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Compare walk behind field and brush mowers

16 years ago

I want to clear the brush in a wooded area, along a pond, and in an open field. I am looking at the walk behind field and brush mowers. There seem to be three groups of such mowers. DR makes a range of mowers with manual transmission and electric clutch for the blade; Snapper, Simplicity, and Ferris (all owned by Briggs Stratton) makes a mower with hydrostatic transmission and manual clutch for the blade; and finally Swisher makes the cheapest ($1200). Has anyone looked at these with respect to value, ease of use, and durability? My local rental place has a Swisher so at least I can give it a try. The DR and Snapper are around $3000. The way DR advertises they have to charge a lot for theirs, so to me it seems the price is high.

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Comments (4)

jerseybob_gw
16 years ago
A friend of mine has the Dr mower. I've seen it in action, it runs through everything. He swears by it.
He has the snow thrower attachment for it.
He wants to get their chipper next to replace his old Tomahawk.
krislu2003
16 years ago
The DR does have a good reputation. I know Billygoat makes one too and I have read good about it too. I don't know the price but you might want to give it a look. How often are you going to use it? Maybe renting one would be better or you could look for an old Gravely. They can be had cheap and their absolute tanks. - Kris
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Your old Snapper was from the 1950's and would be a collectible today. It was good for rough cutting because the blade was belt driven and provided a degree of slip, should you hit something. Most rotary mowers today are hard coupled, meaning the blade is keyed and bolted to the crankshaft. You might consider a mower with a blade-brake-clutch (BBC). These provide a measure of protection for the engine should you hit a rock or stump. As for the roller/skid arrangement, I'm not sure anyone has something like that. Another approach mighted be one of the wheeled string trimmers. They usually have a 5 to 8hp engine and spin very heavy line, and can knock down anything organic up to about 2" dia. Hope this helps.
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I have a HRX217HXA mower. The transmission cable broke and was replaced under warranty a year ago (with original type cable). It broke again and they replaced it with the new cable/kit. Now the mower self propelled speed is very slow. Tried adjusting the cable per the owner's manual and still slow. Trying to advance the cable to gain speed and then the rear wheels lock when you try to pull the mower backwards (drive disengaged of course). Took it back to the dealer ( A Harley/Honda dealer where I bought it) and they called and told me there is nothing wrong. Any Suggestions? Will a slipping belt cause a loss of speed? How important is the two control cable bands? ( I made sure they were at the right places when I adjusted it, and then as the mechanic had told me after the cable change that they sometimes hurt more than helped I removed them, but still same slow speed) When I go get it tomorrow (a 70 mile round trip) I will try it out and if still slow show your previous suggestions (for other models) to them. Thanks, Cliff
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I'm sure that there is much info comparing a battery vs fuel powered mower out there. Battery mowers typically start and run and need less maintenance. There still seem to be trade offs such as less power for bagging or heavy grass. When batteries or circuit boards fail, expect the cost to be higher, but hopefully that's 5 years plus down the road. For gas engine mowers, I tell people to buy one with either a Honda or better Briggs engine. If one keeps fuel treated and can do basic maintenance - you will be able to keep the repairman away for a while. So were you thinking of a mower that bags, mulches or simply discharges the clippings out the side? Self propel?
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For QUIET, you have to go with the Honda engine, either on a Xenoy or cast-aluminum deck. You're right, the Toro 'Super bagger' and Lawn-Boy 10795 are the same, except the Lawn-Boy was first by several years, so technically the 'Super Bagger' is a clone of the 10795. I would go with the LB 10795 because you might be able to get a close-out deal on one. Although the Xenoy decks are great, they are somewhat flexible. The thick cast-aluminum deck on the LB/Toro is rigid and soaks up just as much noise and vibration. The GVC160 is plenty of engine - the 190cc is pretty much overkill. The dual-blade Quadracut system on the Honda causes some problems in mulching and requires more maintenance, while the LB/Toro uses the reliable 'Atomic' blade. The Honda has better wheels - bigger and ball-bearing. The LB/Toro is lighter. Tough choice, but I like the combination of the GVC engine on the aluminum deck.
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nod702
16 years ago
I purchased the commercial DR Field and Brush Mower last year. The price was kinda steep, but it does everything it's advertised to do. I'm very satisfied with it.
steve_tn_2008
15 years ago
We bought the DR 12.5Hp electric start model when it first came out, worked it pretty hard at first clearing some overgrown land. The machine does pretty much everything DR says it will, but reliability was a problem. Think they have fixed many of the problems in later models, and we have received a number of upgrade kits from DR over the years. Principal weakness is that the underside of the machine (where the wheel drive belt and chain are located) is open, and if a stick pops up in the wrong area it either flips the wheel drive V-belt (mower won't go out of gear) or breaks the chain (have to drag the dang thing back to where you can replace the chain). Hazel nut bushes are the worst, the stalks are tough and tend to spring back up under the machine and cause havoc. Machine eats black berry bushes and 6' tall Johnson grass like its going out of style.

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