Got a 2185 with a 46" deck.

[thagren]

Hey, Im not new to mowers, Ive got a wide array of old GT's and am a Certified Briggs Tech, Echo Tech, Toro Tech, and MTD tech. I have a IH/CC 1200 that is near mint.

But this is my first MTD version of a CC that Ive owned...

It's rough as a Cob...and that's being nice. It was bought new by the Previous owner. he used it for mowing for a few years and did a service on it. He dumped in Gear oil instead of trans oil He fired it up, it didnt move, figured it was dead, so he pushed it behind his house.

Years passed.

I got it.

2 tires are flat, 2 are still up. Deck is off it, and stuck tight, rust got it pretty good, Ill have to power wash it and see how bad it is rusted.

The Tractor is not too bad, but it aint good. Little rust on the hood up front, little here and there, but still has a good 95% of the paint on it. The engine looks great, I had to dig a birds nest out from the front of the motor..heh

Oil is on the FULL mark, and clear as new, air filter is also clean, no dirt at all. So it all makes sense.

PTO spins freely by hand..so it isnt rusted up.

Hydro pedals are tight, and dont return by themselves. First thing Ive got to do is get it cleaned up, and get a new battery in it, and see what all has to be replaced...then I know Ill have to replace or at least rebuild the carb and fuel pump.

The Hydro will need to be drained, and new filter and fluid put in.

Now, my questions...

How tough are these things? Trans is aluminum...prone to busting?

Could I put on some Caslisle lugs, and put a sleeve hitch on the back and pull a Brinly plow?


It's an HDS2185
18hp Kohler Command V-twin

 

[mgonitzke]

I'm in the process of parting one of these, and I think it's a bit too chintzy to pull a plow with. Might be ok for a mower though. I just wanted the Command for my 582 when I bought mine. I might adapt the 48" deck to one of my other tractors.

 

[thagren]

Id have figured with a Driveshaft, 18hp Twin, and Hydro-Gear rearend, it would at least be okay for a plow...I mean, my 1200 with 12hp and 15-20 years older will pull all day and night without breaking a sweat.

If it's just good as a mower...then I dont see me being interested in it very much. This was supposed to be the top of the line 2000 series
"GT's".

 

[mgonitzke]

2000 series at that time is still a lawn tractor. Notice that you can easily pick up/slide the rearend of the 2185. Now try the same with your 1200. Note the weight difference. The motor is good and strong, but I don't believe the hydro in these is intended for ground-engaging attachments. It's nowhere near the size of the ones in the garden tractors.

 

[mbounds]

Thomas H: The 2185 (I have one) was never designed for true ground breaking equipment. It is one hellouva mower. A front blade, a snow blower and a small 28" rear frame-mounted rotary tiller was available for the 2000 series. Around the year 2000, some larger hp tractors were added to the Series 2000 line up (a 2208 comes to mind). Cub Cadet's true ground breaking tractors began with the 3000 series and the later 4000,5000,6000, & 7000 series...The 2000 series would seem to be a compromise between the lower costs of a Lawn Tractor and the mowing performance of a Garden Tractor.

If you want to mow...buy it....If you are more interested in plowing, I would recommend that you pass it along to someone else...it ain't made to do that... For mowing purposes that Cast Aluminum rear end works just as well as Cast Iron. The "fracturing" comes mostly from ground engagement with one....

Myron B
CCSupplyRoom

 

[thagren]

Has anyone put a plow on one of these things? Anyone broke one of these rearends, if so, what broke and why?

The old ROPER transmissions were aluminum, and the new DGS and DGT craftsman GT's have aluminum trans...so I dont think it really matters what the case is, so it would come down to the internals...I know the pump is good quality.

 

[thagren]

Ive got more "plowing capable" Tractors than I need..honestly. 316 Deere, 4 WH's, the 1200, a Mitsubishi Diesel, Roper/Sears GT-18, I guess I can add one ot the herd that cant plow...heh

Oh, and it's Free by the way. 0 Cost to me, he just wanted it gone.

 

[thagren]

Just a quick thought after I got a few more glancing looks at it today...what parts are still available, for both the deck, and the mower itself?

Both mule pulleys are seized tight, If they are NLA, Im sure I can find some that will work...not a biggie. But things like steering parts, driveshaft parts, things of that nature...still made?

 

[mgonitzke]

Considering it's 10 years old, don't worry about stuff being NLA just yet. And if anything is...I'm parting one out

 

[kweaver]

I've got a loud bad POP in my 1882 rear-end that sounds very bad. I wouldn't advise doing hard pulling/pushing with the old style aluminum rears either. They did go to a thicker casting later that should be ok.

Matt - With it sitting in the shop I can roll the tire back to take out the slack then as soon as I roll it forward it POPS like a gunshot. As far as I can tell when I had the rear cover off it's ahead of the pinion.
You may have to send me that one you're parting out

 

[mgonitzke]

Kentucky-

Unfortunately, 2185 rear is more like your 2166 than your 1882. So that won't work...

 

[thagren]

So that 2185 trans is tougher than the busted 1882 rear end?

 

[mgonitzke]

No....2185 is a lawn tractor, 1882 is a Super Garden Tractor...they are NOT at all the same and the 1882 rear is MUCH stronger than the 2185 rear.