RC for Your Mower — Man’s Ultimate Tool?

Today I’m pleased to introduce the OxChief RC — the world’s first bolt-on turn-key remote controlled lawn mower system.

The OxChief RC is available for 6 Bad Boy mower models:

• MZ Rambler
• MZ Magnum
• ZT Avenger
• ZT Elite
• Maverick
• Maverick HD

I hope that you won’t mind me introducing the component by way of a story.

Boys Will Be Boys

My boys are gone to camp this week. I was excited thinking that the quiet house would yield a utopia of productivity, cleanliness and order. We have been getting things done, and the house is cleaner. But it’s also too quiet around here, and I miss the boys.

 

Above, one of the boy’s RC trucks sits atop a Bad Boy Rambler that has been retrofitted with the OxChief RC bolt-on system.

If you’re lucky enough to have a son (or a nephew, or a grandson, or a young guy that you mentor) then perhaps, like me, you often look at their toys with a touch of envy.

• Gel Blasters — where were these when we were kids?
• Go karts — we somehow survived without roll cages and seat belts.
• Dirt bikes — insane fun with a little danger mixed in.
• RC cars — pure fun until the battery runs out (or catastrophic crash).

I still remember looking at RC car magazines when I was a kid, wondering what the cars in pages were really capable of. Were the speed numbers quoted accurate? What did they sound like? Could they pull a wheelie? What did driving them feel like? There’s something about driving a vehicle remotely that tends to put a smile on your face. It’s better than fun, it’s pure fun.

Pure Fun 

There are a handful of things that are simply pure fun — exciting, adventure, and they leave you better off afterwards. For me, this includes snow skiing in Montana, jet skiing anywhere the water is warm, and watching Auburn football. One item in the prior list doesn’t belong — but it’s not because I don’t love Auburn.

But somewhere there’s apparently some memo that at some age, we’re supposed to identify as “Adult”, and this marks the point where we’re supposed to:

• Hold long conversations with others about our fav organic food choices that no-one can pronounce
• Complain ad-nauseam about politics
• Prefer watching screens inside to sweating outdoors
• Wonder aimlessly about lost time rather than imagining a fantastic future

Here’s trusting that you, the reader of this blog, like me, are working to reject the list above.

Quite often, there’s a kernel in the fun that we enjoyed as kids that is far superior to the low-T borefests we settle for as adults.

Don’t settle for binging Netflix when the joy of youth is at hand.

Adding a super solid RC control system to your mower really is a refreshing blast from the fountain of youth.

Why RC my mower?

I think you’ll find that there’s something very satisfying about driving an RC mower — perhaps it’s tied to something we enjoyed long ago that we’ve never really outgrown.

There are several compelling benefits to an RC mower, including:

• Mow from the comfort of your living room regardless of weather
• Tackle dangerous hills / suspect terrain without bodily risk
• Scratch your long-dormant itch to drive an RC vehicle
• Perfect platform to equip with FPV for a mowing experience from the future

Can Autonomous and RC mowers co-exist?

OxChief’s goal is bringing autonomous mowing to every mower. When we released the OxChief software along with the OxChief Alpha servo control for the Bad Boy Maverick HD, we were happy to offer the first mowing autopilot solution designed for anyone with a large (think multi-acre) mowing area.

While the future of autonomous mowing is bright, RC mowing is very useful in many applications.

RC mowing with an FPV setup, in particular, may just be a unique golden thread connecting the fun of being a boy with the need for productivity of being a man.

I just bought a Bad Boy mower at Tractor Supply — how long does OxChief install take?

One Afternoon.

If you presently own a Bad Boy mower, just pick up an OxChief RC control and you’re ready to roll.

Otherwise, head over to your local Tractor Supply (or, even better, your local Bad Boy dealer) and pick up your new mower.

Having secured your OxChief RC control and your mower, let’s take a quick overview of the process of installing the RC control onto your mower

RC Control on Mower Install Executive Summary

Here are the steps:

RC Control on Mower Install Detail

Enjoy your complete zero-to-hero tutorial/demo covering the entire install:

Hope you’ll head over to the store and take the plunge.

You’re going to love it.

–Wayne