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DMiller 
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
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 Topic: 180D starter gave it up
Posted: 30 Jan 2026 at 3:33am |
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Several years back the Starter on my 180 decided time to quit so bought a AGCo replacement thru a known supplier, that Lucas style lasted a couple of years but as my old engine is tired and cranks pretty long to start it gave up just at two years and out of warranty. So fleabay had a New Lucas style really cheap and I bit, well it gave it up after I had finished blading off driveway cleaned the snow off blade and went to restart to put back in shop. Managed to get it cranking put back inside and pulled starter. Took it to an old friend that rebuilt starters long ago does no longer and we tested it. First comment as we took it apart: “Chinese” or Some Asian junk. Side windings were iffy and likely the lacquering on those was failing or improperly applied, then he growled the armature, sure enough it was ‘Soft Shorted’. “Junk”. Having had two of these fail opted to order a Agparts Denso, gear reduction unit. Know is Korean, should be here today, hope to have back running by next round of Pretty.
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PaulSamwel
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Joined: 10 Jan 2026
Location: washinton
Points: 15
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Posted: 30 Jan 2026 at 1:29pm |
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Let us know how that new starter works out.Just bought a Lucas style from DB Electric for my 185.Supposed to be a higher quality rebuild..we'll see.
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DrAllis
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Points: 22564
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Posted: 30 Jan 2026 at 1:33pm |
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In our family, we've gotten three gear-reduction starters from DB electric for the same A-C engine family application and have had no regrets.
Edited by DrAllis - 30 Jan 2026 at 1:34pm
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
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Posted: 30 Jan 2026 at 2:06pm |
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Aided another 185 owner near us install one of these, lighter, spins faster, should be good just not the Old AC but that is disappearing.
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TedN
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Joined: 30 Apr 2025
Location: Central WA
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Posted: 30 Jan 2026 at 2:30pm |
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I have two starters that occasionally have the drive not grab, so I have a gear reduction starter from DB on the shelf. Nice to hear that others have had good results.
Ted
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190XTD seriesIII, 190XTD seriesI, maroon belly 7000, 190XTD series??? project(or maybe parts)
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DMiller
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
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Posted: 02 Feb 2026 at 12:19pm |
Had the old one off, New One was on in Minutes!! Not ever had that easy a install. Tractor cranked like not ever before started just fine so shut down and gathered everything up cleaned up, and tried to put outside to do some snow cleanup, won't crank, ammeter goes hard Neg past 60a, checked engine still turn by hand at fan so tried again, got to roll once then starter locked back up.
All States Ag getting a return slip sent out, shipping another.
Figures too easy, HAD to go south.
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Ky.Allis
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Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Location: Kentucky
Points: 1043
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Posted: 02 Feb 2026 at 1:37pm |
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WOW! that sounds like my kind of luck. I always said that if you cut a woman in half, I'd get the half that eats.
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Steve in NJ
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Andover, NJ
Points: 12066
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Posted: Yesterday at 7:46am |
Dave, Make sure your Battery cable is heavy enough. In your pic, the cable doesn't look like it's that heavy. Also, make sure the block has at least two heavy ground cables going from the block to frame rail. One on each side. The Starter may be searchin' for a ground. The reason why its rolling over slow. First, it Started right up, then it rolled over slow. Sounds like a ground issue to me or not enough current to the Starter. One or the other or both! HTH Steve@B&B
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39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife
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deckape
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Joined: 01 Nov 2023
Location: florida / Alaba
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Posted: Yesterday at 7:55am |
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It's alway the groud ! Check that connection at the eyelet , looks iffy .
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Les Kerf
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Joined: 08 May 2020
Location: Idaho
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Posted: Yesterday at 11:13am |
 DMiller wrote:
... won't crank, ammeter goes hard Neg past 60a... |
Hmmm... In normal operation the solenoid is the only part of the circuit that draws current through the ammeter, the main starter motor circuit being outside of the meter. The massive amp reading indicates that the starter is indeed trying to pull current through the solenoid circuit, and the wiring is obviously not heavy enough to make it work that way (it isn't supposed to).
I am not familiar with this particular starter, but some of the new gear reduction units require a separate ground wire from the battery to a discrete lug on the starter itself because of the way it is designed; the traditional method of grounding through the chassis will not work if that is the case with this starter.
The gear reduction starter we put on my Son-in-law's HD5G was like that, it didn't work properly until I read the instructions (who would do a thing like that?) and wired it correctly 
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DMiller
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Posted: 10 hours 5 minutes ago at 6:20am |
Same Wiring the Lucas Had since built. These starters draw less current than the OEM design do. As to cranking Slow, it didn't, cranked faster than anytime I have ever started the old Gal. Really shocked me as it did turn over so fast.
My Ammeter always went hard Neg during Cranking, just was cranking. This time Starter was Locked Tight.
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Les Kerf
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Posted: 7 hours 44 minutes ago at 8:41am |
DMiller wrote:
...My Ammeter always went hard Neg during Cranking, just was cranking... |
" ammeter goes hard Neg past 60a" Apparently that is normal for a Lucas starter solenoid to draw massive amounts of current?  
Edited by Les Kerf - 7 hours 39 minutes ago at 8:46am
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DMiller
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Posted: 7 hours 33 minutes ago at 8:52am |
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Not ever had any different reading on this tractor, always started. And DID start once on New Starter.
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PaulSamwel
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Joined: 10 Jan 2026
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Posted: 3 hours 58 minutes ago at 12:27pm |
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Sounds like you need to pull starter and bench test if power and ground checks out.
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PaulSamwel
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Posted: 3 hours 53 minutes ago at 12:32pm |
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I just put a DB electric Lucas starter on my 185 and bendix will ocassionally not fully engage ring gear or just partially engage.Cringe when that happens ,might need to get a gear reduction starter.
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DMiller
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Posted: 2 hours 32 minutes ago at 1:53pm |
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Bad new starter on way back to Ag Parts, next new one arrived Noon and On, NOTHING changed as to Install, has 15-20 amp draw during Cranking starts like not ever started prior, spins up Sweet and so far started let batteries recharge got back to low A input shut down and repeated three times. Just got a bad one first go round.
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Les Kerf
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Posted: 1 hour 36 minutes ago at 2:49pm |
DMiller wrote:
Bad new starter on way back to Ag Parts, next new one arrived Noon and On, NOTHING changed as to Install, has 15-20 amp draw during Cranking starts like not ever started prior, spins up Sweet and so far started let batteries recharge got back to low A input shut down and repeated three times. Just got a bad one first go round. |
Nice! Glad it is fixed 
15-20 amps to run the solenoid is more realistic. Any time I see an ammeter being pegged HARD it raises a red flag as there is definitely something wrong.
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DMiller
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Posted: 1 hour 23 minutes ago at 3:02pm |
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Motor was locked. Solenoid on starter sees hard battery power to motor. Ammeter sees what is moving across the line as high draw sucks from every circuit fed by Batteries. Two group 31 12volt.
Alternator feed is across starter hot post so will see system draw or feed.
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