Early SCAG mower located
A recent chance conversation revealed a homeowner only two miles away from the STM head office in Warwickshire, has a 1992-build STZ ride-on mower.
The STZ was the first Zero-Turn Ride-On SCAG produced, and one is still retained at the plant in Wisconsin. But Alan Griffith, here in leafy Warwickshire, has one too.
He explained: “In 2000 we brought the property ‘The Wharf’ in Wilmcote, though the process was unusual. We made a good offer that was increased twice but still did not secure the property. Eventually we received a tender form because of the high level of interest.
It was not a basic form, though. We had to price everything that was up for sale. Apart from offering a sum for the house, we also had to price separately: the dining table, study desk, hens, geese, peacocks, pot belly pigs and 2 on-site mowers.
The Scag was one of those mowers and it was obvious that it was several years old even then by the knocks it had had to the deck.
We have 4.95 acres of which we cut about 2.5 to 3 acres regularly. The Scag we use on the heavy areas so over the years it has had to put up with a fair amount of hard work, hitting pot holes, tree roots etc. Over the years the Scag has been used about 2.5 hours per week .
The great thing is it has been very reliable, once battery is charged up at the start of the season. I have usually serviced the machine every year and no major problems have occurred except that 3 small plates have had to be welded to the top of the deck. The first bearing on the deck needs to be changed this winter so I will change all 3. Also an oil seal has started to leak on the Briggs and Stratton engine; this is the first major issue with the engine.
We plan to keep it going as long as we stay at The Wharf. Can’t think of a better lawn mower particularly as we have so many trees to cut around.”
