l185 4 cyl engine smoother than 3 cyl ?

[dfarmer]

Just finished rebuilding my ls170 after a broken crankshaft. I rented a friends ls180 with the 3 cylinder, good power but rough and noisy at low rpm's. We are looking at buying a l185 to add to our "fleet" l445 l451 l553 ls170. How does the later l185 4 cyl compare to the earlier 3 cyl. Don't want anymore broken crankshafts. Thanks

 

[Tazza]

I don't know anything about that model, but generally a 4 cylinder engine will run much smoother than a 3. I built up a 3 cylinder Kubota and boy did it shake around, worked well but it did vibrate a lot more than a 4 cylinder did.

 

[Mike10]

The 4 cyl does not have the vibration of a 3 cyl. You should be happy with it.

 

[frogfarmer]

The 4 cyl does not have the vibration of a 3 cyl. You should be happy with it.

The 185 is a big improvement over the 180 from the operator side of things. It is quieter and smoother. The 3cyl engine of the 180 was a very good and reliable power plant and I would be surprised if the 4cyl can match its reputation. I would gladly take either machine given the choice.