OT - Anybody ever use a DR Mower?

[40_acre_mule]

I just saw a commercial for the DR Brush Mower.
They make it sound like the thing just does all the work by itself.
It looks like a royal pain to me. I'm guessing it is a self-propelled, HAND steered bush hog.
I bet it is a real struggle to steer if the ground is not smooth and level.
It also looks like it would be real hard to keep your footing.

What about any of the other DR products?

 

[RonR]

Several here have posted about them taking a real manly man to operate them, and you wear yourself out after about 2 hrs..................

I'd check to see if DR is still the "same old product" or if it has been cheapened up like a lot of the other mowers. If the later, I'd pass............

I like the concept for those hard to get at areas, and it would keep my Bota out of the rough areas. The new price scares me off though........

ron

 

[RalphVa]

I had a Gravely. It was unmanageable until I put steering brakes on it. It was a 12 hp one, about the hp of the DR one; I think. The older Gravely with only 8 hp engines apparently COULD be handled without steering brakes, but I'll bet they'd be a handful.

Life is SOOOO much easier now with my little JD 4010. That Gravely used to beat me to death.

Ralph

 

[Onthesauk]

I've got an older Billy Goat brush cutter. Bought it used and have had it for nearly ten years. Hard work to use, but can't live without it. Big thing is that it will go places that I don't dare take the tractor with the brushhog, hillsides, narrow trails, in close to fence lines. Can really be hard work to run it but now that I've got the bulk of the work done on my property I use it far more then I do the tractor.

A 13 hp Honda motor I think and has been pretty much trouble free. I get it serviced every couple of years, during the winter since it is sometimes slow getting parts. If this one wears out I'll get another or a DR. Just the handiest things to have around.

 

[Skaning]

Have one of the older ones made by Bactold Bros for DR. This one I guess is about 12 years old. Bought it for mowing about three acres of slope in Highland County VA. Agreed, it's a bear to deal with but cut it does and in the tight quarters It works reasonably well. The newer ones I think with Balloon tires, a Reverse gear and a differential lock would work better. The one I have is what I wanted when I bought it, no frills, no safety interlocks, brute force design, solid tires. I can mow across slopes with it. Trying to mow the same thing with the Massey 205 that I bought later really raises the pucker factor. The thing has been bulletproof for what I have used it for. Will it wear you out? You bet. A few hours behind that thing and you will know it. Tight mowing, rough mowing and on slopes, it works and nothing else will except a weedwacker.

 

[Ridgeman]

I have the larger of the DR's - 17hp with a 30 or 32" cut. Yes, after using it for several hours it can wear you out BUT, the amount of work you WILL accomplish is amazing.

We bought ours 4 years ago and it has the ballon tires (which will climb anything it can grab on to), diff lock, forward and reverse gears.

If on level or slight slope, you can run it one handed. Backing up a hill is more difficult as the front end wants to dig in. Turn it around going up hill and it will climb right on up.

We used this alot the first two years we bought this place and still do in areas to tight for a tractor. And yes, it beats the heck out of a weedwacker.

The one we have is built like a tank - nothing cheap built on it.

Hope this helps!

 

[CRJCaptain]

It's a great way to get some good exercise...

 

[dancer]

I’d go along with Ridgeman’s comments. I’ve had my 15-HP DR Field and Brush Mower for about 7 years. When I bought it, it was the largest of the breed, with a strong Kawasaki engine. It lacked the locking differential which the newer 17-HP model has, and I’ve seen times when that feature would have been really helpful. Otherwise, the DR keeps me from having to use a chainsaw for almost all of my brush cutting and light clearing in areas where my Kubota L3130 and 5' RC can't get access. I’ve made a couple of minor mods to the deck – a braced notch to ease up into a heavier trunk and nip it to death, as well as an improvement to the right-side skid bar to keep it from catching roots when in reverse. Great machine, though, and fortunately for me it is tougher than my brush. If you can handle the workout, it'll make *you* stronger and healthier too (if the weather will cool down, otherwise it'll kill you)!

 

[JackIL]

I agree with all of the other comments. I have owned several versions of the DR Field and Brush Mower. Each newer model just gets better. It does work you, but not nearly as much as you would be worked trying to do the same job with a chainsaw, weedeater, and/or hand scythe.

The bottom line is that this machine really does what it is advertised to do. If you need to do those tasks, just get a DR, smile, and don't look back. If you really can get along by doing these tasks by hand, then take that approach and again don't look back. The machine is not a rip-off--it really can do what they show on the videos and advertisements.

JackIL

 

[JRobyn]

Gravelys (or DRs) aren't too tough to run; heck even a GIRL can do it!