Mackie]

Hi Troops,
I was fiddling with my Tiger Cub in my shop last week and checked out what triggers the hourmeter to start clocking time. This is the digital display meter with a non replaceable internal battery.
With the key in the on position, no time is clocking on the meter. When the engine is started and the charging system output passes 13.0 VDC on the way up to 14.3 VDC, then the meter will clock time.
I repowered this machine last March and have had regulator/rectifier problems thus the reason for my checking into the electrical system. I think that I have corrected the charging system problems and but time will tell. This is why I checked out the function of the hourmeter.
I suspect that all hourmeters of this type have the same function to trigger them to clock time.
Mad Mackie in CT

 

[Bobby Boyd]

Mackie,

That's interesting.

I ran my turf tiger engine with pto off and hour meter never advanced. Once I turned on the pto the hour meter started advancing.

-bobby

 

[Mad Mackie]

Hi bobby,
I was just looking at some Turf Tiger wiring diagrams and depending on engine make and model, the hourmeter is powered from the PTO switch or the engine harness when the engine is running. I also see where some TT models have a voltmeter instead of an ammeter. The liquid cooled engine models have an ammeter and a coolant temp gauge.
I don't recall what the Scag part number of my replacement hourmeter is but I think that all the machines with an LED hourmeter have the same part number meter.
The next time that I service my Hustler X-ONE I'll check out the hourmeter operation.
Mad Mackie in CT

 

[tigercat]

My machine is a year old. My digital display meter will clock if the key in on, motor running or not.
I found out the hard way on this. I have a battery tender that is wired to the battery. The harness wire is near the dashboard where the key is located. Last year I finished cutting the grass then backed the machine into the garage. I reached over the key to attach the plug in battery tender. I must have turned the switch on with my jacket sleeve. In short I placed 5 hrs on the meter without the machine running.
Now I remove the key when I park it so I don't bump the switch again.

 

[Mad Mackie]

My machine is a year old. My digital display meter will clock if the key in on, motor running or not.
I found out the hard way on this. I have a battery tender that is wired to the battery. The harness wire is near the dashboard where the key is located. Last year I finished cutting the grass then backed the machine into the garage. I reached over the key to attach the plug in battery tender. I must have turned the switch on with my jacket sleeve. In short I placed 5 hrs on the meter without the machine running.
Now I remove the key when I park it so I don't bump the switch again.

I was looking thru several Tiger Cub/Tiger Cat parts manuals and found three different hourmeter part numbers. My 2008 Tiger Cub originally had P/N 483355, it was replaced with a 483537, and I see the Tiger Cats have a 484565. Don't know the difference between the meters other than 483355 meters failed quickly. Looking at the wiring diagrams of Cubs and Cats, the hourmeters are all wired the same. The hourmeter on your machine may have malfunctioned if it clocks time with the key on and engine not running. Other machines such as the Turf Tiger have the hourmeters connected to either the PTO switch or the master relay depending on the engine option.
Mad Mackie in CT

 

[tigercat]

I messed around with my hour meter today. I flipped the switch on and this time it wasn't counting time away like the last time. Weird. (come to think of it the battery charger wasn't on . Maybe it mades a difference, I don't know.)
Anyway, I don't like this meter as I know it will only go dead when the internal battery dies, so I ordered a new analog one on line made by Hobbs. It's dust, moisture, and vibration proof. Shipped to the house is $80 bucks.
When it comes in, I will power up the power supply and get the time matched up to what is on the current Scag meter. Then I will switch it. Scag meter is a 1 x 1 1/2 inch opening. The one ordered seems to be the same size.

 

[Mad Mackie]

The Hobbs meter will clock time as soon as the keyswitch is turned on. As an aircraft mech I had to disconnect the Hobbs meters in aircraft while maintenance that involved the battery or power cart electricity was involved to not clock time that counted against aircraft hourly maintenance cycles. I always had to make a note and stick it to the inst panel to remind me or others to reconnect the Hobbs before the aircraft was released from maintenance and back to airworthiness.
Mad Mackie in CT

 

[tigercat]

Whenever I back the machine into the garage, I just pull the key and drop it into a cup on the bench. I have a battery tender plugged into it as I back it into the garage. The cables attach right to the battery and the harness wire runs along the dash of the machine. Once while I was plugging into the battery tender harness, my arm bumped the ignition switch. This is what caused the time to tick away last time. That's why I just remove the key from here on.

I can't get over the price of these hour meters. The "good" ones are $80 bucks and the cheapo china made ones are under 20 bucks. Well, I want a nice record of hours used on this machine so I don't want to lose the time on the scag meter when it craps out.

I use these battery tender jr 12v battery chargers on all my stuff, from motorcycle to lawn tractors. I tend to not have to replace the batterys in the lawn tractors any longer. The things are around $20 bucks and I find them off ebay. I really like these chargers. They are gold to me.

 

[Scagman01a]

I have the battery on a tender in the hope that this may correct the hour meter issue. It's not reading out any numbers at all. The fuses are good. Should I replace the hour meter or look somewhere else first? If needed what is the new scag hour meter part number and where do you guys recommend me going to get one? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Mad Mackie]

Scag hourmeter P/N 484565 will clock time when power is applied to it.
Scag hourmeter P/N 483537 will clock time when the applied power passes 13.1 VDC as the charging system voltage increases during engine operation.
Both have a non replaceable internal battery to keep the screen live and will indicate engine service intervals of 25 hours being due. This service reminder will come and go as the hourmeter clocks time. You do nothing to the meter except read it. It is clocking time when the hourglass symbol is flashing.
You can buy either of these meters at Scag dealers or on line.
These meters are sealed and waterproof. Hobbs hourmeters as pictured in a previous thread generally are not sealed.