TRACTOR TRIVIA and other interesting stuff 5/29/2024

[953 nut 55,188]

The Gravely Tractor

 

The Gravely is to garden tractors what the Swiss Army Knife is to cutlery; ruggedly built, versatile, well designed, and loved by millions of people. With over eighty attachments it could do everything and the owner had just one piece of machinery they could use year-round.

Benjamen Franklin Gravely was a successful portrait photographer in Charleston, West Virginia who also enjoyed gardening and loved to tinker. He was always looking for opportunities to improve anything he worked with and was awarded sixty five patents, most of them related to photography. However, the ones we celebrate are the garden tractor patents and products that Mr. Gravely can take credit for.

Gravely didn’t really start out with the intention of manufacturing garden tractors, he just wanted to motorize his cultivator, a new concept at the time. His first attempt in 1911 featured a Maytag washing machine engine mounted on a hand-pushed cultivator with a modified wheel for traction. The Maytag was a bit underwhelming where power was concerned so an Indian Motorcycle engine was adapted to his cultivator.

Once Mr. Gravely had achieved success with his Motor Plow, he continued innovating the design until he made his first prototype of the modern Gravely tractor of today. This was a powered hand plow on a single spiked steel wheel powered by a gasoline engine. Following five years perfecting his new inventio Gravely received the patent for his single-wheel tractor plow in 1916.

Much of the development of the Gravely garden tractor took place in Ohio but Mr. Gravely had deep roots in the Appellation Mountains of West Verginia and wanted to have his manufacturing facility there. By setting up the factory in Dunbar, Gravely made a significant impact on the local community by creating job opportunities and contributing to the economic development of the area.

 

Benjamin Gravely eventually obtained business investors from Charleston to provide $200,000 in start-up money for the Gravely Motor Plow and Cultivator Company. The company plant was built in Dunbar, West Virginia, where the first Model D single-wheeled cultivators rolled off the factory floor in 1922, costing customers $150 apiece. Gravely tractors were made by hand until 1927, each employee was building about one tractor per day by hand.

The company turned a profit for the first time in 1928 but with the Great Depression on the horizon profitability was short lived. Improvements were made to the Model D tractor and the first mowing attachment was introduced, with more attachments being introduced throughout the next seven years.

1933 brought an all new Gravely, the Model “L”, it had a five and a half horsepower engine, two wheels, all ger drive with two forward speeds and reverse and a two speed gear drive power take off to power front mounted implements.  You could now choose from steel cleated wheels or pneumatic rubber tires. Power driven items like a rotary mower, a garden tiller or a snow blower could now be added to their previous towed implements. In spite of the Great Depression sales of the “L” were brisk, increasing every year. 

Over the next three decades the list of implements grew to fifty and power ratings went up to 7.6 horsepower.

Profitability resumed in 1935 and in 1937 Gravely retired from day-to-day management of the company and sold his interest to his business partner D. Ray Hall.

Model D and Model L tractors played an important role in helping to cultivate farms and victory gardens during World War Two.  High demand called for creative thinking. The company launched a Buy in Advance program where customers would place an order with a deposit to be placed on a list when the equipment was produced and available. The demand became even higher when the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRAA) ordered over 1,000 tractors in 1945.

With increased sales the company needed to think expansion. In 1956 Gravely Tractor, Inc built a plant in Albany, Georgia, making that the second plant with the original plant and headquarters remaining in Dunbar, West Virginia. Sales hit over $5 million, the Model D was discontinued, and production focused on the Model L as demand increased.

In 1960 Hall sold the company to Studebaker for a reported $12.5 million. Studebaker looked to Gravely as a way to diversify products and began developing the first 4-wheel tractor, the Gravely Westchester. Unfortunately, the tractor was plagued with numerous issues to the point where they issued a buy-back program.

Due to the versatility of the two-wheel tractors, they remained in production until 1976. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to repeat customers for Gravely was that they were so well built they just wouldn’t wear out. The company changed hands a few more times ultimately being bought by Ariens in 1982.

Under Ariens ownership the Gravely name lives on in the form of zero-turn mowers and utility vehicles.

[peter lena 8,608]

@ 953NUT , ran a number of those , the thing  that was a standout  to me was , total lack of any maintenance ! truly and anvil  for durability , very similar to bolens units . often thought , imagine if this thing was cared for ???  that sulkey set up was the deal . bombproof , pete 

[ebinmaine 67,420]

5 hours ago, 953 nut said:

over eighty attachments

 

 

I knew they were pretty versatile but I had no concept whatsoever it was that high. Great info.

[lynnmor 7,305]

5 hours ago, peter lena said:

 that sulkey set up was the deal . bombproof , pete 

 Till you put it out of gear going down that long hill back to the barn and then try to stop.  The tongue might jump up and bend the pulley right in front of it.  Ask me how I know!

[953 nut 55,188]

7 hours ago, peter lena said:

that sulkey set up was the deal . bombproof

I had a couple of learning experiences with the sulkey. If you turn the Gravely while cresting a small hill the handlebar can punch you on the chin and if you are turning while going through a ditch the handlebar can hit you in the crotch.                 Other than that it is wonderful.

[peter lena 8,608]

@lynnmor  @953 nut  thats interesting , never had either  with the  gravely , the one that left an impression on me , literally  was a JARI BRUSH CUTTER  kind of like going thru a thorn bush shredder  ! it  had the gear to hard wheel drive , edge of swampy field , that was a  definite  learning zone . mud / and a thorn  bush , can laugh at it now , not so good then , bacitracin , pete   

[squonk 41,067]

Growing up in the 60's I lived in a section of the village that had a lot of large yards including ours. My next door neighbor and the guy across the street had these old Gravely's with sulkys. Every Sat. morning it was "Gravely Wars"  They were loud with a distinct sound. They would start mowing as soon as I turned on the Bugs Bunny show. They also had "dog eater' snowblowers for them and yes they would throw snow over the power lines. The guy next door would throw the snow right over the state highway into the field across from his house! One year he bought a brand new tractor with a 16HP Kohler with electric start. Kept the old sulky though. Looked kinda weird together.

 

Now for a funny Gravely story.

 

I worked with an old guy named Ted at the Napa store. He had a cabin in the Adirondacks. So he wanted to take his Gravely with the "dog eater" up to clear away some path's one winter. He had an old Datsun "Lil Hustler" pick up so he loaded up the tractor and headed up. Ted was hard of hearing. He loaded the Gravely blower first into the truck. Apparently at some point the spare tire mounted on the side of the bed fell off it's mount and hit the starter button!  The truck was noisy so Ted didn't hear anything unusual through the din of the truck noise. He gets off the NYS Thruway and stops for gas and pee break. Shuts off the truck and hears all of this noise in back. The Gravely was running not only in gear but the PTO was engaged as well. That dog eater had chewed through the front end of the bed and was starting in on the cab right behind his seat! 

Edited May 29 by squonk

[Dave E 35]

Rotary plow on a gravely is a beast to be reckoned with!  As is the brush mower, the dog thrower (snowblower) and any other attachment.  This one is just about 50 years old, my dad bought it new and I was mowing the neighbors back field with it when I was 10.  Still going strong, I am thinking I will finally get around to painting it up a bit this year.

[Gravely Horse 15]

I don’t have truck eating stories about gravelys, yet, but I did get into the gravely world last winter with a 2004 professional 14. The last year I believe they made the old style gravelys. I almost sold it before I bought the wheelhorse, but I thought I’d probably regret it. It’s just so unique.