2186 vs 2544

[TractorLarry]

If the 18?? is an 1864, that's about as good as it gets for a tractor from that era. There's nothing light duty about it.

-Larry

All is not lost. I went to the dealer that has the left over 2186 and he has a couple of used Cubs for $800 each. One is a 1541 with 988 hours and the other one is a 18?? with 300 hours. Both have 50" decks. Is 988 hours alot for the 1541? And are these IH Cubs or MTD cubs. I didn't really investigate the 18?? much, but the 1541 seems similiar to the current 3100s (hydraulic deck lift, shaft drive, seemed to have power steering). Are these good choices and what year would they have been made (both tags are worn beyond recognition).

 

[RCT]

One more question about the 1811. How does the deck work with the power lift? Is it free to move with the ground or is it locked. (Ground following or fixed I guess is my question).

 

[Dave01]

Fixed mowing height. There is a stop that you set with a hand wheel and cam that stops the deck at your desired height when you lower it. The deck has rear idler wheels and a front roller but no height adjustment for the wheels and roller so you can't run it for ground following.

 

[RCT]

This one doesn't have the front rollers, it has 4 guage wheels. So if I lower it, it can't move up and down? It must have some float in it. I still can't beleive the 6' turning radius is right.

 

[JTKub]

The deck will still float the full range of the deck hanger brackets. I believe that deck should have 4 gauge wheels and a nose roller.

Joel

 

[Dave01]

I wish I could find a picture of the deck but I guess I don't have one. I'll take one and post it tomorrow.

It sounds like the deck you are looking at is different. Mine clearly can't follow the ground, it has to be hung. If you contact the ground it will rise up on the hangers as JTKub indicated, but you can't use it in full ground following mode.

I looked at some old notes I had when I did a tractor comparison, and I showed the 1211 having a 36' turning radius. I don't remember where I got that figure, it sounds a bit high. I looked at the Cub site and for a 3100 it shows a radius of 27", not sure I understand that one either. I do know that 1211 radius is much larger than the 1863 or 3204.

Will you buy it already, its a good deal!!!

 

[RCT]

There are 2 manuals on Cub's website. One said 6'8" and the other said 36". I'd rather beleive the 36". I don't know for sure if it has a nose roller on the deck or not. That is one thing I didn't really look at. It may very well have one, but as I say I didn't really look. And, yes I will buy it as soon as I save up enough for it. My wife is concerned about the age, but I do all my own mechanic work. (I even replaced the ac pump in her car this summer, though she seems to forget that).

 

[Dave01]

I stand corrected, my deck has front wheels, I had forgotten. Here's are pictures of the 50" deck and the 1211. RCT, does this look similar to the deck and tractor you are buying?

 

[RCT]

I will let you know. I will probably be going to look at it again this weekend. (I am close to getting the money, but not quite there yet.)

 

[Fordlords]

The 1811 is a newer and quite a different beast than the 1211 pictured above. The 1211 is esentially an MTD built version of the older International 1282, and uses a mule driven floating 3 blade deck, the one pictured will be either a 50A or 50C International style deck. The wheels on these are only meant to be scuff wheels, these decks float off the mule drive.

With the 1800 series MTD switched to their own designed drives and decks, many of those decks used the heavy gauge wheels that are supposed to be set to run on the ground while mowing. They are a totally different design altogether.

-Fordlords-