DR Field Bruch mower

[beaverhouse]

Does anyone own a DR Field brush mower...any comments /feedback...I`m looking at the 17 HP mower however would like to hear from owners/operators and weather or not they are worth the effort and cost...Reliable / minimal issues, etc
Any info would be much appreciated...Tks!

 

[jkelley8]

I have had the 17hp w/Kawasaki engin for several years and have not had
a problem. I have the brush hog & mower heads. I replace the belts every
2 years or so and do standard maintanance. I have had very good luck with
their products overall and thats why I pay freight to Texas.
As to value I have nothing to compare so cannot comment other than I am
happy with my purchases.

 

[Coyote]

I have a Simplicity, just like the DR but much better price. It is a beast! Eats brush and trees up to 2 1/2 inches. Beware though...it will wear you out! A serious workout for your arms and back! I can't bear to use it anymore!

 

[SimS]

What Coyote said! It will flat wear you out. If you can push it over, the DR will cut it while it drags you through the debris. I also have the 17 HP model and it works great for creek bed edges and places too tight for your tractor and bush hog.

SimS

 

[mechanic]

I have the 15 hp and it has been very dependable so far. I bought it in 2001 and keep the oil changed and greased. The only thing I did was replace the clutch of which DR sent to me and I did the work myself. No problems since. The blades would not disengage. They are real good about sending you parts for no charge. I also have the lawn deck and the rocky area mowing attachment.

 

[danielread]

We have the biggest size of the walk behind model. 30 inch blades, I think, and I believe 18hp Kawasaki engine.

We are extremely happy and satisfied DR owners. It is a very well manufactured piece of equipment. You can tell that it's been around long enough as a product that they've added little tweaks to the design to keep common breakages and wear and stress from becoming a problem. No plastic or crap parts. All very solid. Easy to clean, easy to maintain.

We started out with the default multipurpose blade that mulches, and it does great on bushes and sapplings up to 2" or so thick. The heavy duty blade is much better for things up to 3" or so, and it does not mulch if you have kudzu to mow. The multipurpose/mulching blade, though, just makes stuff disappear. It's amazing.

The DR is definitely a large piece of equipment that requires real human power to operate. For example, it does not turn on it's own so you have to use your own power to lean down on the handles and turn it using the torque of your body. You need similar torquing resistance when you get into the seriously thick stuff.

The mowing is at 4" off the ground, so many small rocks and stumps are easily avoided. If your land is like ours, though, you have to scout the area for larger stumps and rocks so you don't tear up your blade.

You might want to make sure you have access to an impact wrench for removing/changing the blade.

I had never heard of the Simplicity that someone else mentioned, so I did not do a comparison there.

Hope that helps!

Dan

 

[vrex]

I have an older DR, with an 8 hp single cylinder Briggs and Spoke wheels and the heavy duty blade. It also cuts anything I can get it on top of, it is just an unbelievable beast. Not sure what I would do with the extra horsepower as I am already mowing down Toyon brush, manzanita, small oaks, poison oak and blackberries at least 2", and lots of it. I put wire cables around the wheels for better traction, and built various brush-deflector shields on it to keep the brush from ripping out the spark plug wires, throttle, and carb stuff, as well as the power-engage bar. I wish I could gear this thing lower because it just doesnt slow down, and following it in the uphill direction is work.

Vince

 

[RalphVa]

DR makes good products. I've had their wheeled string trimmer (needed to be self-propelled; is now) and rechargable mower (casing eventually was falling apart). If my MacKissic ever needs replacement, I'll consider their (made by Mac anyway; I hear) 3ph chipper/shredder with chute discharge.

I had a Gravely 12 hp. It's similar to the DR. It's a man eater. I had to put steering brakes on the Gravely to make it usable on my hills. Don't think the DR has them. I'd think it'll be very difficult to handle. A friend of mine bought a DR and has now sold it. He found it too much to handle. He has about a 30 hp Kubota; don't know why he thought he needed the DR.

My world is much easier once I bought my 4wd JD 4010. It'll come up my 100 foot high hill behind the house here without losing traction like the Gravely did (even with dualies) and is A WHOLE LOT less effort to use and does a whole lot more damage to brush, etc.

Ralph

 

[Dougd]

I have a 12 year-old 12.5 HP DR field and brush mower with both mower attachments; the 26" bush-hog and 46" finish mower. Mow 2 + acre lawn weekly (in-season), and a couple miles of trails in the woods. Absolutely stunning and (so far) bulleteproof products, but can be a hand-full on slopes. The only issue I have is the effort required to swap the mower attachments is quite high compared to the newer models.
Also have the DR 16 HP chipper, no complaints.
They make good stuff.

 

[jinjimbob]

I have the 30" 17HP model, it cuts small trees down up to 4" thick, but you have to work quite hard with it.

It is great!