gravley walk behinds?

[kountryscape]

Hey i need a commercial walk behind, to add to the fleet. My brother lives in a small town with a guy who sells gravley mowers etc. he has two walk behinds that have been there for 5 years or so. He has to order a certain amount of machines to keep his dealership . So my ? is if the price is right do i go for it or what. Ive never seen one yet , and dont know the price ,but i bet the guy would give a good deal on them because he wants his money back. ? would they be out dated, hydro or not etc.

jarrett morgan
countryscape
the outdoor contractor

[Lawn-Scapes]

You didn't specify the size but...

I have a 50" belt drive that I bought last year. I'm not really happy with it. I like to cut pretty high and the highest setting is not high enough. Another thing is the main blade belt rubs against the deck causing it to wear out quickly. I looked at the hydros a couple of weeks ago and they are set up differently with bigger wheels and a higher cut. My Gravely gives a nice cut but only use it on the lawns I can cut at a shorter height.

Hope this helps.

[UrbanEarth]

I have had a Gravely Pro 150 (Belt drive) since 1994. It has been a very solid machine. Belts have not been a problem. It seems a bit strange that TSG cannot get the deck high enough, cause mine can be adjusted like crazy. Newer models also have newer spindles, the old design was not very good. Quality of cut is great.
If you can get a good price on the machines, I would go for it!

Alan

[Evan528]

I have a 1996 gravely 36 walkbehind. this mower has yet to need a single repair and has a great cut. this machine can cut up to 4 inches... why would you cut any higher than that?

[scottb]

If you can get a deal go for it.

[geogunn]

gravleys are very popular in my area. I suspect that the dealer is largely responsible as I hear that he is a long timer, has year round service and is good to deal with. service matters.

GEO

[SJR Lawncare]

I have a 1997 Gravely pro 50 belt WB. The deck adjusts to 4" high, which I feel is plenty high. Its been a great mower, a little trouble cutting high grass. I have to slow down or even cut 2x.It was my primary mower all last year & now it is a back-up mower and I use it to cut lawns that need to be cut higher or lower, because it adjusts so quickly. I would recommend buying one.......for the right price.

SJR

[Richard Martin]

The Gravely is fine as long as you don't have any serious grass to cut. Last year when the grass/crabgrass was wet every morning my 36" Exmark got used twice as much as my Gravely simply because I only had to single cut with the Exmark and the Gravely needed to be double cut everytime. I haven't even put an hour on my Gravely yet this year.

[Chopper Lover]

I don't have a Gravely walkbehind but I do have a PM260Z (ZTR) and I am very satisfied with it. I bought a used SCAG form a fellow that was in the process of switching to all Gravely's. He told me they were dependable, cut well, and gave him the best value for his money.

Just food for thought...
Other mower companies have come and gone... Gravely has been here forever!

Manufacturers that have been around that long stay in business for a reason. I would be willing to bet somewhere their is someone who is still running the very first Gravely ever built. They seem to be sturdy and dependable.

Good Luck!
Mark

[Chip]

I have a 1989 40" walkbehind that runs and cuts great never had a major repair still have original spindles. Had a 50" that I sold when I upgraded to the 60" three wheel rider. All have been very reliable and cut well. If I were offered a good deal on a new or slightly used gravely I would give it some serious thought.

[Mowingman]

Chopper Lover,
You are right on the money about Gravelys being sturdy and dependable, at least the old ones are. I have a 1962 Gravely Convertable WB tractor that still runs like a top after 31 years of use. I had a set of rings put in it in 1995 and that is the only repair it has ever had. I don't use it much now, but it can sit for months and will still start with 1 pull of the rope. My cousin has a 1955 model of the same tractor that has had only 1 overhaul in it's life. It still runs great also. However , I don't think they make them like they used to. That old Gravely engine was built to last.:)