# NEW Simplicity Prestige



## Simpleprestige

Hey, I'm new to this forum and new to the mower. We pondered for about four months as to when to buy a JD X320, and then found out that our simplicity dealer was running a deal where they had 60 brand new tractors that had been repulled from another dealer. Untill then, we had vaguely looked at the conquest, and then at the price, and left. I went down to the dealer, and they had a 54" conquest for $4499 with manual lift and 23 hp Briggs & Stratton, and a Prestige 54" for $4999 with power steering and hydraulic lift and 23 hp kohler command. We went with the Prestige. Got it home and it promtly snowed and didn't get above 40 for three weeks. Hoping to try it out tomorrow and finally cut some green stuff. We had a 1992 Bolens ST120 with 38" cut that was just too small for this property. It is now for sale, go to tractorhouse.com

I do have one question, the couple of times I actually have started the new simplicity, it has been very hard to start and I normally stall it out a few times. Also, how come when you unlock the hydrostatic, you cannot push the machine backwards. Just wondering.

any feedback would be appreciated,
Kevin


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## Morgan

Welcome to TractorForum, I have never used the Simplicity Prestige so I will not pretend that I have however Im sure that some of our good members have so they will pipe in, I hope.


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## Simpleprestige

Yeah, Thanks. I think it is a pretty new model. The main problem I have is that it is a combination of 2006 and 07 models and it has a combination of the features in the two manuals along with the fact that Kohler doesn't make an engine for a 23 hp engine.

Kevin


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## Simpleprestige

Well, mowed with it yesterday, didn't even know that mowers could cut that nice. wow. I thought the old bolens did a good job. This is amazing!. I mowed three hilly acres in about an hour and fifteen minutes as opposed to the old 3:30. wow. the differential lock and automatic controlled traction are wonderful. I was able to get up a couple of hills I wouldn't have even looked at twice before without even engaging the diff lock.

I don have one question. Can the diff lock be engaged whenever, or only when the tires start spinning. If I try to just engage it out of the blue, it won't move. I would like to engage it befare tackling a rough spot just to avoid the spots where you can tell the tire was spinning.


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## HYDROGUARDIAN16

well buddy, simplicity has the best grass cutting machines that I have ever used. Nothing beats a simplicity's power, quality, reliability and more. But I drive compact tractors, the diff lock usually will unlock if you try to stop the machine and engage it as you start to accelerate or put in the clutch(if eqquiped and engage the diff lock, make sure you are not in 4wd, because you will ruin your lawn. if you are slipping, then you are turning to fast, or punching the pedal to hard, engage the cruise control, and the tractor should go through the spots without much of an issue.


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## Simpleprestige

I mowed with it all summer and it produces the best cut I have ever seen on any lawnmower short of a greenskeeper. Beleive me, I did my research on the machines before breaking down and buying one. I am confident in the build of the Simplicity and the care of the user . So I think it will last me a good 20 years or more. At last count the DIGITAL hour meter said 42.7 hours. 

Our terrain is extremely hilly and after a few cuts, I figured out how to use the diff lock. Neither the 3520 or the Prestiges diff locks work how you said, if I understand you right.

Deere- Machine must be at a complete stop, press down lock with foot until it stops. Then carefully ease on the forward hydro petal until the lock petal hits the floor. You can then take your foot off of it and it will unlock as soon as you stop again. In 4 wheel drive, rear diff is always locked and front diff will lock automatically if it feels slippage.

Simplicity- diff lock foot petal is unable to be pushed down unless the Automatic Traction System (ATS) detects wheel slippage which will allow the diff lock petal to be pushed as long as pressure is not taken off of the diff petal.

I know, it is pretty advanced technology compared to our 1992 Bolens 12hp 5spd and the 1989 Case 24hp CUT with 4spd collarshift. But I have it all figured out and I am ripping up the lawn with pleasure. 

:tractorsm 
I was beginning to wonder if anybody ever posted in the Simplicity forum but me.

By the way,


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## HYDROGUARDIAN16

sounds like you figured out the owners manual on the simplicity pretty well, make sure you do not have agriculture tires on her, make sure you put some falcon turf tires or something like that on the tires


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## Simpleprestige

The turf tires that came with it work just fine. The lawn is all gravel and anymore it seems like nothing wants to grow anyway.


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## HYDROGUARDIAN16

wait you bought the tractor, and now your grass has turned to gravel? lol please tell me more.


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## Simpleprestige

We had little to no rain all summer and as a result the whole front lawn turned brown no matter how much I had watered it. One day I went out to rake up the dead stuff and everything came up, so now it is about a 20 ft by 50 ft area with no grass or anything, just dirt. The back lawn is just fine probably because it is shaded more and doesn't get any direct sunlight to kill it.


The way our property works is that it used to be a gravel pit that was backfilled around 1980. The road is on normal level, but you go down the driveway and after about a sloping 1/4 mile, it is about 100ft lower in elevation. Then it climbs back up to normal height to our 5 acre little island consisting of:

-Barn
-House
-(1) 3 acre pasture up in front of house. 
-2.5-3 acres of grass, rest being along driveway and up by road.

The other three pastures are smaller and consist of a small area of normal elevation and then sloping down as it gets farther from the house/barn. The yard by the house was backfilled with soil, but the drought turned it mostly to powder and rocks. The pastures are all completely sand and rocks( and manure)

So, to answer your question, I did buy a brand new tractor with some of the best features in the industry and striping full width roller blades just to have my lawn dry up. But look at the bright side, In the spring I am ripping out most of the front and completely re-seading and fertilizing it after I run some 48" deep trenches for automatic waterers in the pasture.



One more thing, the new avatar you have HYDRO, does thatmean that you bought one, or do you just want to look at your hopes and dreams every time you log on      :tractorsm :tractorsm :tractorsm :tractorsm :tractorsm :tractorsm 

HAHA, now I gotta decide, green or orange!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## HYDROGUARDIAN16

orange is my baby, its a regent, i think the one in the picture is the prestige or w/e cant remember now. but yeah I like the orange machines more than the new green machines. Nothing runs like a deere until it breaks, Nothing runs like a simplicity until you can find something better which will never happen


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## Huskee

I know I'm adding absolutely nothing to this nearly 5-yr old thread, but I've had my eye on Simplicitys for years now. I see a Prestige in my (near) future. Carry on.


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