Gravely 814. Rescued

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Another long haul!  Too bad because it's obvious from the houses that it had been a very nice neighborhood.  Owners daughter grew up there and said it was wonderful then and that she hated it now.  Nice folks selling and helping load the tractor, though.  No way I could have pushed this 900lb beast up the ramps!  Took four of us!

I've never owned any Gravely but always wanted to.  Even the walk behinds.  I've never seen a GT for sale around here and only seen one at a local show.  Interesting unit and everything I see is HEAVY DUTY!  No belts in the drive train and I think other than the deck no belts any other attachment.  All I got was the blade and based in the last 3 decades of living here I doubt I'll find any other attachments.  Sure would like a front mounted broom!  The only serious downside I see is the lack of a hitch capable of lifting attachments.  Seen homemade including a 3-point and while it doesn't matter to me since I have others I would have thought they would have offered at least a clevis.  Maybe they did but none have shown up in my searches.  I've not even unloaded it yet much less tried to start it.  Many other projects including get ready for winter tasks but I will toss in a battery and spend a few minutes on it.  

Comes with a 3sp with reverse with Hi/Lo but ALSO a shuttle shift, F-N-R, and they call it an 8sp.

And take a look at the attachment mounts.  Rugged!  And the drive shaft through the front axle.  Blade is beefy as well.  Cast iron grille surround too.

And the wonderful blue paint job!  Guess that's all he had...

[peter lena 8,103]

@   DENNIS THORNTON , yes those gravely units were very stout , just about all of the ones i have seen were neglected and trashed . often thought about  what would happen if a gravely was taken care of ?  like a bolens  that is another tractor  totally trashed , good luvk with it , pete

[DennisThornton 4,769]

20 minutes ago, peter lena said:

@   DENNIS THORNTON , yes those gravely units were very stout , just about all of the ones i have seen were neglected and trashed . often thought about  what would happen if a gravely was taken care of ?  like a bolens  that is another tractor  totally trashed , good luvk with it , pete

Yeah, I'm impressed with my Bolens 1050.  But it will never become my "Goto".  I am looking forward to finding out what this Gravely will do.  I expect all that weight on the rear axle would be a good start for traction.  Owner used it for decades to clear the snow.  This could become my goto for snowplowing but I LOVE how easy I can maneuver my Wheel Horse blade and the feel I have with the manual lift.  Sets a high bar for control.  If I need raw power I can use the NH TC35, for control my little 8 hp Wheel Horse.

[Pullstart 59,871]

    I’m not familiar with the brand.. but see a VW resemblance.  What’s under the hood of the engine is hanging out of the trunk?

[Snoopy11 5,713]

 

 

I have never seen a horse quite like that before... would like to know more...

 

Don

[DennisThornton 4,769]

My original post presented a second path for this thread, but yes, I'd like to focus on the Gravely.  No auto manufacture influence that I know of but Studebaker eventually bought them and produced them even after they quit making cars!  Gas tank and battery under the hood.  Rear engine/transaxle, and I was told, is the SAME as the two wheel tractors.  Never heard that before or read it but the fellow was a long time tractor mechanic.  

[Snoopy11 5,713]

1 minute ago, Snoopy11 said:

I have never seen a horse quite like that before... would like to know more...

 

Don

Wait a minute, that's not a ...

 

Sorry guys, my bad...

 

Anyhoo... I would like to know more about it!

 

Don

[Snoopy11 5,713]

Going out on a limb here... I am going to say... it does not run? 

 

Don 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

1 minute ago, Snoopy11 said:

Going out on a limb here... I am going to say... it does not run? 

 

Don 

I'm pretty sure that it does, but...

Still loaded but I will find out soon if it's an easy quick start.  Story is:  Owner is 91 and no longer in good shape or able to use it.  It appeared as though it was parked and left for at least the last year.  Price was right for a model I've never been able to buy locally so I'm not betting money on it running, but I bet it will soon.  Stay tuned!

[Snoopy11 5,713]

1 minute ago, DennisThornton said:

I'm pretty sure that it does, but...

Still loaded but I will find out soon if it's an easy quick start.  Story is:  Owner is 91 and no longer in good shape or able to use it.  It appeared as though it was parked and left for at least the last year.  Price was right for a model I've never been able to buy locally so I'm not betting money on it running, but I bet it will soon.  Stay tuned!

What about restoring... painting... all of that in order?

 

Don

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Just now, Snoopy11 said:

What about restoring... painting... all of that in order?

 

Don

I'd love to and since it is the only one I have and I think it is all there and certainly solid enough, maybe...  But when?  Certainly not soon.  Too many others ahead of it.  I expect to get it running AND working good with that blade so it will do something and earn it's keep.  Then if we bond, who knows...

[squonk 39,018]

Neighbor had one of those with a blade. I had to work on it all the time. I hated it. Felt like I was sitting in a bathtub driving it. They don't tow very good. Front end is light and you end up doing wheelies. Neighbor was trying to drag a crate of junk to the road with his. Almost got hurt. I dragged the gravely and the crate to the road with my Power King in 1st gear at idle. He's got a C-160 now and much happier. 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Some pics I've found online.  I want the rotary brush!

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Jumper battery (my new and most impressive Lithium!), some starter fluid and the old K321 fired right up!  Runs as long as I spray!  No blue smoke!  Obviously didn't take it for a spin but I just might tomorrow.  Fuel really stunk so I expect a good purging and new gas will revive the fuel system and her.  Pop the hood and lift the seat deck and pretty much all is right there!  Never seen anything so easy to get to everything!  And the more I look the more beefy this thing seems.  Even the hood!  Seat deck is about the only thing I'd call ordinary sheet metal.  900 lbs and it's not in the sheet metal!

 

Here's some more pics of it. 

 

Would love to here from other Gravely owners!

[slim67 2,730]

I had a mint one for a walk behind but sold it as I’d never use it . 
 

[slim67 2,730]

9 minutes ago, DennisThornton said:

Would love to here from other Gravely owners!

I have had a lot of experience using one and have had a few. My wife didn’t like them. Great machines built to last but sadly gone. I actually prefer the walk behinds.

[DennisThornton 4,769]

27 minutes ago, slim67 said:

I had a mint one for a walk behind but sold it as I’d never use it . 
 

Long winters here and there's a little bit of snow left after each removal.  Guess what that becomes in February...  But!  If it is removed or even somewhat removed Februarys' sun will "burn" it off.  Probably the only time of year I'd use it but I think I would after every major snow fall.

[Handy Don 10,660]

2 hours ago, DennisThornton said:

 

Have never been impressed to see that an FEL can lift the front end of a tractor. It's the lift in the other direction I care about.

[DennisThornton 4,769]

11 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Have never been impressed to see that an FEL can lift the front end of a tractor. It's the lift in the other direction I care about.

Yeah, marketing.  Looks great but... 

What impressed me was this thing's frame and heavy attachment mounts.  Other than my Economy/Power King this is the most robust GT I have.

Edited November 1, 2021 by DennisThornton
grammer

[Pullstart 59,871]

2 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Have never been impressed to see that an FEL can lift the front end of a tractor. It's the lift in the other direction I care about.

 

2 hours ago, DennisThornton said:

Yeah, marketing.  Looks great but... 

What impressed me was this thing's frame and heavy attachment mounts.  Other than my Economy/Power King this is the most robust GT I have.

I thought about the FEL on this machine when I saw that.  Would they have had a counter balance or relied on that cast iron Kohler?

[Handy Don 10,660]

2 hours ago, Pullstart said:

 

I thought about the FEL on this machine when I saw that.  Would they have had a counter balance or relied on that cast iron Kohler?

It would be interesting to see a picture of an FEL with the bucket under something really heavy and the REAR wheels lifted but really, the key stat is what weight can it safely get off the ground and at different lift heights. The big boys all specify that stuff in their manuals.

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Handy Don

[oliver2-44 8,880]

12 hours ago, DennisThornton said:

ALSO a shuttle shift, F-N-R,

Edited November 2, 2021 by oliver2-44

[oliver2-44 8,880]

@DennisThornton is the F-N-R Shuttle Shift in a separate case or in the 8 speed transmission case?  

Edited November 2, 2021 by oliver2-44

[Tractorhead 8,612]

9 hours ago, DennisThornton said:

Some pics I've found online.  I want the rotary brush!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice saving Dennis,

and cool Engeneering in the first.

simple but reliable.

 

oh yeah - Such a brush is also on my wishlist.

but they be dang expensive here and extremly hard to find.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Tractorhead

[DennisThornton 4,769]

7 hours ago, Pullstart said:

 

I thought about the FEL on this machine when I saw that.  Would they have had a counter balance or relied on that cast iron Kohler?

Obviously the Kohler helps but I think I uploaded a pic with lots of rear weights too so I guess it depends.  I know my NH TC35 is a very different machine when the backhoe is there compared to nothing on the back!