Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I have taken my 1998 POS MTD tractor in to the my local lawn equipment retailer/repair shop because it has a drivetrain problem...again.  While there I was browsing their new lawn tractors, Simplicity to be exact, as that is what they sell.  I know  Simplicity has maintained an excellent reputation over the years.  My father  still owns the one I cut our lawn with as a kid and it is still going strong...23 years later.  The owner of the shop said he had a hand full of a particular model left that he is trying to sell at a greatly reduced price.  I am not completly sure if it is the Broadmoor, but it is 10 gauge steel, Vanguard 18HP engine, 38" deck, etc.  Not a lot of extra frills though, pretty much just a cutting machine.  I think it may be a 2005.  Anyway after looking at consumer reports I was hoping to get feedback on if the John Deere products are as good as they say they are.  Consumers say they are better than simplicity, but they are comparing a different product than I would be getting.  The deck on the Simplicity is 4" shorter than I have now on my MTD (42"), but evering else on it seems so superior to that piece of junk I don't think it would make a difference.  I have about 1 acre of  lawn to cut, and a lot of it is big long stretches.  I always told my self if I ever got another tractor, I would get a bigger deck, but now I don't know.  Takes a lot of muscle to use that MTD, and the turning radius is terrible.  I am possitive that any new unit would be better.   So would the Deere be as good as Simplicity with total cost being nearly the same?  Would the bigger deck really cut that much off of my mowing time?  Any experience or comments with either of these tractors would be appreicated.