Our "new" 186D

[California]

I run a 4 ft rotary mower fine on my YM186D. 240 lbs of suitcase weights on the front helps so when I pull the handle the mower rises, instead of the nose of the tractor.

This mower does work the tractor hard to get it spinning when you let the clutch out. I usually do this with the Powershift in neutral to avoid a stall since these little 3-cylinder Yanmars don't have the low end torque of the 2 cylinder models. After it gets over 2000 rpm there is plenty of power.

I generally mow downhill in third range and uphill in second range - but pictured are two instances where I stopped and shifted to low range. In the first picture it was working too hard. In the second picture, I needed to inch along so I wouldn't run my head into low branches - or, lift the nose of the tractor and set it down crooked, ramming the tree.

 

[Pete Judd]

Like Cal, I have a 186d but run a 5 ft brushog behind mine. Put powershift in N let the clutch out at 1000 rpm, run it up to 2400 while mowing then shift into gear, same as I do with my 5 ft finish mower. I have a couple of hundred pounds on the front end as well. I never mow up steep hills, and mow in 4wd to keep from sliding down hill when the weight transfers to the front tires. Yes the front end without the weights gets very light.

 

[buckstar25]

Gonna give the brush hog a workout tomorrow, our place hasn't been mowed yet this year!! May be a picture heavy post after we get home.

 

[California]

We love pictures! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[buckstar25]

Well I didn't get a whole lot of pictures but I did put about 4 hrs on the tractor and it was solid mowing. Only stalled it once when I hit a rut with the mower. Made mowing our food plot field so much easier!!





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MPCvfwTeMQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63aD0RfhmV8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[California]

Great videos! That runs like brand new.

 

[buckstar25]

So another question, what is the pedal on the right side of the seat, directly behind the brake pedals?? You would use your heal on it....differential lock???

 

[winston1]

Yes. :thumbsup:

 

[284 International]

So another question, what is the pedal on the right side of the seat, directly behind the brake pedals?? You would use your heal on it....differential lock???

Yes, exactly. The guideline is generally to engage it before you will need it, or when there is only very minimal differences in rotational speeds between the tires. Sometimes the lock "sticks" when the pedal is released. Reversing direction and/or steering a little bit left and right will usually free it up quickly.

The tractor will "push" straight ahead, and try to go straight irrespective of the direction the steering axle is trying to go. All you're trying to do is get a little bit of slack in the engagement dogs to allow the spring to push the locking mechanism out of the way.

There is a good photograph Winston found of the engagement mechanism in the last photograph here. Depressing the pedal cams the fork sideways, engaging the two sides of the differential. Releasing the pedal allows the spring to push the teeth apart. Much force keeps the teeth locked beyond what the spring can overcome, so the locking action continues until traction becomes closer to equal.

 

[California]

And don't mash that diff lock pedal. The diff lock will engage only after the dogs (gears) line up and you can't persuade it with more force.

The diff lock shifter inside the transmission isn't as durable as most everything Yanmar makes. I had to repair mine when I bought the tractor; somebody must have stood on it with all his weight. It needed a bent rollpin straightened, and some metal welded into the worn spot that the rollpin pushes against. At least the dogs that engage didn't show any wear.

Also - I am gradually adapting the YM186D to a lower profile to fit under my orchard trees. I moved the seat back which didn't lower it much but it gave me room to bend my torso forward as I go under a branch. Then the diff lock pedal dug into the back of my ankle, so I cut nearly an inch off the front edge of the pedal. This is a lot pleasanter to use now.

 

[Car Doc]

Great videos that thing runs and looks sweeet nice find! I have been following this thread hoping to hear and see it run and was worth the wait thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[buckstar25]

Thanks for the help guys! I was wandering what the pedal was for, after some thinking and brainstorming with a buddy we narrowed it down. I have yet to need it or try it, so when I do engage the lock do I need to stay on the pedal or not? And it disengages automatically? It sounds kind of like my Polaris 4 wheeler, when one side would stick I just had to stop and put the bike in reverse then back in drive and it would unlock


That video in the high brush was all poison ivy, I felt terrible because my middle daughter ended up with a massive case of it on her legs. The 13 acres is literally solid ivy and a real pain in the butt!!

 

[California]

The diff lock will usually unlock by itself after it is no longer needed, since steering right or left gives it the slack it needs to disengage. To unlock it manually use left or right brake for a moment.

You don't need to keep pressing the pedal after it dropped, indicating that the dogs aligned and it engaged.

 

[clemsonfor]

The diff lock will usually unlock by itself after it is no longer needed, since steering right or left gives it the slack it needs to disengage. To unlock it manually use left or right brake for a moment.

You don't need to keep pressing the pedal after it dropped, indicating that the dogs aligned and it engaged.

Yea he is right stomp it till you feel it go down then you can step off and it will let out when its not needed any longer.

You only need to stand on it when your trying to pull a plow just a bit to big and a bit to deep for your tractor! How do i know, just a hunch? Also remember you cant really steer with it engaged, you will just plow your tires along in a turn.

 

[Car Doc]

That video in the high brush was all poison ivy, I felt terrible because my middle daughter ended up with a massive case of it on her legs. The 13 acres is literally solid ivy and a real pain in the butt!!

Generic elcheepo roundup (glyophosate) a couple years in a row will fix the live plants problem but the residual oils will stay that will be a long term project I dont envy.

 

[buckstar25]

Thanks for the info guys! . Well, it's time to get nasty and see what we can do with the tractor. We called all around looking to rent a 4' tiller but the smallest anyone has is 5'.... Is that too big for the 186D, and by too big I mean is it worth taking a risk? I don't wanna break anything or overload the tractor.

 

[California]

looking to rent a 4' tiller but the smallest anyone has is 5'.... Is that too big for the 186D

It's going to work the tractor pretty hard. I would do it myself, for a limited once-a-year project like a vegetable garden. For earning a living working long hours I would get the (smaller) appropriate size.

I have a Yanmar RS1400 tiller. 1400mm = 4ft 8in. These came as a factory option on YM2000 (YM240) which is 24 engine hp, 20 pto hp. It works great on my YM240. Now I use the tiller on the YM186D because that will fit under my orchard trees.

The YM186D will run the tiller until I hit a spot where the nose of the tractor has to climb sharply, driving the tiller deeper. Then I sometimes had to stop and raise the tiller for a lesser bite. After I added the depth-gauge wheels on the back of the tiller I can control its depth and it works fine.

The Yanmar tillers have slender tines that seem to work by slicing rather than the shovelling action of the larger tines on a US tiller, so a US tiller might load the tractor harder than I am experiencing. A I said, I would go ahead and get the project accomplished if it isn't too large. Just start with a shallow first pass and you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[buckstar25]

Thanks, the project is a food plot. We have the field mowed down and it will probably be a one time use just to get the top layer broke up. That is a 4' tiller!!! Looks humungous on there! I am trying to find a 4 footer but if not I will try the 5. The closest one to us has a John Deere 5' tiller so I may just call them if I have no luck

 

[clemsonfor]

Go shallow for the first pass then go over that spot again full depth. Then from then on treat it like a bush hog that is just a bit big. By that i mean take smaller "bites". On the second strip after those first 2 passes over the same spot put your 5 foot tiller only 4 foot into the uncut dirt hanging the other foot of tiller in already tilled dirt which will cause little resistance. It its still to much put only 3.5 feet in virgin dirt. But i think you can do it the way i describe.

 

[Car Doc]

I suggest spray it all with glyophosate soon as possible while they are still alive and green so you kill the plants the seeds will stay viable forever that are buried. I shutter to think about what you are getting ready to do wear a mask please it gets in your lungs and you will be in the hospital! jmho