Second mower I purchased at the end of 2024 which was actually a brand new 2025 release.
The second mower is a Bad Boy Revolt 2025 Stander in a 54"cut. This unit comes with a 31hp EFI Kawasaki.
This is a bit of an interesting story on this one. I purchased this unit new from a local dealer who was apparently one of the first to receive the new 2025 units in stock. Years ago I briefly looked at the Bad Boy units and they definitely had some solid points vs. their competition.
Some items to note -
1. 31hp EFI Kawasaki FX781V EVO. Solid motor. Gobs of torque for a 54" mower. I've always liked Kawasaki motors and this one doesn't disappoint.
2. Integrated pump/wheel combos - specifically ZT3400's Hydro gear units
3. Hand controls are not dampened, however, they are spring returned
3. Platform utilizes rubber bumpers for shock control and it does fold up completely out of the way
4. Single 6.5 gallon gas tank
5. Deck is 3/16" or 7 gauge steel and completely fabricated from what I can see. That goes for the front axle setup and portions of the frame.
6. Manual deck lift with a slightly improved release mechanism. It requires a quick jerk of the handle to release it from the top transport position. Deck heights in 1/4" increments.
7. Everything is pretty easily accessible for maintenance. Spindles are the more common 4 bolt flange style. The spindle covers use quick thumb nuts to remove the covers. Most items are greaseable on this machine.
8. Tires are pneumatic rear and solid front
9. $1000's less than other units (like $4-4.5k from my recollection)
10. Ergonomics are still friendly on this unit
11. Striper kit built in standard
Some downfalls -
1. The controls are fabricated in such a way where there is a 1" stub sticking out on the backside of the handle. For me personally, I typically use my thumbs around the bar right in the corner to control the stick (other people use the entire handle). I ended up cutting these completely off and welding on a set of formed handles and basically duplicated the Ferris Z series setup. It's friggin' money now!
2. The deck leveling system sucks. Plain and simple. Most decks warp when they are welded up. I don't think I've EVER come across a deck that is 100% level and true. It's a slight balancing act to get them level with the appropriate pitch. With this unit, it relies on gravity to hold the deck down in the adjuster, but it doesn't give you finite adjustment with a jacking bolt similar to other mowers to set pitch. So you either hand lift or shim the deck with some boards to get the desired pitch before tightening down the bolts on the hangers. Usually once it's set, it's set for good.
3. The deck pulleys and standoff system is just Ok when compared to the competition. Definitely not the best, definitely not the worst. It works and it's simplistic how it's all mounted up, however, the pulleys are all very high off the deck which could put more pressure on the standoffs/decking over time. Likely not an issue, but just something I noticed when comparing to others.
4. And that brings me to my final point - there is something inherently missed in the design of the pulley system/deck/and or deck "stabilizers" as a unit which causes the unit to vibrate excessively when the blades are engaged.
Let me explain. When I purchased the unit and used it on my property, I didn't notice the vibration right away. However, when I took notice, the operator station actually moved side to side ever so slightly. I put a cup of water on it and observed the vibration when the blades were engaged. I compared this to all other standers I currently own. None vibrated like this. I forwarded video to both Bad Boy and my local dealer. They both claimed they never saw this before, but my dealer duplicated it on another 2025 unit on their floor.
I spent the next 2 months trying to rectify the vibration in my 'spare time' as a little project of sorts.
I've give you solution first, then I'll talk to what I tried & or what I found.
Solution - A new belt fixed the issue, however, I tried 4 - 5 other belts which exhibited the same vibration issue as the original.
Other notes -
1. The vibration was not present without the blades
2. The factory blades were rebalanced - still vibrated
3. I purchased a new set of blades and balanced them - still vibrated
4. I found several factory deck pulleys that had excessive runout in them. Another local dealer (not the original purchasing dealer) warrantied all the pulleys and belt for me - still vibrated
5. I increased the belt tension because there was some belt slap - still vibrated
6. I added an additional idler pulley to mimic the 61" deck to reduce belt slap even further - still vibrated
7. I clamped angle iron to the back of the operator station on a 45 deg angle to try and reduce the vibration - still vibrated
8. I purchased a set of red urethane bushings (possibly a higher durometer rubber to reduce vibration over the original black bushings) for the deck hangers/stabilizer - still vibrated
9. I reduced the width of the spacer (inside the bushings) on the stabilizer, so that when the bolt was tightened down, it clamped more on the bushing - still vibrated
10. I fabricated a piece of angle iron and bolted it to the deck stabilizer on the left side and then anchored it to the right front stabilizer attachment point on the opposite side - The vibration was GONE. The reason I did this was to simulate a more rigid deck mounting approach like other mowers utilize.
11. I tested 4-5 other belts. When I found a belt that didn't vibrate, I bought a second one to have as a spare. However, the second belt sometimes vibrated. Sometimes it did not. Odd right?
In the end as I mentioned, something isn't engineered to work within a large window of tolerance. The vibration isn't really noticeable during mowing, but rather just idling on concrete. Some may not notice the vibration at all, but I did. I was going to fabricate a deck mounting system to get rid of the 2 front stabilizer bars and make a more rigid setup like Deere uses on their stander, but I opted against it after I was able to source a few different belts without the issue. It's possible that running the mower for more time would have caused the belt to 'wear in' and maybe the vibration would have gone away. I can't say for certain.
Onto the performance -
The cut on the unit is surprisingly very good. Like very good. The deck is hugely improved from where I remember them being in the early 2000's. Believe it or not, I would say the deck would give a Scag Velocity Plus a run for its money. The mower feels like a mix of several mowers together. It drives more like a Ferris Z2 with the integrated ZT3400's - slightly more jerky than other units. It also cuts similar to the Ferris and Scag. It feels lighter and slightly more nimble than the Grasshopper/Scag/Ferris. The deck lift isn't as polished as other mowers but definitely useable. The control station design isn't as robust as others. You can see where some corners were cut. Again, not bad, but just an observation.
To bring this to a close -
The real issue for me besides the vibration was the customer service in the Bad Boy network. My purchasing dealer claimed they were the largest dealer in the US? (multiple dealers), however, when I showed them the videos and continually followed up with them, I believe they became frustrated to the point where they just gave up and pushed me aside. I spoke directly to the owner who worked with me for a couple of phone calls. Then at some point he responded that his fall/winter business was picking up and he needed to focus his efforts there.
Bad Boy corporate initially took my calls and received my videos, however, they too began pushing me aside. I persisted on and eventually they came back to me and said it was a belt issue - like 2 months or more later. They sent me a new belt - it vibrated as well. I had already found a couple of other belts that didn't vibrate in months prior. I was so disgusted with their performance that I wrote a letter to the CEO of Bad Boy. It was cordial but factual. Do you know I didn't receive a single reply? No one called. No one wrote. No one even acknowledged it. Shame on you Bad Boy.
The other local dealer who was much closer to me - they did me a solid. He swapped out the belts and pulleys under warranty and asked for a call back to see what kind of progress I was making. Kudos to him. For the record, I did try to purchase the unit there first, however, he didn't have any of the new 2025 units in stock.
Would I recommend this unit? For some, yes. For others, no. If you have the budget, I think there are some other mowers which perform a notch or so better, but you're definitely going to pay for it in today's market. Only you can decide if 4-4.5k in savings is worth it to you. The unit cuts well. It goes plenty fast. The dealer network is pretty large. It comes with a 2 year commercial warranty. And it'll make you some cash. At the end of the day, that's what most people want.
Feel free to ask any questions.
The second mower is a Bad Boy Revolt 2025 Stander in a 54"cut. This unit comes with a 31hp EFI Kawasaki.
This is a bit of an interesting story on this one. I purchased this unit new from a local dealer who was apparently one of the first to receive the new 2025 units in stock. Years ago I briefly looked at the Bad Boy units and they definitely had some solid points vs. their competition.
Some items to note -
1. 31hp EFI Kawasaki FX781V EVO. Solid motor. Gobs of torque for a 54" mower. I've always liked Kawasaki motors and this one doesn't disappoint.
2. Integrated pump/wheel combos - specifically ZT3400's Hydro gear units
3. Hand controls are not dampened, however, they are spring returned
3. Platform utilizes rubber bumpers for shock control and it does fold up completely out of the way
4. Single 6.5 gallon gas tank
5. Deck is 3/16" or 7 gauge steel and completely fabricated from what I can see. That goes for the front axle setup and portions of the frame.
6. Manual deck lift with a slightly improved release mechanism. It requires a quick jerk of the handle to release it from the top transport position. Deck heights in 1/4" increments.
7. Everything is pretty easily accessible for maintenance. Spindles are the more common 4 bolt flange style. The spindle covers use quick thumb nuts to remove the covers. Most items are greaseable on this machine.
8. Tires are pneumatic rear and solid front
9. $1000's less than other units (like $4-4.5k from my recollection)
10. Ergonomics are still friendly on this unit
11. Striper kit built in standard
Some downfalls -
1. The controls are fabricated in such a way where there is a 1" stub sticking out on the backside of the handle. For me personally, I typically use my thumbs around the bar right in the corner to control the stick (other people use the entire handle). I ended up cutting these completely off and welding on a set of formed handles and basically duplicated the Ferris Z series setup. It's friggin' money now!
2. The deck leveling system sucks. Plain and simple. Most decks warp when they are welded up. I don't think I've EVER come across a deck that is 100% level and true. It's a slight balancing act to get them level with the appropriate pitch. With this unit, it relies on gravity to hold the deck down in the adjuster, but it doesn't give you finite adjustment with a jacking bolt similar to other mowers to set pitch. So you either hand lift or shim the deck with some boards to get the desired pitch before tightening down the bolts on the hangers. Usually once it's set, it's set for good.
3. The deck pulleys and standoff system is just Ok when compared to the competition. Definitely not the best, definitely not the worst. It works and it's simplistic how it's all mounted up, however, the pulleys are all very high off the deck which could put more pressure on the standoffs/decking over time. Likely not an issue, but just something I noticed when comparing to others.
4. And that brings me to my final point - there is something inherently missed in the design of the pulley system/deck/and or deck "stabilizers" as a unit which causes the unit to vibrate excessively when the blades are engaged.
Let me explain. When I purchased the unit and used it on my property, I didn't notice the vibration right away. However, when I took notice, the operator station actually moved side to side ever so slightly. I put a cup of water on it and observed the vibration when the blades were engaged. I compared this to all other standers I currently own. None vibrated like this. I forwarded video to both Bad Boy and my local dealer. They both claimed they never saw this before, but my dealer duplicated it on another 2025 unit on their floor.
I spent the next 2 months trying to rectify the vibration in my 'spare time' as a little project of sorts.
I've give you solution first, then I'll talk to what I tried & or what I found.
Solution - A new belt fixed the issue, however, I tried 4 - 5 other belts which exhibited the same vibration issue as the original.
Other notes -
1. The vibration was not present without the blades
2. The factory blades were rebalanced - still vibrated
3. I purchased a new set of blades and balanced them - still vibrated
4. I found several factory deck pulleys that had excessive runout in them. Another local dealer (not the original purchasing dealer) warrantied all the pulleys and belt for me - still vibrated
5. I increased the belt tension because there was some belt slap - still vibrated
6. I added an additional idler pulley to mimic the 61" deck to reduce belt slap even further - still vibrated
7. I clamped angle iron to the back of the operator station on a 45 deg angle to try and reduce the vibration - still vibrated
8. I purchased a set of red urethane bushings (possibly a higher durometer rubber to reduce vibration over the original black bushings) for the deck hangers/stabilizer - still vibrated
9. I reduced the width of the spacer (inside the bushings) on the stabilizer, so that when the bolt was tightened down, it clamped more on the bushing - still vibrated
10. I fabricated a piece of angle iron and bolted it to the deck stabilizer on the left side and then anchored it to the right front stabilizer attachment point on the opposite side - The vibration was GONE. The reason I did this was to simulate a more rigid deck mounting approach like other mowers utilize.
11. I tested 4-5 other belts. When I found a belt that didn't vibrate, I bought a second one to have as a spare. However, the second belt sometimes vibrated. Sometimes it did not. Odd right?
In the end as I mentioned, something isn't engineered to work within a large window of tolerance. The vibration isn't really noticeable during mowing, but rather just idling on concrete. Some may not notice the vibration at all, but I did. I was going to fabricate a deck mounting system to get rid of the 2 front stabilizer bars and make a more rigid setup like Deere uses on their stander, but I opted against it after I was able to source a few different belts without the issue. It's possible that running the mower for more time would have caused the belt to 'wear in' and maybe the vibration would have gone away. I can't say for certain.
Onto the performance -
The cut on the unit is surprisingly very good. Like very good. The deck is hugely improved from where I remember them being in the early 2000's. Believe it or not, I would say the deck would give a Scag Velocity Plus a run for its money. The mower feels like a mix of several mowers together. It drives more like a Ferris Z2 with the integrated ZT3400's - slightly more jerky than other units. It also cuts similar to the Ferris and Scag. It feels lighter and slightly more nimble than the Grasshopper/Scag/Ferris. The deck lift isn't as polished as other mowers but definitely useable. The control station design isn't as robust as others. You can see where some corners were cut. Again, not bad, but just an observation.
To bring this to a close -
The real issue for me besides the vibration was the customer service in the Bad Boy network. My purchasing dealer claimed they were the largest dealer in the US? (multiple dealers), however, when I showed them the videos and continually followed up with them, I believe they became frustrated to the point where they just gave up and pushed me aside. I spoke directly to the owner who worked with me for a couple of phone calls. Then at some point he responded that his fall/winter business was picking up and he needed to focus his efforts there.
Bad Boy corporate initially took my calls and received my videos, however, they too began pushing me aside. I persisted on and eventually they came back to me and said it was a belt issue - like 2 months or more later. They sent me a new belt - it vibrated as well. I had already found a couple of other belts that didn't vibrate in months prior. I was so disgusted with their performance that I wrote a letter to the CEO of Bad Boy. It was cordial but factual. Do you know I didn't receive a single reply? No one called. No one wrote. No one even acknowledged it. Shame on you Bad Boy.
The other local dealer who was much closer to me - they did me a solid. He swapped out the belts and pulleys under warranty and asked for a call back to see what kind of progress I was making. Kudos to him. For the record, I did try to purchase the unit there first, however, he didn't have any of the new 2025 units in stock.
Would I recommend this unit? For some, yes. For others, no. If you have the budget, I think there are some other mowers which perform a notch or so better, but you're definitely going to pay for it in today's market. Only you can decide if 4-4.5k in savings is worth it to you. The unit cuts well. It goes plenty fast. The dealer network is pretty large. It comes with a 2 year commercial warranty. And it'll make you some cash. At the end of the day, that's what most people want.
Feel free to ask any questions.
