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Unofficial Home of Old Simplicity & Allis-Chalmers Garden Tractors

2013 tractors.


Al

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Hi, Going up to Menomonee Falls Wi tomorrow afternoon for the open house Wed, I understand that there will be new tractors with 10+ mph ground speed and independent suspension systems. Diesels will still be the Vangard/Dihatsui. Understand Briggs has bought enough for the whole 2013 run. These engines are pre-2012 tier 4s. Understand the 44 and 50 in decks will be back as options. Trim changes plus. Al Eden
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If I remember correctly, tier 4 engines may not be practical for the lawn and garden market because of exhaust treatment devices (mufflers). If their design is like the highway market, someday a used $300- device might be a real find.:D
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Hi, As Bob and Ron said, the diesel market is a state of turmoil. Any engine that were built before the tier 4 cut off date may be sold. That is why Briggs has bought all the engines for this year. Makes for a great inventory cost to do this. I was looking for a new Diahatsu diesel for a project a short time ago and my understanding is that they are gone. Rumor also has it that there is going to be a big shake up in all of the little diesels. These are rumors, I don't know anything for sure, matter of fact, there are days, I don't seem to know anything. I have an acquaintance at Deere that was telling me, a couple of years ago, all of the difficulties they were struggling with with tier 4 and the bigger diesels. One sees the problem, but one questions at what point is regulation overkill. I guess it is just a question of who's Ox it Getting Gored. I would like to see a tier 4 on all of the hot air on the political scene. One thing I believe is, that somehow American ingenuity will figure out a solution. Al Eden
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I look forward to reading what they show you. About two weeks ago got to be part of a research interview in Germantown, WI asking about different "new" powered tractors. Lasted about 80 minutes and was able to test to "compare" a regular engine tractor, a hybrid engine & motor tractor, and a motor with Zero turn tractor. Question leaned to , handling, noise, cut/power, maintenance and the like. Was fun to answer the questions, and test drive. The zero turn was great, and told them it went into that van! LOL All were hydro, and since I only have gear, not the smoothest take off the first time :I, but I can learn ^. Based upon the interview having about 6-7 people behind the interview room glass, and the enclosed trailers with WI licence plates, I noted to the lady doing the interview, "I see Briggs / Simplicity R&D is active". Not sure the reaction to behind the glass was.....LOL
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I work for a company that makes (among other things) speciality diesel powered generators. As Tier 4 final approaches, it has become difficult to obtain Tier 4 interm and Tier 3 engines - just as Al said. Everyone is grabbing as many non-Tier 4 engines as possible before production ends. There is a great cost/logistic increase with the new Tier 4 engines. I'm glad to hear the 44 and 50 inch decks are coming back. I've been considering a Prestige or Conquest and just don't like the newer decks - they don't strike me as heavy duty like the older 44 and 50 inch decks. I'd also like to see a significant price reduction too. I know that's dreaming, but I think Simplicity is way high on their prices. You can get a 2000 series Cub Cadet that has Kohler Command engine, fabricated deck and cast iron transmission for a lot less. It's hard to justify a Prestige or Conquest when you consider the bang for the buck of the latest GT 2000 series Cub Cadets. Of course it's hard to justify any new tractor when you've got a fleet of old iron setting at the house too... sm03 Thanks, Bill
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quote:
Originally posted by Chris727
While cheaper, the Cubs are still an MTD product. Simplicity is more in line with Deere for pricing and quality.
I don't know much about Cubs; but I am under the impression that there are the cheap MTD things, and that there are still REAL Cub Cadets that are worthy of the name "garden tractor". Am I all wrong in this? So much for reading what people just up and say cos their mouths open sometimes. Please enlighten me. thx. .
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Tier 4 is a level of emission regulations set by the government. As for my Cub/MTD comment, they are all made by MTD (except the compacts were farmed out to another supplier but relabeled as Cub Cadet)
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There are indeed dealer grade/priced Cubs and the "rest". Differences are sometimes hard to distinguish but the low end is just that.
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Hi, Went up to Briggs Tue. Mon. night was in emergency room getting ribs x-rayed. None broken but might as well be. Wife drove me up Tue with the seat reclined and 4 pillows and codene pain pills. This like a ritual to me as I can go up and meet a number of old close friends from the Old Simplicity company family. I would have died rather than miss it. Good room, nice breakfast. Wonderful day. When we used to have service schools the guys that put it on would stop by our house on the way home and paw through my junk and my wife would fix them supper and we always had a great night. We call back and forth on strange issues. etc. Many things are changing. I was talking to the Marketing VP in Louisville a couple of years ago and I said Dick, the Briggs deal is like backing a ready mix truck up to Port Washington and the people up there are like gravel and they are just churning around in the bowels of the mixer. He said, Al you know you can call me anytime. I said: "give me a phone number". He said I see. At our Marketing meeting last year, I voiced the same issue. Troy said he was working on it. Simplicity has now put a phone list on the Dealer power protal. I asked for a forum to find and sell obsolete attachments, It is almost ready. I think we can thank Harold Redman the Senior VP at Briggs and President of the Briggs Power Products Group. He is a class act. He has come up through the ranks and understands the value of dealers and quality. I can not think anyone in this world that would be a better person for this position. These things are happening because of him, not in spite of him. LEAD ON!!!!!! All of the Briggs, Snapper, Simplicity, Snapper Pro and Ferris products were there to ride, drive, comment on etc as well and engineering people with notepads, etc.and they were asking questions and taking notes. This company is ALIVE, and going back to basics. I didn't ride on anything, I hurt too bad. Talked to old friends and looked around. Toured the new distribution buildings. Right now 27 million dollars worth of inventory flow through there 2 1/2 times a year. They are about doubling the size and say that any order received by 5:00 will leave on a truck that night. Commitment? Here are a few of the things I saw.


This is one view of the demo area. In the foreground are rear engine riders. Legacy with the new optional fabricated commercial deck




Prestige and Conquest fabricated deck option. Broadmoor, Conquest and Prestige with optional suspension, and high speed transmissions. New hoods, dashboards, and the mesh seats that have been so popular on the Snapper tractors in the past. Note: with our roller decks, independent suspension will be difficult to copy on tractors with frame hung decks. Thank the Ferris house for this stuff. One of the advantages of the Family. I think I have a pic of the rear suspension, didn't get it downloaded and tonight, am going to lay down. In all had a great time, Harold Redman came out about the time I was leaving, talked to him a few minutes and left. More later. Note: I asked permission to post the pics. Had to crop the people out. Al Eden
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Thanks for the unfo, Al. Always good to hear from an "inside" source and get the true low-down. Sounds like you busted up a few ribs. That is painful, and there's not much you can do but wrap 'em up and wait for them to heal. Get well. A fifth of some good Bourbon might help a with the pain. :)
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Al, Thanks for keeping us informed and posting some pics. It's great to hear the company is improving in your view. I'm also looking forward to the "forum to find and sell obsolete attachments". Any idea how it will work? Will it be online for all to see or only available for dealers to view? And I do hope your ribs heal quickly - and no coughing!
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I have noticed that some parts have gotten cheaper price wise since Briggs has bought them. Axle tubes and BGB parts anyways. That decal on that Prestige looks like an after thought compared to mine.
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Thanks for sharing, Al. Great information. I do hope that 'Number 1' gets a little rest and relaxation for a few days. When I hurt my ribs a while ago, that was the only thing required for things to, literally, click into place - and it happened while relaxed in a horizontal position, when the time was right; or so it seemed. Look after you - for one thing, you are the only one I know who can share info and excitement like this; and that, seemingly, on an ongoing basis. dOd Rest and relax; and when you are; take it to the next level of rest and relax. (yes, that's what I said; and I said that correctly). btw - your excitement is contagious.
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Thanks for the pics and info.. Hope you have a speedy recovery. I was anxious to see what they had planned, as my local dealer had heard rumours through his sale rep., but he wasn't sure himself what they were coming out with. Glad to see Briggs is continuing to build lawn and garden tractors. They are one of a few that still do, as some others have opted to go with all zero turns. I think the market is starting to become flooded with Z mowers. Glad to see Briggs is gonna still build the Conquest, Prestige, and Legacy XL tractors!
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Hi,, Thanks. I agree on the ZTs. We sell more tractors than zero turns. I agree that companies and dealers have gotten so ZT minded that about 35 percent of the people that buy zero turns should have tractors. We try to "fit" people to their needs. Toro and Ariens dropped tractors thinking they were going extinct. They now have MTD or someone building a "tractor" for them. We are in a rural hilly area and we won't sell a zt to someone who has not had one until they mow their yard once with it and are sure it does what they are expecting. When you go down a good hill with a ZT and have to turn before the bottom, if there is a fence or ditch, get ready to get acquainted with it. We have people come in that were sold that this is the ultimate and it wasn't what they expected, but they own it. With us you don't buy it until you have tried it. Simplicity, John Deere and Cub stay in the tractor business. There is more than grass, snow, dirt and many utility products. ZTs are great, but not everything. My thoughts, they are free, value accordingly. Al Eden
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Al - my Dad bought a Simplicity ZT (I believe right after the Ferris acquisition) and after a lifetime of a steering wheel, he couldn't get use to the two steering levers. Between that and a couple of uncontrolled slides down a hill, he sold it and bought a Prestige. He is a happy camper. Reading about the faster ground speed transmissions in your earlier post. I know that Huskvarna (Sears) offer some of their garden tractors with the Hydro-Gear G730 tranny and faster gears. I'm amazed at how fast these ZT's go and wondered why garden tractors couldn't do the same. Question is - when you increase ground speed, do you get to increase the blade RPMs to compensate for the ground speed change (to maintain the quality of cut) and do you loose low end garden tractor pulling torque? I assume the heavier decks are in part to handle the increased ground speed and the pounding that comes with it. Question is - will the rest of the tractor be able to withstand the increased speed, including frame/deck mounts? Al - great report, hope your ribs get to feeling better sooner than later. Thanks, Bill
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When I worked for the parks dept. years ago it was an understanding that the best cutting speed was about the speed of a fast walk. Not only that you don't chew up so much grass on a turn. Works for me and my old foot draggers,we're both old and a little slow.:D
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