Scag SFC30 Walk Behind Mower Review

Scag 30 Inch Mower

The rumors are true. Scag Outdoor Power Equipment has started to build a 30 inch mower! Why? because there is a need for 30 inch mowers in the landscaping and lawn mowing market. When you look at the Scag lawn mower lineup you notice they have deck sizes ranging from 36 inches to 72 inches but nothing smaller.  I doubt Scag wanted to get involved with producing a smaller 20"-26" lawn mowers and going up against smaller range lawn mower brands like Honda. The next logical step was building a walk behind lawn mower in the 30 inch range. The larger deck on a walk behind mower means you can produce a lawn mower which has two blades. We all know how important cut quality is and if you want to achieve a great cut, usually the best way is to use multiple blades vs. one blade. 

Scag Walk Behind Mowers

Scag currently has three different types of walk behind lawn mowers. The reason they have three different types is because each type has a different engine/deck/control set-up. It's really a personal preference thing on how you would like your Scag Walk behind mower to operate. In terms of walk behind Scag mowers the breakdown is like this:

Scag Walk Behind Operator Control Options 

The Scag SWZT Hydro Drives have an ergonomic handle bar which extends across the top of the lawn mower. The bar is contoured to the natural angles of your extended arms, and it lets you operate the machine by holding and pressing paddles which extend from the handle bar. The advantage to this set up is having to keep your hands tucked in while mowing, which makes it less likely your hands or the handlebar can get caught or tangled in branches or debris. 

The Scag SW and SWZ both have pistol grip controls. The handlebar itself can be adjusted into three different positions depending on the users height which is a very nice feature! The Scag E-Z grip design, also called the pistol grip is different because both handles stick out like your typical snow blower. This design was built for optimal operator comfort and uncomplicated machine operation, the spring-assisted EZ-Grip design decreases the amount of hand effort necessary to operate drive controls. Which ones better? Honestly it's up to you! They are both ergonomic and easy to use designs, they both have their own pros and cons so it's up to you to decide. 

Scag Walk Behind Cutter Decks

Each Scag Walk Behind mower comes in different deck configurations of size 36"-61", type Regular, Advantage, Hero and Velocity. and floating or fixed deck. 

• SWZ HYDRO DIVE (Fixed deck) - 36" Advantage 48",52",61" Velocity
• SW Belt-Drive (Fixed Deck)  32" Cutter deck, 36" Advantage Deck, 48" and 52" Velocity Deck
• SWZT Hydro-drive (Floating Deck) 36",48",52",61" Hero cutter deck

Notice anything? There isn't a 30" deck, the smallest is 32".. This is where the Scag SFC30 comes in, giving you a smaller deck, in a smaller package, to mow those smaller and hard-to-reach spots!

It finally showed up!  I ordered it in April or May, and it showed up today! The Scag SFC30. We took it off the truck, brought it inside and unboxed it. The first thought was "WOW this thing is HEAVY!"  We almost couldn't believe how heavy it was, It took two of us to unbox it and wheel it inside. Setting it up was pretty easy, of course end users won't have to set them up, but I'm glad that it wasn't a 20 page instruction manual. In this article I'll give ya guys an honest review of this NEW Scag Walk Behind Mower since I've had some time to check it out and go over all of the features. 

First look of the Scag SFC30 Walk Behind Mower

First look of the mower, you think "wow this thing is built like a tank" If you compare it to some of the other larger walk behind mowers by other manufactures you quickly realize that Scag did what Scag does best, it builds high-quality and durable machines.

SFC30: Durability and Quality Matters

There isn't any thin sheet metal, or low quality spot welds on  the SFC30. It's built, and it lets you know with the sticker on the deck "Military-Grade Steel" and they mean it. Scag's parent company Metalcraft has government contracts, and they build equipment for the Military as well, if the grade of metal is used by the Military than it's probably overkill for a lawnmower, but I love that about it. 

The SFC30 Kohler Power Plant..

The next thing you notice is a large thick round metal frame around the heart of this beast of a walk-behind mower. The 7 horse power Kohler Command Pro CV224.  It's a seven horse power, with 11.0 ft-lbs of torque output gasoline engine. It has consistent cut technology, which lets the motor maintain it's speed even under stressful conditions like wet, or long grass. The gas tank is offset so you can easily fuel it, and it comes with a 3 year warranty which is great.  

Is 7 horsepower for the Scag SFC30 Walk Behind Mower Good Enough?

I've seen a lot of underpowered outdoor power equipment on the market. I'm not sure what goes through manufactures heads when they decide to under-power their equipment, other than to save costs? The Scag SFC30 isn't one of those, the 7 horsepower, and kohler engine choice was perfect for this machine, the engine is made for lawn mowers, and the lawn mower is made for the engine, it fits perfectly like a glove. This doesn't happen often, but this is a perfect fit for this mower. 

You Command, the Scag SFC 30 Follows

When you stand behind the Scag SC30, you realize it was built specifically for the end user in mind. This is what Scag is famous for, being able to manufacture quality, easy-to-use lawn mowers. The ergonomic handles make it comfortable to grap and everything you need is close by. All of the handles and levers are metal, which is great because I've seen issues when manufacturers cheap out on the control levers. 

Ease-Of-Use

The Scag SFC30 operators station is set up so even a novice homeowner or landscaper can figure it out and start mowing. The controls are all clearly marked for their operation. You'd be surprised how many manufacturers can drop the ball on not-so-easy control markings and placement.  The control center also features an odometer which is kind of unique for a walk-behind mower. It's nice so you can easily see and track usage for service or resale later on. 

How's the Deck and Cut though?

The Scag SFC30 Walk behind Mower features a 30 inch Cutter deck. The cutter deck is BUILT. It's made from 14-gauge, grade 100, Military Grade steel deck shell with 12-gauge spindle reinforcement plate. This is probably why the Scag SFC30 is a heavy machine, It doesn't look as heavy as it actually is. 

The Money... The offset blade configuration

The offset blade configuration makes the Scag SFC30 unique compared to traditional large deck walk behind mowers. The Traditional timed deck configurations are more complex and difficult to maintain than offset blade designs. When compared to timed deck systems, this more resilient system means potential belt replacements take less than half the time to repair/replace.

But... Is it Easy to Change the Cutting Height?

Unlike most traditional lawn mowers the Scag SFC30 Mower allows you to easily adjust the height of your cut from a single location. A lot of walk behind mowers will require you to walk around the deck and adjust all four corners. Not with the Scag SFC30. You simply push the bar behind the deck forward and place the pin at whatever height and cut you desire. It's quick, painless and easy! You see this type of height adjustment in different forms on all of Scag's larger walk behind and ride on mowers, it's a great feature which makes your life a whole lot easier. 

I need to be able to Mulch, Discharge or Bag though!

Don't worry Scag has you covered. The SFC30 can do all three. Using a 3-in-1 System it allows you to Mulch, Discharge or Bag. This depends on a simple change in configuration.  If you want to discharge you simply block the back discharge and put on the chute. If you want to mulch you can close both the chute and the back discharge. Finally if you want to bag you put on the side discharge chute, and bagger.  Versatility is another great feature of the Scag SFC30. 

Final Thoughts of the Scag SFC30 Walk Behind Mower

Scag hit this one out of the park. It's a great walk behind mower at a fair price, and it's quality. This mower can be used by homeowners, landscapers and personally I think it's a great mower for those who want to start landscaping and need a realizable walk behind mower with a look that says "I know what i'm doing" 

Two More? Coming Soon...

I'm excited Scag announced two additional versions of the SFC30.  The first version has front caster wheels instead of normal wheels. This is a fantastic feature because it will give you the ability to mow side to side and get to those hard to reach places, It also makes mowing around curved areas a hell of a lot easier. The second NEW version of the SFC30 is all Electric. I'm not sure about the actual specs on this one, but it looks promising.  One thing I can bet, It's quiet. Can you imagine being able to mow a lawn at night? I'm not sure how straight the cuts and passes would be, but it's funny to think about the possibilities!

Check out the Official Scag Video explaining the SFC30 Walk behind in greater detail!