Here are some pictures of some mowing I did today. Most spots the briars were over 6' tall with a few 2" thick trees mixed in. Took about 4 hours or so.
Not to worry, you probably won't hurt it, ours makes a LOT of racket even when used within design parameters and while we have bent a piece or two, no damage in many years of use; they wear out eventually, but can often be easily fixed.