I bought mine in 2001 and still using it! Changed the 10.5hp briggs out, with a 18hp v-twin briggs I got for free, off of a riding mower that was given to me. Great cutting brush-hog!
@@ryanparsley6494 I have since gotten rid of it. Man, that was a long time ago but if I remember right, the bolt holes lined straight up. I mounted a short wooden 4x4 to the front cross bar to mount solenoid, key switch and choke. I welded up a little frame for the gas tank. Battery rested on top of deck and was bungee'd to level bar. I liked the 10.5 hp that came on it, but the 18 hp just had more power.
I use this model. It is better if you mow regularly with this machine. Mowing the high stuff that had been left a couple of years gets over its capacity for sure. It is good to get out twice a year. Then it is great. Mow before it gets too high. The tall grass and brush gets wound up and breaks belts after burning them. As soon as it lags just flip the key off and keep driving with the belt spinning down. If you flip the belt release it can hang of the belt, then it breaks when engaged again. Little tricks I have learned.
I wish I had DR rough-cut mower. Instead, a couple months ago I purchased a Swisher brush mower which is 448 pounds and tires on the unit unable to carry the weight effectively. First time mowing and had a flat. Following day, noticed the other tire was half deflated. Also, drinks gasoline fast. Furthermore, raising and lowering and leveling machine complicated. One last thing, due to only two flimsy, small wheels to support mower; I found that scalping ground with mower blades happens on rough ground. My previous brush mower with four wheels mowed the same area and never ever scalped the ground.
The description I read about the Swisher mower I am looking at states it will cut up to 3" saplings. Have you found that to be true with yours? I do plan to run over tress necessarily, but my property does have broken limbs laying on the ground that would be easier if I can just run over them.
Do you still have the rough mower? I just purchased 1 21 hp rough cut by swisher and was wondering if your is doing such a great job, did I get to much mower?
I have the Swisher finish cut version, Ranch King 44 inch cut, w twin blades, it is the worst designed piece of crap ever made, the belt tensioner used to engage/disengage the blade puts such a back bend on the belt that it will cause the belt to crack inside and eventually a large chunk of the belt will break out leaving just the outside of the belt and soon breaks, to put a new belt on takes more time than it will last, Also the engines that are installed on them is a piece of crap too especially if it is the anti-vibration type. Keep in mind the unit I bought had less than 10 hours total time on it before it totally blew up, due to the counter weight connecting rod being made of very thin cast iron that is connected to a 4 pound weight which when running puts undue stress on that part and once it broke, destroyed the interior of the engine, also I had replace 6 belts during that period of time before the engine blew up. I can now see why a lot of people refers to Briggs and Stratton as Briggs Scrap Iron. V belts aren't designed to have a back bend applied to it to tighten the belt to make it power the blades or anything else, it should have been designed to have a tensioner pulley that would have a pulley to put pressure on the inside of belt, ONLY! Until they change their design, I will NOT have anything good to say about their product, especially the Ranch King Finish cut model.
I have a 44'" Rough Cut by Swisher, and older model and it will go thru a couple sets of pins every season. It is the two wheel design, so I advise against 2 wheel design if you have a rough surface area like what is in this video. Go 4 wheels and it should be much more maintenance free.
I had one , a red rough cut one, & it sucked. It only lasted for a year before it had to be rebuilt. All I could do with it was cut clover in a food plot & even that killed it. Other makes from what I have seen are better.
