Simplicity deck on a Deere?

5930 Views 28 Replies 13 Participants Last post by ezliving4ume, Sep 27, 2010

JStep

Discussion Starter · Sep 6, 2010

Has anyone ever mounted a Simplicity deck on a John Deere? If I could mount a Simp deck on a Deere machine with AWS, I think this would be the ultimate grass-eater. :bannana:

I know some modification would be required to get the deck under there. Does anyone have any pictures of how the Simp deck mounts?

--John

1 - 20 of 29 Posts

Brett-JDX748

· #2 · Sep 6, 2010

Have you ever had to remove a simplicity deck or a deere deck? I have... on both brands... And while the simplicity may cut better out of the box, dealing with removing the deck... No thanks!

Why not just get Deere with a 7-Iron and a stripe roller and call it a day (same could be said for the yellow Deere 54C and 62C both of which a stripe roller kit is offered for about $250).

JStep

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 6, 2010

It's not so much the stripe that I'm wanting. I could get an add-on stripe kit for my current deck. It just doesn't cut very even and clean, and I really haven't read about many people who are blown away with their Deere deck cut quality. If anything, it seems that they are the most difficult decks to get a good cut from. On the other hand, everybody raves about the Simplicity decks, and I've even heard that the older Simps are better than the newer ones for cut quality.

How big of a difference does the 7-iron deck make, and what sizes is it offered in? The largest I can probably fit through my gate is a 54", and even that would be extremely tight.

I have gotten removing and reinstalling the deck on my x540 down to a precision operation. Before I enlarged the doors to my shed/workshop, I had to remove the deck and pull it up the ramp to get everything stored away.

--John

picframer

· #4 · Sep 6, 2010

What are you running for blades? I have 87 large lawn care clients and only run 48" Deer decks as clients lawns are never flat and anything wider scalps too much, we use the High Lift Gators, no complaints, some tractors have striping kits.

JStep

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 6, 2010

I use the Gators that are a direct replacement for the Deere mulching blades, and I have left the mulch kit on since last fall. I do not believe they are high-lift. As far as blades go, I am very tempted by the Meg-Mo blades, based on slkpk's experience with them. I would just be really upset if I still didn't like the cut from my deck after dropping the coin on those Meg-Mo's.

--John

Brett-JDX748

· #6 · Sep 6, 2010

I haven't read "rave" reviews about gators and cut quality and I do agree with Andy, the bigger the deck the more apt it will be to skip and scalp. My 62 cuts pretty decent, my Mother's Husband has a Simplicity Legacy and on our "normal" read: not golf course, lawns, I really can't tell a difference between the 2.

I can tell you this, his deck is a miserable pain in the rear to remove from the tractor. I can have my 62" off the machine, by myself in less than a couple minutes. He on the other hand, needs my help and a few 2x4's

JStep

Discussion Starter · #7 · Sep 6, 2010

I will probably end up with one dedicated machine to cut grass and another for heavier work, so I'm not too worried about the deck removal. Plus, I'm assuming a good bit of modification and fabrication would be needed to mate a Simp deck to a Deere, so I could possibly improve upon the deck attachments at that point.

--John

THEPATRIOT

· #8 · Sep 6, 2010

You should just buy a Simplicity,you'll be happy! :fing32:

JStep

Discussion Starter · #9 · Sep 6, 2010

If the Simplicities also had all-wheel steering, I'd be the first in line!

G-1

· #10 · Sep 7, 2010

JStep said:
I will probably end up with one dedicated machine to cut grass and another for heavier work, so I'm not too worried about the deck removal. Plus, I'm assuming a good bit of modification and fabrication would be needed to mate a Simp deck to a Deere, so I could possibly improve upon the deck attachments at that point.

--John

Modifying a tractor to accomodate a Simplicity deck may be easier than you think. After all, the principle Simplicity uses is to have the deck towed from two pull points on the front axle with the rear of the deck supported by the full-width rollers. You would have to consider the drive mechanism (Sunstar is shaft driven), but overall it is a pretty simple system.
Transport mode is achieved by lifting the deck at two points near the mid point between the axle and the rollers.

Here is a link to a Sunstar operators manual. There are some pictures of the front axle connection and the lift mechanism.
http://bsintek.basco.com/BriggsDocumentDisplay/default.aspx?filename=ifDzFO9buH0sF9DOh6lEP5NRQpe

BTW, I am not real familiar with models other than Sunstar, but taking a Sunstar deck on and off is not very difficult. The 60" deck requires that the tractor be jacked up so the deck will slide out under the front tire; the 48" deck does not require jacking the tractor up (though it might make the job even easier...I never tried it).

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MTD snow plow

· #11 · Sep 7, 2010

JStep said:
If the Simplicities also had all-wheel steering, I'd be the first in line!

They do. http://www.allischalmerslawn.com/products/detail.cfm?id=Endeca.153863 It doesnt say simplicity but it is the same.

CedarView

· #12 · Sep 7, 2010

MTD snow plow said:
They do. http://www.allischalmerslawn.com/products/detail.cfm?id=Endeca.153863 It doesnt say simplicity but it is the same.

Oh gosh no. The new Allis shouldn't be compared to a Simplicity. That's like calling a Sabre a JD.

JStep

Discussion Starter · #13 · Sep 7, 2010

G-1, thanks for posting that link! I don't know why I didn't think to look at the manual online. :fing20:

I agree, it looks like it would be pretty straightforward to attach the deck to the tractor. The only tricky part might be modifying the drive shaft to work. I don't see any reason why it couldn't work at this point, with some fabrication work and tweaking.

MTD, that Allis looks interesting, and I'm glad to see that someone else is developing AWS models aside from Deere. However, that unit looks pretty light-duty. It also does not have the rear rollers on the deck, so I can't consider it a true Simplicity deck. The website and online manual also suck as far as details and specifications on the machine. None of that gives me much of a warm, fuzzy feeling about spending my money with them. Definitely interesting, though. Thanks for posting the link! :fing32:

--John

JStep

Discussion Starter · #14 · Sep 7, 2010

CedarView said:
Oh gosh no. The new Allis shouldn't be compared to a Simplicity. That's like calling a Sabre a JD.

That's exactly the feeling I got, too. The MSRP alone says "light duty only".

--John

ACmowerguy

· #15 · Sep 9, 2010

The 4WS Allis is built on a murray chasis. The 2ws model is the small Simplicity Regent with a Murray deck on it.

JStep

Discussion Starter · #16 · Sep 9, 2010

Are those models new for 2010? If the AWS would show up on some of the beefier Simplicity models, I'd be one of the first guys at the dealer.

--John

PurplDodge

· #17 · Sep 9, 2010

What is wrong with the Deere deck?

JStep

Discussion Starter · #18 · Sep 9, 2010

I'm not saying the Deere deck is terrible. It's just that I have heard a lot of raves about the Simplicity deck being THE best cut out of all riding mowers. I haven't heard many people rave about the cut from their Deere decks. In fact, I've read a lot of posts from people who say they can't get a satisfactory cut from their Deere deck, or that it's a nightmare to adjust it so the cut is good.

gburnett

· #19 · Sep 9, 2010

The older Simplicitys used mid PTO drive and left hand discharge think they might run opposite direction of the Deere.I have some Simplicitys and a JD GT 262 don't see where either is much better than the other you could always add the Simplicity rear rollers to the Deere deck.Disclaimer to this is I'm immune to Short Grass Psychosis so maybe I missing the finer points of lawn mowing,use my mowers mostly to make mulch for my gardens.

AMCJavelin74

· #20 · Sep 9, 2010

ACmowerguy said:
The 4WS Allis is built on a murray chasis. The 2ws model is the small Simplicity Regent with a Murray deck on it.

Knowing this, go with simplicity. I think the older 80s and earlier Allis decks weren't the same as Simplicity, but otherwise the tractors were identical. I'm glad the bought the Allis name back, but it seems to me they'd run it as more of a garden/subcompact utility tractors rather than a notch above walmart 'mow only' tractors.

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