Float mode on IH 986?

[Tree-Farmer]

Does a 986 have a float mode for the hydraulics?

I want to rent a JD HX20 brush cutter from a neighbor, it’s more than I need, but it’s what he has.

He says the HX20 has 3 hydraulic cylinders. My IH 986 has only 2 remotes. He says that you can hook up just one of the hoses for each cylinder to lift the wings, then let gravity pull it down. He says you do that by putting your lever in float mode. Am I describing that correctly?

Question: Does my IH 986 have a Float Mode? How do you activate the float mode to let the wings down?

Do you have any comments on hooking a JD HX20 to a 986?

Thank you!

 

[Brendon-KS]

It does unless your lever linkages are worn enough to prevent it's activation (like my 986 is). If you push the lever all the way forward it should detent into that spot and provide float mode.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Yes, there are two detents in the forward direction on each hydraulic lever. There's lower, and if you push past lower, that's float.

The wing cylinders need to be set up as one-way in order for this to work. The side of the cylinder that normally would get pressurized to lower needs to be vented to open air. If there are two hoses for each wing cylinder this whole "float" idea won't work. The cylinders will "air lock" and not allow the wings to lower.