Scag SWZ Hydro Drive 48″ Kawasaki 15HP

Description

Scag SWZ 48 Inch Fixed-Deck Hydro-Drive Walk-Behind Mower

The 48 inch SWZ moves to a Velocity Plus cutter deck and adds electric start, running a 15 horsepower Kawasaki FS through separate pumps and motors.

The Deck Is the Same as a Zero-Turn’s

Velocity Plus on the SWZ is the same tri-plate deck family Scag fits to its riders, with cast-iron spindles and around half an inch of steel in the shell. On a walk-behind that is a substantial amount of deck, and it is why these machines cut like a rider and weigh what they weigh. For contracts specifying finish quality on ground a rider cannot take, it is the point of the range.

• Cutting width: 48 inches, Velocity Plus cutter deck
• Engine: Kawasaki FS Series, 15 HP, electric start
• Drive: dual Hydro-Gear 10 cc pumps, Parker 12 ci motors
• Forward speed: up to 7.4 mph
• Fuel capacity: 5.5 gallons
• Controls: EZ-Grip pistol grips

Pistol Grips and Hand Fatigue

The drive controls on a walk-behind are squeezed continuously for hours, and hand fatigue is what ends a shift on a badly designed machine. The spring-assisted EZ-Grip design reduces the force required, and it is worth an operator trying both a squeeze-grip and a lever machine before committing a crew to either, because preference here is strong and individual.

Grease the Caster Pivots Weekly

Front casters on a walk-behind carry the deck and take every kerb strike, and they are the grease points nearest the ground and easiest to skip. On a machine used against edges all day they wear faster than anything else, and a weekly habit costs less than a replacement fork.

Look for Play as Well as Noise

A caster with movement at the pivot will wander under the deck and show up as an uneven cut long before it makes a noise.

The SWZ Range

The SWZ-36A-14FS is the narrow Advantage-deck machine and the SWZ-52V-18FSE the wider one. For the same width at a lower price, the floating-deck SWZT-48H-15FSE is the alternative.