Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations DR Brush Mower

Has anyone owned one of these? Does it work well for trimming around the pond? Are there better value brands out there? The DR seems aweful expensive...

Gator

I know what you mean 'gator. I've priced them, and by the time that you bought an adequately sized model, and got the special blade to cut smaller trees (<1 in. dia.) you were running four grand. I ended up buying a pull behind brush hog for two thousand and it cuts bigger stuff. The DR people are pretty proud of their product, and I'm sure others have had great experiences with them, but they're not cheap.

I have a 8hp DR. I bought it in 2002. If they have not improved the transmission do not buy one. The drive chain will not stay in place and the transmission output shaft shears off. They did a retro to beef up the drive system but it does not work.

Gator,

I've got a old one (1995) that has wheels like a bicycle, skinny hard rubber tires on a large spoke wheel, belt drive to the blade, no reverse. I've not tried the newer ones but have seen the ads and get their catalogue twice a year. They usually have sales in the fall but unless you have the finish mower deck/blades remember it's just like a brush hog and will give you a pretty rough cut around your pond.
Mine is also the 8 HP and will go thru the 1" to 1.5" stuff pretty easily.
I use it behind the ATV on the ice in winter to chop all the cattails.

Have you tried E Bay for a used one, maybe save some $$$.

I rented a competitive model called the 'Billy Goat' last year to mow around my acreage in preparation for a fundraiser I was hosting. When I went to pick the machine up at the rental store, the clerk said, "I bought this unit new last year and rented it quite a few times but this year hardly anyone has taken it out."

Hmmmmm.... I wondered why and then got my answer after a half hour of mowing. This mower literally beat the crap out of me. Unless the ground you're mowing is as flat as your kitchen floor, you are going to get jerked around as though you are on an amusement park ride. I swore I would never again operate one of these things at my place. Flat ground, okay. Uneven ground, forget about it!

Thanks for the comments so far, does anyone know of a "good" brand that is less expensive than the DR Trimmer Brand?

Here we go again, I've been known to introduce controversial thoughts. My first ASSumption is that you're looking at the big units because you have heavy brush. My pond is in a remote area, it's much easier for me to have a controlled "burn" than it is to cut/mow/haul debris from my ponds perimeter. It takes forethought, but knowing the dryness conditions, wind pattern, and estimated burn time, it's a whole lot easier to simply eliminate the stuff than to cut it. After all, a pond is generally round and there's always a favorable wind condition ! I realize my post isn't for those with established ponds...but my pond is 2 years old and generally pushes up the water line with each heavy rain. Run the fire to the water.

I've got the 2005 commercial size DR (17hp). So far no problems at all. It starts up easily everytime and has lots of power.

The advantages of the DR over a BrushHog, which is pulled behind your ATV are:
� The blade leads the way, not your ATV tires.
� There are a kazillion attachments, making it more versatile.
� It is easier to work in tight areas because it's not like pulling a trailer.

Here are the disadvantages:
� You have to walk behind it, so you'd better be ready to sweat.
� It can be tricky to turn on uneven ground.
� High price

All in all I love mine, but it's not for every situation. Be sure you know exactly how you're going to be using it. Then decide if it's the right choice.

Thanks, Jimmy Wheels.

I have Snapper's newest version of the walk behind brush hog.

http://www.snapper.com/field_brush.html

It's quite a machine, I got the 15 hp motor, but the 13 hp will work for most pond applications. At first I thought the cutting path would be too small, but any bigger and you wouldn't be able to handle the machine on rough terrian.

Give it a look, I 'm happy with it.

You might consider buying a "used" small farm tractor with PTO and add bush hog or sickle mower at a later date.

I bought a very small Alice Chalmers (AC Model) with a 7 ft. sickle mower for less than $1500.
Its rated at only about 24 hp but works great as a mower tractor.

Generally these old tractors can be picked up at farm sales or implement dealers at a reasonable price, considering what they are capable of.

Ed

I have old model (Bicycle wheel style) that I've had for over 10 years. It far exceeded all my expectations. Fantastic machine. I could not imagine owning my property with out it. I use to do around the pond, over logs, do my trails, you name it. I love it!!!!

I'd love to see how it is being used behind an ATV. I've been thinking about buying their ATV trail version.

For those who recommend the mowers:

1 Do you feel there is a limitation to "size" of the area you could comfortable use the mower?

2 Is the size of the mower's motor the top factor to the useability?

I like the idea of a small tractor for $1500. Riding sounds a lot better than pushing/walking around my 8.5 acre lake.

Walk behind has big advantages around the pond. You can get much closer with out falling in or sinking in the mud and then never getting out. My old machine has a 8 hp engine. It has a 5 lb. blade so it can cut through a 2 inch sampling very nicely. The advatage to it over other mowers is that it mulches as it cuts so you are not all tangled up in the mess that sickle bar mowers leave. I have used it in places that a brush hog would have sunk and never been recovered. It works as well and easy as the commercials you see on TV about it. They have had a try it for 6 month offer or money back gurantee forerver. They would even pay the return shipping. It really is a great tool.

Tuzz,

What size area do you use it on?

Gator

I have 4 pieces of property, the largest is 7 acres. All are from a mile to 15 miles from each other. My extended cab long wheel based pickup (Suzuki 4x4)has a 3.5' bed so the most practical for me is a portable model. I have an Echo 4300 brushcutter and with the brush cutting blade it will cut 1" stuff easily. It works well around the pond and on any other uneven ground, I use an 18" blade for cutting large areas and can cut close to 4 acres a day. Even with the 18" blade the Echo is difficult to stall. Cost about $225.

Gator,

From the size of your pond, I would think like Edward P. Eitel that a small tractor might be more useful. They can really come in handy for a variety of chores around the pond and the rest of the property.
The small diesel tractors on the order of 20 to 25 hp are just great for mowing, hauling, and endless pond related tasks. Heck you can even hook up a small trailor and take the kids for a hay ride.

Small tractors around pond edges do carrry certain risks of getting stuck and some areas can not be reached...but for overall utility, its hard to beat those small tractors.

I have a DR Brush Mower that I bought 3 years ago. Its the 15 horsepower Kawasaki engine. It has been a very tough piece of equipment. I don't have a tractor and I have been using the brush mower when clearing cutover timber land and making trails. Very hard work - I'm a glutton for punishment, I guess. Anyway, it runs great. It cuts anything, and I have had no work done on it. I do the minor maintenance. It has held up well in rough conditions - bumpy ground with lots of cut timber debris. It weighs a lot which is good for oomph but makes it very tiring to handle for long periods over rough ground. I have killed the engine on tree stumps and logs many times but don't seem to have hurt it. I probably have 250 or 300 hours of hard hours on it.

I also have a Swisher tow-behind brush cutter for my ATV. It cuts well and handles thick brush and saplings, but does not handle rough ground nearly as well as the DR - I have broken various parts on it while hitting stumps and logs. I now use this mower to mow jeep trails and fields that have already been cleared with the DR and where I have done at least some minimal smoothing of the terrain.

What you should buy depends on what you will use it for. If its rough terrain and hilly so you can't get a tractor in, then the DR is a great machine.

They sell mostly online but there are a few dealers in Texas.

Everyone,

Thanks for the input.

Babu - what size of pond/property do you think the DR could effectivly manage?

Gator

Sorry this took a while. I've been traveling.

It really is up to you, Alligator. It depends how much you need to mow/clear. It's kind of like having a superduty self-propelled lawn mower. As long as you are willing to walk behind the machine, it can handle your needs. Its heavy, but heavy duty. I don't think mine will wear out for a long time as long as I sharpen the blade and replace the drive belt once in a while (plus tune-up the engine of course).
I got mine in Lufkin at a dealer there. I think the name is Cook's Saw Shop. They may be able to show you one and tell you about their experience with customer machines. They were very helpful to me.

Babu,

Thanks a lot for the input!

Gator

i have the 15 horse power DR. pluses are that it is very powerful and cuts brush great. i have make about 2 miles of trails around my farm and trails around the ponds. but you can not go right to water edge because it is so heavy it bogs. and on a very steep slope it will turn over. once i flipped it over into the water. if mowing accross a steep slope you must press down on the uphill hanle or it will turn over. so it is great for some things and not so great for others. it is very durable and never fails to crank.

darrell stringer