Update on the DR Mower thread...

[TennesseeTuxedo]

A few weeks or so ago I posted a thread about the practicality of using the DR Field and Brush mower on some severely overgrown fence rows. Well we bought a used model and I'm here to report that it is everything they tout it to be and then some.

The model I found used was built in 2005 but had extremely low hours and very little wear and tear on it. The motor is a 17 HP Kawasaki and it cranked the first time every time using an electric starter. I appreciated not having to yank a cord. The banks were too steep for and in some places just inaccessible to a traditional bush hog but in most instances the DR was able to handle the slope thanks to a locking differential.

In any event, I highly recommend the machine to anyone needing to mow brush growing right up against their fence line. The thing I found helpful is that the front end is designed so that it didn't hang up even on the welded wire portions of the fence line. I cut down some 2" plus thick saplings and much of the grass and weeds I cut through was 3 feet tall.

I can't wait to use it in some cooler weather because the 4 days I was working on the farm the temperature exceeded 100 everyday.

 

[Caustic Burno]

You already had a Texas cool front to work in what are you doing waiting for winter.
What are going to do when it get's hot.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I did the fence work over my 5 day vacation from July 4-8 which happened to be the hottest on record in that part of Kentucky.

Smart move? Not hardly, but I couldn't wait to see how the machine would perform. It help up much better than I did to be sure, LOL!

 

[OklaBrangusBreeder]

My Dad has a DR mower he bought new that we've used to maintain our fence rows for years. I don't remember the exact model off hand, but it has been a very useful tool for us. Does a GREAT job. Really almost like a walk behind brush hog. After you get the material beat down the first time, maintaining year after year is a breeze.

One word of caution. I once used it on a steep incline cleaning up the inside of a pond dam. Well, be aware that there is one "lean" (as I recall it is leaning down to the right while facing forward) that the fuel flow becomes restricted and the engine dies. Needless to say, when in the conditions that cause the engine to die is the least desirable time for the engine to die. It was all I could do to keep the thing out of the pond while I tugged it to flatter groud to restart. UGH!

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I lost control one time on a step bank I was cutting and just turned it loose and let it go where it wanted to go. The dang things are very heavy and I'm not a little feller. The locking differential makes all the difference in the world when working any kind of incline.

Since we bought this one used the previous owner had disabled the emergency shut off device for situations like the one I was in. I'm going to have it reset. Too dangerous to have a blade that powerful still under power with no control.

It is a work horse to be sure.