Are DR Brush Mowers Worth What You Pay?

DR Equipment is familiar to many readers of homeowners and rural living publications and websites. They have been around a long time, and offer a wide array of power equipment, pull-behind, and tractor attachments.

The DR Pro 26” Field and Brush mower is outfitted with a 14.5 HP Briggs and Stratton Intek engine, electric starter, electric PTO, and 3 speeds forward and a “granny” gear reverse. At the time of filming (Summer 2019), the machine was purchased for $2400.

We got FREE SHIPPING by having the mower shipped to a truck terminal near us. Sad to say, the process was not smooth, communication was sparse, and there was no notification of when the equipment was arriving. We found it best to check with the truck terminal, not DR. DR wasn’t easy to get through to, and there was some inaccurate information on what trucking terminal/company had our shipment. We are pleased to report that this worked out, and we were glad to have saved additional shipping costs - but we paid for it with effort and uncertainty on our end. Our suggestion is that DR improves both their communication protocol to the purchaser, as well as make themselves more accessible by providing a special number or priority email for those that have ordered and have a delivery issue or question. Purchasing a higher grade machine means a significant investment, the customer service level should match.

After getting the equipment, the inconvenience was well worth it. The equipment was crated well and arrived in pristine condition. Assembly was straight forward, and the instructions covered the correct uncrating process, putting the mostly assembled machine together, and getting it serviced and ready to go. TAKE THE TIME TO READ THE MANUAL! This is a professional machine, very well constructed and is a significant investment. Protect your investment by thoroughly understanding the machine and how to care for it.

Three forward gears allow you to customize your experience, as well as be precise where needed, and to maintain control on uneven surfaces. All of the components to service the machine are very well-placed and intuitive. Oil is easy to check and drain when it’s time to service. The gas tank is away from the engine and up with clear space around it so it’s easy to get your fueling container where it should be. The air filter cover and filter itself is one of the best we’ve seen. The battery is sheltered, but readily assessable and easy to charge or to remove and replace. The mower blade drive-belt cover can be removed and reinstalled almost effortlessly. It has heavy-duty knobby tires that come with “anti-flat” compound already installed. The muffler is well-protected to greatly reduce the chance of a contact burn.

The keyed ignition switch, PTO pull up button, choke/throttle and gear selector are all intuitively and conveniently placed up top between the operator handles. We think the gear selector could be improved a bit by having position detents, but in use, you’ll acquire “muscle memory” and sense where you need to be for each gear.

Steering is accomplished in one of three ways: 1.) You can push down on the handles while you are underway, raising the front, and allowing you to pivot in the direction you want to go. 2.) Each of the operator handles has a brake lever that will stop the wheel on that side. The transaxle (which looks like another well-made component) transfers the power to the other wheel, so the machine will steer around the side you braked. 3.) A combination of both. The trick is to allow the machine to do the bulk of the work, you just guide it.

Finally, the deck itself, along with the blade, spindle, pulley, and belt are all very nice and look like they will last a LONG time. Because the deck is open only on the front, weeds, tall grass and moderate saplings (up to 2.5”) will all be mulched in place with no resulting windrows. We REALLY like that.

This machine deserves respect in the area of safety as well. Wear work gloves, safety glasses/sunglasses, earplugs, long pants, and fully enclosed work shoes. Wearing sandals or “flip flops” is just plain silly and below the importance of the task and equipment.

If you’re interested in DR Equipment, you can visit them at www.drpower.com.
If you are interested in their line of Field and Brush Mowers, including the Pro 26 14.5 model, you can visit them at https://www.drpower.com/power-equipme....

Insights? Comments? Experience with this or similar equipment? Let us hear from you in the comment section below!

IMPORTANT NOTE: DirtFarmerJay was in no way compensated for this purchase or review. When we acquire equipment for use around here, if it’s a good value, we pass it on to our viewer family.