Big wheel string trimmers

TresCrows · Mar 8, 2002

OK, does anyone know anything about the Swisher brand 6 horse Ranch King 22 inch Briggs powered big wheel string trimmer? It looks OK to me and has a swiveling front shaft for trimming and stuff. If not what is a good fairly heavy duty unit?
Now, I realize this particular area of TBN is populated by my Garden Web fan club but was thinking that perhaps someone other than them know something/anything about lawn care products and equipment being as we are just Compact tractor wussies or whatever that was all about.
Soooooo, who has what when it comes to big wheel string trimmers. Let me tell ya, what I want is a PTO powered 48 inch string trimmer or better yet one I can mount on the FEL arms in place of the bucket even if it had to have it's own (Honda for you know who) engine, about 10 horsepower or more, shaft driven from the center PTO would be my first choice. Now that would be my kinda big wheel string trimmer. Yipee ka yeah, get along little 'bota!
J

Bird · Mar 9, 2002

TresCrows, I haven't seen the Swisher, but like you, wish I had one that mounted on the tractor. However, I've got the DR trimmer/mower (sounds like the same size and engine). Mine will be 4 years old in a couple of months. I don't think you can beat the DR for quality, or the service from the Country Home Products people, but I do think they're over priced. I suspect their advertising budget far exceeds the production budget./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Thomas · Mar 9, 2002

I tried one from Sears and yes it does a nice job on somewhat even ground.
If your planing to do steep slopes or trim under lot of trees or ditches,and hand held trimmer does a better job for you can get in closer.

Thomas · Mar 9, 2002

Indeed Bird DR products are very well made and stand 100% behind there products,like there chipper in which I like to purchase..but the price tags do make one stop and think. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif
I visit the DR store in Vergennes,VT and the staff was just plain great..the saleman told me to get all my limbing done than come back and try there chipper out for 30 days at no cost /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif now is that catering to a pre customer or not.

I didn't take him up on his offer for I knew I would be sending a check for $2,495.oo plus tax.

s1120 · Mar 9, 2002

Ya the DR stuff does look nice. I could REALY use one of those brushcutters, but just cant see spending that kind of money at this time. And you NEVER find a used one.

Thomas · Mar 9, 2002

Saw one of those beast in action at the store in VT.
Inch to inch half it ate it right up and tall hay no problem,but you got to hang on for the unit has a mine of its own at times.

TresCrows · Mar 9, 2002

The problem with handheld trimmers, I have several, is that the string always breaks off in the spool and they are a pain in the rear coupled with a tiny engine, heavy weeds are too much for them. I fgured a 6 horsepower big wheel could take out the sunflowers and other stuff that spring up along my banks and ditches and down in the lagoon. OK, maybe a flame thrower is what I need! Neither tractor can get in the lagoon, or my side ditch but the BX did reconfigure my front ditch such that it is 90 percent mowable. backing the new KK brushcutter into certain areas will be a big help but there are still many areas that are essentially tractor proofed by nature and a walk behind trail cutter or rotary brush cutter is expensive and not sure that is a solution either. Nature has it's place, just not in my ditches!
J

Harv · Mar 9, 2002

And you NEVER find a used one (DR Brush Cutter)

Keep an eye on their <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.countryhomeproducts.com:80/onenavbar.asp?sf=outlethome%2Ehtml&mscsid=NNL83QJP1R1Q8GHP9X32RL3QLGG163C3>Outlet Store</A> or give them a call from time to time. I got my DR Trimmer/Mower as a refurbished unit which I only found out about when I called to order one. Still a little pricey, but it allowed me to step up to a better model than I could afford otherwise.

Looked like new when I got it and, like Bird's, mine is going on its fourth year of excellent service.

FYI -- I just posted an <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/47-116247-WeedWhacking.jpg>"action" shot</A> of the thing in another thread.

Bird · Mar 9, 2002

Thomas, of course I haven't visited in person, but they've always been very nice to deal with on the phone. try there chipper out for 30 days at no cost Yeah, darn it, I've have never paid that much for mine if it hadn't been for their offer for a 30 day "free" trial, and I kept it. Then they sent me the literature when they came out with the new head and I didn't order it; too expensive. So they sent me more literature and a letter that if I'd buy it and didn't like it, I could keep it and they'd still refund my money. I let'em keep the money./w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif

Harv · Mar 9, 2002

they came out with the new head and I didn't order it; too expensive

Yeah, I balked at the price, too, Bird, but I remembered some cold mornings when I was trying to load new line on the old head and decided to give the new one a try (that's back when I had money

).

Turns out it's a pretty rugged piece, was easy to attach, and it's so easy to reload now. I'm really glad I got it.

I had to re-read this thread to figure out if you actually like your DR, but it sounds like you like it just fine. Like me, you'd probably like it even better if it didn't trim your pocketbook as well as it trims the weeds.

bigpete · Mar 9, 2002

J,

This may be "out of school" for you, but have you considered finding a good used Gravely two-wheel tractor? Those bad-boys were the Swiss Army knife of any serious gardener and estate rancher from the 30's to the 70's. I think they made every conceivable attachment and you might even find that flame thrower you were musing about earlier. There are tales of the awesome power of those things such as stripping the bark off trees at thirty yards while snowblowing a gravel driveway.

Here are a couple of good-looking old "L" series, one with a finish mower and one with a brush hog attachment that would probably scare saplings and scrub so badly they wouldn't even consider germination--just park it near your lagoon for preemergent protection.

Have fun

Bird · Mar 9, 2002

Yep, Harv, I've definitely worked mine and it's held up as well as could be expected; maybe better. I've had to replace the drive belt (twice), but it was probably my fault for running over something that got pulleys out of line, and last summer I replaced the idler pulley because the bearing was getting some slack in it. I called and ordered a belt and pulley at the same time, but the other time I needed a belt, when I called, the lady told me she could send one, or. . . and she gave me the Gates belt number to just buy it at the local parts house.

And I've used a little of that 155 line you have on yours, but not much. It's great for heavy work, but you'll sure take all the bark off the trees you trim around if you aren't careful. I use a lot of the 130 line and for trimming just grass in the yard and around the house, I frequently just use 105 line. I also cut my line an inch longer than the manufacturer recommendations; don't have to change it quite as often./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

TresCrows · Mar 9, 2002

Those are nice looking units similar to a number of walk behind trail cutters and brush cutter on the market today at fairly high price. I have never seen a Gravely, I think those must be regionaly popular. Unfortunately, me and used equipment do not fair well together, back home I just kicked relunctant machinery down the hill and then let the Spring rise from the river sweep it away, here it just lays about rusting.
J

bigpete · Mar 9, 2002

Gravelys were originally built in North Carolina, I think. Ariens bought the company out in the 1980s. Gravelys are still manufactured, some models are still built on the original design model.

The Pro two-wheeler is still around.
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.gravely.com/RPro2/>http://www.gravely.com/RPro2/</A>

RonL · Mar 10, 2002

bigpete

First off, excellent pictures, excellent machines. Now some questions. Is the brush hog attachment still available? Is Ariens pushing the Gravely 2 wheel tractor? I went to a gravely dealer two years ago and it was as if I was bothering him asking about the two wheel tractors.

RonL

Thomas · Mar 10, 2002

Whats the piece of equipment to right of the photo..a small dozer. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

s1120 · Mar 10, 2002

Those are some nice looking units. Are they yours? I have been looking for an old fix it up walk behind for a wile. First I love to fix old stuff, secound is that they will be a LOT cheeper then the DR's.

bigpete · Mar 10, 2002

Unfortunately, those L's are not mine. I have been sniffing around for a two-wheeler as a second-string member of my foliage assault team. I saved those photos from another club a long time ago.

Gravely does still offer the brush hog attachment. You can see the full line and most attachments at their website.

If you manage to find an old L series, I know they made a few models of brush hogs, sickle bar attachments, and even a 30" horizontal circular saw--one mean looking liability lawsuit waiting to happen. Of course I want one. I have even seen these units with log splitter, generators, pumps, you name it. A lot of guys put duals on the back and I have also seen some with tracks (I don't think that is what is off the margin of the above photo, though)

There are several dealers in my area that carry the Gravely line, but I use the terem "carry" kinda' loosely. I have only seen a couple of two-wheeles and Pro G four-wheelers over the last four years. I think anytime a dealer carries a line like this their margins are tighter and they are less willing to tie up precious capital in what they believe is a slow mover. I will say that Gravely is one of the lines that I would still feel comfortable buying a unit sight unseen by specs only.

If you are looking seriously there is a Yahoo club dedicated to tech talk and another dedicated to classified ads.

Regards,
Pete

fractal · Mar 26, 2002

I really like my sears 4 1/2 hp string trimmer. I bought it last year after I spent 8 hrs with a ryobi 31 cc trimmer doing the weeds on our hill. I spent 1 1/2 hrs with the sears doing the same job with equal size weeds this yr. My only complaint with the sears is the strings tend to break if you get into 1 inch material (or a tomato cage ...). They take 30 seconds to replace but you have to stop the motor, tilt it over and replace them. Then again, the "auto feed" on the ryobi is a joke and the string is always breaking off inside the hub and ...

There is no doubt that a bush hog is a better tool for large flat areas or that a powered wheel tool would be better for open areas on a slope where you can't (don't want to) take a tractor. I like the light weight sears for the perimeter of my avocado orchard on a hill that is too steep for the power wheel trimmers with small plateus of weeds that a hand held string trimmer worked too hard at and a fixed blade lawn mower was inapropriate due to rough ground.

Each tool has its own place around these parts.

PhilNH5 · Mar 26, 2002

TresCrows,
I own a Sears 6.5hp wheeled trimmer. Like most things it has its good and bad points. I have a few trails I keep clear with the wheeled trimmer. Gound is rocky and uneven and the trimmer handles it no problem. Same for a couple of semi-wild spots. Works great.

But I brought it to help cut a pond bank and it is not very good for that. The trimmer head does not tilt ie on level ground the head is always perpendicular to the ground. On the sloping pond bank it is often the head is often to high make a difference. I also find that for the same reason it is not much of a "finish" trimmer. I can't angle the head close enough to the fence, rocks or what ever I am trimming around.

I found that it has only reduced the use of my straight shaft string trimmer by about 20%. May be it would be more usable if the head angle could be adjusted. But it is not and if I had it to do over I would not spend the money. Maybe go with one of those hovering Husq line movers for the pond bank.

I remeber you from the gardenweb. Lots of good people left or thrown off due to poor/unfair moderation. I still go back and read posts (Hard habit to break after 3 yrs) but I would never register there. A while back all the gardenwebbers got **** email spam. Bunch of threads about the **** popped up on all the forums I frequent. Some Gwers had hotmail, Yahoo etc accounts the used solely on the GW. So they basically proved all the **** spam came from the GW. No apology or explaination from Spike and all those threads disappeared. Plus some of the users. Plus the followup threads. Not nicely done at all. Seems much better here in the short time I have been here.

Phil