Just bought the Bad Boy Buggie: My review
01-08-2008, 09:19 AM
#52
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 6
RE: Just bought the Bad Boy Buggie: My review
BBQ Boy, the "shroud" is the black, plastic cover under the front of the buggy that is suspended just above the front motor to protect it from excessive exposure to water.
Mine was broken the first weekend from driving over saplings to hang a few loc-ons in some creek bottoms. And from time to time we drive our ATV's into thick brush to avoid having to drag game by hand so I know I will continue to drive over things like this. I'm still trying to decide whether I want to fabricate an entireskid plate for the front or just put a bar that extends further down from the existing brush guard. Whatever it is, it's gonna be bolted on so that I can remove it if neccessary for maintenance, etc.
Mine was broken the first weekend from driving over saplings to hang a few loc-ons in some creek bottoms. And from time to time we drive our ATV's into thick brush to avoid having to drag game by hand so I know I will continue to drive over things like this. I'm still trying to decide whether I want to fabricate an entireskid plate for the front or just put a bar that extends further down from the existing brush guard. Whatever it is, it's gonna be bolted on so that I can remove it if neccessary for maintenance, etc.
01-08-2008, 01:51 PM
#53
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 15
RE: Just bought the Bad Boy Buggie: My review
ORIGINAL: john.maurin
BBQ Boy, the "shroud" is the black, plastic cover under the front of the buggy that is suspended just above the front motor to protect it from excessive exposure to water.
Mine was broken the first weekend from driving over saplings to hang a few loc-ons in some creek bottoms. And from time to time we drive our ATV's into thick brush to avoid having to drag game by hand so I know I will continue to drive over things like this. I'm still trying to decide whether I want to fabricate an entireskid plate for the front or just put a bar that extends further down from the existing brush guard. Whatever it is, it's gonna be bolted on so that I can remove it if neccessary for maintenance, etc.
BBQ Boy, the "shroud" is the black, plastic cover under the front of the buggy that is suspended just above the front motor to protect it from excessive exposure to water.
Mine was broken the first weekend from driving over saplings to hang a few loc-ons in some creek bottoms. And from time to time we drive our ATV's into thick brush to avoid having to drag game by hand so I know I will continue to drive over things like this. I'm still trying to decide whether I want to fabricate an entireskid plate for the front or just put a bar that extends further down from the existing brush guard. Whatever it is, it's gonna be bolted on so that I can remove it if neccessary for maintenance, etc.
Just pm me if I can help you. I'm probably closer to your camp than Metarie anyway, but it is important to me that you are satisfied with your buggie. Many times its the ones that have these problems in the beginning that wind up being the best once the "bugs" are worked out.
01-09-2008, 03:16 PM
#54
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 6
RE: Just bought the Bad Boy Buggie: My review
BBBman, Thanks for the offer. I'm going to try to use a dealer in Brookhaven, MS (about 30 miles from our camp) after the season. The one time I went to Natchez to drop off my buggy (early October) I saw the "madness" there at the factory. It was baically just what I expected to see. I hope that as the company grows they begin to pay more attention to QC and the assembly process as well as organization.
What would be your suggestion on the headlight problem? I think there's a short somewhere but I have no idea where to start. That's another thing they need to work on is putting together a more extensive owners manual and keep it updated so that folks like myself could check a few basic troubleshooting items and maybe find the problem before having to haul it in to our dealer for service.
To be very honest, I told my dealer that I wanted a completely new cart. He talked to the owner or his wife and she asked for me to call her. The first day I tried her 3 times. Apparently she was at lunch for 3 hours. I left a message and she never returned my call. The next day I called back and left another message and she still has not called me. That is not the customer service I expect for spending so much money. Of course I didn't expect to need customer service but with all the issues I have had in the first 4 months I've had no choice. Sometimes you have to play rough just to get people's attention.
What would be your suggestion on the headlight problem? I think there's a short somewhere but I have no idea where to start. That's another thing they need to work on is putting together a more extensive owners manual and keep it updated so that folks like myself could check a few basic troubleshooting items and maybe find the problem before having to haul it in to our dealer for service.
To be very honest, I told my dealer that I wanted a completely new cart. He talked to the owner or his wife and she asked for me to call her. The first day I tried her 3 times. Apparently she was at lunch for 3 hours. I left a message and she never returned my call. The next day I called back and left another message and she still has not called me. That is not the customer service I expect for spending so much money. Of course I didn't expect to need customer service but with all the issues I have had in the first 4 months I've had no choice. Sometimes you have to play rough just to get people's attention.
01-10-2008, 01:35 PM
#56
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 6
RE: Just bought the Bad Boy Buggie: My review
BBQ, yeah, I figure it just takes rolling over a few saplings. I like the idea that one of BBBman's customers did with the diamond plate; just replacing the plastic shroud with the same thing made from diamond plating and reinforcing it as well. Luckily, my brother knows a bit about metal work so I'll get him to help me fabricate this after the season.
01-15-2008, 08:02 PM
#57
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1
RE: Just bought the Bad Boy Buggie: My review
I have a BBB (2007) and I have had quite a few issues that have made my experience not the best.
Please don't get me wrong I love what this thing can and does do in the woods and its is quiet (most of the time). I have had it for over a full year now.
The second day I had mine I noticed that the headlight on the drivers side would not light up.Luckily I amthe type of person thatcan fix anything, soI tore into it and found that one of the pin connectors behind the shroud had a bent pin init After bending the pin back and reconnecting, it works fine. My dealer thought it was a burned out headlight and he ordered me one from BBB. I have never received it. Where is the quality control? Obviously no one checked before this left the factory. The pin did not get bent after someone put it together because it is a mother to get to it. One of the bolts had been rung off so getting the headlight assembly out proved to be more than the simple task it should have been.
Next was the fact that I noticed that I seemed to have a good bit of gear noise when I let off the pedal going down a smooth street. Guess what, neither one of my differentials had any gear oil in them. I filled them both and they are nice and quiet. Thank goodness I noticed this the first week I owed the buggie. I called my dealer about this and he said he was having alot of quality problems with the buggies and that the factory was not being very responsive. How did this happen?How can you explainputting 2axle assemblies together and someone missed both of mine?
Ihave broken both back plastic fenders as my dealer warned me about the plastic being very brittle and I pulled the screws through the front shroud. I have fixed all this but you must be careful what you bump in the woods or going over cut off branches that stick up.
The next problem I noticed was that the shocks would make alot of sqeaking. It turned out that one of the front shocks had leaked out all the fluid. Care to wonder how long it took them to get me a replacement shock? Over a month. It took so long that the dealer I bought my unit from made 3 or 4 phone calls to the factory and finally was so upset with the factory, had agreed to take one off one of the buggies he had in stock. He called the factory one more time and this time he must have hit a nerve because they senta pairto me a couple days later. I still have some squeaks and have resigned myself to fixing each as they appear. The U bolt shackles were not tightened evenly and this was creating the vast majority of the squeaking on the rear of my buggie. Once I loosened and retightened them evenly the squeaking stopped.
Extreme cold weather ussually finds a squeak at 4:00 AM inthe morning that mysteriously goes away at lunch whenthe temperature is warmer.
The most disappointing thing I have noticed is that the range of my unit is nowhere close to the range they have stated. Ihave hauledmine hunting in Illinois on a 600 acre farm and my unit needs to be charged after the morning hunt in cold weather in the upper 20's to 30's. I expect I have driven 2 miles at best with 1 other person. I have checked my cables and they are all tight. I have filled the batteries to the proper levels. Here at home with warmer temperatures the range is a litte better, but I can gaurantee that mine will not go over 5 miles, withoutbthe battery level indicator blinking. If anyone else knows what could cause the range to be so little please let meknow. This is causing me to think about getting ridof it.
The dealer has been great and that is the only reason I havenot gotten rid of it yet. What else is out there? I love the quiet, go anywhere toughness of the BBB. I was so excited when I got it, but unfortunately it has not been up to par with what it was supposed to be.
Please don't get me wrong I love what this thing can and does do in the woods and its is quiet (most of the time). I have had it for over a full year now.
The second day I had mine I noticed that the headlight on the drivers side would not light up.Luckily I amthe type of person thatcan fix anything, soI tore into it and found that one of the pin connectors behind the shroud had a bent pin init After bending the pin back and reconnecting, it works fine. My dealer thought it was a burned out headlight and he ordered me one from BBB. I have never received it. Where is the quality control? Obviously no one checked before this left the factory. The pin did not get bent after someone put it together because it is a mother to get to it. One of the bolts had been rung off so getting the headlight assembly out proved to be more than the simple task it should have been.
Next was the fact that I noticed that I seemed to have a good bit of gear noise when I let off the pedal going down a smooth street. Guess what, neither one of my differentials had any gear oil in them. I filled them both and they are nice and quiet. Thank goodness I noticed this the first week I owed the buggie. I called my dealer about this and he said he was having alot of quality problems with the buggies and that the factory was not being very responsive. How did this happen?How can you explainputting 2axle assemblies together and someone missed both of mine?
Ihave broken both back plastic fenders as my dealer warned me about the plastic being very brittle and I pulled the screws through the front shroud. I have fixed all this but you must be careful what you bump in the woods or going over cut off branches that stick up.
The next problem I noticed was that the shocks would make alot of sqeaking. It turned out that one of the front shocks had leaked out all the fluid. Care to wonder how long it took them to get me a replacement shock? Over a month. It took so long that the dealer I bought my unit from made 3 or 4 phone calls to the factory and finally was so upset with the factory, had agreed to take one off one of the buggies he had in stock. He called the factory one more time and this time he must have hit a nerve because they senta pairto me a couple days later. I still have some squeaks and have resigned myself to fixing each as they appear. The U bolt shackles were not tightened evenly and this was creating the vast majority of the squeaking on the rear of my buggie. Once I loosened and retightened them evenly the squeaking stopped.
Extreme cold weather ussually finds a squeak at 4:00 AM inthe morning that mysteriously goes away at lunch whenthe temperature is warmer.
The most disappointing thing I have noticed is that the range of my unit is nowhere close to the range they have stated. Ihave hauledmine hunting in Illinois on a 600 acre farm and my unit needs to be charged after the morning hunt in cold weather in the upper 20's to 30's. I expect I have driven 2 miles at best with 1 other person. I have checked my cables and they are all tight. I have filled the batteries to the proper levels. Here at home with warmer temperatures the range is a litte better, but I can gaurantee that mine will not go over 5 miles, withoutbthe battery level indicator blinking. If anyone else knows what could cause the range to be so little please let meknow. This is causing me to think about getting ridof it.
The dealer has been great and that is the only reason I havenot gotten rid of it yet. What else is out there? I love the quiet, go anywhere toughness of the BBB. I was so excited when I got it, but unfortunately it has not been up to par with what it was supposed to be.
01-15-2008, 10:33 PM
#58
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: south carolina
Posts: 133
RE: Just bought the Bad Boy Buggie: My review
jh
Dont deal with your guy any more call the plant and talk to one of the owners . they seem to be good people and have benn very fast in returning my calls and answered all my questions. i havent had any problems except when my son layed my down doing doughnuts but still i called and they suggested my dealer check it out. if i was in your shoes i would ask to send it in to them for qc checks
Dont deal with your guy any more call the plant and talk to one of the owners . they seem to be good people and have benn very fast in returning my calls and answered all my questions. i havent had any problems except when my son layed my down doing doughnuts but still i called and they suggested my dealer check it out. if i was in your shoes i would ask to send it in to them for qc checks
01-16-2008, 06:17 AM
#59
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cambridge Ohio USA
Posts: 744
RE: Just bought the Bad Boy Buggie: My review
jhnv, a lot of those things are dealer issues. My dealer spends a day filling fluids, lubing, and checking everything over before the buyer can take it home. If I’m not mistaken, they don’t come with diff lube from the factory. It should have also been explained to you that the batteries need “conditioning” before they take a full charge. You should have also received a small pamphlet all about the batteries, where it also explains the battery conditioning. I believe it states it’ll take around 10-12 charges before they are conditioned. I can’t understand why your dealer would order a new light before[/b] checking the connection. That should have been the first place to look. As you saw, the connections are very tight, and it would be easy for a person to think they had it connected, when it wasn’t fully seated. My lighter connection came loose as well. It took 2 minutes to figure out and fix. The Buggies are built by hand, and I think they are building more than they can handle and a few things are being missed. However, most of your issues should have been handled by the dealer before you took it home. He sounds like a nice guy, but perhaps he’s a new dealer.
