DR Brush Mower --

[dancingbear]

Quote:
Plastic tines? What machine was that? Our Dr. mower has heavy steel blades, not tines, and they chop right through 3" saplings, no problem. I wouldn't buy one if they've switched to plastic, but I'm thinking maybe you've confused it with a different machine?

I just looked up the mowers on the website, http://www.drpower.com/field-brush-mower_walk-behind.aspx they still have heavy-duty steel blades. I though maybe you meant the trimmer, (not really meant for heavy brush) but it doesn't have plastic tines either.

 

[ducks4you]

http://www.drpower.com/trimmer-mower_features.aspx
http://www.drpower.com/trimmer-mower.aspx
This ^ is what I bought, and didn't care for.

 

[1_FnkyFrm]

I rent one that is like a walk behind bushhog about a 32" cut for $54 a day and it works great. It has blades so you dont have any string to mess with...

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
In the middle of my woods, I cut a clearing when cutting firewood and planted a persimmon tree that has now become a grove in the meadow which I defend every fall from the evil Bambi's trying to eat my persimmons that are dropping about that time.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
In the middle of my woods, I cut a clearing when cutting firewood and planted a persimmon tree that has now become a grove in the meadow which I defend every fall from the evil Bambi's trying to eat my persimmons that are dropping about that time.

I tell ya, if these guys weren't as tasty as they are, I'd probably rather hunt for zombies.

 

[twentynine]

How big overgrown?
How much property?
You going to walk behing that Dr thing?
Me I'd rather ride-- tractor all the way.

Plus with a tractor you can do all kinds of things, dig, haul, tow, pull, cut grass, make garden, level ground, cut drainage, fill holes, grade driveway, move snow( so I have been told, never seen it here), plus the PTO can run a generator, water pump, log splitter and all kinds of things. Just about any place I can walk into I can get the tractor into, use super low, super slow gear. Plus I am the one that planted 90% of the trees on this place, I made danged sure when they were planted I could move through between'em.

A tractor and bush hog can whoop up on some awsome tuff stuff. It don't come no thicker than it comes in S. Louisianna.


My gauge for if the tractor will cut it is--- if I can actually get the tractor to knock it down, and roll over it with out lifting the wheels off the ground. Brush, briars, youpon, scrup oaks, tall grass all go under the bush hog. Hint for success---- ride it down, I use the front end loader as a mini-dozer and roll over it a few times before engaging the bush hog, that away if they is a stump hiding in the middle of the pile, it don't ambush the bush hog. Got to say I have not done any real heavy clearing with the new Kubota yet, I want to build a skid plate for the underside, way to many cables, springs, filters, levers and such exposed to possible damage.

I'll have to take some pictures of some of the stuff I bust up with the front end loader--tractor---bush hog team.

 

[redstars]

I rent a walk behind brush hog once a year.
You would be surprised how much area you can mow with that thing in a day.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
I'd appreciate it!! The property is 5 acres, most of it scrub n saplings about every 6" with an average thickness of 1-2" thick. For the most part, I want to leave a good majority of it wooded, but the paths that were there already have trees larger than 8" to deal with (the land has been forgotten for a long time). I am looking at a Ford 9n with brush hog and blade for the front, but to start am thinking about seeing what I could do by hand..

Then again now I think about it, a new brush mower by DR is 2k and the tractor I am looking at (honestly because I don't want to rototill a big garden, rather use a harrow) is about 1.5k

 

[twentynine]

Boyd---- Ford 9N who---yah, you are going back in time. What 1950 or so for a 9N.

My opinion and my opinion only, no way- not on a bet-- not to save my hide --- would I bush hog in heavy cover with a 9N. I might add that I have never done it on a 9N but I for danged sure have done it on an 8N, still have the nightmares.

Why?

Well 9N great little tractor, good weight to HP, it can pull like a demon-- but it has no live hydraulics and no live PTO.

What does that mean? Simply, for the hydraulic arms to lift, the tractor has to be in gear with the clutch out. So picture yourself in heavy woods trying to cut, your bush hog is to low to the ground, fixing to hit a stump, in order to lift the bush hog over the stump you basicly have to be moving either forward or backward. In other words literally driving yourself into the stump praying that the lift raises fast enough to miss the stump.

I'll have to check to be sure but I don't think the PTO turns in nuetral either, in other words, clutch has to be out and tractor moving for bush hog to turn.

Other considerations, the transmission is 4 speed but the rear end is single range. So if you are bush hogging, to get 540 rpms on the PTO the engine is going to need to run some where around 2800 (if memory stands), at 2800 rpms in first gear your over the ground speed is going to be dangerous fast to be cutting in heavy growth where you can't see the ground or what is ahead of you. My experience with the Ford 4 speed is that 1st gear is to fast and second gear is to slow. But if you are cutting wide open pasture, it will do a good job.

Also, with a bush hog hooked on the back of that tractor, and your traveling across ground, with a sudden need to stop, good luck. The bush hog has enough kenetic energy stored in the blades to push the tractor ahead with brakes and clutch both down. IT WILL MAKE YOUR BOOTY CUT A BUTTON HOLE IN THE SEAT COVER!!!!!! You can get an "over ride clutch" that will prevent that. Cost about $60, fits on the PTO shaft. How it works-- basicly it only accepts power from one direction.

Now don't get me wrong, Ford 8Ns, 9N, Hundred series, 2000s, 3000s all were fine machines. What I am telling you is a 9N might not fit your need very well. It may cost a few more dollars to get what does fit, but you will only be spending your money once, and believe me you will be safer too.

Lots of those little CUT (Compact Utility Tractor) tractors out there, give'em a look see. Check out the grey trade Yanmars particularly the YM2000. Used Kubotas and such.

I can give you an invite to a "tractorforum.com"

or maybe a "mytractorforum.com" but I am not sure of the rules here pertaining to referals.

 

[twentynine]

By the way 1-2" sapling six inch spacing, I'd say roll baby roll. That bush hog will sound like a young war startin, but 1-2" saplings ain't to bad. Shucks weeds are bigger than that here. I've road down up to 4" chinese tallow trees, breaks'em off at the ground, then turn around and run back over'em with the hog turning.