Comments regarding DR Trimmer/Mower

I was interested in buying the big DR mower to do work on my 40 acres. Before i bought one - I borrowed a freinds new machine (less than 10 hours) the DR field and brush mower - with the 15 HP Kawasaki motor. In the 3 times I have used it - I have not gotten through 1 hour of mowing before something broke. First the drive housing fell off and balled up everything underneath. I called DR - it was a recall item - I took it to their local service (50 miles away - and picked it up 2 weeks later, and it worked fine.

This fall i figured I would give it another go, so I picked up the machine - it would only jump start - and the blade would not activate. It seems as if the electrically operated sensor wouldn't work on a dead battery (even with the engine running, which would not hold a charge - so 75 bucks later and 1/2 day of chasing a funky sized battery - I got it back up and running!
45 minutes into it - the blade stops spinning - broke the spring that keep tension on the drive belt. I was finally able to find a similar spring at home depot - and got back up and running.
Just now - the machine all of a sudden quits - restarts, but will not run at more than about 1/2 throttle - I don't know if the throttle cable has slipped? or a spring broke somewhere? or what - so no I have to wait till next weekend to trouble shoot that little item.

By the way - do not buy this machine unless you are linebacker sized and are willing to wrestle constantly with the machine. I'm a big guy -0 6'2 & 220 - and it wears me out!

To make a long story short - a good concept completely undermined by poor hardware, poor engineering, and poor quality.
Lucky for me I was able to try one out for a few weeks - I certainly would never buy this unit after my experience with it.

Carl Johansson
Auberry California

Bought Field and Brush mower. Piece of junk. Wheels are supposed to be positraction, they are not. One will always spin. Even when I locked the nut to stop the spinning as tight as possible. now hard to turn. Won't cut vines, climbs them instead. Poor design. Needs to have blade further in front and exposed to cut vines. Hard to cut on a slope as not able to provide drive to the upward wheel, it spins. I can think of many ways to improve this machine. DON'T waste your money.
Support was no help. Some did not know the machine well enough to provide help, others told me all they knew, but problem still exists. It will cut down small trees, but so will my other mower, and so will a chainsaw.
Their best advice to me was buy a newer model where they supposedly fixed the defects of the previous model.

I have the field and brush mower. I purchased the supposedly best one available. Its a commercial model with a 494CC Kawasaki motor. It was expensive. It is the worst piece of equipment I have ever owned. When I 1st got it I used it on hills a couple times . It broke every time I used it. The drive axle has a "bell" made out of deep drawing steel. This steel is not intended to be used as a mechanical part .Its very soft.This broke every time. I got new ones and put them in (not easy). I got tired of this and quit using the piece of crap. I did use it occasionally to mow paths for hiking. Surprize ! it still broke, Clutch cables, chains , belts ,what a piece of junk !! The only good thing on it is the motor. Of course DR (dont reorder) had nothing to do with the motor. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THESE PEOPLE.
jim

I would just like to say in defense of DR Trimmer mowers that several years ago I was given one from an elderly cousin who could not longer use it. It was a fantastic machine and we wore it out!!! We ordered another one and it has worked just as good as the first one. Now we own more than one home and will be purchasing another one to keep at our other home. I would reccomend this product to friends and family without a doubt. In fact, a friend of mine used our DR and was so impressed that he purhcased on for himself and loves it! Keep up the good work!!! Thanks DR Trimmer!

We ordered our DR Trimmer in August of 2006 and the packing slip shows a date of 9/27/06. So wasn't used much that year as the season was nearly over for trimming. In the beginning of the next mowing season we had a problem and had to order a V-Belt. It was not an easy task to unassemble
everything to replace the belt. Then on 7/16/07 we had another problem and had to order (a) transmission belt, (b)pulley for the transmission drive, (c) retaining ring, (d)spring,Ext.,Transmission Tension, (e) pulley, Transmission. The design of this machine is horrible and not customer friendly at all when parts have to be replaced. This year in June of 2008 it no longer self propels so we have ordered a new pulley for the transmission.
The DR Trimmer (when it works) is great and I couldn't ask for a better machine. As an older woman (who does all the
trimming) it is easy to use and cuts brush just as advertised.
We bought this machine using the credit plan of no finance charges for a year and believe it had a two year warranty. The people in customer service are knowledgeable and friendly. The mow-ball and strings are easy to replace. We have a 6.75HP self propelled.
Would I recommend this to a friend/family can't honestly say. I would like to but the aggravation and frustration of replacing the parts that went sour weigh on my mind. Also the shield that keeps the debri from hitting the feet and legs is pityful, with the power of this machine this needs to be corrected.
In closing it is necessary for me to say that this is the first letter that I have ever written about a product. In doing so I hope to achieve the attention of the manufacturer to correct the weaknesses in the trimmer and to those interested in
purchasing the machine a little insight.
ibmargie

Although the product works great when it works, for someone like me who uses it 4-5 times a year it should last longer.So many things go. Belts are hard to replace. Customer service is fair. Some of the people you speak to sound brain dead. I would not buy another or tell a friend to. I went to a local store and they sold me the wrong battery. Despite looking me up in the computer.

I knew that having to stop and replace string whenever it breaks-off was a bad idea the first time I had to do it. I spent more time replacing string than trimming and ran out of replacement string in the first half hour of use. I also noticed that the handle seemed to vibrate a lot and my thumbs got numb after a couple minutes. I was frustrated and knew this was a bad purchase right away, then things got worse...
The drive shaft's retention clip started slipping and the chain popped-off repeatedly. I bought some new string, but then the trimmer's engine started locking-up on me. I think we filled its small gas tank 4 times and have about an hour's use on it.
The phone support people were nice & responsive. DR sent me plastic parts that had broken on initial shipment and new clips for the drive shaft; I also bought new string. DR's email-support-people were more mediocre, they seemed overly impressed with their engines - even though "freezing-up" didn't impress me at all. We've trimmed for 8 years using the same cheap-o lawn mower and its engine still runs, but after such little use, the DR's doesn't.
Please note: I am not trying to influence DR by posting negative comments, only letting potential buyers know that we qualified the DR Trimmer as our "Worst purchase ever" because our unit seemed like a bad idea right away, and it proved to be ridiculously bad after about an hour of use.

The DR Trimmer has been hands down, without a doubt, the worst piece of lawn equipment I have ever purchased. It has never been easy to start, and I usually give up after 10 minutes and find another way to trim my lawn. Even when I have been able to get it started I can only run it about 10 minutes before I need to change the trimmer cords, and that's not exactly easy either. Over the years it has gotten to the point where I rarely try to use the machine anymore. It takes up space in my garage reminding me how I got ripped off.

Ordering, receiving and usage (so far) of my DR trimmer/mower has been a positive evperience. The DR people are good people to deal with and very professional. I feel they will stand behind their product. The trimmer operates well and as advertised, but could use a heavy rubber flap or some sort of shrouding along the rear of the deck to protect from debris flying backward. It has a very solid feel and the controls operate smoothly. I have the manual start Pro model with the aluminum deck. My problem with this machine is the cost. My previous trimmer mower was a Troy-Bilt ($329 + tax) that was designed similarly to the DR. The spindle was under a deck that had a deflector. The Troy-Bilt had a rubber flap at the back of the deck. The bearing in the spindle of the Troy-Bilt gave out after four years. Because MTD no longer makes trimmer/mowers for Troy-Bilt or supplies parts, I had to replace it. Other brands like Swisher have a completely different, deckless design. Having bought and returned the Swisher trimmer (weapon), I had no choice but to purchase the DR to get a trimmer/mower with a deck. I hope it holds up and serves me well for many years to justify the exorbitant amount of money I paid for it.

Bought my Dr trimmer , top of line in the 90's.Other than the electric starter was junk, no other problems.
I have worn out 3 high end riding mowers. Still have the same dr trimmer, tho its now time to replace. Cables rusting up, wheels ready to brake off. This machine has taken more abuse that you wouldn't believe. Still starts right up , but really is time to retire it. Have more than gotten my moneys worth.
Held up great in this Oregon wet sunshine.
Thanks dr, Tony

We purchased our DR Trimmer Mower from the New Zealand agents Hunkin Garden Products about 3 years ago. Our model is the 6.75 HP self drive commercial machine and it has now done 346 hours and apart from normal routine maintenance it has not missed a beat. It is easily the best machine we have ever owned.

I ordered the Dr Mower through http://www.brush-mowers.com The mower arrived as described and runs fine. I have mowed inch thick saplings with ease. Would recommend.

The DR Trimer is a very nice machine. I have the 6hp Professional one. I don't know what I would do without it. It is very easy to change the string. Easy to start. I have used it to cut all around my house and two acres of fence line both sides. I have not had any trouble with it. You are not suppost to lift up on the handle and put weight on the ball bar. Doing that and draging it around puts stress on the bar and will reck it. Have to remember to push down on the handle bar to get over areas or pull the machine backward over them. I have so much triming to do in my yard that I use a full tank of gas everytime I use it so it has had plenty of hours of use. I have had it all of this cutting season.

After only 60 hours use The DR® TRIMMER/MOWER™

On the demo video of the DR is an old lady using this machine—about the same age as my wife.
My wife loved using this machine till it would no longer self propel & the wheels are so poorly designed that they wont travel through slightly lumpy terrain without frustrating physical assistance.

After only 60 hours use ( there is a timer on our machine.) We have these problems 75 HP OHV self-propelled commercial)

We contacted the local New Zealand dealer (Hunkin Products) who we purchased the machine from.
He said he contacted the manufacturer & they were not interested apart from supplying new parts at our cost plus freight. He was also not interested.

Friction drive in wheels packed up after 60 hours.

The axle wore out & then the transition stops working.

Ball wore out & was unusable.

All segments in the string line assembly have all worn out on shear.

Sprockets on shafts for the transmission chain too lightly connected & keep sliding out of alignment causing chain to continually come off.

I told Graham Hunkin of Hunkin Garden Products Ltd, Tuakau, New Zealand. That I was very unhappy with the machine & his service & that I would be actively not recommending this machine

For a machine that is in excess of NZ$2000.00 we certainly bought a pup..

The one good thing about this machine is the motor

We are a small family business with old-fashioned family values and it is disturbing to have someone actively trying to undermine our business this way. Initially Lew purchased a DR 6.75 push trimmer mower on the 13th Jan 2005 with a 12 month warranty and our unique one month right of return if not satisfied. The customer after at least two months of use (records show a return credit was given on the 11th April) decided the push mower was too difficult to push, and wanted the self-drive. We took the used machine back at no penalty to the customer (though it was well outside our one month right of return) and supplied a self-drive machine on the 5th April 2005. This replacement machine was also supplied with a 12 month warranty and our unique one month right of return.

The first notification of a problem came in an email on the 10th of January 2006 from Pat, his wife, saying a sprocket had moved. The grub screws had vibrated loose and simply tightening them fixed the problem. The next contact was made by phone and email in March 2007, a year later, complaining about the wheel drive. Apparently the axle had worn. I said we could supply another for around NZ$30.00 (cost price) plus air postage from the USA. We did not have the axle in stock because is not a part that normally fails. The alternative was waiting for an axle to come with our next shipment (which was due in about six weeks) and because it was in with other product, there would be no charge for freight.

Lew insisted that there was a design fault, despite thousands being sold successfully in the USA, and did not want the axle. He decided to write off a NZ$2000 plus machine for the sake of a NZ$30.00 axle! Other items that he complains about are all news to us. I suspect these are made in an attempt to embellish his complaint, but if genuine they are easily resolved. To say DR and HGP were not interested is false.

The machine was clearly out of warranty and a NZ$30.00 repair after 2 years and 60 hours use (72 hours according to Lew's email of 2nd March 2007) is not unreasonable. One has got to ask the question - If he found the self-drive machine would not travel through rough terrain and was not up to expectations, why did he not return it? Remember our one month right of return. With the first machine we went the extra mile by accepting a return after two months use, so there was no question we would honour it.

By now I hope most people will realise they can have confidence in our machines and our integrity. We have always honoured our right of return policy no matter the reason (on the rare occasion we get a return) and stand 100% behind our equipment.

Lew, the axle is still here if you want it, and we will once again go the extra mile by suppling it free of charge.

Graham Hunkin

Our son bought a DR trimmer for us maybe 10 years ago. When lightening hit our garage in 2001 and burned it to the ground, the DR trimmer was one of the very first things we replaced. The newer model is even better than the older one. Does everything it claims to - simply terrific at keeping down weeds and mowing around stumps in rough-cleared meadows. They have several different machines and models. I would advise that you talk with the company, describe your property and what you intend to do with the machine so that you buy the right one that will do the job you need done. If what you need is a field and brush mower, don't get the trimmer and expect it to do the job. You wouldn't use a weed-wacker to mow your front lawn, would you? By the way, their service and tech support is stellar.

I have had my DR Trimmer for over 5 years and wouldn't have any other product again. I have carpal tunnel of hands and arms and this trimmer still allows me to trim my 3 acre yard and get rid of small brush. Easy to change whips and still starts first time I pull it and every time! Not like having to carry a heavy gas trimmer around or a battery trimmer which keeps needing a charge. I can push it with one finger or hand. I Love it!!!

I purchased my first DR Trimmer in the late 1990's. I used it almost weekly, trimming around a fish pond, trees, raised flower beds, etc., for all these years. The only thing I have replaced are the wheels and a belt, both due to normal aging with high usage. I have just placed an order for my second one and can hardly wait for it to arrived. I highly recommend the DR Trimmer and give a big thumbs up to the customer service department. As far as the price goes, of course, I wish it cost a bit less, as I am retired, but you must remember you get what you pay for and this is a quality machine with fantastic customer service!

Fool me once, fool me twice, but you won't fool me a third time. Yes, I have two, not one, Dr. Trimmer mowers. My wife has already asked me why I purchased the second one when I had had problems with the first. Perhaps it is because their ads sound so convincing, perhaps it is because I was not thinking clearly! The design on these mowers is flawed, for belts and the mow-balls should not break as often as they do. And heaven help you when you have to change a belt and/or mow-ball. The instructions are not clear and everything on the machine has to be removed to get to the area where the work needs to be done. While my second machine--a self-propelled one--was under warranty, the company did pay for repairs on it. I appreciated that, but I ran the machine for less than an hour and the machine froze up and quit working. I find it impossible to even open it up to work on it. The machines are extremely over-priced. I would not advise anyone to buy one. If a belt or some other item breaks, you have to order the parts from DR and this takes about two weeks. Grass in the South grows too fast to wait that long. I have decided I can purchase a cheap trimmer annually and come out for less than I would pay for repair parts on my two DR Trimmer mowers. Anyone want a used one? Make an offer.

Bought our first D.R. Trimmer (6.5HP) in 2002 with a 14 inch Beaver Blade. We worked the heck out of this machine clearing Huisache (nasty stuff that becomes spiked trees) and cleared 3 acres a week. The machine worked like champ. Later, when clearing heavy weeds, we used a HD string purchased locally and it worked even better, longer! We liked this machine so much that when we saw another like it for sale locally, we bought it, too. Now we use one for string and one for a blade and the two of us togther can do four times as much work. So far, the only failure is the metal shield on the lower bearing has separated, but the machine is still running great and I'll order a new bearing shorthly. Tough, tough machine. We love it!. TxRancher

We bot one of these "Dr Trimmer mowers" with a 6 hp engine, and a aluminum deck about 6 or 7 years ago, for about $500.

I do not think it is worth $500. Probably worth $200. It has several design flaws, some of which they improved in later models.

After reading all their advertising about it, before buying it, after I finally got it and used it, I felt that they over-fluffed their wares. It does work fairly well as is, but it could work a lot better if it had been designed a little better. (clutch mechanism, debri shields, pulley system design, etc etc.

I think a lower priced model from a local hardware store would have been a better bargain for the money.
dan in WV

We bought our 5hp Pro back in 2001 and other than the normal maintenance, have had absolutely no problems with it. We are currently cutting 12" weeds (thick) with a single pass and only have to change the string about every two hours (or after hitting too many rocks). It still starts on the second pull and outperforms my Echo Weedeater by at least 10 to 1 (time spent on a measured area).

We've only had to call the company once (concerning the mow ball) and the representative gave us the pros and cons of switching to the aluminum ball (which we won't), thus saving us from buying a more expensive part that would not have worked as well as the nylon one.

A few years back I purchased a DR Trimmer 6.5 horse. From the very first time up until now I have been terribly disappointed, disillusioned, frustrated and embarassed beyond anything I can tell you. I expected the machine to do all that it said and showed on the video that came with it but it didn't. Grass or weeds over two inches high choked down the machine and despite what was advertised it wraped up quickly with tall grass{ about a foot and a half tall}. I watched the video 4 times and read the manual 3 times to make sure it wasn't something I was doing wrong. I have been gardening for over 40 years and NEVER have I purchased a peice of equipment that was SO overrated! I thought, since I was paying what I considered a very high price, that it must be a really good product but I guess that's my fault for being so gullible.

I contacted the company not long after purchasing it{paid cash,again my fault} and told them how disappointed I was in their product and all they told me was, " Sorry You Didn't Like It!" I would not recommend their product to anyone!

I guess the final blow was when my neighbors gave me a suggestion for my problem: " Just remove the wheels and handle bar and use it as an anchor for your boat!" It was embarassing because they were using a 79.00 dollar weed eater and doing a quicker a better job than me with my REALLY high priced beauty contest machine.

"

Dear Friend:

Greetings from Country Home Products, makers and distributors of DR and NEUTON Power Equipment.

We recently received your posting from Dave’s Garden regarding your 1999 model 6.5 HP DR TRIMMER/MOWER. We’re sorry that you’ve been disappointed with its performance. In some instances, the DR will bog down in grass when too much pressure pushing the handlebars drives the Mow-Ball Support into the ground. If the Mow-Ball Support is allowed to glide along the ground, it can spin freely and use its cutting cords at top speed.

When using the DR in tall or heavy grass or weeds, it’s important to slow the forward movement of the machine. It’s also more effective to take small bites with the DR and to make two passes through the material. The first pass should be made with the nose of the DR slightly off the ground, cutting at a higher height than desired; the second pass should be made with the Mow-Ball Support gliding on the ground.

The DR discharges to the right, so it’s best to approach uncut vegetation from the left side of the machine. Let the cords work as much as they need as only the tips of the cords do the cutting. Lastly, the cutting cord works best on green, fibrous vegetation up to about the thickness of a pencil.

According to our records, your last call to our Technical Support Department was in May 2003. We encourage you to call Tech Support again at 1(800)DR-OWNER(376-9637) for machine operation and/or troubleshooting advice, or a referral to the nearest DR Sales and Service Dealer. Technical Support is open Monday thru Friday 8 am to 7 pm, and Saturday from 8:30 am to 5 pm, Eastern Time.

We hope you’ll call us so we can help you get your DR TRIMMER/MOWER up and running to your expectations.

Thanks again for your posting.

Sincerely,

David Prodell
Customer Relations
http://www.drpower.com
"

The Dr Trimmer/Mower is not as great as is advertised.
From the moment I purchased mine I had trouble. The clutch cable keeps breaking. At first they told me they had just gotten a bad batch. Now they are telling me that maybe I need to sand the metal bracket the clutch cable attaches to. This is AFTER 4 times of being broken. Also while it was under warranty, the cable was free, but now I have to pay for an OVERPRICED one of $25.99!!! That is ridiculous.
The saleperson pointed out that I was the only one to not be happy with their products and I was the only one having problems, but the previous salesperson had already told me that other people had the same problem, so who is telling the truth.
GARBAGE and OVERPRICED at that. Don't buy.
Also they say it is mandatory that you buy their parts and when you are broken down, two weeks is a very long time to wait.