Simplicity or Bad Boy?

[bucknut]

I am in the market for a zero turn mower for residential use. I have narrowed my search to the Bad Boy Pup Mini-Z or the Simplicity Consumer Z. I am looking at the Bad Boy with a 48" deck that has a 19 horsepower Kawasaki engine. It is built extremely tough. It rides very smooth, but seems to be a little jerky because of all the power. Is that something I can get used to? Otherwise it was very fun to use. I especially like the electronic deck raise/lower. I am also looking at the Simplicity Consumer Z with a 50" mower deck and 20 hp briggs motor. It also rode nice and had plenty of power. The deck was stamped instead of fabricated, but otherwise built strong. I like the cut more than the Bad Boy. It has a rear striper the width of the deck. Everyone has helped me tremendously thus far and it is appreciated. Any thoughts on the mowers? Pros and cons? Thank you!

 

[True Cut Lawn Maintenance]

Simplicity built with ferries wheel motors and that roller on the back mmmmmmmmmhmmmmmmm

i have owned/used 4 simplicities and they have been building mowers since 1937, must be doing somthing correctly

 

[MBDiagMan]

I am QUITE certain that on this forum you will get more votes for the Simplicity because there are more people here who own them. That is not to say that they don't make a good machine.

The Bad Boy is new and still fighting for recognition in the market place and winning ground every day.

I have a Bad Boy Lightening Z. I understand why you are concerned about the controls due to speed. Have you ever operated another Z before? I have run two other Z's before my Bad Boy and I would have had a little learning curve with the Bad Boy had I not had lots of Z experience before climbing onto it. The answer is YES you will get accustomed to the control sensitivity and never look back.

The only criticism I have for the Bad Boy is due to a strength which is its speed. That criticism is that if you have never run a Z before, it is so fast it will take you longer to learn. If you can drive the Mini Z at all without running over something, then within an hour or so, you won't even know the difference, you will be zipping around as well as you would on most any Z.

You are right, the Bad Boy is a TOUGH built machine, designed for easy maintenance and long life. They are heavy as a result of their toughness and some see that as a disadvantage. If you have a lawn that stays saturated, the weight might indeed be a disadvantage from the stand point of compaction and leaving tracks, but I doubt that this would apply to the Mini.

Not only does Bad Boy make a great machine, but the people behind the machine are as good to deal with as anyone, in any industry, that you will ever do business with.

Don't let anyone try to tell you that they are a new company, poorly funded and all that rot. They are stable and here to stay. That said, even if they went out of business the day after you bought the machine, the wearable parts on the Bad Boy are common items that can be bought elsewhere.

BTW, have you visited their website at: www.badboymowers.com ?

Good luck with your decision,
Doc

 

[Travis Followell]

Both are excellent machines but I would definately go with the Bad Boy and never look back. They are top notch machines. They have a chain striping kit as an available option.

 

[DLCS]

My only beef with Bad Boy is the fact that they will let anyone become a dealer and that includes your competition. They don't care enough about service after the sale to find dealer who can service what they sell.

 

[MBDiagMan]

I can't speak for the other Bad Boy dealers, but the one in Paris, Texas where I bought my Bad Boy is DEFINITELY the BEST servicing dealer in this end of Texas. That was a big part of my decision.

DLCS, that is quite an allegation. Do you have a specific example of such apathetic after sale service? I have had a small issue and Bad Boy was all over it like a cheap suit and the issue was actually my fault.

It is difficult for an up and coming player to find dealers. Bad Boy is doing a good job getting a toe hold on an established market. From a sales and marketing stand point, that is a TOUGH, TOUGH thing to do. As they broaden their acceptance, better dealers will come.

Additionally, I have been VERY impressed with the people at Bad Boy and their dedication to customer satisfaction. If you were to come up with a problem with the dealer I would expect that a call or email to Bad Boy could get satisfaction.

I am a very customer service oriented kind of guy so I recognize good customer service and a good customer service attitude when I see it and Bad Boy has it in spades.

All that said, I would certainly recommend that bucknut evaluate his dealer as well as the machine itself.

Have a great day,
Doc

 

[DLCS]

DLCS, that is quite an allegation. Do you have a specific example of such apathetic after sale service? I have had a small issue and Bad Boy was all over it like a cheap suit and the issue was actually my fault.

Doc

They can't take care of you after the sale if our local dealer doesn't even work on his own mowers. Why would you have dealer that doesn't even have a service department or authorized engine mechanics.

 

[MBDiagMan]

Mike,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, you are certainly correct. If a dealer has no service department they are not truly a dealer. Sounds like Bad Boy is a bit desperate for a dealer in your area. It also sounds similar to the practice of Cub Cadet and John Deere when they sell through Home Depot or Lowes.

Not ALL Bad Boy dealers are without a service dept. I know because MY dealer has the best service department in this corner of the state. All the mower manufacturers come to them begging them to take on their product.

What is important is whether or not bucknuts dealer has a service dept.

Have a great day,
Doc

 

[bucknut]

Thanks for the replies. My local Bad Boy dealer does service the machines they sell. They are sort of the sister company of the local Dixie Chopper dealer. I think their service would be just fine. I still can't decide whether to go with the Simplicity or Bad Boy. I want a nice quality of cut, power, durability and ease of use. Which one?

 

[True Cut Lawn Maintenance]

Hands down i beleive simplicity has the best quality of cut, they pretty much invented the floating mower deck