BAd Boy ZT Elite 60"

[burzynsr]

Well, we took the plunge and went with a new Bad Boy ZT Elite rigged with the Kawasaki FR730 engine. I have only moved it once but the wife has already claimed it for herself since she enjoys the mowing thing (3 acres around the house). Just wanted to see if anyone has experience with one of these and what I should look out for or simply just not worry about? Any advice or experience with one would be greatly appreciated.

 

[burzynsr]

I did not think this part of the TractorByNet web site would be this dead. Just noticed most threads here are months old with nothing but members viewing.

 

[smstonypoint]

I did not think this part of the TractorByNet web site would be this dead. Just noticed most threads here are months old with nothing but members viewing.

I expect that things will pick up with warmer weather.

I have been satisfied with my Bad Boy mower -- a 61' Outlaw with a 31 HP Kawasaki engine (FX850V) purchased in 2011. I have had a few minor problems -- two broken zerks on the mower and a bad coil on the engine. I don't know if the faulty coil is a common problem.

Steve

 

[jenkinsph]

Things should pick up soon. I find it irritating that most of the threads are about equipment with very little about "Lawn Care & Landscaping". I wish more members would post pictures of their projects and transformation of lawns and landscaping. Also discussions on how to projects.

 

[DK35vince]

I find it irritating that most of the threads are about equipment with very little about "Lawn Care & Landscaping". I wish more members would post pictures of their projects and transformation of lawns and landscaping. Also discussions on how to projects.

I wish I would have taken more pictures before the clearing, landscaping, driveway and house.
Busy and didn't give it much thought at the time. Now it would be nice to have before and after pictures.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Well, we took the plunge and went with a new Bad Boy ZT Elite rigged with the Kawasaki FR730 engine. I have only moved it once but the wife has already claimed it for herself since she enjoys the mowing thing (3 acres around the house). Just wanted to see if anyone has experience with one of these and what I should look out for or simply just not worry about? Any advice or experience with one would be greatly appreciated.

I don't know if having the wife to compete with for mowing is a good or bad thing. Personally I cant get my wife on a mower (tractor type and especially ZTR) but I enjoy mowing also. I cant comment on the BadBoy mowers, not having any experience with them but then again, most mowers are comparable that are in the same category ie, residential, lowend commercial, full commercial. I see that you have the FR (residential grade)Kawasaki. Kawasaki engines have the best reputation for longevity that I have found. I have the FS (low end commercial) and I don't know what the difference is between FR, FS and FX. I do see the FX visually having a better air cleaner externally, I don't know if any internal differences exist.
Good luck with your choice.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Well, we took the plunge and went with a new Bad Boy ZT Elite rigged with the Kawasaki FR730 engine. I have only moved it once but the wife has already claimed it for herself since she enjoys the mowing thing (3 acres around the house). Just wanted to see if anyone has experience with one of these and what I should look out for or simply just not worry about? Any advice or experience with one would be greatly appreciated.

I like all of the Kawasaki engines. I would have preferred to get a Kawasaki commercial engine on the Ferris 2100 I purchased last fall, but I was looking for an out-of-season deal in lake country where all of our dealers are fat and happy and the dealer matched my best internet deal.

As I said, I like the Kawasaki engines. The residential engine don't have as large of an air filter and so after every couple of uses, blow out the air box with a backpack blower or pull the air filter off and use your air compressor to blow out the air filter from the inside out and you can expect to put a 1000 hours on that engine with oil changes every 100 hours or so.

 

[jerrybob]

Just curious......how do the ZT's do on hills? I do agree on the Kawasaki motors......my JD LT 180 is going 13 yrs......motor has never had problem.

 

[burzynsr]

I looked at the Kubota, Cub Cadet and John Deere before settling on the Bad Boy. All were comparable except the Cub Cadet that really was strictly for residential use (the model I was looking at). The Deere was eliminated because of the dealer attitude. They are all good mowers and all do the same thing. Like a Chevy, Dodge or Ford half ton truck, they will all haul a 1000 lbs to where you want it. You just have to load and unload it. So far so good after 6 hours of operation. I had to adjust the tracking a little bit, but that was no problem (not worth taking back to dealer just because it is under warranty, more trouble & time than it is worth). Also when I say the wife likes mowing, that does not include getting on the tractor with the bush hog. It is "to loud, smelly, vibrates to much, can't see, throws pieces of wood around and makes to much dust". I'll take that trade any day.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Just curious......how do the ZT's do on hills? I do agree on the Kawasaki motors......my JD LT 180 is going 13 yrs......motor has never had problem.

Some of the box store ZT's like my Craftsman 6000 don t do hills at all. Even with bar lug tires, it wont hold on very much of a side slope. My Ferris IS700 will take the steepest hills I have and hold a straight line across a 20 degree slope with ease as long as the grass is not wet. It handles slopes as well as my JD 332 tractor type mower would.
It seems ZTR slope handling all depends on the weight of the mower and size of the tires, the heavier the mower and larger the tires, the better it handles slopes. Going straight up and down a slope, I have no problems with climbing a 40+ degree slope with either mower. I have never had either of my mowers try to tip backwards when mowing up a slope. One of my ponds has a very steep slope on the dam that is hard to walk up but the mowers climb it well.