Which is better strip machine C180 or C185
As in all of aviation, it depends!
Commercial operation:
The C185 is a far better machine out of air strips, for getting in the early model C180 is better but you would have to do two loads instead of one, so again for a commercial operation the C185 is better.
Private operations:
Again it depends on what sort of flying you want. Five mates on a hunting trip and you are talking C185 again. However for strips at lower altitudes a lot depends on which year C180 one is talking about. The early models (pre 1961) are very different to the late model C180. If you have a late model C180 you can think of it as a 230HP C185, because that is how it performs, which explains why all the engine power upgrades are available on the C180.
Summary: They are both similar on strips, at MAUW they use similar t/o and landing "ground" distance but the C185 climbs better after takeoff. The C180 may have to do two loads to carry the same payload as a C185. However the C185 and late model C180 fly like a truck compaired to the '53 to '57 C180.