Gravely 2 Wheel Tractor for PT 422 Owner

[BobRip]

I was over at a friends last week scouting out digging a trench for him and he offered to give me a 2 wheel Gravely tractor. At the time I said "I really don't need another hobby". However, he said it ran the last time he used it, it has been sitting outside for 4 years and it's free with unknown attachments. He is out of town right now, so I can't ask him more questions.

I know this is not the Gravely thread, but if you ask a Gravely lover if he likes his tractor, I am sure he will say yes. I need a PT owner's perspective. I have always heard good things about these tractors, and I could always give it to my son-in-law if I don't need it.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[ponytug]

Dear Bob,

I have used them and liked them. For me they fall in between a push mower and a CUT. If that is what you need, go for it. I've only used the big weed wacker mower and the sickle bar mower versions.

They are simple machines.

It all depends upon what you think your PT isn't doing for you...

All the best,

Peter

 

[BobRip]

I don't have a tiller for my PT, maybe this machine does. I can't justify the cost of a PT version. Do they have enough power? The ratings seem very low.

 

[washita]

I have a commercial 10 gravely thing is built like a tank good for exercise just do not get in between the handlebars while operateing on rough ground it will beat your hips unmercifully I speak from experience but it mows grass like a bull in a china shop

 

[Bob999]

I had a 12 hp Gravely. I sold it after I got my PT. Can't say that I have missed it. MY PT will work on any slope--the original reason I purchased the Gravely--and it is much easier on the user.

That said the Gravely is rugged, simple, and can do lots of things with the appropriate attachment. However, maintaining the old conventional ignition system got to be a chore (on the machine I had adjusting the points for proper dwell was quite difficult).

 

[ernemats]

I have 2 Gravely's right now , neither one get used much. The walk behind with dual wheels is only 7.5 hp and it is very powerful. The only attachments I have for it are a brush hog and a cultivator. It sure does give you a work out using it. The second Gravely is an old 12 hp riding tractor with a 50" mower deck, it currently is not running. Both are well built machines.

 

[MossRoad]

We had a 2 wheel tractor when I was a kid. It had a mower, snow blade and cultivator. As a kid, I loved it, because it was a big, loud machine that did work and I got to operate it. It did an O.K. job on the snow, O.K. as a lawn mower and O.K. as a cultivator. However, knowing what I know now:

It was much, much better than manual labor.

It was no way, no how anywhere near as good as my PT425 for the tasks I need to do!

 

[BobRip]

We had a 2 wheel tractor when I was a kid. It had a mower, snow blade and cultivator. As a kid, I loved it, because it was a big, loud machine that did work and I got to operate it. It did an O.K. job on the snow, O.K. as a lawn mower and O.K. as a cultivator. However, knowing what I know now:

It was much, much better than manual labor.

It was no way, no how anywhere near as good as my PT425 for the tasks I need to do!

That was the kind of idea that I was looking for. For my son-in-law it might be a good tool. He is not handy, but he is bright and learns. He grew up in East Germany and lived in an apartment. Now he has a house and almost an acre. He wants to have a garden. I will take a closer look at this.

 

[MossRoad]

That was the kind of idea that I was looking for. For my son-in-law it might be a good tool. He is not handy, but he is bright and learns. He grew up in East Germany and lived in an apartment. Now he has a house and almost an acre. He wants to have a garden. I will take a closer look at this.

As a garden tool, it would be pretty nice. I use a walk behind rear tined tiller in our garden and really enjoy the work it saves me.

 

[KentT]

That was the kind of idea that I was looking for. For my son-in-law it might be a good tool. He is not handy, but he is bright and learns. He grew up in East Germany and lived in an apartment. Now he has a house and almost an acre. He wants to have a garden. I will take a closer look at this.

The Gravely rotary plow attachment is an incredible tool for preparing new garden spots -- not for the faint hearted though. It is exactly what it sounds like -- a turning plow spinning around...

 

[ponytug]

I had never seen a rotary plow for a walk behind. That must be like a pig rooting around in the dirt. Wow!

All the best,

Peter

 

[Bob999]

I had the rotary plow. It is a real beast to handle when tilling undisturbed soil! Once the soil is initially plowed subsequent use is much easier.

The plow throws dirt and rocks and is, in my opinion, inherently dangerous--as are some of the other Gravely inplements.

 

[BobRip]

I had the rotary plow. It is a real beast to handle when tilling undisturbed soil! Once the soil is initially plowed subsequent use is much easier.

The plow throws dirt and rocks and is, in my opinion, inherently dangerous--as are some of the other Gravely inplements.

Is it too dangerous? Don't want my daughter's husband or me hurt.

 

[Bob999]

Is it too dangerous? Don't want my daughter's husband or me hurt.

I don't really know how to answer your question. All I can say is that at this point of my life I wouldn't chose to use one.

 

[BobRip]

I don't really know how to answer your question. All I can say is that at this point of my life I wouldn't chose to use one.

Anybody else have comments on safety. This is the most negative thing so far. I had not really thought that there was anymore danger than a regular mower. Bob999, can you elaborate on what's so dangerous.

 

[JFS2295]

I'll give my perspective. I currently own 4 two wheel gravelys and have grown up around and with them since I was 6, so about 49 years of exposure. My family has used them in our nursery both on site and in commercial landscaping use.

Most of the tractors and implements I have were built before the current safety rules for shielding and motor cutout when the operator is not in the "drivers seat". So you can get into trouble if your not safety conscious. I don't crawl under my CUT tiller to pull out vines when its operating either.

Gravelys have a lot of power and since your discussing the rotary plow, getting a root or vine caught in the blades or hitting a rock can cause some hurt. IF the safety clutch is set up too tight. With the older attachments, each attachment has it's own clutch and I find that the operator needs to set this up for his own conditions. Under the situation described, the tractor will pivot around its tires causing the handles to hit your hips or where your going to generate offspring. Any two wheeled tractor is going to transmit sideway force from an implement hit to the operator. Using the snowplow or one of the many mowers will do the same.

The rotary mower also can do a good job of throwing objects far and wide unless it has a chain guard on the front, or the ill conceived one piece deck that is closed off in the front. My Woods M5 CUT deck also throws out objects far and wide on the side where it is missing it's chain guard about the same distance.

To me the Gravely and the PT series are completely different animals. For the same tasks, the Gravely allows you to get into places that you can't with the PT. In our operation, the PT is useless as the larger work is covered by my Ford 1710, while the Gravelys cover the HD work that homeowner equipment just can't deal with effectively.

Bottom line I don't think the gravely is any more dangerous then one of my chainsaws or chipper. But to me safety is in how you handle tools and know their potentials.

Edit - forgot to add. Plus you can throw your driveway snow onto the PITA neighbors.

 

[BobRip]

JFS, thanks for the input. This is very helpful.

 

[Bob999]

Anybody else have comments on safety. This is the most negative thing so far. I had not really thought that there was anymore danger than a regular mower. Bob999, can you elaborate on what's so dangerous.

My comment was directed to the rotary plow. On hard ground the machine will bounce and twist and could be ripped from the operators hands. The unit I had, manufactured in the mid 80s, had no dead man switch. Additionally the plow will throw rocks. There is a small shield but it doesn't prevent all rock throwing. I generally agree with the comments posted by the JFS2295. However, I believe that even a safety conscious user can get into trouble.

 

[MossRoad]

Now he has a house and almost an acre. He wants to have a garden.

If gardening is what he wants to do, I would invest in a good rear tine tiller with counter rotating tines, a couple of good garden hoes with different blades, a 5 gallon bucket, a sturdy metal cup, a hand trowel and a book by Mel Bartholomew titled Square Foot Gardening.

Welcome To My Garden! | Square Foot Gardening

 

[BobRip]

If gardening is what he wants to do, I would invest in a good rear tine tiller with counter rotating tines, a couple of good garden hoes with different blades, a 5 gallon bucket, a sturdy metal cup, a hand trowel and a book by Mel Bartholomew titled Square Foot Gardening.

Welcome To My Garden! | Square Foot Gardening

Looks like good advice.