(Solved) Bad Boy Mowers Problems Explained
The Bad Boy is one of the biggest names in the lawn mower industry. It’s quite popular worldwide because of its quality mowers, particularly with residential homeowners.
Still, like any other heavy-duty machine, its customers face several common issues.
For example, the common bad boy mowers problems are the mower won’t start or move, the deck starts shaking, gas leakage, transaxle problem, blade, belt battery drainage, and so on.
The good thing is these issues aren’t inexplicable, and you can solve them by following our easy guide.
Just ensure you’re following the method correctly so any new problem won’t arise.
8 Most Common Bad Boy Mowers Problems & Their Solutions
Below we’ll discuss the most common 8 bad boy mowers problems then share how you can solve them with a proper guideline.
1 – Bad Boy Zero Turn Mower Won’t Start
Also Read: Your Bad Boy Mower Starts Then Dies? [Reasons, Troubleshooting, And Prevention]
Your zero-turn bad boy mower won’t start after trying everything. If that’s the issue, no worry; we know why it happens and what’s the solution.
The first thing you need to know is it’s a zero-turn lawn mower, and it doesn’t start like any regular riding mower.
There are a few steps that you need to follow in order to start the bad boy zero-turn mower.
If you don’t follow these steps, you can’t use bad boy or any company zero-turn mower.
Fixed: Let’s have a look at the steps to start the bad boy zero-turn mower.
- First, engage the parking brake in the up position.
- Hold the drive arms and set them in the “open arm” position.
- Turn off the blade engagement switch, and the mower will start.
- Now to use the mower, turn down the handle of the parking brake.
- Set the drive arms in the “close arm” position, and you can easily move the mower.
Also Read: How to Start a Bad Boy Mower? Step By Step Guide!
If your mower still doesn’t start, then check the battery, fuel tank, and spark plug or contact any expert technician for help.
2 – Mower Won’t Move
Sometimes the mower starts, but it doesn’t move. What can you do in this situation?
This question concerns many individuals, and why not? After all, it’s a valid question. The main reasons behind this issue are two.
The first is when you use old or low-quality fuel, and the second is the broken or worn-out ground drive belt.
Fortunately, both of these issues can be solved easily.
Fixed: Check the fuel tank and ensure it doesn’t have water in it, and the fuel must be new, not months old.
The solution to the second issue is to replace or adjust the belt. By following these methods, you can easily get rid of this problem.
Also Read: Who Makes Bad Boy Mowers? A Detailed Guide (2023)
3 – Mower Deck Lifting Issue
Another common problem that bad boy mower owners face is when they try to lift the mower deck with the switch, it won’t work.
It mostly happens with the Bad Boy Mower ZT Elite 747cc, and the reason behind it is the actuator issue.
Either the actuator screws are rusty or loose. Otherwise, there must be moisture in it.
Fixed: In both situations, you have to open the actuator housing by following the methods below.
- Open the actuator housing by using the right screwdrivers.
- Place all screws safely somewhere so you can use them when needed.
- Detached the actuator switch by removing the contactors.
- There must be dirt inside, which you can clean with the help of a gas duster.
- Once you use a gas duster, hold an old toothbrush and clean the inside.
- Again set the contactor and close the actuator housing.
4 – Fuel Leaking
Gas leakage is no doubt a big problem.
It makes the lawn messy because the fuel will be all over the grass second; it doesn’t feel good when the fuel leaks. After all, fuel nowadays is quite expensive.
With our research, we’ve found out why this issue happens. There are two to three reasons all are related to the fuel lines and carburetor.
Fixed: Sometimes, it happens because of the damaged fuel lines.
If that’s the case, then we suggest you contact an expert because replacing the fuel lines of the mower when you’re doing it for the first time can create more issues.
If the issue isn’t about the damaged fuel line but fuel leaking from the carburetor, it’s an easy fix.
Check the carburetor after removing it from the mower and clean it with the help of a cotton swab.
Also Read: Bad Boy Mower Is Smoking (Possible Reasons And Fixes)
- Hold the cotton swab and put some carb spray on it.
- Clean the inside of the carburetor with the help of the cotton swab.
5 – Deck Shaking
One of the biggest reasons the deck shakes a lot is when the mower deck belt gets damaged or worn out.
But how would a person know whether it’s because of a belt or another issue?
The answer is simple: rev your mower engine and push the lever up as fast as possible.
When you do this, the blades will start working instantly or take a few seconds to start. If blades take time, the belt has issues and needs adjustment.
Fixed: Check the belt and inspect it to see whether it looks fine; if it has cracks or missing parts, you need to replace it.
You can watch the video below to understand how you can replace the worn-out belt from the mower.
Let’s come to the second solution, what if the belt looks fine? Then it’s the issue of adjustment which you solve following the methods below.
- Turn off the engine.
- Check the swing arm, and see whether it moves back and forth freely or not.
- If the swing arm works properly, grab the lever and push it up quickly.
- Go back down beneath the deck and touch the spring and belt.
- The belt must feel like it’s loose.
- There will be a bracket below the belt; that’s where you can adjust the belt.
- Pull the lever down and take a wrench as per the size of the bolts.
- Loosen the bolts from the bracket, which is below the belt.
- After losing it, hold the bracket and set it away from the spring and tighten the bolts.
- Engage the lever again and see the results; the blades will work instantly this time.
Also Read: How To Bad Boy Mower Oil Change?
6 – Blade Issue
Have you ever felt like the entire lawn mower is vibrating when you run it or try to mow the lawn?
No worry, it doesn’t mean that your mower is in bad condition. It’s just the blade of your mower is uneven, and you have to even it, but HOW?
Fixed: We have an easy fix to balance lawn mower blades. You only need to follow the steps below one by one.
- Remove the blades from the lawnmower.
- Put the blades on a stable surface.
- Use a balancer and check which side is heavier than the other.
- The side that’s heavy needs to be sharpened.
- So get a belt sander, or you can use a sharpening stone, etc.
- After sharpening, use the balancer again and check whether the blade is even or not.
- If it’s even, then reinstall it again in the mower. Otherwise, sharpen the heavy side more until the blade becomes even.
Also Read: How To Change Blades On Bad Boy Mowers? Steps-By-Steps Process
7 – Transaxle Problem
A transaxle is an integrated system found in certain lawnmowers that combines the transmission and axle set-up.
The primary purpose of having a transaxle in a lawn mower is to efficiently transfer power from the engine to the drive wheels.
If it goes bad, you’ll see that the mower won’t cut the grass like it did in the past. In addition, your ride on the bad boy mower will become bumpy.
Fixed: Mostly Bad Boy Mower transaxle problems happen when hydraulic fluid leaks or when you have a defective charge pump.
If it’s the first situation, you’re lucky as you can install a new seal kit and solve this issue.
The second situation is tricky because there’s only one way: to ask for help from a mechanic to repair the defective charge pump.
8 – Battery Drain Faster
The battery in your bad boy mower battery is draining too quickly, and this can be a headache! Fortunately, there are a few ways to maximize the battery’s life.
The most important is to make sure you keep the battery regularly charged – not just when you’re using it.
Fixed: The solution to this issue is to check the battery charger first, then the battery.
You can examine them yourself if you know the proper procedure. Otherwise, it’s best to contact any expert for this process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What’s the time warranty limit of the bad boy lawn mower?
The warranty of the bad boy lawn mowers varies; usually, it will be around 1 or a maximum of 2 years. You can contact the company in these years if you face any issues.
Are the bad boy mowers bad?
No bad boy mowers aren’t bad. It’s one of the most popular brands worldwide and is known for its quality mowers.
It’s just that every electronic item shows some issues after a specific time, and this rule applies to all types of mowers including the bad boy.
Why does my bad boy lawn mower suddenly stop working?
The main reasons that cause the bad boy lawn mower to suddenly stop working are battery, fuel leakage, or using old fuel.
If your mower doesn’t have any of these issues, it must be a big problem like engine failure. So make sure to ask for help from an expert.
Conclusion
What we’ve found out is most of the bad boy mowers problems are easily solvable.
For example, a person can stop fuel leakage, sharpen the blade, solve deck shaking, or start or move the mower if it’s not working.
There’s no need to contact anyone and spend money as long as you’re sure you can solve the issue.
But we’ve found some issues that might need help from an expert, like when repairing the charge pump to solve the transaxle issue.