Bad Boy Mower Deck Won’t Raise

[PanhandleGlocker]

Has anyone ran into this problem that owns a Bad Boy mower? This is an older model, maybe 2012? I’m sure they’ve kept the design pretty similar throughout the years.

Edit: this mowers deck is raised by electric power. Hydrostatic pump I believe.

 

[JEVapa]

When you push the pedal it doesn't raise or when you push the pedal, the dial doesn't move or go to the high positions or something?

 

[PanhandleGlocker]

When you push the pedal it doesn't raise or when you push the pedal, the dial doesn't move or go to the high positions or something?

I edited the original post. Forgot to mention it’s not a manual operation. I wish it was so it would work everytime.

 

[O4L]

It seems that I heard that the switches go bad on those.

 

[dennishoddy]

I edited the original post. Forgot to mention it’s not a manual operation. I wish it was so it would work everytime.

It's called a linear positioner in technical terms, or an electric driven ball screw. Mine is a 2010 model and it failed last year. I found the brushes were very dirty in the motor, causing one of them to stick and not contact the motor armature. Once cleaned, it's ran fine.
If you are not schooled in how to disassemble one of those motors, I'd advise taking it to a motor repair shop.
Check the voltage on the motor before removing it from the mower to make sure it's not the electrical switch that has failed. As it's 12VDC the polarity on the motor leads coming from the switch should reverse polarity with operation of the up/down switch.
Also, when I got mine back in 2010, the deck wasn't adjusted correctly. The positioner ran out of stroke when running it all the way down and jammed before the deck reached its hard stop. I had to remove the positioner and manually screw it back in. Adjusted the deck and it ran fine until last year.

 

[PanhandleGlocker]

It's called a linear positioner in technical terms, or an electric driven ball screw. Mine is a 2010 model and it failed last year. I found the brushes were very dirty in the motor, causing one of them to stick and not contact the motor armature. Once cleaned, it's ran fine.
If you are not schooled in how to disassemble one of those motors, I'd advise taking it to a motor repair shop.
Check the voltage on the motor before removing it from the mower to make sure it's not the electrical switch that has failed. As it's 12VDC the polarity on the motor leads coming from the switch should reverse polarity with operation of the up/down switch.
Also, when I got mine back in 2010, the deck wasn't adjusted correctly. The positioner ran out of stroke when running it all the way down and jammed before the deck reached its hard stop. I had to remove the positioner and manually screw it back in. Adjusted the deck and it ran fine until last year.

Picture found online but this thing correct? If it’s not my switch then something in the motor or the screw part is stuck I think…

 

[dennishoddy]

Picture found online but this thing correct? If it’s not my switch then something in the motor or the screw part is stuck I think…

View attachment 382577

That's the positioner. Can you manually run the tube in your hand up and down the threads? If you can, it's free. If thats OK, the switch is next which is the easiest to check just by putting a VOM on the two wires, turning on the key and using the up/down switch.
If the voltage is good, the next culprit will be the DC motor, brushes in the motor or the motor has failed.

 

[PanhandleGlocker]

That's the positioner. Can you manually run the tube in your hand up and down the threads? If you can, it's free. If thats OK, the switch is next which is the easiest to check just by putting a VOM on the two wires, turning on the key and using the up/down switch.
If the voltage is good, the next culprit will be the DC motor, brushes in the motor or the motor has failed.

I’ll try that tomorrow. The height goes from 5-1 and it’s stuck in 1. If I could at least get it manually up to 2 then I’d be happy so I don’t have to sink any more money into it if the motor does turn out to be bad.. 1 is a pretty short cut. 2 would be ok.

This poor Bad Boy has been rode hard and put up wet to many seasons. Last year it never even got used since we didn’t get any rain so the grass never grew, now we have been getting rain pretty much daily for the last two weeks so I gotta get this thing going again before things get out of control. I already have to put two new front tires on it.

 

[dennishoddy]

I’ll try that tomorrow. The height goes from 5-1 and it’s stuck in 1. If I could at least get it manually up to 2 then I’d be happy so I don’t have to sink any more money into it if the motor does turn out to be bad.. 1 is a pretty short cut. 2 would be ok.

This poor Bad Boy has been rode hard and put up wet to many seasons. Last year it never even got used since we didn’t get any rain so the grass never grew, now we have been getting rain pretty much daily for the last two weeks so I gotta get this thing going again before things get out of control. I already have to put two new front tires on it.

I mow on position 2. When my brushes went out, I manually rolled it up to 2 and tried mowing. Unfortunately, the motor holds the position. By the end of the day, it had drifted down to the lowest position.
I don't know about your mowing area, but mine takes a lot of deck movement. If yours doesn't require that, could you adjust the deck to the height you prefer and just leave it there? It's been so long since I adjusted mine, that I can't remember and too lazy to walk out to the barn. That may be an option.

 

[Cowcatcher]

Like Dennis said, you’ve got a problem with the switch or the linear actuator. I’ve bought several linear actuators on Amazon and had good luck. If you have no specs on your actuator you’ll just have to measure the stroke you need and measure how much weight you are pushing or pulling before you go shopping. I rig actuators like those to raise and lower feed spouts on trucks. They are also used on hay balers to run the duckbill carrying net wrap into chamber or running arms on twine. Anyhow I think Dennis has you on track.
Oh and the switch reverses polarity between up and down. So there’s just two wires going to actuator. There will be a connector between it and the switch. Ground one wire and put 12v (I assume) to the other and see if actuator runs. Then flip your two connections and try it again.