Hustler Vs Bad Boy Zero-Turn Mowers: Who Bags The Win?

There’s a juncture where every landscaper, lawn owner, or lawn enthusiast meets to rapport; no one wants to buy a pocket-shriveling machine that wouldn’t offer proper satisfaction. So, in all cases, there’s a need for efficient inquiry of which zero turn mower can offer you and your lawn what is needed, and that is the reason for this article. 

The Hustler and Bad boy are lawn-perfecting machines recognized in the mower market well enough to become slang terms. They have both been changed and upgraded to suit better experiences, offering a precisely much more remarkable ordeal. So, how do you compare your apples? 

Whether you are looking to hop into your first zero-turn mower, or you’re seeking a clean fresh slate for a better mowing experience, here are 10 important aspects to ponder on before assigning your medal to the Hustler or Bad boy.

The Hustler Offers The Smoothest Steering You Could Ever Need

The Hustler is qualified with the smooth track steering feature – a detail attributed to the brand for unmatchable maneuverability and precisely excellent steering – providing a significant level of ease. Although the Bad boy mower is fully equipped with efficiently durable steering, you simply couldn’t match the effortlessness it takes to maneuver a Hustler!

Another aspect to consider is that the Bad Boy has its levered system a little lower than that of the Hustler;  this might be a whimsy notice, but it makes you lean a little forward for stable control of your levers. At the end of this thought, the Hustler bags the deal. 

The Bad Boy and Hustler Operate On a Remarkable Hydrostatic Transmission System 

This is quite the common ground. Both machines operate on a hydro-gear transmission for variable speed output and an aesthetically smooth ride void of jerks or yanks. Though it is best to know the Bad boy has the transmission easily accessible and much more serviceable in comparison to the Hustler. 

The Hustler, in turn, has a patented brake technique networked to the transmission system of the machine, causing swift lever movements to warrant uncharacteristic and uncharted jerks whilst mowing. Despite all that, both mowers have great transmission systems! 

The Hustler Has The Perfect Engine For Some Serious Stint

The hustlers are notable for their wide variety of V-shaped double cylinder motors. The sequences fade from AGM battery systems, Briggs & Stratton, Kawasaki, and Kohler to Vanguard engines. The most used is a variation of Kawasaki engines generating energy of about 10 to 40 horsepower. They run at a speed of 7 to 16 miles per hour depending on the type of Kawasaki engine used. The Hustler model is tougher for pulling heavyweight carts and beating time on commercial size acres of pasture. 

Meanwhile, the Bad boy pulsates with an array of Kawasaki, Yamaha, Briggs & Stratton, and vanguard engines generating from 7 to 36 horsepower. They are a little slower and pulling weighty carts on them has to be done with much care. Though the Bad boy’s horsepower is similarly fantastic, the Hustlers are your best pick if you’re power savvy. 

The Bad Boy is a Much Better Choice For a Comfortable Ride

The seats of the Hustler have little to no suspension. So, you better believe every bounce will travel up your spine like a zap. Also, for most of their high-grade residential mowers, the armrests are pretty flimsy and do not offer much support as you’d need.

The Bad boy, on the other hand, delivers a much-padded seat with spring suspension that would reduce the magnitude of bumps on the lawn. The seat is also a few inches taller in comparison to the Hustler’s seats, which is a relief if your height has a lot of feet & inches to it. 

The Hustler Has an Aggressively Tough Stance For Slopes and Hills

You ought to tip your hat at the magnificent Antego tires and the shorter standpoint of the Hustler in comparison to the Bad boy zero-turn mowers. The back tires are air-pumped 20 by 12 inches wide for residential use, in comparison to the Bad Boy with 18 by 9.5 thick smooth tires. The difference might be slight, but it gives the Hustler the upper hand on slopes and hills by a notable percentage.

Although the two brands both use the Michelin X Tweel Turf tires or similarly-sized reaper back tires for their commercial ZTR mowers, the stouter stance is attributed to the mechanical frame of the Hustler equipped with its wider tires that will soar those hills with you on a sunny mow-day!

The Bad Boy and Hustler Have Pretty Competitive Decks

• Types

The Bad boy boasts of the 7-gauge steel frame fabricated deck type. They are fiercely rigid and can perform heavy-duty commercial grass-slashing on a residential zero-turn mower. 

Meanwhile, the Hustler marvels all lawns with its awesome stamped quarter-inch-thick steel deck. There is also an extra loop of steel welded all around the deck’s edges to reinforce premium durability. 

Both decks are measurably durable, the end choice revolves around the pros and cons of both types; the Bad boy will fit larger fields, and the Hustler will mulch just as well.

• Sizes

Deck sizes for the Bad boy mowers range from 42 to 72 inches, in comparison to the Hustler’s ranging from 36 to 60 inches. This feature is neutral in terms of comparing which riding mower is more versatile because both parties are pretty significant, and I’ll explain how: For instance, small lawns such as an acre or two would require small zero-turn mowers with deck sizes from 36 – 42 inches; four, five acres would settle better with 54 inches of width; while for much larger acres above five, you get to tame wider decks. Also, do remember that other factors like obstacles, terrain, and storage space matter when you consider deck sizes.

• Cutting heights

The cutting heights of a Bad Boy mower range from 1.4 to 4.5 inches operating on a knob for adjustments. For the Hustler, it’s as low as 1 to 4 inches in quarter increments operating on the pin system. As little as the difference might seem, mowing football fields would need the quarter-inch favor to meet up to standards. It all sizzles down to preferences.

Bad Boy Mowers Are Easier To Tidy Up

Dirt buildup in lawn mowers is often neglected; “Well, they’re meant for the dirt”, most people will say. What they forget is that the machines are not built for rust – as soon as the dirt and moisture settle in, the rusty bolts and pulleys start to crack and snap. This is why I commend the Bad boy mowers for having such easy access to the deck and pulley system; you easily lift the footplate to access the deck for better cleaning, or you swing the seat over to access the pulleys for greasing and maintenance. 

The Hustler, although, has a removable footplate, the brand would give you a heck of a struggle to access the pulleys. Unlike the Bad Boy, you’d get smacked with a large fuel tank completely blocking out the drive belt. This being admitted, the Bad boy surfs this wave. 

The Bad Boy is Equipped With A Fuel Gauge

You might be wondering why applauding a fuel gauge is necessary, but the Hustler is completely void of one. There’s absolutely no way to tell the amount of fuel you have in your Hustler’s fuel tank – unless you lift the seat and take a peep at the tank itself. Fortunately, the Bad boy swaggers to the field with one. This would save you the stress of drying out in the middle of a mowing session or constantly bugging over how much gas you have left.

The Hustler Has a Better Shot At Lasting a Lifetime 

The hustler zero turn mowers are represented and known for their durable engines and transmission systems, asides from their rock-hard stubborn-to-dent steel frame. In comparison to the Bad boy, the Hustler will simply ace. You have 1000 – 1500 hours on a Bad boy mower with a max of 10 years under intense maintenance. 

Even though there is a probable warranty, it doesn’t seem to last that long since it wasn’t made to endure for a long time without being warranted in the first place. 

On the other hand, with the same years of expectancy for the Hustler, it has from 500 – 750 hours per year of usage. This means they are built ready to face the highs and lows of a daring lawn. So, the Hustler wins this round.

Compared To The Hustler, The Bad Boy is Much More Pocket Friendly 

Both the Hustler and Bad boy have starting prices of a little above $3,000. The dramatic music tunes into the fact that while the Bad boy ends the pricing of the most elite of the commercial models at a bit above $13,000, the Hustler has their elite commercial diesel-powered models priced over $30,000! The machine should better be mining gold too. 

Read more: Choosing the Best Zero-Turn Mowers under $4000

After an Intense Level of Examination…

I have concluded that the Bad boy zero-turn mower offers as much as the Hustler would for a lesser price, including the bare minimum of a fuel gauge, a comfortable seat, and the bonus of a commercial-sized deck for residential purposes. 

Although the Hustler falls short in a few areas, it is unmatched in terms of ease of control, life expectancy, stamina, and precisely clean cuts. 

So, the win heavily relies on your preferences; every detail from comfy armrests to maneuverability should be considered before purchasing a Hustler or Bad Boy mower for a long-lasting enjoyable mowing experience.