The fact that you showed the bolts were so tight that a 30 minute job became 2 hours makes your video a favorite. That is my world and I have come to expect it. Time for job times 3 is the real time. Thanks, your video is informative, relevant and real!
Much appreciated 🙏... 100% 🤣 All projects take much longer than expected. I'll be changing the Hydro-Gear fluids soon. I REALLY hope it goes smoother than the blades lol
@@JustinsProject I’m behind you by 6 months. So you make the mistakes, figure it out for both of us and I’ll watch the videos. Lol Best of Luck my friend
So glad to see a video where a "30 minute" job takes hours. That is true to life! This is my life, this should take a few minutes... couple hours later we are back in business.😂
I got my 2022 Maverick HD last year with the Honda EFI 779cc / 54in. It's great. I lift it like you did to powerwash under the deck and use my cordless impact to remove the blades to sharpen them the same way. Thank you for your video !
Recently changed blades on this exact model Bad Boy mower, despite using a 4' breaker bar (lots of leverage) and the socket split in half. This 15-minute job took hours (due to seized bolts, as in your video). I had to heat bolts (Mapp gas) and tap the socket with a copper hammer to release them. Bad Boy obviously put on with impact wrench and over-tightened the bolts. I'd highly recommend adding anti-seize lubricant before reinstalling bolts so next change things go smoother and retorque bolts to recommended 90 - 100 pounds. I would not use an impact wrench. They will flatten the Belleview washers that are supposed to remain in their concave and convex shape, not be flattened and distorted by an impact wrench. Another option when releasing blades is to put a flat wrench on the shaft directly above the blade for a secure shaft hold. That's why the shaft has the wrench notch for a secure hold. Beating unheated bolts with a sledgehammer may shear even grade 8 bolts.
A ratchet with a pipe to extend the handle always did it for me. I like your vise-Grip trick! I use a piece of 2x4 with a notch cut into it- the blade rests in the notch and the other end of the 2x4 gets jammed against the deck side...but I like your idea better!
I need to check my blades. I hit a piece of rebar a couple days ago. I did not see it laying in the grass. I kept mowing after picking up the rebar and it didn't seem to affect the cut. I have the Bad Boy Elite with a 60 inch deck.
I personally like using anti seize on the bolts and use a paddle wheel instead of a grinding stone or file. The paddle wheel doesn't dis-color the blade which can take the temper of the blade making it soft. I did enjoy the video. Thanks for sharing.
Only use a 6 point socket on a bolt that tight. 12 point sockets are only good for 12 point bolt heads - Twice the grip with 6 point. Impact gun and impact socket is a must
You could have raised that machine at least another eight or 10 inches higher than you did. Why would you not have done that to give yourself plenty of room to work under the deck … as opposed to what you have now??? Even though you did not mention this, I am assuming that you did raise the deck to its highest cutting height before you began jacking it up.
I HAVE A 22 MAVERICK HD WITH THE 27 HP EFI HONDA IT LEAVES GRASS AS WELL DIFFERENT BLADES ETC AND SEEN COMMON ISSUES ARE SPINDLES OR PULLEYS BUT I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS MACHINE BUT APPRECIATE THE CONTENT AND MINE STILL LEAVES GRASS WITH NEW BLADES
@lorenpinger3925 200 hrs on mine now. That kohler is still kickin' strong. I mow 6.5 acres weekly. I've mowed 6 ft weeds and regular grass. Hell, I even bushhogged with it lol No mechanical issues whatsoever.
Despite how many tools it took, you were right! Really liking what Bad Boy is doing in the commercial market; like Wright mowers, their philosophy of fewest/best components wins the day. Thanks for filming the struggle. Made it interesting. I got pissy when I saw an oil change video where the oil filter was tucked in a tight space with poor drainage, and the guy had loosened everything before filming. What a killjoy! 😅
In a perfect world, everything would loosen just fine. Even with an impact these bolts give me a problem every time I change the blades. I gotta start using the anti seize to see if that helps.
I like your test because it reminds me of something I already knew, but wasn’t considering while I watched you lift the mower; the deck is independent of the rest of the mower. Your jackstands held the deck up, while the rest of the mower fell. 👍🏼 Edit: Ok, I watched the rest of the video. Thank you. Your video showing the challenges of getting those frigging blades off has saved me a few hours.
Ran into same issue. Good impact gun, takes bolt off like butter. I use it to put them on as well, get bolt tight, let it compound roughly 3 times, and it’s good…people would say I’ll strip or over torque. 6 years later, bolts still look new. Never had an issue.
Thank you so much I don't watch 2 or 3 videos and they just take the bolt out and I'm sitting over here with a cheater barn. Using my legs and pushing on it and I can't get it right loosen. I'm saying it down everybody else didn't easy.
I have to admit you had me laughing when the 2nd blade was just as tight as the first one. Ballard makes a great lift for zero turn mowers that raises the deck and holds it safely and it gives you plenty of room to use an impact drill to remove the blades. I don’t recommend using it to reinstall them because I sheered my spindle off with it. Hope it helps
@@JustinsProjectIt hurt me to watch you do it the hard way. I was going to encourage a lift also. It takes up a small amount of room in your garage. But well worth the money in the long run. You can use the impact to tighten, just lower the torque if you are worried about sheering a bolt. While I was working with a landscaping company for years, they just told me to watch the socket and stop when the socket did. Never had a problem. I've tried tightening with a socket before and lost a blade while mowing. Luckily everything was laying within 2 feet of each other. Keep up the videos brother. I'll have to check out your videos on Solar. I've been wanting to go solar myself, but the cost increase for home insurance just doesn't make sense. So hopefully you've addressed that. Thanks!
@@JustinsProject thanks for the reply. I was on the fence about kohler engines but they do have a three year warranty. The dealership is just down the road from me.
First time working my blade I had to disassemble the spindles and use a lot of heat. I have the same problem when cutting tall grass. Check your RPMs. Mine was 2700 max. I adjusted the governor to 3500. I also had to go one jet size larger. Consider pipe wrapping the muffler. Lowers engine compartment temperature up to 100 degrees
1. Why didn’t you lift the front of the mower up another 6-8” and use an impact to start with? 2. Why are you using the open end of your combination wrench instead of the box end? 3. Slow down some while mowing and you’ll get a better cut. Just saying. I got a BB Rogue 61” w/ the Kaw 1000FX this week! Sure beats my Husqvarna Z246. LOL
It invovled getting more tools from my building #2 which was not readily available at the time. Plus a lot of videos show it to be very simple so it wasn't supposed to be so difficult. The speed of the cut was for demonstration proposes not how I always cut. 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thank you, this video was very helpful for me to understand the capabilites of the mower. I appreciate the review and you have helped me make my choice for the 4-5 acres we need to maintain
Glad it was helpful! I made another video on mowing our backfield when the weeds out there got extremely high. You might like that one if you haven't already found it. Here is a link to that ruclips.net/video/2TzEjsAdmLQ/видео.html - Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
I learned a long time ago not to push a wrench to tighten it. I think the words spoken to me was that you 'cannot push a chain'--same for a wrench. Also, always use a box end of a wrench when loosening/tightening a bolt.
Again a great vid. If I buy one of those mowers I will have the dealer remove the blades and hand tighten before I take the mower. Just stupid on the Bad Boy Factory's part. Guess they just want people to come back to the dealer to change blades.
I use my DeWalt setting on two to take my blades off works pretty good. You can order a lift from Ballard products somebody else that makes one that I bought mine from but I can't remember who it was hooked to the bottom of your deck lifts it up all you have to do is reach under makes it real simple and easy might check that out. It's definitely a Time safe.
Awesome video, both the mowing test and the blade changeout. I am hoping my impact wrench can take out those bolts, if not, then maybe a helper pole on a breaker bar. It is all a matter of physics, right? Haha I purchased a lift for my Bad Boy but with all the weight on the back, I would rather have way to keep the front tires from going vertical if it falls on its back. Speaking of being back heavy, I usually drive it on my trailer backwards so I am not trying to pop a wheelie (note I don’t have a ROFS bar). Again, good video. I am designing my own solar for our homestead here in north Texas. So we have both Bad Boy and Solar in common. Cheers!
@@JustinsProject thanks. I am planning on doing most myself. I may hire an electrician for grid tie in and some manual labor for setting the ground mount poles. I have used Iron Ridge site to design the ground mounts. I am leaning toward 32 panels for total coverage and may start with a lower number for backup power mainly. I am a Ham Radio operator and concerned about radio interference so I am testing some installations with micro inverters, different MPPT controllers. Also am wanting to make sure I have a welder/shop tool friendly inverter. Also I have a couple of HVAC units (3T, 5T) that are relatively easy on startup surge in comparison to older ones, but that is some consideration. I don’t say I know it all, so I do like learning. What inverter were you using? If you are on micro-inverters, I assume you are using AC coupling on your inverter. You don’t have to feel obligated to explain the whole system if you have videos I can watch *hint*. Lol. I have a lot of ideas and desires for solar and the like, so we could sit down with a drink in hand and discuss all that we both know. Haha
I changed them because I wanted to try mulching blades. Plus, my other blades had skipped over the top of my concrete driveway. I will be sharpening those old blades and putting them back in action a little later in the growing season. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I got the same problem with trying to get blades off to sharpen so I taking it to dealership to have them loosen blade bolts and I am asking them to not impact bolts on to tight so maybe then I can take blades off to sharpen later when needed
Floor jack to lift, jack stand to support, impact gun to loosen and torque wrench to tighten. These are the tools you should be using for safety, efficiency and effectiveness.
Need to torque bolts to bolt size , factory must have a gorilla tightening those bolts , I apply grease to treads before reinstalling to keep from any kind of corrosive from threads, makes it easy next time , use box end wrench to keep from slipping and keep from going to emergency room .
I'm having the same problem getting 2 of my blades off my 48" Bad Boy. I was thinking about heating the bolts with a torch to try and get them off. Hoping it helps.
You mean it wasn't a 5 minute job for you either? 😁 I'm sorry to hear that because when they get like that, they are hard as hell to get off. Goodluck! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I've decided to go with the Maverick after a month of research. Ask the dealer to do the initial blade removal before I picked it up so hopefully I wont have such a hard time changing blades the first time.
I just did it, if you prop up the mower with mower jack and use impact wrench it takes 1 minute per blade to change . I struggled with large wrench for 10 minutes and made no progress . Milwaukee impact drill on setting 1 for 10-15 seconds and then setting 3 it came off instantly
Mine doesn't work like that. Every time I take the blades off it's a pain in the azz. I have two impacts (Milwaukee) and a cheap corded one. Nether will remove the bolts. They get so tight I had to torch it the last time I changed the blades. Not a fan. Maybe it's just my mower but for some reason they are extremely tight.
Well, I ended up clipping my concrete pad. Still cut good, but I knew it needed sharpening. Had another set of blades on hand, high lift blades...changed them out and I like those better.
Get yourself a blade balancer,for whenever you resharpen and try a 60 grit flap disc an your angle grinder, you got less chance of over heating the blade, also im in the market for a new mower myself and im loking the maverick hd.
I would like to add my comment… using the techniques of loosing bolts per these suggestions makes the change out very time consuming. Above the blade have flats for a wrench, this is 1 1/8” and the flats are 5/16” wide. I used a 12” wrench, fits perfectly to insert between the blade and the blade housing. With 2’ breaker bar, 5 seconds everything is loose.
Two words: Impact wrench. Only way i could get mine off. I talked to the folks at Badboy and they said to use one to get the bolts off. Don't use one to put it back on. Just tighten it with a wrench and use a torque wrench to the correct torque. My manual said 90 to 110 foot pounds, so i tighten it to 100.
Even on my last change the electric impact will not remove one. I have to torch the bolt then hit it with an impact. Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
I had a similar situation with my bad boy elite with Kawasaki engine, Could not get the end cap off the oil drain tube, Finally had to call a friend with some heavyweight tools, We finally got it loose and drained the oil What a pain in the butt it was, must of had a 400 lb gorilla tighten the oil drain hose end caps that production day,
Sometimes, it's not always as simple as it should be. Just yesterday, I changed the blades again, I used an impact, and it would not remove the right side blade. I had to torch it to remove it. This time, I lifted it with my tractor, though. 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Good impact gun and impact six sided socket and ten minutes. ps you won’t believe how easy it is to pull the Deck so you can change blades and clean the unit.
Just another tip when you sharpen the blades that way they sure did you got them balanced and I just checked mine on a nail hanging on the wall. Be sure I get them pretty balanced that why you don’t throw your spindles and stuff out of whack and all that my Babe calcium more money better.
Not sure if you're still using that or not to change your blades Ballard products makes a lift it holds it up and locks it in place where you can use a impact
When sharpening blades make sure u do each edge equal sharpen for proper balancing to not have vibration. When you finish sharpening both edges take a screw driver n put it in bolt hole ,the blade should be horizontally balance it one side is lower than the other side u should sharpen lower end as it has more metal than other side
They really need to do some QC with those blades coming out of factory. My impact that has 220ft lb torque wont budge the bolt. Completely unnecessary.
I do have a 3 blade mower that is belt driven and those blades do not change their alignment after a. year of use... odd to hear some are saying it makes no difference. YMMV ;-)
If the operator is mowing thick fields it is possible the spindle/belt may slip. Changing the alignment. It may not be common but under the right conditions it could. Probably me mowing a field like I did at 6ft tall, it could be possible.
It is as simple as three bolts on and off when you have a battery impact. Zips them right off and you can easily hold the blade with your hand even the fresh sharp ones.
I just changed my blades for the first time and could not break the bolt loose, finally used an impact gun and let it keep beating the bold head, stopped and repeated again and it finally broke loose. The other two were easier to remove with the impact gun. Also, Justin get yourself a pair of car ramps, I use the heavy-duty hard rubber / plastic ones. I had to use a small jack to raise it high enough to use the impact gun, but once the bolt has broken loose I was not able to take it completely off because of the height. Loose enough to take off by hand then. I tightened them with the impact gun until it stopped probably 100 ft. lbs. My bolt head used a 15/16" 6 point socket.
The time it took you to grab all them tools and not successfully take them off you could’ve put the jack on mower deck jacked it up and it used a impacting gun would’ve been done in 10 minutes tops
People, get an impact wrench (air, battery, or electric). Also, if you are going to sharpen your own blades, make sure they are done at the correct angle and always balance them.
You are not mowing grass you are mowing weeds and there is a big difference in that weeds have tough stems also get a mower Jack from Harbor Freight I use it on my maverick I drive on it and it lifts it so high it is easy to access the whole deck
The field was pretty rough last year. Once we got it mowed and kept it mowed, this year, it's not as bad. It's a work in process. You are right. There is a massive difference in mowing stalks vs. grass. I'll have to check into the HF mower jack. Thanks for the tip. 👍🏻
This last time I took them off the impact would not remove them. I had to torch the bolt and still was hard as hell with an impact. Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
Funny thing is, my original blades worked perfectly, i knicked one so I though why not replace them, and the new blades are leaving strips of grass uncut.
That's unfortunate, the new blades I put on are performing great. Just mowed the lawn today and it shredded the grass nicely. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I think this has been identified by another you tuber as the PTO pulley being too small and causing the blade speed to be too slow. This guy....ruclips.net/video/3K-mL9yuAe4/видео.html
There's no reason for the bolts to be that tight, even from the factory. A little anti-seiz on the threads, snug them up and give them a little extra umph and that's all you need. The blades spin against the direction of the threads so they keep themselves tightened. Yes, sharp blades will cut better than dull ones.
I use a mower lift and battery powered DeWalt impact, and takes me less than 5 minutes to change blades. If the battery needs charging, I use a cheater pipe on my ratchet with 2×4 block. Takes me maybe 7 minutes with the pipe on a ratchet.
Mine were that tight too and its not right to come from the factory like that. You didn't grow up on a farm, some grasses and weeds are harder to cut and you need to go slower or mow before they get that big.
1. Good God!! Use a mower lift and use an impact drill. (MoJack MJ-PRO 750-Pound Lift for Tractors and Zero Turn Radius Lawn Mowers) 2. Use ANTI-SEIZE on the bolts. I cut @ 4.5 acres out of our 5.6 acre property and change the blades on my Maverick @ 6 - 8 weeks. I use Oregon G5 Gator Blades on my mower (it’s a thicker blade). I also sharpen using a cordless angle grinder with 60 grit flap disks. Finishing with a couple passes of a file. Not bad for 71. Work smarter, not harder.
No watched you miss the tall stuff on your dull pass. I wouldn’t ask my machine to mow that tall field at high speed. I know you were doing it for a demo but, I’d never consider mowing it at that speed. Anti seize on those threads for future removal.
😁 I have another video where I ended up mowing the entire field at much higher levels. Not something I will do again but it was a good test of it's capabilities. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject Well My original blades were torqued at over 150 ft lb to just move bolt. Had to air impact ratchet off. spec says 90-110 ft lbs. Thanks
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
The fact that you showed the bolts were so tight that a 30 minute job became 2 hours makes your video a favorite. That is my world and I have come to expect it. Time for job times 3 is the real time.
Thanks, your video is informative, relevant and real!
Also, My oil plug is about the same tightness as the blades. Whoever put the bolts in was a BadBoy for sure!
Much appreciated 🙏... 100% 🤣 All projects take much longer than expected. I'll be changing the Hydro-Gear fluids soon. I REALLY hope it goes smoother than the blades lol
@@larry7868 Yeah, they have Thor and Brian Shaw in there tightening bolts 🤣 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject I’m behind you by 6 months. So you make the mistakes, figure it out for both of us and I’ll watch the videos. Lol
Best of Luck my friend
Sounds like a good plan 😁
I totally understand the frustration of breaking those bolts. I used to have that problem too. Then I started using anti seize on them. Works great
I will have to try that on my next swap. Thanks for the tip, much appreciated 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
So glad to see a video where a "30 minute" job takes hours. That is true to life!
This is my life, this should take a few minutes... couple hours later we are back in business.😂
Some have said this is a 10 minute job. But for me it's an 1 every time even with a 1/2 impact. Those damn blades get stuck on every time!
I got my 2022 Maverick HD last year with the Honda EFI 779cc / 54in. It's great. I lift it like you did to powerwash under the deck and use my cordless impact to remove the blades to sharpen them the same way. Thank you for your video !
Awesome stuff! Great mower! Especially the HD. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Recently changed blades on this exact model Bad Boy mower, despite using a 4' breaker bar (lots of leverage) and the socket split in half. This 15-minute job took hours (due to seized bolts, as in your video). I had to heat bolts (Mapp gas) and tap the socket with a copper hammer to release them. Bad Boy obviously put on with impact wrench and over-tightened the bolts. I'd highly recommend adding anti-seize lubricant before reinstalling bolts so next change things go smoother and retorque bolts to recommended 90 - 100 pounds. I would not use an impact wrench. They will flatten the Belleview washers that are supposed to remain in their concave and convex shape, not be flattened and distorted by an impact wrench. Another option when releasing blades is to put a flat wrench on the shaft directly above the blade for a secure shaft hold. That's why the shaft has the wrench notch for a secure hold. Beating unheated bolts with a sledgehammer may shear even grade 8 bolts.
Lots of good info. 👍🏻 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
MILWAKEE M18 FUEL 1/2" IMPACT ZIP IT LIKE ITS NOTHING OR BREAK THE BOLT OFF EITHER WAY NO STRUGGLE LBVS
This is exactly the video I was looking for! Your videos are very entertaining and informative! Keep up the hard work brother!
Much appreciated 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
A ratchet with a pipe to extend the handle always did it for me. I like your vise-Grip trick! I use a piece of 2x4 with a notch cut into it- the blade rests in the notch and the other end of the 2x4 gets jammed against the deck side...but I like your idea better!
Thanks for watching and commenting
Mojack lawnmower jack and impact wrench works great for changing blades
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I need to check my blades. I hit a piece of rebar a couple days ago. I did not see it laying in the grass. I kept mowing after picking up the rebar and it didn't seem to affect the cut. I have the Bad Boy Elite with a 60 inch deck.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I personally like using anti seize on the bolts and use a paddle wheel instead of a grinding stone or file. The paddle wheel doesn't dis-color the blade which can take the temper of the blade making it soft. I did enjoy the video. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Only use a 6 point socket on a bolt that tight. 12 point sockets are only good for 12 point bolt heads - Twice the grip with 6 point. Impact gun and impact socket is a must
Yeah that's true, but I used what I had at that time. 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
At least use the boxed end side of the wrench, not the open side. Your losing turning force and it's a wonder it didn't fly off and put your eye out.
You could have raised that machine at least another eight or 10 inches higher than you did. Why would you not have done that to give yourself plenty of room to work under the deck … as opposed to what you have now???
Even though you did not mention this, I am assuming that you did raise the deck to its highest cutting height before you began jacking it up.
I HAVE A 22 MAVERICK HD WITH THE 27 HP EFI HONDA IT LEAVES GRASS AS WELL DIFFERENT BLADES ETC AND SEEN COMMON ISSUES ARE SPINDLES OR PULLEYS BUT I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS MACHINE BUT APPRECIATE THE CONTENT AND MINE STILL LEAVES GRASS WITH NEW BLADES
Thank you for sharing your experience. 👍🏻
After 21 hrs on mine. My only issue is the dull blades on weeds.
@lorenpinger3925 200 hrs on mine now. That kohler is still kickin' strong. I mow 6.5 acres weekly. I've mowed 6 ft weeds and regular grass. Hell, I even bushhogged with it lol No mechanical issues whatsoever.
Despite how many tools it took, you were right! Really liking what Bad Boy is doing in the commercial market; like Wright mowers, their philosophy of fewest/best components wins the day.
Thanks for filming the struggle. Made it interesting. I got pissy when I saw an oil change video where the oil filter was tucked in a tight space with poor drainage, and the guy had loosened everything before filming. What a killjoy! 😅
In a perfect world, everything would loosen just fine. Even with an impact these bolts give me a problem every time I change the blades. I gotta start using the anti seize to see if that helps.
I like your test because it reminds me of something I already knew, but wasn’t considering while I watched you lift the mower; the deck is independent of the rest of the mower. Your jackstands held the deck up, while the rest of the mower fell. 👍🏼
Edit: Ok, I watched the rest of the video. Thank you. Your video showing the challenges of getting those frigging blades off has saved me a few hours.
I am glad you found it helpful. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thanks. I thought we were going the wrong direction. Very helpful.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Ran into same issue. Good impact gun, takes bolt off like butter. I use it to put them on as well, get bolt tight, let it compound roughly 3 times, and it’s good…people would say I’ll strip or over torque. 6 years later, bolts still look new. Never had an issue.
Good stuff. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thank you so much I don't watch 2 or 3 videos and they just take the bolt out and I'm sitting over here with a cheater barn. Using my legs and pushing on it and I can't get it right loosen. I'm saying it down everybody else didn't easy.
I know, right? Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I have to admit you had me laughing when the 2nd blade was just as tight as the first one. Ballard makes a great lift for zero turn mowers that raises the deck and holds it safely and it gives you plenty of room to use an impact drill to remove the blades. I don’t recommend using it to reinstall them because I sheered my spindle off with it. Hope it helps
🤣 That middle bolt was total @$#!% ... lol I'm glad to have my new blades though. I'll look into that lift. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Use anti seize on the threads. When you hit things with the blades they tighten. Impact and anti seize is the way to go!!
Great video. I am buying a maverick and this was very helpful.
@@JustinsProjectIt hurt me to watch you do it the hard way. I was going to encourage a lift also. It takes up a small amount of room in your garage. But well worth the money in the long run. You can use the impact to tighten, just lower the torque if you are worried about sheering a bolt. While I was working with a landscaping company for years, they just told me to watch the socket and stop when the socket did. Never had a problem. I've tried tightening with a socket before and lost a blade while mowing. Luckily everything was laying within 2 feet of each other. Keep up the videos brother. I'll have to check out your videos on Solar. I've been wanting to go solar myself, but the cost increase for home insurance just doesn't make sense. So hopefully you've addressed that. Thanks!
same issues, purchased a 3/8 bauer impact from harbor freight for cheap(300 ft.lbs) , has saved me a ton of headaches
Good tip! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Good info. Is the Kohler engine still doing good? Any problems? Thanks
Doing great. Setting a little over 200hrs now. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject thanks for the reply.
I was on the fence about kohler engines but they do have a three year warranty. The dealership is just down the road from me.
First time working my blade I had to disassemble the spindles and use a lot of heat. I have the same problem when cutting tall grass. Check your RPMs. Mine was 2700 max. I adjusted the governor to 3500. I also had to go one jet size larger. Consider pipe wrapping the muffler. Lowers engine compartment temperature up to 100 degrees
Thanks for the tips. Appreciate you sharing that 👍🏻
OOoo... the blades have to be lined up in a specific pattern to get optimal cutting, Really enjoy your videos. Thanks
My yard is not optimal mowing coditions either 😁
What's the pattern ?
Cordless Impact makes thing so much easier!!
So true 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
1. Why didn’t you lift the front of the mower up another 6-8” and use an impact to start with?
2. Why are you using the open end of your combination wrench instead of the box end?
3. Slow down some while mowing and you’ll get a better cut.
Just saying.
I got a BB Rogue 61” w/ the Kaw 1000FX this week! Sure beats my Husqvarna Z246. LOL
It invovled getting more tools from my building #2 which was not readily available at the time. Plus a lot of videos show it to be very simple so it wasn't supposed to be so difficult. The speed of the cut was for demonstration proposes not how I always cut. 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Thank you, this video was very helpful for me to understand the capabilites of the mower. I appreciate the review and you have helped me make my choice for the 4-5 acres we need to maintain
Glad it was helpful! I made another video on mowing our backfield when the weeds out there got extremely high. You might like that one if you haven't already found it. Here is a link to that ruclips.net/video/2TzEjsAdmLQ/видео.html - Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
Appreciate your humanity.
😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Bud you need electric Impact & a blade balancer tool or you will be going thru Mandrels like crazy
@@glentaylor3013 I have the electric impact but no blade balancer. We will see how it holds up.
I learned a long time ago not to push a wrench to tighten it. I think the words spoken to me was that you 'cannot push a chain'--same for a wrench. Also, always use a box end of a wrench when loosening/tightening a bolt.
Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Again a great vid. If I buy one of those mowers I will have the dealer remove the blades and hand tighten before I take the mower. Just stupid on the Bad Boy Factory's part. Guess they just want people to come back to the dealer to change blades.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I use my DeWalt setting on two to take my blades off works pretty good. You can order a lift from Ballard products somebody else that makes one that I bought mine from but I can't remember who it was hooked to the bottom of your deck lifts it up all you have to do is reach under makes it real simple and easy might check that out. It's definitely a Time safe.
Awesome! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Awesome video, both the mowing test and the blade changeout. I am hoping my impact wrench can take out those bolts, if not, then maybe a helper pole on a breaker bar. It is all a matter of physics, right? Haha I purchased a lift for my Bad Boy but with all the weight on the back, I would rather have way to keep the front tires from going vertical if it falls on its back. Speaking of being back heavy, I usually drive it on my trailer backwards so I am not trying to pop a wheelie (note I don’t have a ROFS bar). Again, good video. I am designing my own solar for our homestead here in north Texas. So we have both Bad Boy and Solar in common. Cheers!
Awesome stuff! Hope that your solar project goes well also. If you can do it yourself you will save a ton of money.
@@JustinsProject thanks. I am planning on doing most myself. I may hire an electrician for grid tie in and some manual labor for setting the ground mount poles. I have used Iron Ridge site to design the ground mounts. I am leaning toward 32 panels for total coverage and may start with a lower number for backup power mainly. I am a Ham Radio operator and concerned about radio interference so I am testing some installations with micro inverters, different MPPT controllers. Also am wanting to make sure I have a welder/shop tool friendly inverter. Also I have a couple of HVAC units (3T, 5T) that are relatively easy on startup surge in comparison to older ones, but that is some consideration. I don’t say I know it all, so I do like learning. What inverter were you using? If you are on micro-inverters, I assume you are using AC coupling on your inverter. You don’t have to feel obligated to explain the whole system if you have videos I can watch *hint*. Lol. I have a lot of ideas and desires for solar and the like, so we could sit down with a drink in hand and discuss all that we both know. Haha
Van you get those typed blades for a 42 inch Bad boy?
Should be able to find them on Amazon or at Tractor Supply.
@@JustinsProject I will check with tractor supply
Awesome! Now, I no longer need to clean up the stragglers!! Yehhh!
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Yes my 60" done it from day one had back to the dealer twice and still does not quite right have to do at least twice or half half a pass on each run
Thanks for sharing 👍🏻
How many hours did you have on the mower when you need to change the blades?
I changed them because I wanted to try mulching blades. Plus, my other blades had skipped over the top of my concrete driveway. I will be sharpening those old blades and putting them back in action a little later in the growing season. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I try to use the 6 point socket and breaker bar or impact makes things easier at least for me...
The impact works great. Next time, I'll lift it with my tractor, lol. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Cordless impact makes the job super easy
I need to get me a cordless one. I hate cords lol. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
As he was hammering on that bolt my brain was screaming left hand thread! 😂
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Why would you not use the boxed end of the wrench?
😁 No idea, I wonder if that would have done the trick. We will never know 🤣 because it's always going to be the impact from now to the end of time. 🤘
When I have a problem with tight bolts I usually get then a ratchet with a long enough handle!
Thanks
Angle grinder and 36 grit flap disc works great for quick sharpening.
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have you tried gator mulching blades? they're pretty good
I got the same problem with trying to get blades off to sharpen so I taking it to dealership to have them loosen blade bolts and I am asking them to not impact bolts on to tight so maybe then I can take blades off to sharpen later when needed
They were extremely tight. Hopefully, they aren't like that on the next go around. Goodluck! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Impact wrench is the way to go
With this
Definitely! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Floor jack to lift, jack stand to support, impact gun to loosen and torque wrench to tighten. These are the tools you should be using for safety, efficiency and effectiveness.
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I use the side angle as you call it
😁 Angle ... aka "side" grinder... Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Need to torque bolts to bolt size , factory must have a gorilla tightening those bolts , I apply grease to treads before reinstalling to keep from any kind of corrosive from threads, makes it easy next time , use box end wrench to keep from slipping and keep from going to emergency room .
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
If you guys don’t have an impact of some sort but have a hand held little propane torch heat around the bolt and they come out a lot easier..
Great tip! Thank you for watching and commenting! 👍
The tightness of the books is exactly why i bought Mower lift and use my 1/2" 20v impact
Thanks for watching and commenting
I'm having the same problem getting 2 of my blades off my 48" Bad Boy. I was thinking about heating the bolts with a torch to try and get them off. Hoping it helps.
You mean it wasn't a 5 minute job for you either? 😁 I'm sorry to hear that because when they get like that, they are hard as hell to get off. Goodluck! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject I got one more off but the middle one isn't budging. Even after hitting the bolt with a torch. Not sure what to try next?
I've decided to go with the Maverick after a month of research. Ask the dealer to do the initial blade removal before I picked it up so hopefully I wont have such a hard time changing blades the first time.
Congratulations! The Maverick is a tough mower. You will love it. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I just did it, if you prop up the mower with mower jack and use impact wrench it takes 1 minute per blade to change . I struggled with large wrench for 10 minutes and made no progress . Milwaukee impact drill
on setting 1 for 10-15 seconds and then setting 3 it came off instantly
Mine doesn't work like that. Every time I take the blades off it's a pain in the azz. I have two impacts (Milwaukee) and a cheap corded one. Nether will remove the bolts. They get so tight I had to torch it the last time I changed the blades. Not a fan. Maybe it's just my mower but for some reason they are extremely tight.
Get you a piece of pipe that will fit over you rachet or brake over bar as a longer extension. That leverage will enable you to remove it with ease
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Never had a problem, first use the box end, impact works so much better.
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Highly Recommend!!
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Amazing when you slow ground speed down
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Justin -- it's been 6 months. How are the blades holding up?
Well, I ended up clipping my concrete pad. Still cut good, but I knew it needed sharpening. Had another set of blades on hand, high lift blades...changed them out and I like those better.
Get yourself a blade balancer,for whenever you resharpen and try a 60 grit flap disc an your angle grinder, you got less chance of over heating the blade, also im in the market for a new mower myself and im loking the maverick hd.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I would like to add my comment… using the techniques of loosing bolts per these suggestions makes the change out very time consuming. Above the blade have flats for a wrench, this is 1 1/8” and the flats are 5/16” wide. I used a 12” wrench, fits perfectly to insert between the blade and the blade housing. With 2’ breaker bar, 5 seconds everything is loose.
Message me if you want details
Thanks for the tip. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@danielkerens129 I'm curious how you do this. Pictures maybe of how you place your wrenches?
Two words: Impact wrench. Only way i could get mine off. I talked to the folks at Badboy and they said to use one to get the bolts off. Don't use one to put it back on. Just tighten it with a wrench and use a torque wrench to the correct torque. My manual said 90 to 110 foot pounds, so i tighten it to 100.
Even on my last change the electric impact will not remove one. I have to torch the bolt then hit it with an impact. Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
I had a similar situation with my bad boy elite with Kawasaki engine,
Could not get the end cap off the oil drain tube,
Finally had to call a friend with some heavyweight tools,
We finally got it loose and drained the oil
What a pain in the butt it was, must of had a 400 lb gorilla tighten the oil drain hose end caps that production day,
Also, I am on my second season and I have never chained my blades,
But it still cuts good, do not mow that large of an area,
Sometimes, it's not always as simple as it should be. Just yesterday, I changed the blades again, I used an impact, and it would not remove the right side blade. I had to torch it to remove it. This time, I lifted it with my tractor, though. 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
We try impact on middle one still won't come off
If it's still stuck you might have to try heating it and breaking loose. That woild be my last resort though. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
What impact you using ?? Mine worked easily
Get ya a 4ft metal pipe to slide over your wrench. Would be like using a 4' long wrench. That will give way more leverage.
True, thanks for the tip 👍🏻
I'll just use my milwaukee impact driver. 😂
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Good impact gun and impact six sided socket and ten minutes. ps you won’t believe how easy it is to pull the Deck so you can change blades and clean the unit.
Good video. Thanks for keeping it real.
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Thank you.👍
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Just another tip when you sharpen the blades that way they sure did you got them balanced and I just checked mine on a nail hanging on the wall. Be sure I get them pretty balanced that why you don’t throw your spindles and stuff out of whack and all that my Babe calcium more money better.
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Sorry I got a a frame makes it so much faster safer and can get right up there
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Maybe we can remove the deck and turn it over? I may look into this.
The deck is VERY heavy. 7ga solid steel. I'll probably just lift the mower with my tractor forks next time 😁
Not sure if you're still using that or not to change your blades Ballard products makes a lift it holds it up and locks it in place where you can use a impact
I'll have to look into that. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I put little grease on bolt and it's easier to get them off
Thanks for the tip!
Good video. Liked and subbed.
Awesome, thank you!
When sharpening blades make sure u do each edge equal sharpen for proper balancing to not have vibration. When you finish sharpening both edges take a screw driver n put it in bolt hole ,the blade should be horizontally balance it one side is lower than the other side u should sharpen lower end as it has more metal than other side
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They really need to do some QC with those blades coming out of factory. My impact that has 220ft lb torque wont budge the bolt. Completely unnecessary.
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Have to say if I change mine and have to go through that. My swear jar is going to be full.
🤣 ... Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I do have a 3 blade mower that is belt driven and those blades do not change their alignment after a. year of use... odd to hear some are saying it makes no difference. YMMV ;-)
If the operator is mowing thick fields it is possible the spindle/belt may slip. Changing the alignment. It may not be common but under the right conditions it could. Probably me mowing a field like I did at 6ft tall, it could be possible.
It is as simple as three bolts on and off when you have a battery impact. Zips them right off and you can easily hold the blade with your hand even the fresh sharp ones.
Thanks for watching and commenting
@@JustinsProject Get a battery impact it made the whole thing way easier for me!
I just changed my blades for the first time and could not break the bolt loose, finally used an impact gun and let it keep beating the bold head, stopped and repeated again and it finally broke loose. The other two were easier to remove with the impact gun. Also, Justin get yourself a pair of car ramps, I use the heavy-duty hard rubber / plastic ones. I had to use a small jack to raise it high enough to use the impact gun, but once the bolt has broken loose I was not able to take it completely off because of the height. Loose enough to take off by hand then. I tightened them with the impact gun until it stopped probably 100 ft. lbs. My bolt head used a 15/16" 6 point socket.
The last time I changed them, I had to torch the bolts. Crazy how tight they get.
You, my friend is just like me.
Thanks for watching on commenting 👍
The time it took you to grab all them tools and not successfully take them off you could’ve put the jack on mower deck jacked it up and it used a impacting gun would’ve been done in 10 minutes tops
🤣 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Hindsight always 2020
People, get an impact wrench (air, battery, or electric). Also, if you are going to sharpen your own blades, make sure they are done at the correct angle and always balance them.
Thanks for watching and commenting
You are not mowing grass you are mowing weeds and there is a big difference in that weeds have tough stems also get a mower Jack from Harbor Freight I use it on my maverick I drive on it and it lifts it so high it is easy to access the whole deck
The field was pretty rough last year. Once we got it mowed and kept it mowed, this year, it's not as bad. It's a work in process. You are right. There is a massive difference in mowing stalks vs. grass. I'll have to check into the HF mower jack. Thanks for the tip. 👍🏻
Id use the bixed end then take another boxed end to the open end. Theres plenty of lrverage. Those were most like torqued or impaceded on
This last time I took them off the impact would not remove them. I had to torch the bolt and still was hard as hell with an impact. Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍
Funny thing is, my original blades worked perfectly, i knicked one so I though why not replace them, and the new blades are leaving strips of grass uncut.
That's unfortunate, the new blades I put on are performing great. Just mowed the lawn today and it shredded the grass nicely. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I think this has been identified by another you tuber as the PTO pulley being too small and causing the blade speed to be too slow. This guy....ruclips.net/video/3K-mL9yuAe4/видео.html
Probably got too short of blades
There's no reason for the bolts to be that tight, even from the factory. A little anti-seiz on the threads, snug them up and give them a little extra umph and that's all you need. The blades spin against the direction of the threads so they keep themselves tightened. Yes, sharp blades will cut better than dull ones.
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Personally, I love those gate blades
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Why don't you get you a 15/16 1/2 breaker bar.
Because I didn't have access to one at the time. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject ok . I've used a piece of pipe slipped over the rinch to break bolts loose. We call it a cheater pipe in the mechanic field.
Next time soak your bolt for a few mins with wd40 and never sharpen blades, they seem dull because they are painted. The sharpen with use.
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Power tools make life easy. Thats a 10 minute job.
The right tools for the job were locked up in storage. 😁 It should not take 5 minutes now. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Why not just use an impact wrench to take off the blades ? Saves so much time and effort!
True lol thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
I use a mower lift and battery powered DeWalt impact, and takes me less than 5 minutes to change blades. If the battery needs charging, I use a cheater pipe on my ratchet with 2×4 block. Takes me maybe 7 minutes with the pipe on a ratchet.
Good stuff! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Don't forget anti-seize compound, you'll never have that problem again. save the threads.
Appreciate the tip. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
might want to get that torque wrench calibrated.
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@@JustinsProject thanks for replying without reading
Avoid using open end of a wrench on tight bolts.can round them off
True. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
Mine were that tight too and its not right to come from the factory like that. You didn't grow up on a farm, some grasses and weeds are harder to cut and you need to go slower or mow before they get that big.
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Trials and tribulations of a modern home owner
🤘 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
1. Good God!! Use a mower lift and use an impact drill. (MoJack MJ-PRO 750-Pound Lift for Tractors and Zero Turn Radius Lawn Mowers)
2. Use ANTI-SEIZE on the bolts.
I cut @ 4.5 acres out of our 5.6 acre property and change the blades on my Maverick @ 6 - 8 weeks. I use Oregon G5 Gator Blades on my mower (it’s a thicker blade). I also sharpen using a cordless angle grinder with 60 grit flap disks. Finishing with a couple passes of a file.
Not bad for 71. Work smarter, not harder.
Good stuff! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
No watched you miss the tall stuff on your dull pass. I wouldn’t ask my machine to mow that tall field at high speed. I know you were doing it for a demo but, I’d never consider mowing it at that speed. Anti seize on those threads for future removal.
😁 I have another video where I ended up mowing the entire field at much higher levels. Not something I will do again but it was a good test of it's capabilities. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
if you used a good impact wrench or a good impact drill it would be less than a 5 minute job.
Next time, it will be a five minute job, then 🤣 never trying that again, lol. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
American blade sharpener about 100 dollars you will keep your blade angle at 30 degrees 👍
Thanks for the heads up! I will look into that. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
A 4 foot pipe on end of wrench or socket wrench, 6 point and work less.
True 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻
@@JustinsProject Well My original blades were torqued at over 150 ft lb to just move bolt. Had to air impact ratchet off. spec says 90-110 ft lbs. Thanks
@@newsield76 Nice, I just built a grass blocker for mine. Literally just uploaded the video. I think it will help tremendously on cleanup.