DR Power Pilot XT Trimmer Mower Powers Through Where Mowers Dare Not Go
I remember seeing DR Power commercials on TV as a kid. The trimmer mowers made reclaiming overgrown areas and working around landscape elements look so much easier. Was it all just creative marketing or are they that helpful? We teamed up with rancher and country music singer/songwriter, Eli Mosley, to get some time behind the wheels of the DR Power Pilot XT Trimmer Mower to find out.
Pros
- Reclaims areas you can cut with a mower
- Easily maneuvers around and under fences and equipment
- Strong cutting performance
- Reinforced frame
- Beaver Blade and DuraBlade-compatible
- Engineered and built in the USA using global materials
Cons
- Some may want stronger performance or upgraded engine found on other DR Power models
DR Power Pilot XT Trimmer Mower Performance
Why Use a Trimmer Mower?
If you’re new to DR Power’s Trimmer Mower concept, it uses line/cable to cut rather than a blade. It’s like string trimmer line, but much thicker—175 mil in this case.
For power, the Pilot XT has a 174 cc engine that produces 7.0 ft-lbs of torque. That matches up with the power of a gas lawn mower even though it’s a string-based cutting system.
The genius of the design is two-fold. First, the open front section allows the line to cut into tall grasses without having to push it underneath a deck. There’s no need for a blade to lift the grass up and no issues with the clippings clogging up the deck.
Secondly, it’s far easier to cut underneath objects—barb wire fencing in our case. Traditional lawn mowers can reach to an extent, but the way the drive extends out in front of the engine makes a DR Power Trimmer Mower more effective.
One other benefit is that you can cut all the way up to what you’re trimming around. Of course, with the line being so much stronger than standard string trimmer line, you have to be careful if you want to avoid damaging paint or delicate materials.
The trade-off is that you don’t get the finely mulched clippings a lawn mower offers.
DR Power Pilot Vs Pilot XT
The Pilot XT is different from the standard Pilot model thanks to an upgraded frame with an aluminum noseplate and a bit more streamlining in the shape. For the ranch life our model is destined to live, it will certainly help extend the machine’s overall service life.
Accessories
As great as the Pilot XT is on its own, there are accessories to make it even more versatile.
- Quick-Lock Trimmer Head—lightning-fast line changes by simply pushing new line into each slot
- DuraBlades—metal blades capable of taking down brush up to 3/8 inches thick
- Beaver Blade—circular chainsaw blade cuts trees up to 3 inches in diameter
Getting to Work
As we got to work, the Trimmer Mower made impressively quick work of the tallest grass around our fences. Between the density of the line, 22-inch cutting swath, and 3400 RPM speed, it was a muscular display of cutting efficiency.
With miles of fence line to trim, we initially wondered if a self-propelled model would be the way to go. As it turns out, that would have been much more of a hassle. The Pilot XT’s large 22-inch wheels are incredibly smooth the mower’s 57-pound dry weight centers over them in a way that makes maneuvering around objects far easier than a self-propelled drive allows.
Additional Highlights
- Handlebar height adjusts from 29 inches to 47 inches
- Cutting heights from 1 1/2 inches to 3 1/2 inches in 1/2-inch increments
DR Power Pilot XT Trimmer Mower Price
The Pilot XT retails for $499.99 and DR Power runs sales from time to time along with free shipping. In fact, it’s $449.99 at the time we’re writing this review. It has a 2-year residential warranty and a 90-day commercial warranty to back it up.
The Bottom Line
Sometimes, less is more and this is one of those times. The DR Power Pilot XT does exactly the kind of grass cutting around the ranch we need. If the trimmer had more complicated features, it would actually get in the way of a design that’s well-suited for the way we use it. The Pilot XT is great for the occasional clearing we do, but if you need something designed for more frequent use, check out DR Power’s full lineup.
DR Power Pilot XT Trimmer Mower Specifications
- Model: DR Power R43070DMN
- Power Source: Gasoline
- Engine Displacement: 174 cc
- Torque: 7.0 ft-lbs
- Cutting Swath: 22 inches
- Line Size: 175 mil
- Accessory Compatibility: Beaver Blades, DuraBlades
- Dry Weight: 57 pounds
- MSRP: $499.99
- Warranty: 2 years
