[Gravely Model L Guy]

I have never seen this setup before. Anyone have one?

http://www.google.com/imgres?start=...bnh=137&tbnw=169&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:18

 

[arcam8123]

I've never seen one. Only that picture.

 

[jepics]

I've seen the front reel unit, never the crossbar or trailing units

 

[gm1276]

Even the earliest Power v. Drudgery brochure seems to show the more common gear driven gang set-up in the field pictures. Maybe it was a prototype that never even left the factory? I'm noticing other peculiarities that I never noticed.

Anyone ever seen the rotary cultivator with the round housing rather than the angled sheet metal?

Anyone ever seen the early reversible plows? In working condition .. I don't think I've ever had a blade with 2 wear strips, and if I have had any of the old style swiveling plow mounts, they have all been seized.

 

[Gravely Model L Guy]

Even the earliest Power v. Drudgery brochure seems to show the more common gear driven gang set-up in the field pictures. Maybe it was a prototype that never even left the factory? I'm noticing other peculiarities that I never noticed.

Anyone ever seen the rotary cultivator with the round housing rather than the angled sheet metal?

Anyone ever seen the early reversible plows? In working condition .. I don't think I've ever had a blade with 2 wear strips, and if I have had any of the old style swiveling plow mounts, they have all been seized.

Yah I have seen one "round cover" cultivator before. I have heard of those old reversible plow blade to. I have only seen that reel mower on the front in a picture in the Gravely Gazet of Ben with a prototype mower.

 

[CADplans]

Go pick it up and then post a video of you using it!!

http://blacksburg.craigslist.org/grd/2778223126.html

:fing32:

 

[gm1276]

That's not the gang mower setup he's asking about.

Edit -- that's actually not a bad price for all that stuff, depending on condition.

 

[5Tractorguy]

LGuy, is the round hood cultivator you saw the one from the advert or one in person??

Anyone ever seen the early reversible plows? In working condition ..

Here's one from the 2010 Mow-In on an old L. Found the picture on Ron's site.

 

[troyota71]

I have a swivel plow mount that is not seized up. Never used it as I forgot I had it till I read about it.

 

[Loremaster72]

Even the earliest Power v. Drudgery brochure seems to show the more common gear driven gang set-up in the field pictures. Maybe it was a prototype that never even left the factory? I'm noticing other peculiarities that I never noticed.

Anyone ever seen the rotary cultivator with the round housing rather than the angled sheet metal?

Anyone ever seen the early reversible plows? In working condition .. I don't think I've ever had a blade with 2 wear strips, and if I have had any of the old style swiveling plow mounts, they have all been seized.

I have one of the old reversible rotary plow rigs, although I've never put the entire thing together. It has a reverse design plow blade, the spacers for the shaft, and the tilting mechanism. Maybe in the spring I'll try putting everything together and snapping some photos.

 

[gm1276]

While we're digging up pics, you guys might enjoy some of these. 2 1937 L models. Be nice to grab some of those early attachments to go with these, if I still had 'em!


The '37 is in the back ...

Here's the best one -- totally customized. Independent wheelbrakes, homemade governor, starter setup, totally different running style (1500 RPM max, 100 RPM idle, cams redone, piston from a Willys, etc. etc.)

 

[Gravely Model L Guy]

While we're digging up pics, you guys might enjoy some of these. 2 1937 L models. Be nice to grab some of those early attachments to go with these, if I still had 'em!


The '37 is in the back ...

Here's the best one -- totally customized. Independent wheelbrakes, homemade governor, starter setup, totally different running style (1500 RPM max, 100 RPM idle, cams redone, piston from a Willys, etc. etc.)

Wow! Thats a nice old Model L. Do you think you could get a shot inside the advanced casting at the reversible PTO?

 

[gm1276]

Nah, I don't have that tractor anymore. Actually --- the reversible PTO didn't work -- and they never do. Most of the older guys will tell you they were known to fail within a few years of being made. This one did still have the original shipper shaft parts since it allowed the lever to be locked in Neutral -- most of the time even this doesn't work. Shoman666 who was a member here bought it from me. He had the machine totally disassembled and even went as far as slowly sanding the grey paint off the hood to find some of the original decal still left!

 

[Gravely Model L Guy]

Nah, I don't have that tractor anymore. Actually --- the reversible PTO didn't work -- and they never do. Most of the older guys will tell you they were known to fail within a few years of being made. This one did still have the original shipper shaft parts since it allowed the lever to be locked in Neutral -- most of the time even this doesn't work. Shoman666 who was a member here bought it from me. He had the machine totally disassembled and even went as far as slowly sanding the grey paint off the hood to find some of the original decal still left!

Wow I saw A 1938 Model L with the reversible PTO for sale in Mass. It was in great shape and I called the guy but it had already sold

 

[gm1276]

Are you sure it was a '38 and not a '37? Don't know where Don has been, but he would know. There was some debate about whether you'd ever actually see a '38 with a reversible PTO, or just a leftover casting with the F/N/R lettering.

Gravely apparently had enough problems with the reversible PTO (which was really pointless, it only served the purpose of running the reel mower in reverse for lapping the reels, as far as I know,) that it did not last very long as a feature.

 

[Gravely Model L Guy]

Are you sure it was a '38 and not a '37? Don't know where Don has been, but he would know. There was some debate about whether you'd ever actually see a '38 with a reversible PTO, or just a leftover casting with the F/N/R lettering.

Gravely apparently had enough problems with the reversible PTO (which was really pointless, it only served the purpose of running the reel mower in reverse for lapping the reels, as far as I know,) that it did not last very long as a feature.

I checked the serial number on the GTCOA's website and it checked out as a 1938. I would love to see how that mechanism worked.

 

[Loremaster72]

The reversible PTO would also be handy with the Post Hole Digger attachment. If you've ever hooked a tree root while running a handheld post hole digger, you've discovered that there isn't much difference between a post hole digger and a giant corkscrew. Reverse would save you the joy of unhooking the bit and backing out the auger bit with a large wrench.

 

[wjohn]

And, you could put a RH mower blade on a LH deck!

 

[Fla Don]

Are you sure it was a '38 and not a '37? Don't know where Don has been, but he would know. There was some debate about whether you'd ever actually see a '38 with a reversible PTO, or just a leftover casting with the F/N/R lettering.

Gravely apparently had enough problems with the reversible PTO (which was really pointless, it only served the purpose of running the reel mower in reverse for lapping the reels, as far as I know,) that it did not last very long as a feature.

I've been busy putting 1260 miles on my truck since Tuesday AM. And picking up a restored 1941 L, a restored 1942 L, and a 1961 LI in original factory paint. Plus a white plow and a red dogeater snowblower in original factory paint also.


As for the PTOs, if you find one that is reversible on a 38 it would be rare. I'd like to see how they did it. There would have had to have been atleast another gearset in the Advance Casting to get it to work.

 

[5Tractorguy]

I checked the serial number on the GTCOA's website and it checked out as a 1938. I would love to see how that mechanism worked.

I remember some discussion on here a while back about early serial numbers being inaccurate, or something of that sort.

On the bottom right-hand corner of that tag from that 1938 on CL, it said MS-37.