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DR Field and Brush Mower

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Blueman
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 243 Washington, PA
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2006-11-07          136656

My dad and I have looked at one of these for a long time as a way to get some places where we couldn't with the Boomer and 6' Bush Hog. I bought one used last week, 17HP, came with a snow blower attachment, and a snow blade. It only has 83 hours on it, and the previous owner took meticulous care of it, and had all the manuals, maintenance kits, oversize gas tank, etc.
So, I felt compelled to try it out immediately on my overgrown 30 degree slope that I would never try my CUT on. I guess I was disappointed...I didn't put the chains on the machine, but it didn't have enough weight to give it enough traction to climb the hill. I know I will have to get used to it, and what capabilities it has. On the plus side, it cuts anything you can get it to climb over. Has anyone used one? I have some areas that I want to try to clear out (undergrowth, etc.) that I can't get the tractor into. It would take forever with the brush blade on my Stihl trimmer.



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DR Field and Brush Mower

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2006-11-07          136660

I've never used one of these cutters but had my suspicions about traction and effectivness on such a slope. I bet it would do much better with chains installed. I have found the best way to cut areas such as this that are very steep is to put the tractor in 4WD and back up the slope perpendicular to it very slowly. I am able to cut the dam on my pond this way and cut about 95% of the slope and clean up the rest with my Stihl FS 450K brush clearing saw and FS 36 trimmer. My pond's dam is pert near 45% and it took a good bit of experimenting and recalibrating my SOTPTM not to soil my draws. I think doing this would be a lot more tricky if I did not have hydrostatic drive that allows me to be very gradual and smooth. ....

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DR Field and Brush Mower

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Blueman
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 243 Washington, PA
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2006-11-07          136665

I've tried doing some steep work with my tractor and bush hog...ONE of the problems I've encountered is my industrial (P.O.S.) tires....I might be backing up the hill just fine...lose traction, and then have soiled underwear on the way back down the hill... ....

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2006-11-07          136667

I have the R-4 industrial tires too. The trick is to keep the weight of the rotary cutter on the 3 pt. hitch as much as is possible while on the steep stuff. The inevitable slip will still happend from time to time. ....

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2006-11-07          136673

Hmmm, this sounds familiar. I have 45 degree, weedy, sandy slopes next to the house that are too small/short/tight to cut with the tractor.

I have been cutting these weeds with a high wheel hand mower, a weed wacker or anything I could maneuver into the area.

So than a couple months ago I found a hot deal on a self propelled John Deere mower and unlike most others I had seen it had rear wheel drive. And it was the right color.

Thought it was just the ticket.... no more struggling to push/pull a mower up/down those slopes. BUT....you guessed it... the drive wheels just spin or sink into the sand, leaving me with a much heavier machine to push up the slopes.

Next spring I will try rigging it up some dual wheels or something........

If I can't make it work it will be a real nice gift to a aging relative with a lawn down in the valley.

....

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yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan
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2006-11-07          136703

I mow 45 degree angle ditchbank slopes all of the time with a lawn and garden tractor. I hit them sideways with my butt on the high fender and do about a 1/4 mile long stretch. Have done it now for about 20 years. The ground however is firm and smooth. ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2006-11-07          136709

On slopes I use round-up :) ....

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SG8NUC
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 579 g
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2006-11-07          136716

amend on the round up brush killer. ....

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