1973 Gravely 814 Rescued today

[BBQVultureWings 121]

  Well, been super busy with the too many other irons in the ol' fire to get much done on Wheel Horse stuff.... But today My Mother sends me a text about a lawn tractor for $30 she saw on an app she uses.... So I chex it out & wouldn't ya Know, there's useable parts on it so I looX even further & it is a Complete 1973 Gravely 814 Tractor. I figured for $30 I get 2 wheels I can use & some Good Kohler parts.... I just couldn't pass it up. I was also surprised to find that it came with the Original Owner's Manual with the Sales Receipt/Invoice in it. Unfortunately, All the atatchments are gone. not even a mowing deck. That is ok as I can't complain about a complete 900lb Tractor/Tank for $30. PO says it hasn't run in a few years but he did keep it in his Garage for the whole time he owned it. I am so swamped with projects & adding another is almost silly but $30 is a No Brainer to me.... I have a place for it so It can wait under protection from the elements until I can really get after it. I'm thiMking the plan is to make it part of the Snow Removal Fleet around here. These are direct drive Transmissions with a sahft driven PTO So far I am pretty impressed with it. I will run some basic vital tests on it soon enough. Like everything else I do it is from the ground up so remove tires clean up & sandblast rimz as needed & repaint with POR15, then find Good used rubber for them if I can but this is a special 1 (1973 so 52 years old actually a piece of outdoor equipment history)  so I may just go ahead & Spring for "Brand New Shoes" depends on what I can find ....  but for now here are a few pictures to enjoy.

[Stepney 2,332]

You'll find no better small 2wd machine for snow removal, I'll tell you that much. I've got a 1968 430. For some foolish reason they did away with the steering brakes on most of the 800 series after 400's went away. They're still quite capable though. Chains and weights that little tractor is neigh unstoppable. A front 'plow' can be quite easily rigged up from a junk WH single stage snow blower, the lift pole and frame mount are oddly almost identical. You couldn't angle it, but with the auger removed and some trimming it makes a decent dozer blade. The two speed PTO is exceptionally useful in some cases too. Unfortunately they just haven't got the interchangeability of the WH machines.. kinda complicated, ridiculously expensive to fix, and parts are a little scarce. But they were great back in the day. Sure can't beat the price. 

[slim67 2,740]

1 hour ago, Stepney said:

You'll find no better small 2wd machine for snow removal, I'll tell you that much. I've got a 1968 430. For some foolish reason they did away with the steering brakes on most of the 800 series after 400's went away. They're still quite capable though. Chains and weights that little tractor is neigh unstoppable. A front 'plow' can be quite easily rigged up from a junk WH single stage snow blower, the lift pole and frame mount are oddly almost identical. You couldn't angle it, but with the auger removed and some trimming it makes a decent dozer blade. The two speed PTO is exceptionally useful in some cases too. Unfortunately they just haven't got the interchangeability of the WH machines.. kinda complicated, ridiculously expensive to fix, and parts are a little scarce. But they were great back in the day. Sure can't beat the price. 

I used 5665 and commercial 12s at a school system I worked for. Also used a Professional G series tractor with snow blade . With the engine over the rear, it was a beast. IMO some of the absolutely best built stuff in the lawn and garden category.

[BBQVultureWings 121]

 I forgot to take these pictures last night. I thiMk this Original Invoice makes the $30 find Even more Cool & gives even more Justification for restoring it. I know for a fact, I am the 3rd owner. Anyway, Enjoy the pics