IIRC, both the X300 and the Regent have the K46.

The JD X300 retails for $2995 and till 10/29/10 there's a $300 off JD promo so it's $2700 with a 4 year warranty. Depending on the dealer you might do even better. There's another $200 off if you buy a JD attachment valued @ $400 or more with the X300.

The Regent is a quality lawn tractor, and the floating deck is nice only IF you have real smooth ground, but the JD X300 gets the nod with a commercial grade Kawasaki Twin, GT class frame, and a 4 year warranty at the same price.

'nuff said?

To me, the floating decks biggest advantage is using it on rough ground. This comes from an owner, see link below to previous post (broadmoor and regent have same deck, the boradmoor is closer to JD X300). As the mower may pitch and tilt as it hits potholes, the rollers of the deck do not follow this and keep the deck flat. If I had to choose, I would always pick the option for the twin.

Here is a link that might be useful: link to review on broadmoor

The Broadmoor is a closer comparison to the JD X300 but at a chunk more money. and no where near $2700

I've had a Simplicity and a JD out to my 2 acres of "rural lawn" which is not flat. The floating deck on the Simplicity got beat senseless at any speed above impulse power. The tractor was bouncing and the floating deck was bouncing independently. It cut so poorly and was getting bounced about so badly I stopped and put it aside.

The JD with a suspended deck negotiated the field far less violently and at a respectable speed that would get the mowing done in a little over 2 hours.

Before I decided, a buddy brought over his venerable Wheelhorse that sports an old school floating deck that weighs a considerable amount. It was better than the Simplicity but not as well suited to the contour of the field as the JD.

I have had the opportunity to use a Simplicity on a more refined lawn and their floating deck is an absolute marvel in that situation.

They came... I rode... I decided... best for you to get them both out to your house and see for yourself.

lurker,

Your yard must be pretty rough, mine is recovered pasture and when I started with it a couple of years ago, my old murray left as many scalp marks as nice areas of cut. A couple of follow up posts in the link I posted had similar experience. I agree that the Broadmoor is a lot more money, my brother has a single cylinder regent, it appears to be as stout as my broadmoor, but I personally would not want to sit on the single cyclinder machine for any extended period of time.

My pasture(?) is not recovered. More a 7000ft above sea level field that's more dirt than growth... kind of small patches of growth between dirt and pocket gopher mounds. If I had your lawn I'd have a Simplicity with a floating deck.

If you like smoooooth get a ride on a JD Select Series with the Kawasaki Twin. A commercial grade engine that makes even the B&S Vanguard seem like a mixmaster.

For the OP, a JD X300 @ $2700 is a deal that Simplicity can't come close to... especially with a 4 year warranty. IMO, JD isn't always the right choice but for this poster I believe it is.

Justalurker, I just chopped leaves with mine and a smooth machine it is , that kawi is stingy on fuel. my old 14 horse used the same as my 25.

I'd probably go with a new Craftsman. Parts are readily available and aren't pricey. I have worked on lots of mowers and have had lots, too, and the Craftsman seems well suited to anything i want to do.
Yeah, you will have lots of "braggin" rights, with a JD or Simp, but what counts is how well it runs, mows, and lasts, And how inexpensive the parts are, etc!

Sorry Rusty, we disagree again...

A couple years back I bought a Sears DGS6500 with wheel weights, snow blower, and chains. Waited three weeks for it to get to the store and rented a trailer to pick it up. Brought it home and sat down to give it the once over and was underwhelmed. Mid level quality abounded with corners cut on pretty much every part. Manual showed a foam air pre-filter but none was installed (later, at Sears, I inspected 5 tractors and every manual speced a pre-filter but none had them). The thing idled ungodly high (about 2400 on the vibra-tach) so I called Sear service. "We'll get someone out there in three weeks and if we need parts we'll order them and come back a couple week after the parts arrive". No thanks, rented the trailer again and hauled that POS back to Sears. The Sears (Agri-Fab) snow blower was lightly built and not what I'd expect to go the long haul. I must confess that the wheel weights were zoot capri and if anyone needs 55lb wights that will bolt onto any 12" GT wheel Sears IS the place to buy them.

"I'd probably go with a new Craftsman. Parts are readily available... " readily available if you want to order everything but oil and air filters and belts.

"and aren't pricey..." I guess you favor third party clone parts because Sears parts are not cheap and their retail PLUS prices for filters and blades and belts in the store (IF they stock them) borders on armed robbery.

"Craftsman seems well suited to anything i want to do." Some have higher expectations than others.

For decades and decades Sears L&Gs were a dollars worth for a dollar but that came to an end a while ago. Selling garden tractors that don't have adjustable steering links and anti-scalping wheels that seem to be only glued(humor) on to the deck steering gear that ought to have wing nuts because it has to be replaced so often is a great example of selling to the price point instead of putting out a quality product.

"... what counts is how well it runs, mows, and lasts." Every engine in today's Sears tractors is a consumer grade, stripped, down, and specified to a price point so they definitely run but they will not run indefinitely. But a new Sears and in 10 years of routine use add up what you spend on repairs and parts then do the same with a JD X300 or Simplicity Broadmoor or Regent... my money is on the JD or Simplicity and at the end of those 10 years I'll still have a quality tractor and you'll have...

Oh yea, that's right, Sears does have a REAL Garden Tractor now... it's a Simplicity without the unique Simplicity floating roller deck painted black and it's over $6k.

I know there's a lot of Sears fans out there and I mean no disrespect to them or their tractors but the truth is that Sears stuff, along with it's Husqvarna cousins is entry level hardware... and that's OK. If it does what you need it to for a period of time you deem reasonable then you got your money's worth.

I favor the Charles Emerson Winchester (of M*A*S*H fame) mantra... "I do one thing, I do it very well, and then I move on". I buy things once and hate to replace them whether I pay or I'm running back to the store for a free replacement. I have Snap-On tools that are older than most of you reading this forum and have NEVER replaced a single one and they have served me in multiple careers. I do Bunn coffee makers and Kitchen Aid mixers cause I buy once and I'm done. The tighter money gets the more I want for my dollar so the Walmart idea of me buying 2 or 3 Mister Coffees in a year don't fly with me.

It really is a matter of how much less one is willing to accept for their money.