Gravelymade wire trench,,

[bobodu]

Gotta go down 18 inches...but my LI does the first 13!! :congrats:
Sure wish I made the longer shaft.Every time I go to the scrap yard,I see the hex stock...and put it off....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v698/bobodu/trench2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v698/bobodu/trench1.jpg

[Ingersoll444]

Yup, looks like you got her pretty much maxed out there. I been thinking of getting one of them there, rotory plows. Never seem to find one for the money I want to spend though[REAL cheep!]

[bobodu]

The beauty of that plow is that it is the only thing that's touch the clay we have,short of a farm tractor! I charge $40 an hour for sod busting,which is cheap...when the city people get within two miles of my place...the price is gonna go up something fierce!
So it's possible to get the plow to pay for itself real quick.Problem I have is good neighbors :banghead3 Can't be going and charging them!Payment in kind works out okay though...fish frys,grilled steaks,BIG tractors when I need em,tool loanin'( that's been in reverse since the neighbor's barn burned down...thank God he saved the Oliver...it's the only green thing that can safely cross the property line!)
Dug a 200' by 8' swale through the back yard with that plow and pulled it out with the rear blade on the Farmnought.Took about two hours.I use it to incorperate horse manure into the garden...80 yards over the fall and spring.Sounds like a lot but the garden is 85 by 85 feet.
I never have to rent one of the fancy "bed makers" either..mark the bed out in spray paint...a little Roundup.. and toss the dirt into the center!

Gawd....I wish I made the longer shaft :fing20:
Those last 6 inches are murder on my body....

[krislu]

bobodu- Your not suppose to use dual wheels with the rotary plow. It's the one attachment that you should not use them with. The rotary plow is one of the best attachments Gravely had. It works mint!! You should look for a trencher attachment. There were alot for sale at last years Gravely mow-in. Show more pics !! - Kris

[jodyand]

Good to see you again Kris :Welcome1:

[chrpmaster]

bobodu- Your not suppose to use dual wheels with the rotary plow. It's the one attachment that you should not use them with. The rotary plow is one of the best attachments Gravely had. It works mint!! You should look for a trencher attachment. There were alot for sale at last years Gravely mow-in. Show more pics !! - Kris


Kris

why shouldn't you use the duals?

Andy

[chrpmaster]

Bobodu

did you take one of the plows front wheels off or is it actually buried in the trench?

Great pics. gives me lots of ideas. I just bought a rotary plow from a guy for $50 and haven't had a chance to use it yet. after seeing your pics I am thinking even though its too late for a garden I do have lots of places that I need more drainage.

Andy

[krislu]

Hi Jody !! It's nice to talk to you too ! Dad had a kidney removed. He has taken alot of my time and thought. It looks like he is going to be OK.


Andy- The way to use a rotary plow is you start in the middle of the area to be plowed and you keep making right turns. Once you have cut the first trench your suppose to put the wheels in the trench for the next pass. With duals you can't put the wheels in the trench. They don't fit. I realize Bobodu is cutting a trench to lay wire and not plowing a field to garden and the plow did an awesome job judging from the pics above but becareful not to hit a big rock or something. I have seen the plow throw some pretty good size rocks. The tractor can also stall out and get stuck if a rock is big enough. My brother used his rotary plow to cut a trench and he cut right thru his sprinkler system pipe and he didn't even realize it when it happened. He found out when the sprinkler timer went off. Keep the pics coming . - Kris

[jodyand]

Glad to hear your Dads OK and doing better. :fing32: I had my right kidney removed when i was 2 am 41 and doing fine. He should have no problem living with one kidney.

[krislu]

He's 80 and it was cancer but they say they got it all and no need for treatment. But he is on dialysis. Thanks Jody ! - Kris

[krislu]

Here is what bobodu needs.

http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/groups/newenglandgravelyclub/Club+Album/Trencher.jpg?bc6bu0CB4ks.ewU8

[bobodu]

I use the duals all the time for rotary plowing,and cutting brush,and pushing dirt,and cultivating as well as hauling logs and chasing Lawn Deeres outta the county.So you see why it's not worth the effort to remove the right wheel for the small portion of my week between the handlebars that I actually spend rotary plowing.I have never needed to take it off for my 85' X 85' garden either.When I get my dedicated plowing tractor,It'll be a 7.6 LS with a larger righthand wheel.

I was able to get down 13 inches this way...the lions share of the 18+ I needed :fing32: .All 110 feet of it,along with my share of rocks and roots.Took ten minutes to backfill with the dozer blade.It's a shame I can't justify buying the trencher...but I'd rather have the Terramite backhoe for the Gravely!!!
http://www.stevenchalmers.com/Gravely/TM/TM_01.shtml


Ummm....I couldn't get that Yahoo link in the last post to work....

[krislu]

The backhoe is hot no doubt. A friend of mine has one. He dug the foundation for his new garage with it. But I don't understand how you plow a field with the duals . How do you put the tire in the trench ? I would get a "L" or "C" 8 instead of an LS. You can do more with the machine. - Kris

[bobodu]

I just toss the dirt wide and set my plow angle steep.I don't attempt to drop the wheel.
The "L" is just way too fast for plowing,I only use mine for finish mowing...and hay rides for the neighborhood kids.The "LI"" is for the real work.A Swiftomatic would be OK if I wanted to spend the time swapping out attachments...hence the "dedicated plow tractor".Still trying to explain to the wife why I NEED more than the present three Gravelys....LOL.
I also won't run anything but a Gravely engine.

[Ingersoll444]

I hear you with the normal L. My 44 is a L, and I cant amange getting in the rough stuff like I do with my LI. I do have to say that a C or L8 would realy do the trick though. Best of bolth worlds.

[bobodu]

Oh yeah...the 8 speed would do it...especially with the fast gear for transportation!!!
My point is that I NEED seven or fourteen tractors so I don't have to swap attachments!! ROF
I woun't own a "C: because of things like...Briggs,Robin,Onan,Honda,Kawasaki...or anything other a Gravely people have put on em. :fing20:
Kinda like putting a Susuki engine on a Harley. :banghead3
Just think things were better the old way.

[Ingersoll444]

the last years of the Gravely motord tractors were alos caled C's I think when they went to the 7.6hp motors?

[chrpmaster]

Paul

yes your right when they changed from the 6.6 to the 7.6 engine they changed the designation to "C" from "L".

The change occurred around 1966 and the C was produced until 1976.

Andy

[krislu]

"I also won't run anything but a Gravely engine." Bobodu - Your a man after my own heart !!!!
I was not recommending an "L" tractor by the way . You are correct they are only good for mowing. The L8 and C8 is the swiftomatic . Which is what I recommended. with that machine you have the speed of an "L" and the speed of an "LS" but you don't have an "LI". But you have that machine already, Cool !! :fing32: - Kris

[bobodu]

With the Swift-o-matic you get the L-LI-LS and another gear somewhere in there....hafta look it up but the barn needs wired for LIGHTS!!! :bannana:
Maybe if I say it one more time the wife will see my point of veiw...
A man really NEEDS seven or fourteen Gravelys.....maybe more!!!

Hmmph...didn't work....she's still napping

Have seen a couple of the Commercial Gravelys out working landscapers this week....(get it...working landscapers??)...LOL
One was pushing a 50' mower and pulling a PFY.
The other was backfilling a new swimming pool...ATTA BOY!!! :congrats:

[krislu]

Bobodu- With the swift-o-matic You only get two of the three speeds of tractors. You only get the "L" and "LS" speeds you don't get the "LI" speeds with the swift-o-matic. The "LI" gearing is to low. But it does make a difference to you because you have a "LI" already. With a "LI" and an "L8" or "C8" you will have all three speeds of tractors. - Kris :fing32:

[bobodu]

http://jbvb.ex.com/gravely/gravely.html
Quote..
"Early units had a planetary transmission which gave two speeds forward and two reverse. The transmission was available with three different gear ratios, in order to accomodate different implements' requirements. To go even slower, you could install optional gear-reduction wheels. Later, Gravely offered as an option another planetary, to provide 4 speeds forward and 4 reverse. This Model L8 with the Swiftamatic Transmission largely eliminated the need for gear-reduction wheels or different transmission gearing."

[krislu]

Trust me. I have 2 C8's and that red one I show in my sig is my LI and it is a different speed than my C8's can produce. See here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gravelyclub/message/32787


- Kris :)

[bobodu]

Okay okay I give...that was the thread I was looking for when dinner was ready....but my tractors have throttles....LOL
I guess the key word is "exactly" but that's picking nits.If I had four speeds in either direction,I wouldn't need to be exact.
I just hate changing attachments........

[krislu]

I whole heartedly agree with you. I hate changing attachments also ! :D
- Kris

[chrpmaster]

has anyone put on the two stud bolts on the front of their tractor to make it easier to change attachments? I'm guessing you put them in the top two holes and use nuts to tighten and use the regular hex head bolts in the bottom? I haven't tried this yet but read about it somewhere.

Andy

[Ingersoll444]

That would surly make swapping a lot easyer. Granted I just use the 30" decks on mine, so its not an issue, but it would speed things up. Granted its SOOOO easy to change them on these things, but will help line them up.

[bobodu]

My L has one THREADLESS stud on top...don't know how it got there.I make sure the bolts have lockwashers and are tight.

[chrpmaster]

bobodu

so you only have three bolts holding on your attachments?
I would have thought that would cause cracking in the housing etc by not spreading the stress evenly

Andy

[bobodu]

I dunno....I've had her two years and run every attachment I own on her.God only knows how long it's been this way.

[krislu]

I have heard a story about a guy who only used 2 of the four bolts and the advanced casting just split right in front of him. He couldn't believe it. I would suggest you use all 4. - Kris :)