My new (2010 leftover) Conquest

[Carl in CT]

I found a dealer less than 20 miles away from me that had a leftover 2010 Conquest with a 50" deck and the 23hp Vangaurd motor. He sold it to me for his cost, $5,200, $800 off of his list price . I tried to get him down a little more but he said he was not even quite breaking even at $5,200. I got the 1.9% financing for 60 months. That offer expires tomorrow, 4/30/11 so just in time unless they extend it as they have with the other ones (like 0% for 3 years, etc). Paid the tax and finance promotion fees plus a little extra so I financed just under $4,900 which should get my monthly payments around $85-$90 a month. That made this mower the best deal I could find since the used ones disappear almost as fast as my grass is growing and even the cheaper John Deere X320 would have cost more overall because the financing is not as good (4.9% for 4 years, still not horrible). He also had another 2010 with 4wd and power steering for $1,200 more which was very tempting but I do not need it and am already stretching the budget as it is.

I had a small heart attack when the words "oil/lube" came on the little info screen on the dash and the deck was cutting like crap. Read the manual and that is just a oil/lube service reminder, not the oil pressure light (odd for a mower with less than 5 hours on it?). The deck had a spring that was not attached. Fixed the spring and it mows fine now. My yard is an uneven mess from my backhoe driving all over it and at least 6 inches tall so not fair to judge the cut quality yet but it actually looks wicked good already.

Here are some pics, including our Sheltie pup in the background.

 

[General Lee]

I gotta say its a nice looking tractor, but what sets it apart from a craftsman or Husqavarna that makes 2-3X as much?

 

[Carl in CT]

General Lee, that is a very fair question. I did a lot of research, plus as a former landscaper I have some knowledge of mowers and the difference between high end equipment and the rest of the stuff. Don't get me wrong, the Craftsman and Home Depot/Lowes type mowers do a good job fitting a need for the right person so I'm not bashing them. My dad has a John Deere L120 from Home Depot and it's perfect for him since he's at least 50 pounds lighter than I am, his yard is a tenth the size of mine and it's flat, mine is very hilly with lots of obstacles. When I've tried his on a small hill I could feel it struggle because it is just not as heavy so it looses traction and everything is thinner and not made as well. His was around $2,000 3-4 years ago and it is a decent mower for that price for his purposes. The new version of that (D120 I think) is now up around $2,400 and does not have a Kawasaki motor like the higher end John Deeres do.

When my Toro was broken and I had no time or money to fix it my wife's dad gave me his Yardman since he no longer mowed his own yard. It was a few years old but he barely used it, it was still like new with a 20hp B&S motor and 42" deck. In literally 2 years the transmission was shot, the mower deck was literally crumbling and the plastic hood was cracked and about to fall off and I never hit anything or dropped anything on it, it just got brittle and wore out that fast. The motor, seat and wheels/tires were fine, everything else was trashed. I didn't beat on it, it just could not handle my yard with my 235 pounds riding on it. That mower was $1,800 at Walmart 5 or 6 years ago, more like $2,000 now. So that would have cost me $1000 a year to mow with if I bought one and it lasted 2 years again. My Toro, even with the problem Kohler Command cost me $500 per year including maintenence and repairs. It was over $5,000 new with some money for repairs tossed in and lasted 13 years. Even with it's issues the Toro is a nice tractor and much nicer to use than the Yardman or my dad's L120.

So I knew I had to get a higher end machine and I would only buy one with either a Kawasaki or B&S Vangaurd motor as those are the only two commercial quality motors in my opinion. We used John Deeres with Kawasakis in landscaping and they were bullet proof. Used and abused and never broke. The Vangaurds are just as good, made my Dihatsu which is Mitsubishi's heavy equipment division I think, good stuff. I'm done with Kohler of any kind or any of the homeowner level Briggs motors. The higher end tractors also have heavier duty transmissions, heavier gauge frames and decks, pretty much everything is bigger, heavier duty and better constructed. This was the best deal I could find since I was striking out with the used market. Yes, it's a lot of money but with the low financing it just made more sense for me in the long haul.

 

[General Lee]

I don't blame you one bit for getting a heavier duty mower. Once my 23hp craftsman goes, I will get a more commercial based machine and like you it won't be from a big box store. I know nothing about Simplicity and I was a little shocked at the sticker price thats all. Congrats on that tractor!

 

[Carl in CT]

I spent a little more than I had to because I could not resist the great deal on the 2010 Conquest. I was going to get a 2011 Broadmoor which starts around $3,700 but goes up to $4,600 if you get the 54" deck and Vangaurd motor like I was going to get. You could also get a Broadmoor with a 46" deck and still get the Vangaurd motor for $4,200. The Broadmoor is a top notch mower with traction control and it even has an electronic deck height adjuster that even the Conquest doesn't have.

The Conquest is just a notch bigger/heavier overall, closer to a garden tractor than the Broadmoor is. The Conquest also has the differential lock for towing/plowing or going up steep hills in addition to the traction control but the 2011 Conquest does not offer the Vangaurd motor, just Kohler Courage (no thanks) or the new Briggs ELS which might be great but they are new so I am not willing to be the guinea pig so the 2010 Conquest with the Vangaurd was a great find.

Anyway, when you get in the market take a look at the Simplicities. I looked at John Deeres too and they are great but I thought the Simplicities were more ruggedly built (lots of plastic on the Deeres) and the better financing made the more expensive Simplicity cheaper in the long run.

 

[Johndeere3720]

Nice new Simplicity! :thumbsup: I have a John Deere L118 with 353 hours on it and it is still running strong. It has the original motor and tranny in it and it is still going strong. It is kinda amazing that it has outlived its warranty just about 3 times. :thumbsup: I do however want to get a ZTR some day. :thumbsup:

 

[richamor]

My last mower was an old Simplicity Broadmoor. The first time I cut grass with it, I was amazed. My yard looked better than it ever had with the Snapper. After 10 years with only routine maintenance, I traded it to my local gun dealer. I wanted a Cub Cadet so I bought one from my local dealer, not a box store. Took it home and was shocked at the poor quality of cut. In fact, after I finished cutting grass, the wife came out and asked if I was going to finish!
Long story short, took the CC back and told the dealer I wanted something that would cut like my old Simplicity, and ended up taking home a $6500.00 commercial ZTR. And it does cut as good, just not as comfortable.
Enjoy that new mower. I'm sure you'll get many a year of good use out of it, not to mention a beautiful lawn!

 

[Carl in CT]

I mowed my overgrown yard Saturday and wow, what a cut, my lawn has never looked so good!!! My old Toro/Wheelhorse did a very good job but not like this new Simplicity. Usually when the lawn is that long it needs to be mowed at least twice then swept with the lawn sweeper because there are still clippings everywhere. This time I mowed it once and the clippings were small and well dispersed but still there. Then as I was mowing a second time to push the clippings to the edges into rows to be swept they went away and there was nothing left to sweep. My lawn was really high and I cannot believe I didn't have clippings left to deal with, what a joy that is!

I kept wondering if I should have spent the extra $1,200 to get the 4wd version with power steering. It would be nice but after mowing the whole yard I can honestly say I really don't need it. The automatic traction control works great and although it does not kick in until one wheel spins first it doesn't rip up the grass. The differential lock works great for those areas where you know you might have a traction issue. You lock that in first and both wheels power you up the hill with no spinning whatsoever. The steering is really easy too, no need for power steering.

I considered a ZTR but even though they are fast and efficient I just like the regular tractor better for home use. I couldn't buy a Cub Cadet. My dad bought one back in the mid 1980's and it was the biggest piece of garbage I've ever seen. He bought an expensive one too and it was always junk. That was when MTD first took over Cub Cadet and I know they are a little better now but I just can't do it. I cringe every time I see a white and yellow mower that isn't at least 35 years old when International Harvester was still building them.

This is what I have been told about the Cub Cadet shaft drive from the John Deere dealer so take it for what it's worth but it sounds accurate to me. It is not a traditional shaft with universal joints like they had back in the old days. It's a setup of gears that mesh with rubber parts that wear out and then the gears grind and cause expensive repairs. No need for shaft drive with a hydro transmission anyway. The drive belt is simply turning the hydo pump, it's not directly powering the wheels so it's not going to slip, even going up hills with a heavy load. I must say that my old Toro is a belt driven hydro and I have never had any issues with the drive belt, never slipped or broke, even pulling a trailers up a pretty good hill.

 

[wallace]

I gotta say its a nice looking tractor, but what sets it apart from a craftsman or Husqavarna that makes 2-3X as much?

I am a dealer for both Simplicity and Husqavarna....I can promise you this...If you care about the way your yard looks...I will send the most expensive Husquavarna Garden tractor and the cheapest Simplicity (regent) home with you and the regent will out mow it.
As a Matter in fact I will put my Simplicity tractors up against any tractor, including Deere.
I am not just saying this....Drive by my house! People who know me ask, who cuts your lawn?
I point across the show room a tell them, that does!
I mow with a 5 year old Conquest.
I had a brand new Legacy with a 60" deck and I told my wife I didn't want it because I couldn't get as many stripes with a bigger deck.:confused2:

Tust me, until you get on one and mow you will never understand why someone would pay thousands more.

 

[KentT]

I am a dealer for both Simplicity and Husqavarna....I can promise you this...If you care about the way your yard looks...I will send the most expensive Husquavarna Garden tractor and the cheapest Simplicity (regent) home with you and the regent will out mow it.
As a Matter in fact I will put my Simplicity tractors up against any tractor, including Deere.
I am not just saying this....Drive by my house! People who know me ask, who cuts your lawn?
I point across the show room a tell them, that does!
I mow with a 5 year old Conquest.
I had a brand new Legacy with a 60" deck and I told my wife I didn't want it because I couldn't get as many stripes with a bigger deck.:confused2:

Tust me, until you get on one and mow you will never understand why someone would pay thousands more.

Rick,

Glad to see you weigh in here. I'm so biased (for Simplicity) that it's hard for me to be objective about them, so I typically just remain silent. When I first bought an old used one, I fell in love with them... and ended up creating simpletractors.com

I have a matching pair of 1969 models -- a 3112V Sovereign and it's yellow mate, an Allis-Chalmers that I've converted to a hydrostat... My back yard borders a large church property, without a fence between, and I've been able to compare the cut side-by-side with all different types of lawn tractors, ZTRs and even a Toro Groundsmaster (or whatever that rear-wheel steer thing is) that the commercial mowers have used to mow it over the years...

I'd put the Simplicity snowblowers in the same category -- once you get used to them and learn how to use them -- and there is a learning curve. They'll blow snow with best of them out there. The tractor-mounted tillers compare well to the old Troybilt rear-tine also, I have both...

There's better machines for some things -- like pulling a garden plow. But for the most common uses for a homeowner, especially mowing, there's no better lawn/garden tractors out there... IMO, which I try to keep to myself most of the time on here!

Again, thanks for speaking up!

 

[tony binkowski]

nice mower!!!! i have a citation zero turn and i love it! the cut and stripping of a simplicity is hard to beat for the $$$$$$$$$$$. dont forget to aerate and fertilize!!!

 

[Carl in CT]

Yup, two cuttings so far and great cuts on wicked tall grass. Last night not only was it tall but it was wet and it did a great job with the clippings. There were some and I did a tiny bit of sweeping but my old Toro/Wheelhorse would have gagged on them and left a mess everywhere. This morning when I looked at it in the sunlight it looks like the outfield at Fenway Park (go Sox)! Ok, that may be exaggerating just a bit but that's because the grass is half weeds. My mower can seriously cut like a Fenway grounds machine.

Got any pics of your Citation?

 

[Carl in CT]

Here's an update. Still love the Conquest but have a few observations. The automatic traction control is more of a traction assist. If one wheel spins it does not stop that wheel or fully engage the other wheel, really doesn't seem to do a lot. That is what I observe and the dealer agreed, it is not supposed to opperate like an old school limited slip differential. If anyone disagrees please chime in because I'd like to get it looked at while it's still under warranty if it's not working properly. The differential lock is awesome but it does have to mesh some gears or splines to engage so it's best to see hills coming and engage it before you get stuck. Once engaged both wheels spin like a posi rear end and I only had it spin on me twice on very wet grass and trying to back up a steep hill where both wheels were spinning on the slippery wet grass. Even still it eventually got out with me rocking back and forth a bit.

The biggest thing I am concerned about is the engine fluctuating when started cold. It smoothes out after 15-20 seconds as it warms up. It would not bother me if that was it but when I go through tall, thick grass it seems to bog just a tad and when I come out to a spot that has been mowed the engine fluctuates for 2-3 seconds before smoothing out again. The dealer took it back and cleaned out the carb and it's no different. He thinks it is OK but said he would see if Briggs will warranty the carb if I'm still not happy. Am I being paranoid? I just want a brand new engine to run perfect but am I better off leaving well enough alone?

 

[wallace]

Carl
Try this...Once the wheel spins quickly let off and start again, you should see that the spinning wheel will no longer as the traction control should take over.
I was able to trade in a Prestiage this year and both my conquest and prestiage opperate like this.

As far as your looping engine....seen tons of them do it. Not really a lot to do about it.
Check high rpm setting
Maybe adjust governor
Thank our goverment for that....EPA Regs.

 

[Carl in CT]

Thanks Rick. I will try your suggestion with the traction control.

As far as the engine, I guess I feel a little better if you have seen engines behave like this tons of times and it's not a problem. It runs fine and when I say it bogs a little in heavy grass I mean very slightly, not like it's really having trouble, just that there is a slight load on it. It's not really the slight bogging that bothers me, that seems normal, it's the little bit of looping that gets me.

I will mow today and see what happens. I may have the dealer give it the once over again after mowing season. Maybe I'll push for a new carb just so I know for sure that is not the problem. It's under warranty so it can't hurt to ask. I just don't want to let it go and regret it later after the warranty runs out.

 

[murphy1244]

I started buying Simplicity witha 30" Cornet with bagger in 2001. The price then was 2,500$ with bagger. You can't beat the cut for stripping and ride. The deck rides on top and follows the contour of the lawn. I moved and needed a bigger machine so I bought a 2011 Conquest with a 23HP Vanguard and a 54" Cut with a 42" Snow blower attachment. I have 67 hours for grass cutting and zero hours on snow My Cornet is now for sale.

 

[twodogs]

I gotta say its a nice looking tractor, but what sets it apart from a craftsman or Husqavarna that makes 2-3X as much?

No disrespect meant here, but the difference is night & day! I just sold a craftsman that I had for about 6 years. It was okay for the first year, and then I had trouble for every year after that.

Ideally, you could compare them side-by-side, and the construction differences would stand out. The Simplicity line is built MUCH better. Everything from deck construction, spindles, frame, etc.

I am done going the inexpensive route. I have been burnt enough times to know that in the long run, it is usually worth paying more up front than to save a few dollars at the time of purchase.

Congrats on the new tractor! Enjoy!