We recommend that you replace your blades and avoid sharpening. Sharpening your blades can shorten the tip and affect the quality of cut.

We use 20w 50 motor oil for our hydraulic system.

We recommend changing the oil in the hydraulic system every 250 hours or once a season, whichever comes first.

Bad Boy Mowers leave the factory with Shell 10w 30 motor oil in the engine and should be changed every 50 hours on an air cooled engine and every 100 hours on a liquid cooled engine. However, since the engines are warranted by the engine manufactures, we recommend that you refer to the engine owner’s manual for specs, or you can visit their web sites for more information.

Engine Manufacture Information:

• Kohler: www.kohlerengines.com
• Kawasaki: www.kawpowr.com
• Briggs & Stratton and Vanguard: www.commercialpower.com
• Caterpiller: www.holtcat.com

When preparing for the off season or any period of 90 days or more, the most important thing is proper fuel preparation. Use a fuel stabilizer in your final tank of fuel and drain or run dry. Choke and repeatedly crank engine until it will not start. This will lessen the potential for varnish or gum deposits forming in your system.

Make sure your machine has plenty of antifreeze. You can get an antifreeze tester at your local hardware store to ensure your machine is ready for the winter.

Lubricate unit per the operator’s manual.

We recommend that you use a name brand fuel to ensure quality. Use fuel with an octane rating near 87. Higher octane fuels offer no benefit.

All Bad Boy mowers have an oil drain (except MZ, MZ Magnum and Diesel model(s)) to make oil changes easier. The drain will be a hose or valve attached to the engine block. To drain your oil, simply open the valve, drain the oil, close the valve and add 10W30 oil back to your gas engine and 15W40 oil for your diesel engine. Refer to your owners manul for more instructions.

Touch-up paint is available. Contact your local dealer for more information.

Maintenance schedules will vary by model. Consult your operator’s manual for more details.

The air filtration system will also affect the price. A canister-type air filter greatly improves filter performance, but also increases the cost of the engine.

The only way to know you are having a problem with your belts is if they slip or perform poorly. If this occurs, there is a spring tension adjustment on the pump belt that attaches directly to the pump spring. It is a black, all-thread bolt that can be adjusted by tightening the 1/2" nuts on the part. The deck belt can be adjusted by loosening the nut on the deck idler spring and sliding the spring forward or backward to add or remove tension accordingly. A .030 Feller Gauge can be used to determine the correct belt tension.

All mowers have a belt diagram underneath the floor panel. This shows how to route the belt in case you need to reinstall it. Make sure your belt is routed correctly, that the belt is secure in all pulley grooves, and that you start the belt halfway on your last pulley and turn/roll the pulley until the belt snaps into its groove.