Got the Gravely running

Early this year I bought three (well, actually more like 2-1/2) non-running Gravely walkbehinds from a friend. I got one going earlier, a model L, but it smoked so bad that I figured I'd spend some time with the LI before putting anything into it. Besides, it ran so fast I that I didn't think it would be very suitable for heavy mowing and garden work. So, I've been working on this LI and this weekend got it running. I was happy that it had good oil pressure, didn't blow smoke, and everything seems to work. I need to get the governor hooked up yet and swap for some un-bent handlebars from one of the other units but it is looking like I'll have a very handy machine when it is complete. I've been intrigued by these machines ever since picking up a brochure for the new ones 20+ years ago and it is neat to finally have one to use.

YEA! I have a model "L" and a Commercial C-10 Gravely. With that 30 inch mower you have a very good one. Check the oil level in the 106 head by taking out that little 1/8 plug just above your work gloves. What I did was to remove that top 1 1/4 plug and washed all of the oil out with Kero. Let it dry out and put in OO grease. It is a green slimey stuff that is used in the rear drive of Snapper mowers. Fill it to the same level plug. They run very quiet now and are lubed better. Keep the blade sharp and balanced. Nothing like a 2 inch wide by 3/8 inch thick blade! On your machine there is an oil level checking plug just behind where the machine and the mower bolt together. Little 1/8 pipe plug. CHECK it! If you are lucky you should have one of the little brass petcocks that go in that hole. Makes checking oil level a snap. Check it every time you use it cause it is a good habit. See if you can pick up the snow blower for a Gravely ,Aweeeeeesum! You want the 28inch one for that machine. Is it a 6.6 or 7.7 hp unit? If spark plug is tilted to the side it is a 6.6hp. I have the rotary plow to till a garden. Man do those things ever dig! The L I have had since I was a kid from 1962 and it is still going. Do you know how to start them correctly? An old shop mechanic showed me how. Full choke and wrap the strap around, now this we know. Next you want to squat down a little next to the machine and then stand straight up like you want to try and lift the machine straight off the ground. Will start first time almost every time! Keeps you from hurting your arm and your legs do all of the work. If you notice how loud of an exhaust note these have, the engine is a kissing cousin of an INDIAN motor cycle engine. Same guy designed both. Also never try and tell a Gravely where you want it to go....Just guide it thata way with a gingerly touch. Also when you are backing up, NEVER EVER lock the reverse leaver!!!! These machines can kill you!! They weigh around 600 pounds so be careful. Now go to "The Gravely tractor club of America" sight and look into the manual section. They have everything you could ever want to know about these machines. If you ever get the chance pick up a more modern unit with a 10 or 12 hp Kohler engine on it. Night an Day. Much more refined machine. Hope you have a lot of fun with this beast of a machine! Let us know after you play with it. Picture is my machine with the RARE five foot wide sicklebar mower. Standard is 3 1/2 feet wide. Just finished rebuilding it a few weeks ago to the tune of almost $200.oo worth of parts. What is neat is that it is not made by Gravely. If you look at the guards they are MD989 part number. That means Mc Cormik Deering. That is International Harvester to you younger folk. All of the parts can be found on ebay if you dig around.

Thanks for all the tips - reporting on personal experience can help "fill in the blanks" that are present in any operator's manual. A friend of mine owned a Gravely dealership for many years and has also provided a lot of pointers as well. I was able to download a number of manuals, parts catalogs, and old sales brochures from the GTTalk website that make for interesting reading.

Along with the three tractors came the shown 30" mower, a rotary plow, and rotary cultivator and I'm eager to try these other attachments out in the garden.

You mentioned the starting strap and my friend talked about that as well. However, I have a sheave with the typical rope start notch in the side, not the pin for the strap. This tractor is actually set up for electric start but everything related to the starter is a mass of rust so I installed the rope start sheave from the incomplete L8 machine. I haven't removed the starter and battery tray yet. For obvious reasons I would have liked to get the L8 going but it is missing some major components, unfortunately the most critical ones - the extra two speed planetary unit. So, I focused my attention on the other more complete units.

Are you talkin about the "Swiftomatic" That lets you have eight speeds and not the four you have now. Pull the parts out of a busted "L8" machine and have your friend help you put them in. Take a couple of hours max! It is fantastic when using the rotary plow and a snow plow. The machine will move at 1/2 of the ground speed with the flip of a leaver. DO IT! You will love it.

I bought a C10 with the Kohler engine. I found it to be near worthless for many of the original Gravely implements. I'll stick with the Gravely L's!

The first Kohler powered C10s used the same gearing as the old Ls, but with an engine that spun faster, 3600rpms vs 2500. Made them too fast for most things, other than transporting yourself from place to place.

Find a C10A, or any of the newer 500 or 5000 series, and they have a different planetary to slow them down to speeds of the older Ls. You can change the gears in the C10 if you have a donor tractor.

Yes that is what I have. C10A commercial. 1969 machine. That "low" gear makes a big difference with the rotary plow and the snow blowers. When you rev up a Snow Cannon you can blow snow into the next county! He will learn to love his machines.

I'm going to put the Kohler into a Gravely rider. The L's are fine for what I use them for.