[pgerhard]

Since I've been lurking for a while, and finally post a response to a thread I thought I would introduce myself. I was introduced to Gravelys when I was four years old ( not that I can remember it) when my father bought a brand new Super Convertible. I grew up using that tractor with a 30" rotary mower to cut our families half acre and plow snow on a 25ft driveway. As you can surmise that tractor never got a hard workout.

Once I bought my own house things changed. My wife wanted a vegetable garden, so I looked in the paper one day and found a rotary plow for $50. After how well I saw how the plow worked I stated to clear some of the three acres I had and start to grade out the land. Well before I new it I also bought a Commercial 10A and a 5660 with steering brakes along with snow blowers, sickle bars, cultivators two LI, another C8, a 814 with a loader, and a 8123.

When it was announced that 4 wheel production would stop, I traded in the 8123 for a new 16G for fearing that I wouldn't have another chance to buy a new 4-wheel tractor.

Well over the last couple years I culled the heard a little bit buy selling the LIs and the C8, but just bought a Gravely zero turn to speed up the lawn cutting.

Oh and I still have my fathers Super Convertible, and always will.

Peter

 

[aegt5000]

Peter...

Could you post a picture of the 814 with the loader.
My brother has an 816 sitting in his shed since the Arc
hit dry land. He hasn't used it in years but he refuses
to sell it.

 

[bontai Joe]

Great to have another Gravely guy here! I used a couple of old "L"s back in the day when I worked for a landscaper. We used them as small brush cutters. I also worked part time for 2 years for a Deere/Gravely dealership that was in Whitehouse NJ back around 1979-1980+/-. I didn't get to learn much on the Gravelys as they never seemed to come in for repair. I did get to assemble new ones and deliver them, and that was fun. Welcome to the forum! And don't be shy about posting pictures of your machines.

 

[Ingersoll444]

Welcome Peter, jump on in and tell us about them. With a collection I bet you have a lot of storys to tell.Not to many Gravely people here, but maybe there are a lot more like you waiting in the wings.

 

[pgerhard]

Here's a picture of the 16G with a front mounted 40 inch deck. For me this is a great setup for brush hogging. I know that the deck is suppose to be a finsih mower but other than a bent up rear fender it works real well on brush.
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/pgerhard/Tractors/DCP_0552.jpg">

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/pgerhard/Tractors/DCP_0553.jpg">

I'll try to post more pictures later of the other tractors including the 814.

 

[aegt5000]

Peter..

Thanks for the pictures, I’m looking forward to the 814.

Does the 40” front deck float ? What happens when you head into
an incline at 90 Deg, do the casters let the front of the deck follow
the grade (up or down) so the cut height remains constant ?

 

[Ingersoll444]

That is SWEET!!! I can see that would be a brush KILLER with a 30" deck on the front!!!

 

[pgerhard]

The problem with using the 30" is that the tractor width is 40". The 40" deck also mulches up the debris a lot better.

 

[pgerhard]

The mower deck does float and follow the contour of the ground. I only have it raised to transport it. Although raising it up when the PTO is engaged and lowering into a Mulitaflorarose makes the mulitflorarose disappear.

The mower deck is actually designed for a two-wheel tractor, but Gravely made an adapter to use all the two-wheel implements on their four-wheel tractors.

Peter

 

[chrpmaster]

Peter

Welcome to the forum! I have 3 L's and one parts tractor with various attachments (sickle bar, 30", 40"mowers, snow blower, dozer blade etc) I have always wanted to buy a G but was wondering if they were as tough as the L's. Your's looks like asweet tractor especially with the 40" on the front. What do you think.

Andy

 

[jodyand]

Welcome Peter
I learn something every day i did not know Gravely had a front mounted mower for the four wheel tractors. It looks great:thumbsup:

 

[pgerhard]

Here are some pictures of two of my other Gravelys that were taken when I was building a paver patio.

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/pgerhard/Tractors/f83bb183.jpg">

I used the comercial 10a with a rotory plow to losen the topsoil.
Then with the 814 w/loader I removed the topsoil and brought in the base.

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/pgerhard/Tractors/DCP_0171.jpg">

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/pgerhard/Tractors/DCP_0177.jpg">

Andy, The 4-wheel tractors are tough machines. I have used that loader to do a lot or work and it never has a problem. How many 25 year old machines can you put a loader on and a 300 lb. counter weight on and not have any problems. With the exception of the engine that tractor is all original. I would say that the 4-wheel tractors are just as tough as there two-wheel brothers.

 

[chrpmaster]

pgerhard


Thanks for the pictures and opinion on the 4 wheel tractors. After seeing what you have accomplished with your tractors I can understand how you came to your opinion!

One other question I did have was what models of the 4 wheel tractors are tough ones and which ones are not. I read on some forum that after Ariens bought Gravely they tried to rebadge some of their tractors with the Gravely name and thus screwed up Gravely's good name.

Andy

 

[pgerhard]

Even before Arines bought Gravely, they produced some "light" duty tractors such as the 408. In general any of the tractors that have a rear engines are "real" 4-wheel tractos that Gravely is known for.

Peter

 

[Ingersoll444]

there were some belt drive ones that you want to stay away from[sorry dont know the models], but most any rear engine, gear drive tractor is worth having.

 

[craftsman-man]

question for pgerhard.

on the tractor with the loader, what do the hydraulics run off of, and aux. pump or the original pump. i wanted to put a loader on my 8179-g, but still be able to use my pto for the mower and stuff.

 

[pgerhard]

The loader runs of an auxiliary pump located on the crossmember supporting the towers. It is connected to the pto via a drive shaft. There was a thread on the Yahoo board about using the hydraulics from the lift to run the loader, but it was the consensus that there was not enough volume to work. On this tractor it would not matter because it does not have a hydraulic lift.

This loader was not originally designed for a Gravely tractor. It has a decal on it that calls it a Wright Way loader. I purchased the tractor with the loader already installed, and have not been able to locate any information about it. The Kwiki Way loaders designed for the Gravely tractors ran a hydraulic pump off a belt driven by the engine fly wheel. This kept the pto available for other duties. This tractor is dedicated to the loader, so I an not worried about the pto availability. I would not want to mow the grass with the loader installed any way.

Peter

 

[heater1951]

Need Some Help 5660 will not drive(slips in gear i guess... will go foward but takes a while to move, if it moves at all??????????????????????

 

[heater1951]

Help With Gravely 5660
will not go forward. slips and takes awhile to move a few feet.... will not pull up a small grade..........send email to [email protected]