B208S OR HOMESTEADER OR BROADMORE?

[CVSB10JCS]

My son wants to help me mow the grass this year and on Craiglist there is a HOMESTEADER a B208S and a BROADMOORE all about the same price and condition. I looked at the SPECs area and the HOMESTEASDER and BROADMORE have atop speed of 3.8 MPH and a reverse or the SAME SPEED?!?! Why is that?? The B208S goes 5.6 mph forward and 2.9 backwards. I would think the B208S and HOMESTEADER would be the same tractor with different paint but it looks like the trans is different also. I am kinda artial towards the AC HOMESTEADER becuase it looks the best but just wondered why so much difference and which is easier to get parts for.

[timflury]

The B808S has a completely different transaxle than the Broadmoor and the Homesteader. The Homesteader and the Broadmoor will be about equal as parts availability goes. With the Homesteader, you will need to get a manual for it's Simplicity equivalent.

[Kent]

The B-208 used a Peerless 3-speed, as did the Homesteader, I think... The earlier Broadmoors used a 2-speed Simplicity-made tranny, though the Broadmoor 727 and 728 used a 3-speed, also made by Simplicity AFAIK... IMO, either 3-speed machine will be much better for mowing than the 2-speed Broadmoor. Unless you put a Hi-Low on the 2-speeds, the Low gear is too slow for mowing and the High speed is too fast if the grass is tall or there's any obstacles to avoid. The mower decks cut GREAT, but the tranny just needs something in between those two gears. The 3-speed models give you that...

[Chris727]

The Homesteader 8 had the Simplicity built transmission just like the Broadmoor and has no direct Simplicity equivalent. The drive train is similar to what is used on the 728 Broadmoor. The peerless trans in the B-208 is heavy duty, but has no output shaft for running rear implements as the Homesteader and Broadmoor do. If strictly for mowing, I would lean towards the B-208 with a higher ground speed.