Dr All terrain mower - works well for some small areas

[Bdavis]

I have some ditches and some small areas that I can't access with my Tractor and bush hog very often because they are too wet most of the year. I took a chance and bought a old DR ATM off of Craigslist to
see if it would be useful. I was pleasantly surprised the DR ATM does a real good job with it's swivel deck and soft tires. It is no substitute for a tractor and bush hog but it can be useful for some small wet areas.
I included some pictures of it cutting a old food plot and my ditches. Not sure if all DR mowers have a swivel deck like this model does but it sure makes it nice for cutting food plots and the bottom of ditches. I included some pictures below.

 

[AchingBack]

I've owned two DR mowers. Yours looks to have been modified, referring to the blade on the left side of the deck. I don't get it. I believe it is an owner modification. Curious, indeed. These are great machines. Just keep it greased well. You may be able to get an owner's manual if you didn't get one when you bought it.

 

[Ken45101]

That looks factor standard to me. Ours is a dozen years old. It just looks like it is sitting on a piece of metal.

They are very capable machines, but also can be a lot of work to manhandle in rough terrain. We have used mine to mow miles of horse trails in state forests. It wore out several of us old geezers. But we haven't found much that it won't mow.

 

[AchingBack]

After looking again, it is sitting on a block of wood.

 

[Ken45101]

It is missing the cover that goes over the deck pulley.

 

[bigtiller]

Does it have a pressurised oil system or a splash bath? The reason I ask is because I am looking for something to mow the sides of the ditches which are way to steep, my 2720 would tip over.

 

[SimS]

Mine is powered by a Kawasaki that does have a full pressure oil system. I think they are 17 -18 horsepower.

SimS

 

[Ken45101]

Does it have a pressurised oil system or a splash bath? The reason I ask is because I am looking for something to mow the sides of the ditches which are way to steep, my 2720 would tip over.

I don't know about the oil system, but I have rolled my DR mower! They are not tip proof!

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Does it have a pressurised oil system or a splash bath? The reason I ask is because I am looking for something to mow the sides of the ditches which are way to steep, my 2720 would tip over.

Same here and it is a hoss. With the heavy two sided 30" it will walk through some good size bushes.

As a rule if it has an oil filter it has an oil pump in the engine on modern small engines.

 

[bigtiller]

I've been looking at their web site, the 30 inch one looks interesting.

 

[clemsonfor]

Is that food plot wet? It does not look so wet? Would a riding mower not cut that foodplot on the highest setting? That looks like an awfull lot of work to mow a food plot!!

 

[Bdavis]

Is that food plot wet? It does not look so wet? Would a riding mower not cut that foodplot on the highest setting? That looks like an awfull lot of work to mow a food plot!!

You are correct to much work, That is why I don't even try to cut all of it just some trails and some of the areas that grow sumac trees rapidly. This is the first year that I even tried to cut the trails. I have been just cutting it once a year with the bush hog but it is getting out of hand . So I am trying roundup
and the DR just to keep some areas in check until I can start cutting it more often.

The food plot is dry, unfortunately it is almost surrounded by a swamp.
I have one access road that is in really bad shape, so I can only get back there a very limited time in the year. The food plot was made from pine cutover with a bulldozer I think and it is really bad even with my tractor. No way my rider could work.


By the way it started raining right after I took those pictures and came down in buckets I had to wade through ankle deep water for a pretty good stretch just to get the DR out.

Really need to get the access road repaired but it is going to take some time and with everything else going on low priority at this point.
Thanks

 

[Bdavis]

Does it have a pressurised oil system or a splash bath? The reason I ask is because I am looking for something to mow the sides of the ditches which are way to steep, my 2720 would tip over.

I think this old one is splash bath but I know they make a pressurized oil system version. I am hoping I really do not have to use it very long or very often until I can get my land a little more manageable. It will work you but it will cut down most anything
you can push over with it.
It sure beats a bushwacker blade on string trimmer !

 

[bigtiller]

I'm getting the feeling from this thread that it is a lot more work than I thought it would be. Maybe I will go back to my original thought to get a rotary cutter and let it hang over the edges of the ditch and call it good enough. It's only 500 feet long and the waterway in the field is 900 feet, both are about 30 feet wide.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I'm getting the feeling from this thread that it is a lot more work than I thought it would be. Maybe I will go back to my original thought to get a rotary cutter and let it hang over the edges of the ditch and call it good enough. It's only 500 feet long and the waterway in the field is 900 feet, both are about 30 feet wide.

Hey get the DR they almost run themselves.

Misery loves company.

 

[Bdavis]

I'm getting the feeling from this thread that it is a lot more work than I thought it would be. Maybe I will go back to my original thought to get a rotary cutter and let it hang over the edges of the ditch and call it good enough. It's only 500 feet long and the waterway in the field is 900 feet, both are about 30 feet wide.

I would go with your original thought too. That is way to much walking for me. I originally got this one just to cut the bottom and about 1 foot up on each side of my ditches. I cut the rest of the sides with my riding lawnmower. I only have about 500 feet of ditches so that works fine.

My rider was down for repairs last time so I had to use the DR for all of the sides of my ditches and the bottoms. Not fun at all , got the riding mower fixed this week so I am some happy
Good luck

 

[Gale Hawkins]

We have the 42" grass mowing deck as well and because the DR does not have steering brakes it is a bear to turn around or keep straight on a hill side. We used our 10-15 hours during the month of April whipping my sister's place into shape before her auction. The son mowed a 10' path to the back side that was more like a mile long since was was almost horse shoe shaped. He could keep up with it wide open and in fourth gear but I can not walk that fast for very long. 4th is about the speed of an 800 Ford in 3rd gear at 1800 RPM.

Where ours really shines is mowing off property lines where I would not even take the 4x4 Polaris Magnum and trees that are not larger than a silver dollar at the ground.

 

[Richard Wazeter]

Have had mine since about 1991 and it is a work horse. The one thing I do not like about my model is that it has thin bicycle type wheels, not the much wider ones that you see on the newer models. I guess that I might be able to find wider tires and wheels to fit it, but why? Am getting a tractor with a cutter attachment to do what I used to do with the DR.

Richard

 

[TMR]

I purchased a new DR last spring after looking for many years. One of my projects is about a 1/4 mile ditch bank. I managed to work the bottom and quite a bit up on the side hill. Two things happened...it got harder to keep on the hill and keep from over turning and I ran out of gas The DR is a beast...but lots of strength and effort in difficult side hills. I also cut a couple of 1/4 miles trails (Ranger width) through mostly small trees and brush clumps. While that was work, it was very effective and not nearly as much effort involved as when you get that monster on a side hill near the tipping point. I had planned a couple of additional passes on the steeper part of the hill...but the rain came and the ditch was wet the rest of the fall...will try again next year. What I did complete is great...may have to use a brush saw on the steepest part of the bank. The DR is a special purpose tool...works great for my applications.

 

[AchingBack]

When mowing slopes, go up and down, not sideways. My DR 12.5 HP is one of the smaller, older models, and I believe it does just as good of a job as the newer, heavier, higher HP units. Still, if I were to try wrestling with it on a side slope; it would be a battle.