Simplicity Broadmoo / Deutz Allis 1616H
Written: Apr 21 '02 (Updated Apr 21 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Well built, easy to maintain, excellent cut.
Cons: No tilt steering, poor traction on hills when turning, overly quick steering
The Bottom Line: The sales brochure that the previous owner gave me said it is a "lawn tractor with a garden tractors heart".
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| sylvain65's Full Review: Simplicity Broadmoor Lawn Tractor |
Mine is a green colored Deutz-Allis 1616H which is the fraternal twin to the orange colored Broadmoor. Simplicity makes the tractor for Agco, Massey Ferguson, and Allis.
Mine is a 16hp V-Twin Briggs & Stratton Vanguard with hand control hydrostatic drive. I bought it used to hold me over having just recently sold a John Deere 320 so I could move up to a 400-500 series Deere. I considered other used tractors to fill my temporary void. The used Deeres are very expensive and most Wheel Horses are ancient in design. I came across this one by accident.
Let me tell you I may just keep this tractor and not upgrade for a while. I am a loyal John Deere guy (I own 3 vintage John Deeres), but have been impressed by the features of this more modest (to me) machine.
First of all it is very easy to remove the deck for cleaning. It is not difficult and relatively light. 2 clips and the belt and you're done! Being an air-cooled engine, the engine bay is easy to go through. Not knowing the history of this tractor, I gave it a complete servicing. I bought a home service kit from John Deere which uses the same engine in their GT235 and completed it in no time. The owners manual was very good, much better than the Deere ones I've gotten in the past. It included many part numbers and techniques that you normally need a service manual for.
Operating the tractor is pleasant. It is relatively quiet and has a nice "feel" when sitting on it. Being 6'2" I slide the seat all the way back. I wish it had tilt steering to bring the steering wheel back to me. I also wish it had power steering. It has very quick steering and I find myself oversteering. It has an incredible 16" turning radius. It leaves very little to trim. The hand control is nice but can be a bit sensative if you have an aggressive touch. Traction has been a small problem for me. I mow an area with a medium grade. I like to mow across the grade because the striping effect of the full roller mowing deck looks better from my patio. When turning, unless I slow down, I get wheel spin enough to scar the lawn. My heavier Deere did not do this. I am now looking at rear weights to solve this problem. The new models have gone to a limited-slip "ACT" rear axle which I'm sure helps. It has a large fuel tank (4 gallons) which means fewer refills.
I must admit I found the tractor an ugly duckling when I first saw it but it has gained my respect. I have since gone and looked at the larger Simplicity Legacy and Massey Ferguson 2900 as possible upgrades based on my generally positive experience with this one.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sylvain65
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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