Export thread

Anyone have any feedback on the Bad Boy MZ? This is the residential model. Looked at one at my local dealer, looks well built, 27hp Professional Briggs, 48inch welded deck, 18500 ftp blade tip speed. Sounds good for $3499.00?

I haven't seen the mower personally, but they have been on RFDTV and are American made.

A neighbor has the AC electric UTV and likes it.

I have one. I bought it a little over a month ago at the local TSC. This is my first ZTR. I mow about 1 1/2 acres, somewhat rough ground, and some slope in areas, ~15%.

My previous mower was a ~12 year old John Deere LX173. I owned it for 10 of those years, and it was a good mower. But it was getting tired, the tranny would occasionally skip, and it needed tires. Plus, it was under powered. I could not wait too long between mowings or it would bog down. Too much deck (48) for too little engine (15hp).

First, let me say that power and blade speed is NOT a problem with the BBMZ! It almost seems that if the blades were pitched the other way, it would lift off. I was that impressed when I tested it at TSC. At home, the power allows me to mow in less than ideal conditions, damp grass, etc. It covers ground quickly, as well.

I wish I could say the whole experience was as glowing as the power. Three of the four zerks that lube the deck lifting mechanism will not take grease. I do not know why yet. A week after I bought it, it was taking too much cranking to start. Found out the throttle cable clamp was loose, and the choke was not engaging. I had to remove the whole rear engine guard to fix it. There should be an extension on the engine oil drain. It is directly over the electric clutch for the blades. I had to make a custom funnel out of a plastic bottle to keep from soaking it. When you change the oil filter, you WILL get oil all over the rear deck of the mower.

As far as the cut... As I mentioned, my lawn (heh) is a little rough. Not terrible, but it's no fairway, for sure. The 48" deck hangs somewhat rigidly from the mower frame. If a drive wheel drops into a low spot, instant scalp. I'm mowing at 3 1/2". The anti-scalp wheels on the deck are too high, and are not adjustable. I wish they were.

I mentioned that parts of my yard are sloped 10 - 15%. If I mow cross-slope, there is a difference in cut height where the rows meet. The downhill side always cuts a little shorter that the uphill side. Not a lot, but it's noticeable.

Even with the excellent blade speed, the deck accumulates a lot of packed grass. If it's damp, probably a five gallon bucket's worth for every mowing. Again, due to the power the mower never bogs, but when the grass is too packed under the deck, it will "blow chunks". Scraping the crud out is no picnic. The deck is not "easy off" like the one on my old Deere. Maybe that's a characteristic of ZTRs, I do not know. Anyway, I have to put the front of the mower on blocks and scrape away with a 2" putty knife. It doesn't take too long, but it's not a pleasant job. There is no hose fitting through the deck. I do have a pressure washer, maybe I'll try that next time.

My last issue may not be directly related to the BBMZ, but could well be the fact that I'm using a ZTR on sloped ground. When going downhill, this mower is very hesitant to turn, especially if the grass is wet. I must be going very slow, and be very careful on the sticks to maintain control. What often happens is I will back off the stick on the side I want to turn towards, and the wheel will slow its rotation, as it should, but instead of the mower turning, it continues straight and the wheel simply starts skidding over the grass, frequently peeling away the grass as it slides. This is especially noticeable if I try and angle downhill. The mower wants to head straight downhill, and there's not much I can do to stop it.

I am adapting to these idiosyncrasies. I will replace the bad zerks, my custom funnel works OK for draining the oil, I will clean the rear motor deck after changing the filter, and put up with scraping the mower deck.

If my lawn was smooth and level, the cut issues would probably disappear. This thing would cut FAST on a flat smooth lawn. I am figuring out how to best cut the sloped areas. Even with having to be super careful on the slopes, I can still save about an hour (30%) over what it used to take with the Deere.

As I mentioned, this is my first ZTR. With the Deere LX173, I could relax, daydream, scratch my nose, etc, as I was mowing. Not so with this. It requires full attention (most of the time), and no nose-scratching or before you know it you'll have turned a 180. It's fun to drive.

I've been toying with the idea of putting chains on it, assuming there are no clearance issues... It may help with downhill control. Or it may insure than I'll make giant ruts every time I mow.

Anyway.... I needed a mower. I wanted to try a ZTR. I bought the BBMZ. It's powerful! It has some issues. It's true what they say, ZTRs don't do well on slopes (at least not this one). But I'm managing.

...hope this helps someone.

I might suggest that you take these issues directly to the BadBoy web site and use the contact link. I believe they are still new enough to respond to customer suggestions and may help with your concerns.
Contacts | Bad Boy Mowers link is from the BB web site -- let us know if you get any response!

Rear tires are listed as 18x9.5-8 - maybe a slightly more aggressive tire might help ?

I would have thought they had larger and wider tires... check your tire pressure, you will want it as low as you can, soft wide will give a better foot print... :smile:KennyV

BTW Welcome to this Forum...
and thanks for the candid evaluation...

BKBrown said:

I might suggest that you take these issues directly to the BadBoy web site and use the contact link. I believe they are still new enough to respond to customer suggestions and may help with your concerns.
Contacts | Bad Boy Mowers link is from the BB web site -- let us know if you get any response!

Rear tires are listed as 18x9.5-8 - maybe a slightly more aggressive tire might help ?

Click to expand...

I emailed Badboy and received no response. I called them, and talked to a fellow who listened, but could not offer any assistance. They do not offer any other tire options, they have never heard of anyone using chains, and they acknowledge that the anti-scalp wheels are not adjustable.

The tire pressure is set correctly. They were WAY overfilled coming from TSC, but it was one of the first things I checked.

I didn't bring up the non-functional zerks.

It looks like I'm on my own as far as trying to fix any of the issues I'm having. I think I can find a way to extend (lower) the anti-scalp wheels, and maybe use collars to move out the wheels to provide space for chains. I'm not sure chains will do much except tear up more grass. I may try it anyway.

Again, on a flat smooth lawn, this thing would be awesome. But for my lawn, hindsight being 2020, I should not have bought it. Live and learn.

That is the worst scalping I have ever seen... There must be some way to prevent that... :smile:KennyV

KennyV said:

That is the worst scalping I have ever seen... There must be some way to prevent that... :smile:KennyV

Click to expand...

Man I can't believe it that is terrible.

I bought a new mower a couple weeks ago and I looked at the Bad Boy but did not like the ergonomics just did not fit me the controls were not comfortable.

Only place near me to buy is TSC and if you need warranty work you have to go to the local
Grass Hopper dealer.
I talked to that dealer and he was bad mouthing the BB mower and I figure that if I needed anything it would sit until he had all of his GH customers taken care of first.

The lack of a dealer for service and parts along with other things like the deck design and no adjustment on the deck wheels made me pass on it.

I bought a new JD ZTR NO scalping and I can mow wet grass and the deck does NOT collect grass it just blows it out.

I have a 54 inch deck and I can mow my lawn in less time than I can with my 725 GH with 72 inch deck.

The JD can mow faster and leave a nice looking cut the GH will go fast but it don't look nearly as good.
My GH is 12 feet long takes a huge area to turn it but the JD has a 48 inch wheelbase it will turn in places the GH can not think of going.

I really like my new JD ZTRAK :thumbsup:

shroom said:

My last issue may not be directly related to the BBMZ, but could well be the fact that I'm using a ZTR on sloped ground. When going downhill, this mower is very hesitant to turn, especially if the grass is wet. I must be going very slow, and be very careful on the sticks to maintain control. What often happens is I will back off the stick on the side I want to turn towards, and the wheel will slow its rotation, as it should, but instead of the mower turning, it continues straight and the wheel simply starts skidding over the grass, frequently peeling away the grass as it slides. This is especially noticeable if I try and angle downhill. The mower wants to head straight downhill, and there's not much I can do to stop it.

Click to expand...

Have you thought about putting bar lug tires on it. The link below is to some I looked up on ebay. I am in no way connected with this seller on ebay. I only did this search so you can see what is available.

18x9.50-8 Golf Cart Go Kart Riding Lawn Mower LUG Tires | eBay

mullins87 said:

Have you thought about putting bar lug tires on it. The link below is to some I looked up on ebay. I am in no way connected with this seller on ebay. I only did this search so you can see what is available.

18x9.50-8 Golf Cart Go Kart Riding Lawn Mower LUG Tires | eBay

Click to expand...

Yeah, I have. But tires like that are directional, and with a ZTR, having traction in both directions is necessary. At least that's my thinking... :smile:

Since I have a set, I'm going to try chains. Before I do, I need to get longer lug studs and 1/2 - 3/4 spacers.

I'm more concerned about the anti scalp wheels. I'm pretty sure I can lower them. But the deck does not 'float' much in relation to the mower frame. It's pretty rigidly mounted. I'm concerned that if I do lower the scalp wheels, and they hit the ground when a mower wheel drops in a low spot, I may tweak the deck mount linkage. I guess I won't know till I try....

I hope to get to these things within the next week or so. ..been busy with other stuff.

Thanks for the idea...

Wondering if you have had much rain - if you can get the lawn soft, maybe a good heavy roller will level the lawn out some without tilling it all up and leveling it before re-seeding.

I'm sorry to hear that this machine is so poor at dealing with humps and low spots.

I have a Cub Cadet Tank model M72 and in the Spring I use the lug tires. I mow some rather steep hills and have had little or no problem going up or down.
I have no answer to the "scalping" you are experiencing as my Tank is adjustable both on the deck and on the wheels.
I have looked at the Bad Boy zero turn but it didn't have the adjustments necessary to mow my acreage.

Good Luck to you, Mike

I moved your thread to the Mower Buying & Pricing Forum. :smile:

Hello,

I'm considering a Bad Boy CT or Outlaw Zero Turn mower for my 3 plus acres of lawn. While most of my property is flat, some if it sloped to a point I will probably use the old JD130 to mow rather than risk running into the pond with the BB. My dealer recommended the larger Outlaw based on some of the issues discussed here; scalping and turning. According to him, the larger Outlaw does better than the MZ in this performance aspect.

I'm just trying to get more feedback on the BB brand before I purchase this summer.

Thanks,
Mike

ok so I am new to the forum... after trying to mow on a slope for 15 years I have a couple of comments. While my old snapper will mow the crap out of wet grass, wet grass and a slope is a no_no. especially trying to mow level across the hill or angling downhill. Always mow slightly uphill in the dry. When I bought my snapper I explained I was still having issues with control on hills and the dealer explained that snapper offered a "offroad" kit for the mower which comprised of 2 ribbed tires like a "v". I have used them so long that I pretty much wore off the ribs. It was not a perfect solution but it has worked well for years. As far as scalping, I have no idea since one of the snappers strenght's was floating over any irregularities, since I have also started looking for a new mower... I am hoping I dont have to give that up.

I thought I'd post a 30 month update .

I did add chains to my MZ, and they do help quite a bit with control on slopes. I solved most of the scalping issue by raising the cut height. While it's still cutting unevenly due to my rough lawn, it's not nearly as noticeable. I'm still scraping the grass from under the deck after almost every mowing, but I bought a MoJack, which greatly eases the job of raising the mower to get access for scraping. Mechanically, the MZ has not missed a beat. Always starts easily, still as powerful as the day I brought it home. No issues with belts or bearings.

So I have adapted to using it. But if I had it to do over again, I would have looked elsewhere, and I will look elsewhere when it's time to replace it.

Rob

shroom said:

I thought I'd post a 30 month update .

I did add chains to my MZ, and they do help quite a bit with control on slopes. I solved most of the scalping issue by raising the cut height. While it's still cutting unevenly due to my rough lawn, it's not nearly as noticeable. I'm still scraping the grass from under the deck after almost every mowing, but I bought a MoJack, which greatly eases the job of raising the mower to get access for scraping. Mechanically, the MZ has not missed a beat. Always starts easily, still as powerful as the day I brought it home. No issues with belts or bearings.

So I have adapted to using it. But if I had it to do over again, I would have looked elsewhere, and I will look elsewhere when it's time to replace it.

Rob

Click to expand...

I hate it that you didn't come here almost 3 years ago before investing in the Bad Boy MZ:0(
I too looked at Bad Boy ZTRs in the fall of 2012 when I was shopping and along with some warnings I got on these forums I looked at but definitely did not consider the ZT or MZ models that TSC carried since (1)they are the entry level residential Bad Boy ZTRs and (2)TSC is not a "dealer" which you now understand the importance of, since you basically ended up doing your own repairs even during the warranty period. I did consider the 54" Outlaw(at the local Bad Boy dealer) which is a 1,230 lb(5gauge deck) beast, but as you stated....heavy duty, engine power, blade tip speed, etc. doesn't necessarily make it a professional performance ZTR. I read many user reviews of the Bad Boys and owners either loved them or hated them. That kind of mixed reviews for a $7,000 ZTR made me second guess purchasing one. Also, there is a link on these forums to a National Dealer Survey and the Bad Boys aren't rated very good by the dealer sampling in that survey. Another bad sign(if the dealers have negative reviews...do I want to buy one?). I'm glad you seemed to have worked though most of your problems and found workarounds, but hopefully some prospective ZTR buyers will read your first-hand experience with the BBMZ and look for other options.
P.S.
When you get to the point where you feel like you have come close to getting a return on your investment and are ready to replace that BBMZ....I definitely recommend that you look at the Gravely line if you have a dealer nearby. I love mine and you will be hard pressed to find any "mixed reviews" by any of their owners.

djdicetn said:

I hate it that you didn't come here almost 3 years ago before investing in the Bad Boy MZ:0(
I too looked at Bad Boy ZTRs in the fall of 2012 when I was shopping and along with some warnings I got on these forums I looked at but definitely did not consider the ZT or MZ models that TSC carried since (1)they are the entry level residential Bad Boy ZTRs and (2)TSC is not a "dealer" which you now understand the importance of, since you basically ended up doing your own repairs even during the warranty period. I did consider the 54" Outlaw(at the local Bad Boy dealer) which is a 1,230 lb(5gauge deck) beast, but as you stated....heavy duty, engine power, blade tip speed, etc. doesn't necessarily make it a professional performance ZTR. I read many user reviews of the Bad Boys and owners either loved them or hated them. That kind of mixed reviews for a $7,000 ZTR made me second guess purchasing one. Also, there is a link on these forums to a National Dealer Survey and the Bad Boys aren't rated very good by the dealer sampling in that survey. Another bad sign(if the dealers have negative reviews...do I want to buy one?). I'm glad you seemed to have worked though most of your problems and found workarounds, but hopefully some prospective ZTR buyers will read your first-hand experience with the BBMZ and look for other options.
P.S.
When you get to the point where you feel like you have come close to getting a return on your investment and are ready to replace that BBMZ....I definitely recommend that you look at the Gravely line if you have a dealer nearby. I love mine and you will be hard pressed to find any "mixed reviews" by any of their owners.

Click to expand...

I had BB at the top of my list when I was deciding on what ZT I was gonna purchase simply because they're made right up the road (bout an HR away...and I wanted to buy an Arkansas made product...but after researching the Bad Boy mowers I decided against it...I purchased a Hustler and I'm glad I did...They're an excellent company and build one Hell of a mower

42 month update.

I am now at the end of the mowing season for 2014 (4 seasons), and the right-hand transaxle of my MZ is failing rapidly. I first noticed it a mowing or two ago. It's gotten worse rapidly, and it now struggles hard to turn left. It is not a serviceable item. The cost is ~$516 plus shipping, plus a couple hours of work. I called BadBoy and talked to three different people. They say because it's out of warranty there isn't much they can do. I was finally forwarded to "the boss" to see if I could get any sort of reduced price, but got voicemail. I will be surprised if he calls me back.

I'm not sure whether to bite the bullet and replace the transaxle, and hope the left-hand one has several more years in it, replace them both, or to throw in the towel and buy another mower.

Once I worked through the initial quirks, the mower has served me adequately (barely). I am still manually scraping the crud from under the deck after every mowing, and the mower still "blows chunks" if the grass is anything except bone dry. I have lived with it. But to have to put $600 - $1200 in parts in a 3.5 year old $3500 mower is not something I expected to have to do.

I will never buy another Bad Boy Mower.

I'm open for suggestions as to what to possibly replace it with. As I mentioned earlier, I mow about 1 1/2 acres, with some slope, and several obstacles to mow around. My lawn is not a fairway. It would be nice if I did not have to scrape the deck after every mowing. I do not want to spend $8 to $10k for a dang lawnmower.

Thanks.

shroom said:

42 month update.

I am now at the end of the mowing season for 2014 (4 seasons), and the right-hand transaxle of my MZ is failing rapidly. I first noticed it a mowing or two ago. It's gotten worse rapidly, and it now struggles hard to turn left. It is not a serviceable item. The cost is ~$516 plus shipping, plus a couple hours of work. I called BadBoy and talked to three different people. They say because it's out of warranty there isn't much they can do. I was finally forwarded to "the boss" to see if I could get any sort of reduced price, but got voicemail. I will be surprised if he calls me back.

I'm not sure whether to bite the bullet and replace the transaxle, and hope the left-hand one has several more years in it, replace them both, or to throw in the towel and buy another mower.

Once I worked through the initial quirks, the mower has served me adequately (barely). I am still manually scraping the crud from under the deck after every mowing, and the mower still "blows chunks" if the grass is anything except bone dry. I have lived with it. But to have to put $600 - $1200 in parts in a 3.5 year old $3500 mower is not something I expected to have to do.

I will never buy another Bad Boy Mower.

I'm open for suggestions as to what to possibly replace it with. As I mentioned earlier, I mow about 1 1/2 acres, with some slope, and several obstacles to mow around. My lawn is not a fairway. It would be nice if I did not have to scrape the deck after every mowing. I do not want to spend $8 to $10k for a dang lawnmower.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

The hustler raptor sd is a good mower and would suit your needs well. Don't know what your budget is, so it's difficult to recommend mowers.

It took several phone calls, but Badboy sold me a RH transaxle for $427 shipped, a discount of about $125. Installing it took about 1/2 hour, and my MZ is again functional.

So kudos to Badboy for the discount, but again, the transaxle should not have failed so (relatively) soon.

I just got a bad Boy in today and the owner complained about scalping, we are going to try taller deck wheels, do you think it will work, please I am open to suggestions..

What size deck did he use before? What size now? What height is he cutting grass? This is much more important than what size anti scalp wheels.

He had a 61 inch deck before on a Bob Cat mower, and now has a 61 inch deck on this Bad Boy mower, he is cutting the grass at 3 1/2 and sometimes 4 inches, mowing level is now problem, it is when there is a small hill or mounds in the yard. I hope that makes sense..

should have said mowing level is no problem..

What mower because the Bad Boy MZ only has 48" and 54" listed?

BlazNT said:

What mower because the Bad Boy MZ only has 48" and 54" listed?

Click to expand...

I am not sure of the model, but it is a 61 inch deck, and it is a 2010 model, he just purchased it a few months ago, perhaps someone changed the deck on it, and that is why it is scalping, not sure..

If the tires and the frame or not wide enough for a 61 inch deck it will scalp.

Ok, not sure how big the motors were on the smaller units, but this one has a 27 horse Kohler, and the deck appears to fit well, I am thinking that even though they look ok, the deck wheels may be wore down to much but I am just guessing...