New DR Brush mower

[deadeye]

Last fall the motor on the Swisher brush mower blew up.  I didn't think is was worth a new motor so we bought a new DR Tow Behind Brush Mower.  After some modifications we put it through some preliminary test and I think it will work just fine.  Once I got the new one squared away, I started checking out the old Swisher and was surprised to see it's in pretty good shape for what we put it through.  I found a new replacement motor (actually a couple hp bigger) for $370 plus $50 shipping.  I installed the new motor and it's now off and running.  Two mowers, twice the fun.

[HD]

Cool! How wide is the cut?

[Boar]

man i would love a brush mower.

[deadeye]

Its a 44 inch cut just like the Swisher.  Boar, there is nothing like it for making and maintain trails.  We put the Swisher through the paces for 12 years and now it has new life with the new motor. Cool beans. 

[glenn57]

man i would love a brush mower.

why?? your wife wants to use it.

[Auggie]

We have one for the skidloader. Hydraulic, if you can push it over you can cut it off....including steel fence posts

[deadeye]

Auggie,
Yes, that would be a great tool.  However, much of my land is not accessible with a skid loader, except in winter. 

[Rebel SS]

Is that a Briggs Intek? What size did you go with?

[HD]

What did it cost ya?

[glenn57]

MY NEW TO ME STEPDAD has 300 acres near new richmond wisc and has like 3 1/2 miles of trails threw mostly wooded terrian he mows. never did see the gadget he uses. his property butts up to the apple river but is up from the tuber zones.........dang!

[deadeye]

I bought the DR tow behind brush mower 44" cut from Runnings.  We paid $1700 for it.  It's a 344 CC Briggs motor.  Depending on where you look it's either 10.5 or 12.5 hp.  They made a change on how motors are rated back in 2013.  This one would be a 12.5 back then.  If you look at the DR or Country home products site, they do not list this motor option.  I believe they have 16 and 20 hp models.  They make this one (everything the same except motor) for places like Runnings so they can sell them cheaper.  They get $3200 for the 16 HP model and I because we got along fine with the 10.5 HP on the swisher, we didn't think it was worth $1500 to get a bigger motor.  Besides, if I want, I can buy a new Briggs 17 hp for around $600.  Along with food plots, we mow and maintain around 9 miles of trails mostly through wooded uneven terrain.  It's a life saver for making and maintaining trails.  I guess that's why we bought a new one before seeing if the old one was worth fixing. 

[ray634]

My cousin got the swisher from fleet farm and after 3 years the bearings went out on the blade shaft. replaced bearings and went out again. ordered new hub assembly, and lasted a year. now they had it built up and hopefully it will hold. It seemed like the bearing housing would wear out around the races.

[dakids]

Nice!  Are you going to want help with your trails this year.  Might be able to get one of my boys to help.  They want to shoot the doe that's coming into our back yard.  They have even tried shooting my bow.

[HD]

I'm thinking that I need 3 of these, and run them in tandem.....