Scag Tiger Cat II 52″ Briggs & Stratton 36HP

Description

Scag Tiger Cat II 52 Inch Zero-Turn with 36 HP Vanguard BIG BLOCK

At 36 horsepower this is the most powerful 52 inch Tiger Cat II Scag builds, using a carbureted Vanguard BIG BLOCK. It is the largest engine the compact frame carries at this deck width.

A Big Engine on a Short Frame

Fitting a BIG BLOCK to an 80 inch machine changes how it sits. More weight goes over the rear axle, which improves traction on a slope and makes the front lighter in a hard turn. Operators moving from a smaller-engined Tiger Cat notice the machine feels more planted going uphill and a little more eager to pivot. Neither is a fault, but both are worth a first morning to get used to.

• Cutting width: 52 inches, Velocity Plus cutter deck
• Engine: Vanguard BIG BLOCK, 36 HP, carbureted
• Drive: dual Hydro-Gear 12 cc pumps, Parker 14.5 ci motors
• Fuel capacity: 9.5 gallons
• Blade engagement: Ogura GT3.5 clutch, 250 ft lb
• Width with chute down: 64.5 inches

Fuel Range Falls as Power Rises

The tank does not grow with the engine. A 36 horsepower machine on a 9.5 gallon tank has noticeably less working range than a 25 horsepower one, and crews used to the smaller engine will run dry sooner than they expect. Carrying a can on the trailer is a better answer than planning to finish the day on one fill and finding out otherwise.

Spark Plugs on a Carbureted Twin

A V-twin runs two plugs and they do not always wear evenly, so replacing one because it looked worse than the other leaves an engine running on a mismatched pair. Changing both at the interval, and keeping the old set as an emergency spare rather than as fitted parts, avoids a rough-running engine that gets diagnosed as something more expensive.

The Powerful End of the Tiger Cats

The STCII-52V-34CV-EFI is the injected Kohler just below it, and the STCII-61V-36BV puts this same Vanguard behind a 61 inch deck for almost the same money if your ground can use the width. Below both, the STCII-52V-29CV offers 29 horsepower carbureted for considerably less.