I hope I can just replace the bearing like I did on my 1811 for under $20.

Sgt d
 

I'm curious why they offered it as well. With the 20 and 22 HP Kohlers, what was the need for 3 cylinder 21? Did they want to offer liquid cooling for those that prefer it, can't imagine it's a major market?

I wonder what the torque rating of that engine is as compared to the Koher twins.

They were trying to test the waters and compete with Deere. In the early 90's Deere had a liquid cooled 3 cyl Yanmar in their 300 series (322) garden tractors and liquid cooled Kawasaki V-Twins in their 400 series Super Garden Tractors (425 and 445). So Cub Cadet came out with the 2182 with a 21 HP 3 cyl liquid cooled Kubota engine in 1990, and the 2086 with the 20 HP liquid cooled Kawasaki V-twin. I'd much rather have a Cyclops with those motors than a Command IMO.

I'm curious, why? I haven't run a liquid cooled garden tractor so wondering what the advantages are.

That is cool,i have never seen a 3 cylinder gas like that either,seems it might be a little hard to get parts for though,or at least expensive$$:bigthink:

re: fuel consumption
In my opinion fuel use is very low. Only two tanks for a winter of snowblowing. By the way I live in minnesota and we have had a little snow this year. This is the first year with the new machine and a 451 snowblower, otherwise it was done with our 1250 and a single stage.

For one, it is a heck a lot eaiser to maintain. Think about cleaning the cooling fins on a air cooled motor. To have to remove all the shrouds to do it, and unless you have arms as thick as a pencil, you might as well remove the engine to get everything. With a liquid cooled motor, you drain, flush, and re-fill the coolant and clean the radiator fins with a fin comb, how easy and simple is that?

Liquid cooling has many advantages. Extended engine life is a big one. They run quieter and can usually be made to produce more power than than a comparably sized air cooled engine. If an engine runs hotter, it wears out faster. It is much easier to overheat an air cooled engine. And, as was stated previously, lower fuel consumption.

Liquid cooling is desirable on multi-cylinder engines b/c all cylinders can be maintained at a constant temperature. Think about this particular inline 3-cyl engine. If it were air-cooled, the middle cylinder is going to run hotter than the two outer cylinders b/c it has less surface area exposed to the outside air flow. Once again, engine longevity, that middle cylinder will wear the rings/cylinder faster.

Thanks John, good explanation. I guess I know some of the basics of liquid vs. air cooled, and you answered a few more. I didn't know you could get more power output, didn't know fuel consumption was less. I also hadn't thought about the 3 cylinder problem with heat.

I'd still wonder about the advantages vs. a twin of similar power. I'd like a quieter engine, but would have to hear it to understand how much quieter it really is. I run 3 Kohler Commands right now, an 18 and two 20's. I expect a minimum of 1,500 hours out of them, I'd say more from the 3204 that we bought new since we've always maintained it, the other 2 I bought with a lot of hours already on them so a bit more of an unknown. At the rate I run a tractor those engines will last a very long time!

While I realize there isn't anything complex about liquid cooling, it is one more system, one more fluid, one more pump to maintain.

I guess I just need to find someone local who has one so I can compare. I'm interested in finding a diesel so I might end up with liquid cooling there anyway.