BCS or DR? Ferrari vs Chevelle?

[Gio]

Hi All,

This is my first post over in this end of the forums. I am looking to add a two wheel tractor to my stable and I had a question.

I have been very impressed with the DR field/brush mower, the videos of people tearing through trees and brush sold me on the brute strength of this machine.

...I did a little more digging and came across the BCS/Grillo products. I am a big fan of well engineered Euro tools/machines and both of these seem like quality pieces.

Question is, for pure brush cutting and land clearing can the BCS hang with the top of the line DR?

Feels like a big block Chevelle vs Ferrari matchup to me.

1/4 mile, lighting up the tires, doing doughnuts in the High school parking lot with a few beer cans in the trunk: Chevelle all the way.

Long sweeping turns, cutting through the Alps, valet at the country club: Ferrari for sure.

I am sure the BCS will last longer, has more uses and easier to handle but i haven't seen evidence of brute knock down power. I have some dense woods to clean up, crazy over growth and general heavy mowing around outbuildings and back fields. Only 5 acres but very diverse (woods, field, creek, ditches, flats and hills)

Any thoughts?

 

[Scooby074]

Have you ever ran a DR?

If not, you should know ITS A MAJOR WORKOUT :thumbsup: If it'll push it over it will cut it, however YOU will feel it. The commercials dont do it justice.

One advantage of the larger BCS's is they have steering brakes. This sounds like it would be a huge advantage control wise especially on slopes(i havent tried one with steering brakes to confirm)

Plus the BCS and the other euro's have the advantage of being able to run other types of attachments.. from sweepers to tillers. Something to consider for later.

Ive run a Dr , and a Billy Goat. And a small BCS as a tiller. The BCS is a much more refined (and heavy duty IMHO) machine.

One thing to check out that could make a difference is ground clearance. I have a lot of short stumps and i was forever catching the undercarrrage of the BG on the stumps. Check for a decent skid plate or taller tires / more ground clearance if you think this might be an issue.

If your wanting a pure brush mower and got a big budget, check out this beastie : The Brush Blazer http://www.pecobrushcutters.com/models/tbb-3001/index.php

Theres also some impressive ride on models from Japan made by Canycom... Bring your wallet though... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcCANW3JKI8&feature=related

 

[Gio]

Thanks J. I have heard the DR can be a real workout.

Not sure how legit the return policy is but it seems like you can return it at any point within 6 months if it doesn't work out.

I would like to give a bcs a run as well, can't find any dealers in my area but i'll keep looking.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Scooby074]

DR definitely has the best return policy.

Good luck in your choice.

 

[js5020]

An interesting machine for those who only need to mow and move some snow around. Belt drives, which to me arent necessarily a negative as long as the are designed for the duty. Uses an electric clutch for that independent pto "feel". Wonder how well the finish mower and blower work?

 

[farmerboybill]

Hiya Gio,

I don't have any personal experience with a DR, but I automatically suspect anything that is sold using huge amounts of advertising. I wonder how much of their reputation is deserved and how much is just repeat, repeat, repeat of their advertising in TV, radio, and magazines. I also wonder how much of the $3000 plus I'm shelling out is for R&D and how much is going to selling me the darn thing. I do have personal experience with compostumblers, Troy-bilts, and Mantis' and can say with certainty that those machines got a lot of their reputation by advertising hype. They're good machines, but they're not as good as advertised.

I'll keep my BCS 830 with 26 inch Del morino mower, 36 inch sickle mower, 38 inch finish mower, 30 inch tiller, 3 inch chipper, 28 inch snowblower, etc, etc.

 

[Doloe]

I bought a brush mower deck attachment for my BCS 720. It had the power to cut things up but didn't have adequate ground clearance. It was continually getting low centered. I think the larger BCS units with taller wheels might address this problem.

I sold the mower deck after I bought a DR (12hp). The DR has been almost as good as advertised. Mowing tall thick stuff like canary grass tends to leave strips where the grass is just pushed over along the edges of the deck. A second pass from the opposite direction is needed. I also got the lawn mower deck. I've been very pleased with the DR. Keep in mind that it is not a commercial unit. I've got 600 hours and 10 years on mine. Any more use I get out of it will be bonus time.

 

[Gio]

Thanks for the feedback. I think the BCS is a better overall machine but I really need the rough cutting ability of the DR.

If you haven't seen this it is worth a look. The guy is very funny and the machine is a beast

YouTube - ‪Chomp Chomp... A Path Of Destruction...‬‏

 

[nomad289]

Doloe wrote: "I bought a brush mower deck attachment for my BCS 720. It had the power to cut things up but didn't have adequate ground clearance. It was continually getting low centered. I think the larger BCS units with taller wheels might address this problem."

I went to "kick the tires" on some BCS last weekend. They had the 722 with 8/16" wheels and the 732 with differential drive had 10/20" diameter tires.

The dealer said he liked the 732 because it had more ground clearance and didn't "bottom out" when you tipped the unit to turn it. After pushing both around I have to agree--he was right on. The 732 is bigger than I wanted but with the additional ground clearance and differential drive it seemed it would be easier to manouver.

One BCS had a brush mower attachment, it has about a 3" extension off the center rotor and 2 hinged swinging blades attached to that. Looked very robust, almost 1/4" thick. Pretty sure it would hold up well. The unit was very "front heavy" due to the heavy construction of the brush mower. I've been considering a flail mower instead, I think it's a little better if you hit rocks, etc. and has many smaller hinged (replaceable) blades instead. The dealer said most people use a sickle mower, but like you (if I buy one) I want something that leaves a cleaner cut like the brush/flail units.

I've never used a BCS or DR so these are just observations/speculation. Good luck with your choice.

 

[farmerboybill]

Hey Nomad,

I strongly recommend considering the 853 over the 732. The 732 lacks a third working gear and brakes. Both of these features really make mowing more effective. If cost is a factor, look seriously at a 107d Grillo. The 107d has the third working gear, steering brakes AND it costs $150 less than the 732. Also, the Berta flail mower is a better choice over the BCS flail mower. It features a removable plate under the deck that allows the material to exit faster than a BCS mower. The stuff still comes out chopped up, but it's less so than with the plate. This allows you to run it with lower HP engines or a gear faster. It's also less expensive than the BCS. You can only get the Berta through Earth Tools or one of Earth tools' dealers.

Gio,

Here's a youtube link of a Grillo with Berta flail mower. Granted, the guy isn't a maniac like in the video you linked. Did you notice that guy returned his DR after 5 months? The way he ran it, it was probably shook to pieces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJV-LuNEAko

Bill in WI