Scag Cheetah II 61″ Kawasaki 38HP

Description

Scag Cheetah II 61 Inch Zero-Turn with 38 HP Kawasaki FX1000 EFI

This is the Kawasaki-powered 61 inch Cheetah II, running the fuel-injected FX1000 at 38 horsepower. It is the configuration most crews mean when they say Cheetah, and the machine’s defining component is not the engine but the transaxle behind it.

How the Two-Speed Transaxle Works

The ZT-5400 gives the Cheetah II two selectable ranges rather than one. Low range tops out around 12 mph and is where the machine cuts. High range reaches 16 mph and exists for crossing ground between cutting areas. Internally it runs 16 cc pumps and 21 cc motors in a sealed unit, which means fewer external hoses than a separate pump and motor layout and correspondingly fewer places for a leak to start.

• Cutting width: 61 inches, Velocity Plus cutter deck
• Engine: Kawasaki FX1000 EFI, 38 HP
• Transaxle: two-speed ZT-5400, 16 cc pumps, 21 cc motors
• Ground speed: 12 mph low range, 16 mph high range
• Fuel capacity: 13 gallons
• Length: 87 to 91.25 inches

Using the Ranges as Intended

Operators new to a two-speed machine often try to cut in high range on open ground, and the result is a poor finish rather than a faster job, because blade tip speed does not rise with ground speed. High range is for transit: crossing a campus between lawns, or moving down a long verge to the next section. Cutting belongs in low range, where the deck has time to do its work.

Choosing Among the Full-Specification 61 Inch Machines

This Kawasaki version and the SCZII-61V-38CV-EFI Kohler are closely matched on output and separated mainly by parts preference. The SCZII-61V-40BV-EFI steps up to a Vanguard at 40 horsepower. If you want this exact machine on airless tires, specify the SCZII-61V-38FX-EFI-NFT, and the SCZII-61V-38FX-EFI-SS is the same mower in Blackout finish.