[Jimmy in NC]

Well.. I was posting items for sale on Craigslist and had a wild hair and searched "Gravely" this week. Turns out there was an L listed... I had to go look. Went to visit and came back with this...

and this..

1975 - 526 and a 1949 L. Picked them both up for parts. Came with a rotary plow (with shield and gauge wheels), rotary cultivator, and a rotted 106 deck. Probably paid too much but I'll manage. The 526 will be parted out. It is complete, motor turns over and has 115 psi, but the rest of the tractor has been outside for so long. I also can use the 181 in another tractor that needs re-powering.

The L has 'pop-d' on starting fluid and appears in fairly decent shape. Honestly bought it for the hood and governor so the rest of it will probably be for sale as a whole. This tractor also has a Bendix magneto on it. Never seen one before but it does spark...REAL WELL. This tractor also has a very strange rear pulley on it. Any info on this item??

No comments needed for the home made hitch..

As I was fixing to leave the guy's wife came out with a stack of manuals.. all of the original paper work for the 526 including the tags off the motor from brand new. All the original manuals for the attachments, parts lists for both tractors, and service manuals.

None of the attachments are useable as they are.. the cultivator has been used to break ground.. and consequently I need the middle casting between the round gear box and the 90* box at the bottom. The Plow looks like it was dropped and the front depth wheel swivel bracket is broke, and the 106 looks like it was left to rot in a trash pile. Kills me how someone buys a tractor and cares enough to keep all the tags off the motor, etc but then treat them so poorly. Anyways..

Comments, need 526 parts? I think the swifty is spoken for .. but other items are up for grabs.

 

[rustyrideon68]

great find

 

[arcam8123]

I can't remember the name of that starter pulley, but it's an aftermarket that uses a rope instead of a strap. They are kind of rare.

Nice haul!

 

[Jimmy in NC]

You should see the rope that came with it... I'll get pictures tomorrow. Poor guy bought these about 3 years ago and knew nothing about them. He had been moving them around his yard with the shifters engaged (dragging the tires and cussing them). He looked baffled when I told him I could load them on the trailer myself. Popped the levers up and a shot of air in the tires and they rolled on with out fuss.

More pics in the AM when the sun is up and the batteries are charge on the camera.

 

[BlownL67]

Good rescue!

 

[coldone]

Crap, I can only find busted up Ls that are gold plated on the local CL search.
Great find.

 

[eveled]

Save the stickers but abuse/neglect the machines. Makes you wonder about some people, anyway nice finds. Good luck with them. Ed

 

[Jimmy in NC]

See the broken mid-casting.. anyone have one on a shelf that needs a home??

Dad cleaning them up.. He won't work on dirty things!

See there is very little wear on this thing.. I'm thinking less than 50 hrs total use.

One sad 30" deck and very minor bend to the spindle shaft! Probably be what I cut up to make a buzz saw deck with.

Very sad looking 526... underneath she shows very little wear. Hate to part it out.. but that's what's going to happen with it.

15 amp charging system...

Bendix Mag on the '49

Old style throttle rod as opposed to a cable and sheath

Funny rear pulley.

 

[Jimmy in NC]

And a few more...

Never had hub caps on one before..

Pretty solid battery box.

Like I said before the 526 is being parted. the '49 could be sold as a whole minus the hood (Which is not the correct hood anyways) and governor if someone is interested. If not.. it will also be broken up and sold in pieces. Any interest let me know.

 

[Loremaster72]

Aside from the iron moths chewing on your 526, it doesn't look to be in bad shape. What I want to know is how in the #@!! they managed to break the dipstick on the engine!?! Other than cosmetics, that machine looks like it should fire right up. Why are you going to part it out? Those machines are runners.

 

[Jimmy in NC]

Iron Moths ate it off as much as anything. Below the cover piece the dipstick is fine.. and not a bit of water in the motor. Notice that the chrome is all missing too... looks to have been sitting outside for 10-15 years min. Pretty sad actually since the cultivator was on it when I bought it... looks like it was dropped off of a trailer, broke the housing, and that was it. Parked and forgotten. The K181S is going to be rebuilt with a JD crank to give new life to my '63 JD 110 Round Fender.

 

[mtthwvn73]

I can't remember the name of that starter pulley, but it's an aftermarket that uses a rope instead of a strap. They are kind of rare.

Nice haul!

I use a rope to start my Commercial 10....It would be handy to have a strap but a couple wraps with a rope and she fires right up. I have to admit though I have went through a couple ropes...the sharp ends of the pulley are rough on them.