# Bad Boy mowers



## jeff_t (May 12, 2011)

Anybody have one? As much as I don't want to buy anything at TSC ever again, 12 months no interest has my interest. They look to be pretty well built, about 100x better than the Ariens zero turn it would be replacing, and the Cub Cadets they have at the store. I'm looking at the 48" cut, I've only got about three acres to mow.


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## jeff_t (May 13, 2011)

Yikes! I just took a good long look at the 48" model. Definitely built a little better than the Ariens I've got, but maybe not that much better than the Cub Cadet. If my yard was golf course smooth, it might work out okay, but I think I might have to bite it and get the bigger one. I really want something overbuilt for what I need, for once. I'm tired of fixing.


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## heat seeker (May 13, 2011)

Good idea - rule of thumb is to buy at least one level higher than you think you'll need. A large machine working easier will last longer than a smaller one working hard, too. I've only heard about Bad Boys from seeing them on RFDTV. If it's feasible for you, I'd suggest avoiding the big box stores and going to a dedicated dealer - Simplicity or Deere, for instance. Better service, good machines, higher cost, though. 
Either way, best of luck to you!


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## JDC1 (May 13, 2011)

Exmark has a pretty decent line of homeowner zero turns and usually have a pretty decent financing option.  They are spendy but well built.  I have a commercial 52" w/ bagger and 27hp Kohler.  My lawn is not smooth and it takes about 4 hours to cut approximately 5 acres.  I personally wished that I would have gotten the kawasaki. Around here there are a ton of used commercial units selling for the price of the cheap, home depot zero turns.  Alot of the rental places rent zero turns that you can see if a zero turn is right for your yard.  If you are looking at new, a dedicated dealer will have a loaner to test.  I think a big walk behind with a sulky would be better for our rough yard.


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## btuser (May 13, 2011)

Get a used commercial mower.  Most of the stuff from HD an the like are stripped down versions with a name on them.  Much thinner gauge on the deck and not the HP of the commercial units.  I used to mow 3 acres as well that was kinda hilly so instead of a rider or ZTM I bought a barely used 48" hydro walk-behind with a sulky.   I like the hydro, two independent pumps for each wheel. I've moved with that mower twice and even though I'm down to an acre now the mower still does its job well.  Still in very good shape and at this rate of 1 acre/week it will outlast me.  

Its a little on the ridiculous size for a homeowner but I'm done in 45 minutes and that includes trimming/blowing.  Somehow I get looks like I'm "the help" while the same guy on a 48" rider doing a lawn 1/3 my size doesn't get the same scrutiny.


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## jeff_t (May 13, 2011)

Well, the 60" at TSC seems to be a stripped down version that is still well built. The deck looks to be 3/16-1/4", and well reinforced. The frame and attachment points are all pretty beefy. The hydro system is serviceable. The engine is a 27hp Kohler. Appears to be a pretty good buy for $5k. 
I think, though, that I'm gonna fix my Ariens once again, and hope to make it thru the season. I'll see what happens in the fall. Last year they had it marked down $5-600, and special financing.


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## jeromehdmc (May 14, 2011)

When we were in the market for a commercial zero-turn we asked the dealers if they would bring them out to our place to let us have a trial run. We mow about 5 acres, have alot of trees and it is very hilly here. Ferris, Exmark, and Cub Cadet were the only ones that came out. Exmark had a great cut, Ferris had the best ride and the Cub Cadet did the best on the hills. We went with the Cub Cadet M-60 Tank. It is an excellent machine, heavy built as are all the commercial machines. After a co-worker came out and tried it he decided he also should go with a commercial mower. He bought the Bad Boy 60" and couldn't be happier. It is very well built, mows great, and was priced right.  I've looked it over and the Bad Boy is comparable. It's kind of funny, after this two other co-workers came out and tried ours they both got commercial mowers, 1 Ferris and 1 Cub. I guess what I'm saying is that you can't go wrong with just about any commercial mower, take care of it and you won't ever need another one. As good as the unit at TSC looks, my guess is that it has many hidden  lesser quality components than a "real" commercial unit.  From our deep research when we got ours (about 4 yrs ago) the "real" commercial units CANNOT be shipped or sold by Lowe's, Home Depot, and I'm guessing TSC.  There are strict contracts about that...only commercial dealers can sell "real" commercial units.  I kinda doubt that unit is nearly as tough as you might guess but then maybe Bad Boy is different (they are a smaller regional manufacturer from maybe  AR?)  The thing is that real commercial mowers are expensive and people don't know that you can "test drive" them on YOUR property.  Just call all the commercial dealers and set up test drives.  THEY will trailer them units to you.  You will then know exactly which one feels best for your yard.  And also, many of those same commercial-only dealers have relationships with the landscape companies in town who have fleets of mowers.  Some landscape companies (and golf courses)  turn mowers back in to the dealers every couple of seasons so there may be a used, but well maintained real commercial unit available...you just have to do some shopping.  Lastly, keep this in mind, just like at car dealers, there will likely be last year's model commercial mower at Cub Cadet or Ferris or Exmark or Dixie or wherever that didn't sell last year.  You might get a great deal on a year or two older, "new" mower.  If you can find a used one in good shape for a good price go for it. For bang for the buck from what I've seen the Bad Boy is a good choice, but if you're going to spend 5 or 6K on a mower, shopping around might be smart..


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## jeromehdmc (May 14, 2011)

Also forgot this. Go with a larger deck, the 60" will reduce cutting time and will get into surprisingly tight places.


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## begreen (May 14, 2011)

We use our Craftsman lawn tractor for field mowing as well as the house lawn. Would you recommend the Bad Boy for rough terrain also? If not, what works best?


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## jeromehdmc (May 14, 2011)

They all perform great on rough terrain but I would strongly recommend a good set of mulching blades.  Mulching blades only cost a few dollars more than std and we hardly ever use anything else even in the back yard...they're that good.  Something you may want to consider when cutting rough terrain is the necessity of raising the deck.  The higher the deck height, the greater the loss of vacuum; that is, the mower won't "suck up" grass into the blades as well so it doesn't get shredded as well.  For that reason, all things considered, ExMark may be the best for your particular use bec it has a deeper deck.  The cutting deck on the ExMark is patented and widely considered superior by pros but the mower itself has drawbacks...lack of front end articulation, no suspension, cost.  Again, a test drive is the way to go, that way you'll know for sure you got the right machine.


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## JDC1 (May 15, 2011)

Dealer support is huge.  We had a few bugs when we got our exmark.  The dealer had us running within a few hours and had a loaner available if he couldnt gwt it back to us that day
.


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## woodsmaster (May 15, 2011)

I bought a cheaper 52" cub cadet zero turn. It has a stamped frame and deck. It's not near the mower an x mark is but was half the price and will probably last half as long. I've used it for three years with no problems. I clean the deck out often and try not to mow when the grass is wet. It is a mtd with a cub cadet sticker, sad but true.


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## lukem (May 16, 2011)

I have a Bad Boy Pup.  31HP Kawasaki and 60" deck.  It is a beast.  Bought it used with 80 hours on it...best money I ever spent.  Takes me about 50 minutes to cut my 3 acre yard (which is about 2x/week right now).

I was looking hard at the Bad Boy CZT line but opted for the full-on commercial because of the non-intergrated pumps/motors and higher top speed.  The Kawasaki engine was a selling point too.  I ended up getting the used one for about the same $ as new.

My yard is pretty rough, but I deflated the tires a little bit and, while it's not smooth, I can easily mow full speed without punishing my kidneys.  I have about 145 hours on the machine now and it is still functioning like new with no issues.

Don't be fooled by the TSC units...they are not a commercial mower.  They have Kohler engines, but they are not the Command (commercial) engines.  I read a lot of negative reviews on the Courage engine.  Might be fine for a lot of people, don't get me wrong, but if you are planning on keeping it for a long time and using it hard, it might be better to get the commercial for a little extra $.

I should also mention that I have at least 5k hours of seat time on commercial ZTR mowers, so I'm a little pickier than your average homeowner.


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## charly (May 16, 2011)

I bought 52" Ferris zero turn and am really happy with it. Mow about 5-6 acres with it, on my farm. Suspension is nice. Threw gator blades on it. 47 hours on it with zero problems. Works fine on a hill I mow too. A Cub Cadet dealer said he did a lot of warranty work for units coming from Home Depot. Those units at some of the chain stores have not had the deck spindle bearings greased. People buy them and find out after the fact. Something to check if you buy outside of a dealership.


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## jeff_t (May 16, 2011)

I stopped at a dealer today and looked at Gravely's heavy duty homeowner line. They seem to be pretty well built, at least for what I need. Plus excellent dealer support. They also handle warranty work for nine different box stores in the area, and had a yard full of work waiting for them. I'd like to find out more about Gravely before I take that plunge.


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