The task of mowing has gotten a lot easier with the zero turns on the lawn. These superheroes tremendously sever the job in a snap with their signature maneuverability, speed, and efficiency. Though the Hustler and Scag are eligible competitors, they do have a few differences that very much matter when they’re being put to both residential and commercial use – particularly when the size and features of your scape come into play. 

You might be seeking to invest in a zero-turn mower and are pondering on your choices, or you might want to try out a new zero-turn brand – this article will help you pin out the significant differences between the Hustler and Scag to help ease your decision-making process.

 I will be highlighting 9 important points and how the brands compare so that you can relate the aspects to your mowing needs. Let’s dive into it, shall we?

The Hustler is Built To Possess Beast-Like Stamina

If your lawn is peppered with bumps and slopes, the Hustler is your bullseye. This brand offers zero-turn mowers that are built with a wider and shorter stance compared to its rival, the Scag, enabling you to sit firmer than a rock whilst mowing. The machines are equipped with much broader tires and they sit lower on the ground as compared to the Scag enabling a tougher grip and reducing the amount of swaying you might encounter on your way up a hill. 

For the commercial mowers of both Scag and Hustler, the Michelin tweel turf tires come into the picture. This component might try to soften the upper hand the Hustler has with this point, but the Hustler still backfires with a much better stance compared to the Scag. If hills and bumps describe your lawn or acre of grass, you’ll do better saddled on the Hustler zero-turn mower.

The Scag Will Serve You a Comfier Ride

Mowing without a spring-furnished seat on a riding mower will have you almost bouncing off your seat in quite an unpleasant way to your spine’s dismay. Thankfully, the Scag zero-turn mowers are equipped with a reputable spring seat feature that will nullify the magnitude of going over bumps or slopes on your lawn, especially when you would rather speed through to save time. This factor saves you the stress of dreadfully slowing down to keep your hat on your head. 

Despite the Hustler having a spring system too, they just don’t match up to the Scag on this feature. So, I would recommend a Scag if comfortable seating is your top priority on a riding mower. 

The Hustler Zero-Turn is Famous For its Unparalleled Steering 

You’re sure to get spoiled by the hustler’s Smooth Track steering attribute. This is a signature feature for all zero-turn Hustlers that endows the machines with highly sensitive levers for premium maneuverability. Swift turns and moves are a guarantee with this trait, to enable you a much easier and stressless time on the lawn.

To add to our fascination, the Hustler is equipped with a patented brake park system – this means that the brakes are automatic and engineered to occur when you widen the levers to a stop. No need for stretching out for a lever at any position that it may be as you would while riding a Scag.

The Scag Rolls on The Much-Appreciated Split-Steel Pulley

Split steel pulleys are described as similar to stamped decks where you have a single thick slab of metal punctured and separated at the outer line to form the pulley groove in which the drive belt would nestle. Split steel pulleys are much more durable, effective, and protective of your drive belt. They last longer than their rivals and are comparably lighter in weight. If a split steel pulley sounds like bliss, you’d be much happier on the Scag zero-turn mower. 

On the other side, the Hustler zero-turn mower uses a stamped pulley which is made of two halves of flat steel. These are just as effective, but in time the pulley starts to get raw at the groove taking a toll on your drive belt. The stamped pulleys are also not as long-lasting as the split steel pulleys. I recommend the Scag for this feature if your drive belt is an important point of consideration. 

The Hustler Has a Removable Foot Plate For Easy Access To The Deck

Cleaning zero turn mower decks are very important to alleviate rusty blades and bothersome pulleys. Fortunately, the Hustler is built with a removable footplate for access to the deck to enable easier cleaning and servicing. The footplate is fastened with a knot that you can unscrew when desired. This is a fundamental point to take into consideration because with the Scag zero-turn, the only access you have to your deck is by dismantling the entire footplate. If you enjoy the ease of cleaning and maintenance, the Hustler is your surest bet. 

The Scag Will Leave an Unmatchable Clean Cut on Your Lawn 

Scag zero-turns are famous for their high-velocity stamped decks that deliver an aesthetically clean cut. The decks are built with a wider front baffle chamber – a slim enclosure of space directly before the compartment housing the blades – to allow grass to be properly erected before meeting the blades. This attribute ensures that no grass is left uncut resulting in a clean evenly cut lawn. 

The Hustler similarly is built with a baffle chamber to ensure an even and easy cut, but the Scag has its deck specially made for increased velocity because of the ampleness of its chamber as compared to the Hustler’s. This feature will make gliding across fields of grass a lot faster and easier to do for professional scapers, and residential lawn owners an enviable bonus! 

The Scag is Furnished With a Fuel Gauge

Some features wouldn’t seem like so much of a big deal until you have to do without them, and such a case is the fuel gauge issue. The Scag has an effectively functional gas measurement system that will relieve you of the stress of bothering about how much gas you have. Although with the Hustler you could tell how much fuel you have in the tank, you have to go through the length of swinging the seat just for the purpose. It’s quite a comical way to go about checking your gas level if you take a good look at the situation; It doesn’t effectively add to a stressless experience while mowing. 

The Hustler is Built To Last You a Lifetime 

The Hustler manufactures its zero-turn mowers for extreme conditions and will in turn last you a while. The deck, for example, is made of fabricated half-inch steel with an extra strip of the same material encasing the bottom of the deck all through. This peculiarity will help in resisting the effects of collisions on the lawn.

The deck goes on to possess a supplementary slab of plastic installed at opposite sides of the deck for situations where you bump into obstacles with the sides of the machine. 

The presence of flex forks empowers extra stability for the deck keeping it from rattling and loosening its bolts and hinges – the flex forks also keep the pulleys and drive belt in place by reducing the magnitude of vibrations.

In extreme conditions, this zero-turn mower will ace your expectations. Imagine riding it on lawns with no difficulties – you might just be prepared to pass it down to your generation! In terms of durability, the Hustler is unrivaled. 

Do The Scag and Hustler See Eye To Eye? 

After the rollercoaster of differences, the rivals meet at a point where they mutually relate. Here are 3 major points that appraise their similarities and how they will apply to your decisions: 

• They both run on powerful engines

The scag and Hustler zero-turns make use of durable engines like the Kawasaki, Kohler, Briggs & Stratton, and Vanguard for ultimate efficiency. These engines come in increments of power concerning the model category of each brand. For instance, the low-grade residential engines generate 10 – 24 horsepower, high grades generate up to 29 horsepower, and commercial engines will have at most 40 horsepower to keep them going. Installing and swapping engines to your preference is common and can be done with your dealer, especially if buggies and other heavy attachments apply to you. The tougher the engine, the tougher the strength of your mower. 

• For both brands, a test on speed will be a draw

The Scag and Hustler will race to the finish line with no winner or loser. Thanks to their engines, they generate fairly the same miles per hour in a fair comparison of models of both brands. The small zero-turn mowers run at 7- 8 miles per hour, the high-grade residential 10 – 13 mph, and the commercial grades a whopping 16 mph! This fact is neutral in all the applicable aspects of a lawn if you plan on halving the task. After all, it strongly defines a zero-turn mower in the first place.

• The brands both transmit energy using a Hydro-Gear system

The transmission system is an A-game for the Scag and Hustler zero-turn. The hydro-gear technique provides an exceptionally great steady conveyance and movement of the machine. This system propels the speed and maneuverability of the zero-turn mowers, and no other transmission could rival. If you are keen on transmission methods, you’d be pleased because the Scag and Hustler ZTRs have you covered with the well-trusted Hydro-gear transmission system.

The Final Verdict

You might be wondering if you missed the “winner” of our face-off. The truth is there’s no champion here because the winner is your preference and the nature of your lawn/land. If you prefer cleaner cuts, tougher pulleys, and comfy seating, I recommend the Scag zero-turn mower. If you’d rather glide through obstacles smoothly or tame slopes and bumps, I would present the Hustler zero-turn mower to you.

At the end of the day, you’ll find there are both pros and cons for both brands conditioned by your needs all on a platter for you to make the decision that would serve you best.