# dr trimmer



## Simpleton (May 3, 2004)

Anybody using one of these? http://www.drpower.com/twostepmodels.aspx?name=trimmermower2step&page=trmmodels&bn-buynow
I'm thinking it might be a "good enough" solution to trailside vegetation,at least the non-woody variety, on our Iowa singletrack.

Having only seen a few online videos, here are my thoughts so far:

Pros: 
fairly light, maneuverable
will fit in a car
much less expensive than the DR brush Mower

Cons:
Won't cut woody plants
will leave cut plants lying on the trail whereas a mower would blow them away from the trail

Unanswered questions:
How would this tool handle brambles (blackberry, raspberry, small multiflora rose) ?
How wide of a swath does it really cut? (claimed is 21-24" IIRC)

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, experiences, large monetary donations etc 

Matt


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## Walt Dizzy (Aug 18, 2003)

My $0.02:

It really depends on what your trails are like and what is growing next to them.

String trimmers haven't worked well for us, but I have to admit I haven't tried a walk-behind unit. "My" trail is in woods and has endless brush. A hand-held string trimmer suffers broken string repeatedly at the drum because the string wraps around the brush stem and breaks. I have to disassemble the spool mechanism every time this happens. Makes for very slow going.

A steel blade works better for the brush, but is not as effective as string for weeds.

Then there is the spray. The mess is tolerable, but poison ivy and wild parsnip are nasty.

For power equipment, we're looking at a gas-powered hedge trimmer:

http://www.stihlusa.com/hedgetrimmers/HL100-135.html

This will be used in combination with a DR brush cutter to deal with a couple of miles of trail built in a prairie infested with raspberry.

I've purchased a scythe for my trail. So far, so good, but I don't have miles of heavily overgrown trail, just relatively short sections with raspberry and blackberry protected by brush.

Walt


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## special O (Mar 19, 2004)

We have a similar one (Bearcat 190cc) where I work and it does pretty well. Definitely faster than a string trimmer. Messy when the grass is very tender and wet in early spring. Very tall grass can also get wrapped up and clogged. It can handle blackberry and other small diameter vines pretty well as long as you don't mind the spray. My favorite is the billy goat brush mower but its not something you can fit in the car easily.

We also have a stihl combi-system 35cc power head with a trimmer head, hedge trimmer, and pole saw attachment. One of my favorite tools.


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

I've never worked anywhere that a string trimmer was of any use. I have had moderate success with a brush blade. Not the circular saw blade, but the 3 or 4 knife blade design. Even that was way slow compared to a hedge trimmer, which *will* cut grass if the blades are sharp and the grass is not really wet. The Stihl Combi system is probably the best bang for your buck when you're looking at power tools for trail work. Putting the hedge trimmer on the combi system's long handle will save your back compared to trying to use a hand held hedge trimmer (trust me, I know).

I don't know about Walt's idea of using a scythe. It seems a little far fetched to me. ;-)


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

Yes, it is very terrain and growth dependent. Our California coastal chaparral grows in like crazy in the spring, after the winter rains. It is a few kinds of sage, coyote brush, coffee berry, monkey flower, poison oak, deer weed, blackberry, scrub oak, chamise, two kinds of oak trees, and all kinds of other vines and stems and twigs. Power hedgers are the only thing that works. Note that the trail corridor is only 2.5 to 3 feet ahead of him and we are opening to about 5 feet wide. We also clear as high as we can reach with the hedger. We have to do this every spring or the trail will be choked closed in a year.


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## TunicaTrails (Jun 29, 2009)

Consider a Stihil FS250R. With a steel cutting wheel, it will cut shrubs, thick vines, and small saplings. It has great reach. With the traditional string trimmer head back on, it acts just like any other weed-eater when you need to clear only grass and briars.

https://www.stihlusa.com/trimmers/FS250R.html


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## donwatts (Aug 1, 2006)

I keep my trails cleared to 6 ft(3ft each side of center) using a self propelled DR Field and Brush Mower. If it will ride it over it will cut it and mulch it up. 2 inch sweet gum saplings are no problem.
http://www.drpower.com/field-brush-mower_walk-behind.aspx?tb-icon


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## Simpleton (May 3, 2004)

Thanks for all of your replies. I found a Billy Goat for rent locally & will give that a shot this weekend.


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

Simpleton said:


> Thanks for all of your replies. I found a Billy Goat for rent locally & will give that a shot this weekend.


I would be curious if there was any follow up.

CITA here in Des Moines has two of the DR Field and Brush mowers, but they are too large and difficult to maneuver through the narrow twisty singletrack such as all the off camber stuff at Banner Pits south of Des Moines.

Hand held string trimmers, the Stihl hedge trimmer attachments, push mowers, etc.... are all used.

I would be curious to know if a string trimmer like the DR or Craftsman walk behind trimmer could be a nice addition for trimming the forest floor along the side of singletrack.

Or the Husquarvana string trimmer mower looks light and easy to maneuver...

Shop Husqvarna 190-cc 22-in String Trimmer Mower at Lowes.com






Has anyone had luck with these walk behind string trimmers that are 'narrower' such as the Husquarvana so you can buzz through the singletrack pretty quickly to trim and maintain the side edges quite easily?

Obviously, renting something similar would answer all of my questions, but don't know if such beasts are available for rental in my area.

BB


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## aero901 (Apr 11, 2012)

Our club uses walk behind string trimmers (we have a couple Craftsmans and a DR model) for tall prairie grass and dense vegetation along local trails and they are a godsend compared to the hand-held string trimmers. They are not that difficult to maneuver, even in steeper terrain, and do a much better job cutting the tougher plants. Also much easier on the spine.


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

aero901 said:


> Our club uses walk behind string trimmers (we have a couple Craftsmans and a DR model) for tall prairie grass and dense vegetation along local trails and they are a godsend compared to the hand-held string trimmers. They are not that difficult to maneuver, even in steeper terrain, and do a much better job cutting the tougher plants. Also much easier on the spine.


That's the information I was looking for - thanks. Are your models operator push, or do they have the self-propelled function? I saw the Husquarvana today in a store and it is pretty light (felt lighter than a small push mower), but wondered what your club has and what you would recommend between the models you have tried.

TIA


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## aero901 (Apr 11, 2012)

I don't remember if ours are self propelled; I think not. Look for a machine with large wheels to help with rough terrain. Low weight would also be good if it isn't self propelled and the trails are hilly. They do work best on the flatter sections of trail. Steep side slopes are somewhat challenging because the cutter head is in plane with the axle and can't usually be positioned parallel to the hillside, when there is a bench cut, like a hand held string trimmer. In the DR manual it also warns against use on more than a 20 deg. slope or the engine lubrication system may fail to work properly (probably also applies to other units with similar engines).

Not sure of the model for the Craftsman (was purchased for ~$400) but the DR unit is very similar to the one shown here.

The machines have so far held up well. These were replacements for a couple of older units on which the engines had started losing power. I think these machines were +5 years old at that point and were also of lower quality. There were a few parts that needed replacement/repair over that time but overall durability didn't seem to be an issue. We did make a point to avoid the base models with the new machines and go with more powerful engines.


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

aero901 said:


> I don't remember if ours are self propelled; I think not. Look for a machine with large wheels to help with rough terrain. Low weight would also be good if it isn't self propelled and the trails are hilly. They do work best on the flatter sections of trail. Steep side slopes are somewhat challenging because the cutter head is in plane with the axle and can't usually be positioned parallel to the hillside, when there is a bench cut, like a hand held string trimmer. In the DR manual it also warns against use on more than a 20 deg. slope or the engine lubrication system may fail to work properly (probably also applies to other units with similar engines).
> 
> Not sure of the model for the Craftsman (was purchased for ~$400) but the DR unit is very similar to the one shown here.
> 
> The machines have so far held up well. These were replacements for a couple of older units on which the engines had started losing power. I think these machines were +5 years old at that point and were also of lower quality. There were a few parts that needed replacement/repair over that time but overall durability didn't seem to be an issue. We did make a point to avoid the base models with the new machines and go with more powerful engines.


Thanks. I watched a few videos from the various brands touting their models. One that looked particularly appealing has the ability to tilt at various angles to handle the not flat and bench cut. Of course, it costs a lot more than the simpler models, but would certainly handle the type of work I am looking for in one of these units. Narrow, light, and tilts....

Hopefully I will have a follow up to which solution wins the purchase!


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## aero901 (Apr 11, 2012)

One more thing that might be important to consider, the walk behind string trimmers can only trim things at ground level. With a hand held trimmer anything between 0-6 feet tall is game. We sometimes have to come behind the walk behinds with the hand held units and clean up the higher growth that they can't get. They do the majority of the work though.


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