I have the same tractor and engine. I didn't change the oil until the end of the season. I estimate I put about 25 hours on it.

One interesting thing is the oil filter. There is a message on the filter to only change it every other oil change. I wonder why they recommend that.

I don't know if my dealer or the factory put on that filter, but someone is employing gorillas to install filters. Even with the wrench it was difficult to remove. Use a little care when you unscrew it. It will be filled to the very top with oil.

Excluding the incredible force I needed to use to get the filter off, changing the oil on this tractor and engine was very easy and I made very little mess.

Thanks for the info, doopstr. The dealer wasn't real specific on when to change it. He said to put a "few hours" on it, but he wasn't clear as to exactly when to change it. Reading this forum helped me decide on this mower. For what I have ( little over a 1/2 acre)this mower fits the bill. I like the X304 from Deere, but it would have been more tractor than I need. I thought the Regent was put together well and I got a mulch kit put on it. Has the deck given you any problems? The floating deck is a little different from what I'm used to. I'm wondering if the rear rollers hang up on anything, like when trying to get it into a shed that has a ramp.

I also have about 1/2 acre. I went with the Regent mainly because of its tight turning radius. I have a good amount of trees.

I haven't had any problems with the deck. My lawn is very uneven because of previous tree removals. No problem there.

The first time I put the tractor in my shed the rollers got hung up. I don't have a ramp but there is about an inch lip to go over. To get around that issue I moved the cotter pin of the transport cable down one hole. I also put the desk to its lowest cutting setting before putting it into transport. No issues after that.

You really don't want to scrape the bottom of the deck. The blade spindles go down to the lower lip of the deck and seem to be easy to damage.

I own a Simplicity Conquest and my manual specified changing the after the first 12 hours. Granted mine has a B & S Vanguard engine, but 8 hours should be fine.

I change the oil filter every time I change the oil.

Enjoy the journey.

eal51 in western CT

Thanks, for the information doopstr, and eal51. The newer Regents do not have the 3 holes where you can adjust the cable to rasie the deck higher in transport(wish they did). They have only one, no adjustment possible - owner manual points this out, too.

I'll change the oil at 8 hours and learn to lower the deck by changing the cutting height each time I mow - thereby bringing the rear rollers up. I have a sloped yard and steep driveway, so getting back into the garage makes the rollers drag if I don't.

I like the fact that you can get any length of cut that you adjust to, but I know I'm going to miss the quick settings that cutting height slots provide.

Just bought a Husqvarna with a 20 hp Kohler engine from Lowes. Was told by them to change break in oil and filter at 5 hours. Owner manual then shows to change oil at ever 25 hrs and filter at ever 50 hrs. I will be changeing both when I service the mower.

Thanks for the info. I exchanged my Regent today for a Broadmoor. You can adjust the transport height, and, of course there are many other upgrades. I did have to go to an 18" turning radius versus the 12", but the extra features seemed worth the trade off. The dealer charged me $3600 plus tax for the 20/44. That price seemed reasonable.

One of the things this dealer does is a little different - he takes the break-in oil out of all his tractors and puts in fresh 30 weight....so this is why he doesn't worry about changing the oil within the first 5 to 8 hours. I'm still going to, though. I see that Briggs strongly recommends 10W30 synethic oil, even over its own for the Vanguard.

Doopstr - thanks again for your reply. You are fortunate to have the early model 07 Regent that allows you to make some adjustments to the transport linkage. I sent Simplicity an e-mail asking them why they changed this design - no reply as yet.

In the end, I paid a little more for the Broadmoor than a Deere X304 (fine tractor). If I wasn't so pleased with how the Simplicity was built and how dealer treated me, I would have ended up with the Deere. Note, I do plan on moving in 2 years, so the extra money spent will work out well on a bigger lot.

I think this forum is unequaled as to the amount of knowledge provided to everyone by those who read and reply to various posts. Thanks again to those who helped me out.

When in doubt, change the oil. Every oil change i change the filter. When i bot my 1992 White LT12 brand new way back many years ago, i think i waited a couple months before changing it ( it has no oil filter). Apparently it hasnt harmed it any way, it still runs good today on the original motor. Routine maintenece helps tremendously in engine longevity.
Kidd