John Fraser
Well-known member
Hello,
I haven't posted in quite a while, but have been checking in from time to time and have enjoyed seeing what you're all up to. I hope you're doing well and enjoying winter.
I am looking to purchase a mower for work and thought that this group may be knowledgeable on the subject. We have a growing list of wetland restoration sites that need annual mowing along berms and access trails. Recently the costs to hire this work out have about doubled and our insurance requirements often prevent us from hiring a neighbor. So this winter we started looking into tractors and flail mowers. In the future this tractor would also be used for other, larger tasks like seeding. Unfortunately a tractor is not in the cards for us this year, as we still need to find a good tow vehicle and barn to store it in. We do have a Can-Am 650 ATV and a good sized trailer to tow it on, so I have been looking into the tow behind "DR" style mowers for that. Not having experience with ATV mowers before, I thought that DR was THE mower. I now realize that there's different makes and styles out there. Like I mentioned previously, this mower would typically be used to mow annually, so the grass could be waist high. A typical site would have 2-3 acres to mow at a time. Additionally I would like the capability to mow some light brush on occasion. So here are some questions I have.
I see that DR, Swisher, and Kuhn all make this style of mower. Is there one brand that's way better or worse than the others in terms of performance and reliability? Are there any other features or reasons to choose one over the other?
I did read reviews for DR and Swisher. Both had some complaints of breakdowns. However I do think that reviews can be slanted towards the unhappy customers, plus I can't really tell if they took care of their equipment or if they abused it. I also saw a comment about the DR bogging down because it didn't have any opening for rear or side discharge. The Swisher and Kuhn both have a rear discharge. As far as gauge of the steel deck; Kuhn is 8, Swisher is 11, and DR is 12.
Two wheel versus four wheels? Several of the Swisher models are two wheeled. Most of the other mowers have four. Any opinions?
Engine preference? Most of these mowers come with Briggs and Stratton engines, though some of the Swishers have Kawasaki. I don't have any experience with Kawasaki. I have heard some complaints about Briggs over the years and have owned a few that had issues. However most of my Briggs that I did take good care of (and even some that I've neglected) have continued to run without issue.
Mowing width? Many of the mowers are 44" wide and our ATV is 48" wide. Is the couple extra inches of ATV tires hanging out a big issue? They do make wider models (52"-57") which should save time, but they do cost a bit more and I wonder if they're more likely to bog down.
Thank you for any answers or other experience/opinions that you can provide.
- John
I haven't posted in quite a while, but have been checking in from time to time and have enjoyed seeing what you're all up to. I hope you're doing well and enjoying winter.
I am looking to purchase a mower for work and thought that this group may be knowledgeable on the subject. We have a growing list of wetland restoration sites that need annual mowing along berms and access trails. Recently the costs to hire this work out have about doubled and our insurance requirements often prevent us from hiring a neighbor. So this winter we started looking into tractors and flail mowers. In the future this tractor would also be used for other, larger tasks like seeding. Unfortunately a tractor is not in the cards for us this year, as we still need to find a good tow vehicle and barn to store it in. We do have a Can-Am 650 ATV and a good sized trailer to tow it on, so I have been looking into the tow behind "DR" style mowers for that. Not having experience with ATV mowers before, I thought that DR was THE mower. I now realize that there's different makes and styles out there. Like I mentioned previously, this mower would typically be used to mow annually, so the grass could be waist high. A typical site would have 2-3 acres to mow at a time. Additionally I would like the capability to mow some light brush on occasion. So here are some questions I have.
I see that DR, Swisher, and Kuhn all make this style of mower. Is there one brand that's way better or worse than the others in terms of performance and reliability? Are there any other features or reasons to choose one over the other?
I did read reviews for DR and Swisher. Both had some complaints of breakdowns. However I do think that reviews can be slanted towards the unhappy customers, plus I can't really tell if they took care of their equipment or if they abused it. I also saw a comment about the DR bogging down because it didn't have any opening for rear or side discharge. The Swisher and Kuhn both have a rear discharge. As far as gauge of the steel deck; Kuhn is 8, Swisher is 11, and DR is 12.
Two wheel versus four wheels? Several of the Swisher models are two wheeled. Most of the other mowers have four. Any opinions?
Engine preference? Most of these mowers come with Briggs and Stratton engines, though some of the Swishers have Kawasaki. I don't have any experience with Kawasaki. I have heard some complaints about Briggs over the years and have owned a few that had issues. However most of my Briggs that I did take good care of (and even some that I've neglected) have continued to run without issue.
Mowing width? Many of the mowers are 44" wide and our ATV is 48" wide. Is the couple extra inches of ATV tires hanging out a big issue? They do make wider models (52"-57") which should save time, but they do cost a bit more and I wonder if they're more likely to bog down.
Thank you for any answers or other experience/opinions that you can provide.
- John