Scag Cheetah II 61″ Kohler 38HP

Description

Scag Cheetah II 61 Inch Zero-Turn with 38 HP Kohler Command PRO EFI

The Kohler-powered 61 inch Cheetah II carries a fuel-injected Command PRO at 38 horsepower and undercuts its Kawasaki equivalent slightly. Mechanically the two are the same machine, so the decision is about the engine and what supports it.

Deck Height Range Sets This Family Apart

The Cheetah II adjusts from 1.25 to 5 inches in quarter-inch steps, which reaches lower at the bottom end than most commercial zero-turns in its class. That matters on sports turf, formal lawns and anywhere a customer expects a close finish rather than a maintenance cut. The range is wide enough that one machine can cover a fine-turf contract and a rough verge in the same week.

• Cutting width: 61 inches, Velocity Plus cutter deck
• Engine: Kohler Command PRO EFI, 38 HP
• Cutting height: 1.25 to 5 inches in quarter-inch increments
• Fuel capacity: 13 gallons
• Caster tires: 13 x 6.5-6
• Height with ROPS folded: 49.5 inches

Cutting Low Without Scalping

The low end of the range is only usable if the ground supports it. Before dropping below two inches on unfamiliar turf it is worth walking the site for the humps that a deck will find and an eye will not, particularly around irrigation heads and old tree stumps. Anti-scalp rollers help but they are a last defence rather than a licence to run the deck on the floor.

Listening to the Spindles

Spindle bearings rarely fail without warning, but the warning is audible rather than visible. With the deck disengaged and the engine off, spinning each spindle by hand should feel smooth and sound like nothing at all. A dry rumble or a click means the bearing is on its way out, and catching it there costs a bearing rather than a spindle housing and a belt.

Kohler or Kawasaki on the 61 Inch Cheetah

At 38 horsepower the two are evenly matched and the sensible tiebreak is whichever brand your other machines already run, because it halves the filters and plugs on the shelf. The SCZII-61V-38FX-EFI is the Kawasaki FX1000 version, the SCZII-61V-37BV-EFI a slightly cheaper Vanguard, and the SCZII-61V-38CV-EFI-SS this same Kohler machine in Blackout finish.