Located about an hour north of Milwaukee in Mayville, Wisconsin, Scag Power Equipment has been at the forefront of commercial-grade lawn maintenance equipment since 1983. A leading manufacturer of zero-turn riding mowers, walk-behind mowers, and outdoor power equipment, Scag builds proven equipment for professional landscapers, contractors, and homeowners to get more done in less time.
In early 2024, the company announced its expansion into the light construction market by introducing the Jackal line of stand-on mini skid-steers. Compact and versatile, the Jackal uses tracks and interchangeable attachments to handle everything from moving soil and materials to grading, demolition, and snow removal in tight spaces where larger equipment can’t access. Scag introduced the Jackal to have a competitive option in the 1000 LB-size class that typically utilizes 25 horsepower diesel engines.
Scag Adds Yanmar, Giving Customers Freedom to Choose
Choosing an engine for a new piece of equipment is always a key decision for any manufacturer. Nearly a year before the product launched, Scag’s Chief Engineer, Fred Karsten, and Executive Director of Engineering, Matt Mugan, were tasked with designing the Jackal and choosing the component options, including the engine. They chose to have multiple versions in the Jackal line because, as is often the case, customers have preferences and have researched various engines and manufacturers.
When choosing engines, Karsten and Mugan needed to weigh various considerations, including quality, reliability, and serviceability, plus the cost and availability of the engine. Karsten and Mugan ultimately chose Yanmar engines as one of the engine manufacturers for the new Jackal lineup, selecting them for the 35.5” and 40” racking width models to provide turbo-charged options in the lineup.
“Although this was our first time going with Yanmar and working with their team, we felt comfortable based on positive discussions with customers and dealers,” said Karsten. “In our conversations, some strongly desired Yanmar, and because they had a strong reputation and a solid service network, we considered it very early in the project and ultimately chose them for two of our SKUs.”
Yanmar Customer Service Supports Scag’s Success
The Scag team had one other challenge with the Jackal – a short window to deliver it to market, which meant an accelerated project timeline. Given the crunch, they needed their supplier partners to support them, which was another test for their new relationship with Yanmar. “Yanmar was very flexible given our time, as was McDonald, our engineering services partner,” said Karsten. “When we were ready to test, we didn’t have to wait for weeks or months; when we needed answers on certain items, they were responsive, and we received them fast. It was very refreshing.”
During the Jackal’s development phase, the Scag and Yanmar engineering teams met to select the right size and powered engine and then test it. Although Yanmar offers customization options for its OEM customers, the Scag team only needed to add a few accessories, including a wire harness, a muffler, and a different tailpipe, as the base Yanmar 3TNV80FT diesel engine fit the Jackal perfectly. Once testing started, they began to get a feel for the Jackal’s performance with it.
“We were pleasantly surprised at how well the Jackal ran with the turbo Yanmar engine, particularly the torque,” said Karsten. “It performed really, really well as you loaded up the engine. It didn’t bog down and held RPM under heavier loads impressively.”
After final sign-offs from Scag and Yanmar engineering teams, the company began manufacturing and shipping the Jackal to distributors for sale and rental houses across the country in the summer of 2024. The early feedback has been very positive.
“The Yanmar engine is quiet, smooth, and responsive, which we noticed during our testing, and we’re now hearing this feedback from customers who purchased it,” said Mugan. “While our customers don’t yet have a huge number of hours on them, their response is promising, and it reinforces our decision to choose Yanmar as one of the engine offerings.”
More Yanmar Options Ahead for Scag
Based on their experience working with Yanmar to date and the engine’s performance, the Scag team is now considering Yanmar for future Scag equipment.
“We are looking at Yanmar engines for future products,” said Mugan. “If the cost fits our model and the engines are available, our initial experience working with Yanmar on the Jackal was incredibly positive. Add to it the engine performance–we are considering Yanmar again for these reasons.”
Learn more about Yanmar engines for manufacturers at www.yanmarengines.com.