This is my brief review of the Billy Goat Outback Brush Cutter. It wasn’t until last year that I was aware that you could buy a walk behind mower designed to cut tall grass and brush. So when I saw a used Billy Goat Outback Brush Cutter advertised I jumped at the chance to buy it.
This machine really amazes me! It cuts through anything. I had some really tall, heavily clumped grass and the Outback marched right through it. I had to go slow because since it really doesn’t have a discharge shoot the cut grass under the deck can bog the machine down a little. But what I was mowing was a lawn that hasn’t been cut in almost a year.
Then I took the machine out back and started using it in wood areas, and that’s when it really impressed me. I ran right over a tree that was 1″ in diamter and the motor never even hesitated. Watch the video to see how well this machine works.
-Mike
No Laughing!
You’ll probably laugh at me in this
video, but you’ve seen these things advertised on TV and
probably wondered if they really work as good
as they claim.
Check out my Billy Goat Outback brush cutter in
the video below.
Here’s a home video of me and my
Billy Goat Outback Bush Cutter. Enjoy!
Well Im jealous, I have probably a half acre left of untamed wilderness,lol !! We used chain saws and cutters all winter, to clear a quarter acre and it now keeps filling up with water, UUGGG !!! This is great info for us as I didnt even know they made something like that. The time we will save. Thanks Mike!!! P.S. It’s the end of Sept. in N.C., and I have red ants that are making there homes all over, and BIG hills everywhere. I am using pots of boiling water, as everything else has failed. Im trying to get the land ready for our backyard nursery and gardens, if I dont get rid of them they will kill everything, any ideas??? Thanks
Hi Mary,
I live in the Mojave desert outside of 29Palms on five acres and we have just about every kind of ant I have ever seen. I use Ortho Max granules and it kills all the ants we get. I get it at Home Depot, 5 pounds for 10 dollars. it takes several applications sometimes but it gets them. A couple tablespoons on each anthole. Check weekly.
Larry Wisda
Or if you don’t want to poison the ground, plants, pets and kids, sprinkle nontoxic food grade diatomaceous earth powder on the ant nests.
you could try using cinnamon,, they wont cross a barrier of cinnamon give it a shot,,,, nothing to lose,, its already in you pantry
I am having the same issue with red fire ants! Ugh!! I have tried multiple commercial organic compounds but haven’t had much luck either. The farmer sprays in the field next to us and they all come over here!!! The diatomaceous earth works but they just move to another place in the yard. I have heard corn meal is not able to be digested by the ants, so will try that. I plan on putting some in my flour sifter and dusting every hill I see! Because we have free range hens I need to keep it organic.
Borax also works, but I am unsure of the harm to animals.
Dear Mike,
I was also not aware of such a machine. A great demo and I appreciate all the time given to your videos. Not a machine I need right now but in the future I hope to have more property as well and it will be usefull. Regards Shirley
Now that is down right impressive!
I have heard of the Brush Hog but not the Outback.
Nice Mike, Thank You for the demonstration!
Mike, that was really great how you did all that work with that brush cutter of yours, I find you a really interesting guy because I see we have the same interest as each other about Horticulture Landscaping work and I want you to stay in touch with me as a friend Check it out because I also doing very big tree cutting jobs also and if you scroll down to photos on my Facebook page you will see how skilled I am ! I’ll tell ya Mike I can really learn a lot from a guy like you because you keep it teachable ! Best Regards Robert Danaher
Thanks Robert, I just used that machine again yesterday! Still works great.
Mike,
It hurts my ears just to watch your video. Where is your hearing protection?
So right! No eye protection, no foot protection, and the easiest, no hearing protection. Mike, you should know better. Shame.
Mike,
I’ve got a couple of the old cast iron Gravelys. Your Billy looks easier to handle, but they do chew up anything in their path. Useful machines, all. Thanks for what you do.
Dale
Dale,
The Billy Goat isn’t exactly the easiest machine to operate. It’s work.
Hi Mike, Oh! No! Mick Please please don’t pull the mover back towards you when you are using it because you could easily cut your feet or even fall backwards while moving. It may seem easier to go backwards but it is very dangerous. Hate to hear that you injured yourself.
Regards
Barbara
We don’t want you to get injured.
Did Pam ever get all that brush cleared? BTW, you look great with the weight loss. I dropped 40# this year too. Just a couple of health nuts!
I am looking to clear some land of a ton of thorny vines. Have you ever used this cutter on that kind of vegetation?
Greg,
I’m sure it would work fine on the brush, but if these plants have heavy stumps that would be a problem.
I am impressed with what the machine can do.
Hi Mike; its a great machine .I am the proud owner of one,but a lot older model. I am assuming this is one of the D.R. brush cutters. Mine comes with a 9h.p. brigss and stratton and all the power does is turn the heavy duty blade. I have had it for almost 18 years now.
Anis, The Billy Goat brush hog is not a DR machine, they are competitors.
Billy Goat also makes an upgraded version where you don’t have to reach over to move a lever to go forwards or backwards. The upgraded version has those controls in
the handlebars.
Hey Mike, looks like the Billy Goat wore you out…haha……Paresh
Thanks Mike , now we know it works::
Wonderful post when I see that post then I m very happy because I m also belongs to this field . I hope that in future you give a lot of good post . Thank you
Hi Mike; i own a D.R. myself. It has been with me for over 15 years. i also have a lawn mower attachment with it. Mine is a very7 old model with not all the bells and whistles the newer ones have, but the 9.h.p. briggs and stratton does a fine job on my 4 acres of land. thanks for demonstrating the newer model.
Off the subject , what can I plant or do in the yard while waiting for the last frost to to get over with. How can I do my own seeds for onions and garlic instead of buying at $ 3 a pack?
For smaller jobs and people on a budget who do not mind some extra work – has anyone tried the DR mower/trimmer which is the $500 to $1200 price range for the various models? I noticed on their website that they have a beaver blade attachment ($90) that cuts up to 3″ trees. I have had a craftman heavy duty trimmer/mower for many years. The craftsman with 175 mill line from DR has impressed me with what it will cut and a line trimmer is better to use around rocks, etc. I realize that I am probably talking Ferrari vs. Volkswagen beetle. A DR brush mower is the order of $2000 to $3500.
Mike,
It is a great machine I rented one and just bought one on craigslist(what would we do without it), Do you know where to get parts, I’ve gone to their website, and when you click parts nothing, does anyone stock parts.
Thanks, Tom
I don’t own one of these, but have you tried buying a used one
from the rental place? My brother does this a lot for parts. Then he also has other parts when he needs them.
Can’t hurt to try. He also shares parts with their volunteer fire dept..
just bought a 2006 billy goat with the honda motor used from united rental. they have three of them for sale in maryland. I paid 450.00 for it. i cut grass as part of initial services that i perform for numerous banks on their inventory of foreclosed properties. some of these homes have not had their grass cut in over one year. this machine will prove to be invaluable
Mike, that is a great machine. Thank you so much for showing how easy it is to operate one and how nice it really does cut. I have a yard full of Scotch Broom and it is difficult to pull it by hand even when the ground is right for doing so and it is hard on the joints when trying to cut it out with a pair of pruners, especially when it has large stems. I think the brush cutter did a splendid job on the area that you covered and would be worth having. For two years now I have been using a lawn mower where a secondary handle makes the machine go ahead for me and I love the idea of using the brush cutter. Boy, that sure would save my hands and back.
great video mike i want one.i think this will be my next tool purchase.
Mike, that is a nice machine, but a dummy like me just uses his riding lawnmower to do the same thing and then wonder why they don’t last very long.
Mike i love your Goat it has no horns or droppings also like your emails and ideas Thank you
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the video and information. I keep learning a lot from your emails and website.
Best of everything with your new nursery site.
Patricia
PS Take care.
enjoy your videos – however, whenever i play them, they only download a fraction at a time and,
therefore, take a veeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy long time to play
have you heard of anyone else having this problem?
Mike, I love your videos and e-mails. I’ve learned a lot from you. Keep it coming!
Wow! I wish I had one of those years ago when we were reclaiming a neglected farm in Kentucky. Anyone who has property should not be without one! Yeah, and How about some EYE and EAR protection next time!
Mike, what do you know about wood chippers.
Thanks Mike, Truely informative entertainment. I do learn quite a bit from your videos and the website.
Mike, my husband and I cut off about an acre of tall weeds and grass with a DR trimmer. It was not a hard job at all. Now, we just mow it with a rider.
Phyllis Doane (janbutterfly32)
Mike, I know you are swamped with questions, but I wanted to know the best time to move raspberry plants to a new location. Will be cutting out old canes and transplanting the new ones.
Love your videos and comments. I am the Sr. gardener that bugs you about the Dirt Farmer Fudge !!
Thanks for your time,
janbutterfly32
On transplanting those raspberries, in northeastern Wyoming I’ve found early spring is good. In fact I did about 100 plants last spring and got a lot of berries this summer. Like about 5 gallons of them, in fact my wife was real glad when they quit!
Mike, I have gotten email from you for awhile now but today, I was mezmarized with your videos, they are the bomb, thanks a lot and keep up the good work PLEASE
Thank you. I sure hope to keep making them.
Tomatoes plant problems.This is the first time.My tomatoes plant are growing beautifuly large leaves large flowers but the flowers keep dropping I follow your books instructions and in the past I was very happy with the results.We live close to the beach in southern California.The temperature is now approx 70 days and nights approx 58.My plants are now approx 3 to 4 ft high…but not a single tomatoe yet.What are your thoughts.?Hugo.
Hugo, I’m not the tomatoe guy, I think you are thinking of somebody else’s book. But if Kathy comes along she knows a lot about tomatoes.
Im thinking there not getting pollinated by bees?? Also, never water the plant, only the dirt under the plant. Hope this helps. You can try using some epsom salts 1 tablespoon to a gallon of water. And, try putting some marigold flowers by tomatoes to attract the bees. Good Luck. 🙂
When is the best time to water plants and flowers outside
Patsy, the best time to water is early morning. That way the water has a chance to evaporate before the mid day sun. It’s best if the leaves don’t have water droplets (mini magnifying glasses) on the leaves when the sun is so intense. But you also want to make sure that all of your plants, and your lawn are dry before the sun goes down. Fungi creep in the night, and they will attact plants and turf grasses that are wet, especially when it’s hot and humid.
It looks like a wonderful machine.
Maria
We rented the Billy Goat brush cutter last summer to clean out the fence lines and walking paths through the woods. Great machine!! Getting ready to do it again this summer. We wait until the fastest Spring growth is over; so once a summer does the trick.
Ditto on the safety issues. Use the videos to promote safe practice. Vision and hearing protection primary issue. I enjoy getting the material.
Well, you’re right about that. I’ really old school and don’t think about those things.
Shiver me timbers, them’s some great inrfmoation.
Man I could really use one of those about now! I have an acre and a half of fescue + white clover that I need to get knocked down. It should’ve been a cinch to do with my riding mower, but I live just above a flood plain, and here where I’m at spring and summer have brought tons of rain and by the time the ground is solid enough to ride on without causing ruts, the grass has already shot up too high for the rider. The nice thing about that is that it means my soil is wonderfully fertile, as the rich, delicious smelling earth and abundance of worms in my garden plots can attest to. But keeping the rest controlled is a Pain! I checked into renting one of these, and it’ll cost about as much as it would to have someone come out and knock it down in a couple hrs with a tractor and brush hog, neither of which are cheap. I may just bite the bullet and rent it, see how it does for me, then start saving like mad to get one of my own. Should pay for itself in a couple summers.
Love the vids Mike. Very informative. Liked the digging trees one. I agree with otehr posts. Safety first! Nothing wrong with putting the machine through its paces but be prepared. I use a DR field and brush mower and it is a large powerful machine with a side discharge. I go slow and steady and would advise anyone looking to mow grades to exercise extreme caution because the cut grass and weeds are wet and very slippery and can cause the operator to slip and loose control. The clutch will stop the machine but the belt driven blade is locked until the operator drops the lever. Grades are tricky as gravity always wins.
Scott, you’re right. Steel toe shoes are a must and hearing and eye protection should also be used. I never work without steel toe shoes and should mention that more in my videos.
Put some Slick 50 in that baby the next time you change the oil Mike. and she will run better and, have more power, and last longer!!!!!
Hey Mike,
Wear protection, glasses, etc… Please answer E-Mails, sent you a few notes on creeping phlox…. Please answer…. Thanks
Jim, I get hundreds of Emails a day. They all go to Kathy and she deals with them best she can. I just spent two hours on the Backyard Growers Message Board answering questions in detail and my Saturday is slipping away. Lots to do today and I’m still here on the blog answering questions. I wish I could respond to every Email and question asked of me, but I just can’t find the time. That’s why we have the Backyard Growers Message Board for customers who want that extra customer service and need answers quickly. I do the best I can with all other requests but I’m only one person who already works a zillion hours a week.
hey mike !!one heck of a machine,,i laughed so hard i cried,,watching you disappear in that thick brush !!,,maybe next time it won’t be a year before that area gets cut again..Keep them videoes coming my friend.and stay safe.
Michael, well you’re right about that, I’ve got almost 5 acres that has been sorely neglected. We’re making progress, but it will be a work in progress for a long time. More videos on the way.
I wonder if the newer version has a better backward/forward transfer; seem that it’s kind of awkward for you to have to reach down and move the lever each time. I too wonder about not so flat surfaces. I have a lot of those. I concur with those who are concerned about safety issues; goggles, gloves, ear muffs, and long sleeves. I hate goggles and safety glasses because they usually fog up as I begin to perspire, but better safe than sorry. And I’ve been through enough brush to know that at least a light weight hunting jacket would protect you from thorns and prickly vines w/out getting you too overheated.
I understand why the person sold it. Not immediately knowing the cost of one of those new, if you don’t have acres and acres to do, you probably would be better off renting such an animal for what you do have, and then keep things short w/a rider or underbelly mower on a good-sized garden tractor. Still, good stuff. Keeps people aware of the different possibilities out there. Thanks!
Fun Mike. I had a 12 horse DR brush cutter very similar to your outback. It would cut anything that you could knock over, up to 2 inch. It also had an adapter that used very heavy plastic string for areas that were just grass and or had lots of rocks. It was really great.
Like Roger, I purchased a DR for my dad about 10 years ago. Now it is mine and is working great. Any bush cutter can do the job but I am partial to the DR. It has a safety bib in the back to protect from anything coming at you, you must hold a safety switch when the blades are running, it has 4 forward and 1 reverse that is located on the control handle and if you are cutting on a hill or are getting stuck you can lock the frive gear, but it is hard to turn when you do that..
DR is good equipment. BUT too bad troy built gave up on their heavy duty line.
ooopps sorry i forgot it was never released. ( I was the test unit and I could remove a 30 inch tree, stone, even any thing in my way but those days are over. OSHA put a stop to all that wild stuff.)
LOL I love the video. This stuff is like porn to me. I love the brush cutter, although I have to rent one at $100.00 a day. This machine mows right over logs and large rocks. The only thing that stops it is fence wire. I will agree with others as far as safety issues. I wear gloves, helps when you get close to trees and I wear safety glasses. Otherwise, nothing warms my heart more than to watch the brush hog at work.
Sara, this is like porn to you because you are a true gardener. We get all excited about a pile of dirt if it’s good stuff. I’ve got a great post about gardeners that I’ll send out in a newsletter if I remember.
Works great on level ground, but what about rough terrain?
Russ, like any machine it has it’s limitation. You have to match the machine to the conditions.
Good video Mike. Keep em’ comming!
GREAT!!!! Hope you didn’t get poison ivy or such!!
Judy, Actually I did. But just a touch. Not sure exactly when I got it because I was also over there ratting through bramble with the chainsaw. I didn’t see any posion ivy where I was working, but it does hide. I think I’m going to do a poison ivy video since a lot of folks aren’t sure what it looks like.
Yes, I get poison ivy (or poison oak) every year I am gardening. Easy to get hard to get rid of. However, I have found a great product and when I use it, have been avoiding outbreaks. It is Tecnu by Tec Lab. I like the tecnu extreme medicated poison ivy scrub. Would love to hear your ideas on it.
Mike,
Seems to work very well. The machine needs to have a handle shifter for the reverse forward action. The less we have to bend over the better. And as others have said, one should have eye and hearing protection, and don’t forget to spray oneself. Keep up the good work.
Dennis, you’re right and when I first watched a demo video I thought the same thing. But it’s not a big issue because you learn to make as many forward passes as you can. But I do wish it were a little more convenient. I didn’t mention that the machine has a three speed transmission.
Mike – Nice video! Wish I had a place to use one! I used to use a Gravely sickle to clear brush in the 60’s…this looks much better. Keep the vid’s commin!
I think a walk behind sickle might work on grade a little at a time. What was your experience? Those Gravelys are hard to come by now though I do see them on occasion at auction. Most need some TLC.
Mike – great video to support your opinion of the Brushcutter and very timely for me. My 100 series John Deere rider bogged down a number of times in my back pasture yesterday, after the continuous rain we are getting in Iowa. I tackle very similar overgrowth, and it’s great to see you head right under the shrubs, just like I do! Enjoy getting your new property in the shape you want.
Get some eye and ear protection, Mike. We want to keep you producting these videos and emails!
This is amazing!! We have live Goats that clear all vegetation, but they leave the trucks and stems of privot, momosa, oaks, ect. So my husband has been going thru with a chain saw after it. But we want it mulched to the ground. This is the solution! Thanks
Do you clear the area of rocks and logs, etc. first?? What if it hit a very large rock?
If you hit a large rock you go “oh crap” and keep a better look out for any others. 🙂
Carl is right. The machine is very durable and in most cases you really don’t know what’s under all of that brush.
WOW – what a machine! Does a great job and no hesitation or bogging down!
A comment aside of the machine but about you in the brush – do you spray yourself with bug repellant esp for ticks. Up here in MA Lymes is all over and I contracted it without knowing!
Had 2 tick bites that I had a reaction to and after a day went to the doc and he tested me for Lymes – sure enough the test was positive but not from the recent bites – I have had it a while to have that many antibodies present in my body. So just be aware that you don’t have to have a classic site reaction ! Seeing you work outside and esp in the brush causes me now to ask how do you protect yourself against Lymes disease. A lot of people I have talked to that work outside have contracted it. Thanks – your info is great!!!
Jean, we’ve heard little about Lyme disease around here for a long time. About 10 years ago it was in the news a lot, but it doesn’t appear to be an issue around here right now.
Limes? I have plenty and to spray them is not good.
Cut them in half and squeeze add some sugar and Triple Sec and 2-3 oz of Tequila, salt the rim of a nice glass then enjoy the day.
Dear Mike,
Although I don’t have a yard that has enough brush to use a bush hog, I really was also impressed with the machine. Thank you for your wonderful website, I learned so many useful things, Its always a treat to have you come to visit me on my e-mail. There is no one like you!
I wish you lived next door
Thanks, Alice
Take a cold shower, Alice; Mike’s a married man 🙂
Alice, “there is no one like you”? Yeah, you might be right about that but I’m not sure that’s such a good thing.
Ahhhhh boys with their toys!!
Shame on you Mike…. No eye protection!!!!!!!!
Yes, I have been thoroughly spanked on the safety issues. I did have no steel toe shoes which is a must when working even with hand tools.
Gee, and a BRAND NEW set of bibs too! There goes Pam’s family clothing budget for this month!!! Big grin!
David,
I go through a lot of bibs. You can only have them repaired so much!