IMO opinion the simplicity Regent is a notch, or two, above the JD, Husky, and Cub at that price point.

The Simplicity Regent is a top quality lawn tractor.

I agree with justalurker -

Regent is an excellent tractor at the price range you are looking at. I'm a Simplicity owner, Conquest model, and I have nothing but rave reviews for the quality of Simplicity tractors.

Best of luck.

Enjoy the journey.
eal51 in western CT

Thanks for the replies! To me it just seemed alot nicer than the box store tractors. I believe it will be worth the extra $$. I've never heard any negatives on Simplicity. I'm still all ears though.

mg2105,

Buy it... you'll like it!

As a happy 14 yr JD owner I recently took a peek at one. I was quite impressed with the fit and finish as well as the admiration for Simplicity here and on other forums!

Go for it!! And let us know how you like it!

I think that you will be real happy with the Regent! I bought one 6 years ago and could'nt be happier! I have the 38" deck and the Honda 16 HP, 2 cylinder engine. It has been really reliable, and fuel efficient. The turning radius is superb and I don't believe any other manufacturer can compare to that. My only complaint would be that I got to small of a deck. I was told that the property that I bought was only a little over an acre, and after I bought it, I find that it is just shy of 3 acres. It takes me close to 4 hours to mow every time. I really need a 50" zero turn, but that will have to wait a while. My Regent already has close to 600 hours and I've only put in a few dollars into it like anti-scalp wheels, and blades. I'm pretty convinced that when I can afford the zero turn, it will be a Simplicity!

mg2105,

I purchased a Regent 18/38 a month ago, and I have been very satisfied. My old tractor was a 40yr old Simplicity broadmower that refused to quit. It deserved to be retired however, and my new Regent has performed every task I require with ease.

The Kohler engine is wonderful and the tractor is very comfortable to operate. I'm sure you will enjoy this machine. I was like yourself, looking at a variety of makes, however, the Simplicity was overall a better engineered machine for just a little more money than the box store machines.

The mower deck is very solid, and provides an outstanding cut on my bumpy flat yard. The K46 transmission is ideal for a yard machine, and a step up from what most box store machines appear to use. The frame, assembly quality, and ergonomics are 1st rate. Overall I felt the Regent 18/38 was not engineered down to as low a price point as most box store machines, but was closer to the x300 in most qualities. Simplicty orange looks pretty nice parked in my yard too....I have to say. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

The Regent is a very good machine, thats for sure... If you want the quality of the Simplicity , but at a lower price point .. Have you ever thought of a 2 series Snapper? I just mowed my grass with mine today and can say I am very pleased with it.. The frame even says Simplicity Regent , just with out the full floating deck.. If you have any questions let me know....

Well, I hate to be the bummer here but I purchased a Regent in 05 that I have had trouble with. First off, the many "safety switches" have been pretty maddening. The dealer has replaced the seat safety switch, the transmission switch, the blade on in reverse switch and another one (?) The head threw a valve and needed to be rebuilt. It also squeaks alot, niether myself or the dealer has been able to remedy that. All that being said, the dealer was very attentive. They came and picked it up for all of the repairs. When it crapped out while I needed a mowing, they left me a spare tractor. The job that the mower does is very nice, it is very smooth and gives a nice cut. The turning radius is tight for the trees. I guess I got a bad one but the response to take care of the customer made it a pain free as possible.

You won't go wrong with it. I owned a Regent for two years before moving up to the Cobalt ZTR.
The Regent did a great job for me cut wise. The striping was great. It does have a small deck but if you have a small yard it will make quick work of it.
The only issues I experienced was it burned some oil and it did have a lot of squeaks and rattles. The safety switches also drove me nuts.
It's a much better unit than what you can buy at the big box stores. Don't even consider that option.

mg125....take note in the post by rwng that the 05 Regent is an older design. The current model is a complete redesign in 07 to bring the Regent more in-line with the current marketplace. Short of the mower deck (one of the best parts), I do not believe they have much in common.

As for the electrical switches, it's too early to tell if they will be a problem on the new Regents. I suspect they are a weak link in any tractor.

Thanks for the input! That's what I love about this forum is the folks willing to give an opinion. I am currently using a 12 year old Km**t special that is driving me nut with small problems. The thing just want die, so it makes it hard for me to justify buying a new tractor until it bites the bullet. I believe I'll go ahead and pull the trigger soon before it dies. I want something more substantial than the box store tractors and really want to get the hydro. As for the Snapper suggestion, I thought they were priced comparably to each other. The Snapper has a Briggs and the Simplicity has the Kohler. I really want to go Kohler this time. Does the Snapper have the back roller for striping? Thanks again!

No thats one thing that it does not have is the back rollers... I got mine from a local lawn and garden shop .. 08 2250 for 2100 out the door.. I like Kohlers myself, but this had the 22 B.S Intek....

I bought one in 1997 and used it for 7 seasons. I agree with the comments about the fit and finish. It was a very agile and comfortable machine to use. It also wore very well and didn't break due to my rather rough yard.
It did have a couple of problems that were easy to fix and should be well documented on these hallowed pages.