# Bad Boy vs Spartan.. What's Your Choice?



## Josh (Aug 8, 2018)

In the market for a new zero turn. My Hustler Raptor has been great for the last 7 years (390 hours) but we're looking to take on a little more yard in the future. We currently mow 1/2 acre of finely manicured lawn and we will be moving up to roughly 3.5 acres. Very flat and open but quite a few trees. That being said, there appears to be a couple more mowers in similar price ranges that look a little more heavy duty. Being from Arkansas I want to support Arkansas business. Both Bad Boy and Spartan are made in Batesville Arkansas.

Does anyone have experience with Bad Boy or Spartan? Looking specifically at the Bad Boy ZT Elite or the Spartan RZ Base with 48" decks, Kawasaki motors, and operator controlled discharge chutes. Not needing anything extreme as this is just for personal use.


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I would strongly consider stepping up to a 60" minimum for that size lawn.


----------



## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

Bad Boy Mowers are extremely popular in my area, I honestly don't think I've seen a Spartan.

My Area is Gravely > Deere > ExMark > Bad Boy > Randoms based on what I see mowning lawns around here between crews and homeowners.

One of my neighbors has one, he beats the living crap out of it, mowing the pines...etc. Keeps on trucking. He was home last weekend and took the mower through a construction area in his yard where he bent a tie rod on his tractor.

Between those two mowers you listed you're looking at 24hp on the Spartan and 30HP on the Bad Boy. I'd also favor the 3100 series HydroGear over the Tuff Torq 300.

Any particular reason you're looking to stay at 48" instead of going up to 60" for 3.5 acres?


----------



## Josh (Aug 8, 2018)

Three reasons for staying under 60"
1. My trailer is a 5x10. If I need to take it somewhere I want to fit it on the trailer.
2. I have two gates that are right at 60"
3. That few inches makes a world of difference when parking it in my shed.

There is a 54" option that's in the running as well.


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Get the 54" then - you'll regret buying a 48" for 3.5 acres.


----------



## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

Ware said:


> Get the 54" then - you'll regret buying a 48" for 3.5 acres.


So much this. I got a bigger trailer when I got the 61 (actually I got a bigger trailer for the wife's utv, but that's another story)

I would at minimum get a 54", but man the difference between 54 and 60 may not seem like much, but it can be over 3.5 acres.


----------



## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

I own a bad boy zt elite and what I will tell you is to get a 60 deck for sure. The next thing is I would step up to the compact or rebel with the size lawn you have. I love my machine but my lot size is only .75 acre. After reading go to the 54 if that's all you can fit.


----------



## ALPHA (Aug 25, 2021)

I looked at Bad Boy and Spartan and wound up with a Hustler Hyperdrive for the simple reason that I liked the hydraulic cooling better than any other brand out there. My price from JD was better because of my relationship with them but I felt the Hustler would be a better long term buy. I do wish I had looked at Wright more closely.


----------



## epac90 (Dec 14, 2020)

Ware said:


> Get the 54" then - you'll regret buying a 48" for 3.5 acres.


So much this. I would personally not consider anything under 61" for that size yard and if my ground was a little more level, I would have considered a 72". I have a 61" Spartan SRT-XD and am currently mowing a little over 3 acres with it. So far I have 0 regrets with my purchase and have almost 100 hours now. It is built like an absolute tank and the power is unreal with the 37hp EFI Vanguard engine.

I have found that one of it's pros is also a con which is how much it weighs due to how overbuilt it is (I think it weighs close to 1300lbs?). I have some low areas that need to be mowed, and you have to be really careful to make sure it is dry enough to mow, otherwise you're gonna make ruts or get stuck with it. Sometimes it pushes my ability to mow since I need to wait an additional day or 2 for the ground to dry up after a big rain. This I'm sure is not exclusive to this mower though and is obviously gonna depend on your terrain.

I have no experience with the Bad Boy mowers, but I definitely can recommend Spartan.


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Just for reference, I'm mowing my 3.5 acres with a 72" Deere in 60-75 minutes, depending on my pattern.


----------



## LoCutt (Jul 29, 2019)

I think the gentleman that started Spartan was a former partner in Bad Boy and claims to have designed the Bad Boy mower. I think the factories are very close together.

I've seen both brands (parked!) but never used either.


----------

