Machine Appearance?

[Eng Mwr Guy]

File was too big. Sorry.

Barry Adamski
Gravely Engineer

[Richard Martin]

If you can't reduce it Barry just post it to your favorite website and put a link here to it.

[Guido]

E-mail it to me and I'll reduce it for you if you can't get it.

[lawrence stone]

How can ANYONE call himself an engineer if they can't resize a JPG?

That is a digital picture file for those keeping score at home.

[Guido]

Barry posted the other thread but couldn't resize the pics. I did it for him, and here they are. You'll have to wait for him to write the post though!

[Guido]

Hydro.jpg

[65hoss]

Good looking mower Barry.

Blade speed?
Cost?
Mulch kit?
ground speed?
greasable spindles or sealed?

[LoneStarLawn]

<b>Merged the threads</b>

[Eng Mwr Guy]

BTS over 18,000fpm all decks
Mulch kit available
Bahia kit available.
DOUBLE BLADE KITS AVAILABLE. (and ANSI legal to boot)
I want to say that one again.
DOUBLE BLADE KITS AVAILABLE.
Gear: 7 mph ground speed
Hydro: 8.5 mph (high position), 6.3 mph (low position)
Low position is astonishingly smooth.
Sealed spindles. Ductile Iron.
Decks all 7ga construction w/7ga reinforcement ring

Drive tires: 16 x 6.5 Gear
18 x 8.5 Hydro - these baby's look tough I particularly like them.

Optional tires that read BITE ME on them....jus kiddin'

Hydro 1548 fixed deck price: Special Promo: $4199 (not sure yet).

Submitted humbly for all of your review.

We will have them at the Midwest BBQ.

Barry Adamski
Gravely / Ariens Engineer

We are already started on next year's stuff....any advice welcomed.

[Lawn-Scapes]

Has Gravely done anything differently with the blade belt (the long one) set up? On both my Promaster and Pro 150 (gear drive) the belt would rub against the deck...

[MOW ED]

I was priviledged to get to demo out the Hydro this summer and these machines are built like a tank and have a great cut. My demo was quite a bit faster than the model now but thats fast enough.

There are so many great features that a picture doesn't do it justice. Try one out.

Besides that what other company has an engineer on this site talking to you!!!!!

[vipermanz]

bahia kit????? help me out here

[Eng Mwr Guy]

Tall stalky grass - Bahia.

The kit also is useful for 12" grass cutting. Although removing the entire front baffle set will do excellent on extreme tall grass.

Yes, we now use Ogura electric clutch and have a different set-up for the belts. These are truly new machines. We reused some screws & nuts but they are new. Lots of subtle features.

There is more but i will reveal more in the future when I am confident these things can't be copied in time for this season.

Ed, thank you. I was happy to help you out when your Toro was in the shop. Sorry about it being too fast near 10mph.

We will be needing your assistance in the near future....if you are still willing.

Barry

[casey]

You need to offer something other than pistols on that 36 & a floating deck would be nice. When you use a 36 you are using it in tight confines, pistol grips wear the operator out.

[KirbysLawn]

I agree with Casey on the pistol grips.

[Hardy Enterprises]

Where is the dual wheel kit?

[Evan528]

I definitly dont agree! I have a 1996 gravely 36. I will only use pistal grips. I have tried t-bar and feel like i have half the precision with them. Once your used to pistal grips and build up the muslces in your wrists its no problem at all!

[casey]

Evan,
It's not my muscles I'm worried about it's the employees. They are much more productive on ECS & T-Bar than pistols especially with the 36.

[Eng Mwr Guy]

This debate is interesting to me. There is a true polarization between pistol grips and ergo controls. A lot of it seems to be perception and what people are used to.

The ECS is over-rated for ergo purposes. Carpel Tunnel will happen just as easily with ECS as with pistol grips.

The pistol grip people will tell you they are more productive and hold straighter lines. The kick-butt ergo system has yet to be designed on walk-behinds. Using the machines side by side, ECS, T-bar and pistol grips I found (through several tests with several landscapers) no significant difference in productivity. But if you prefer them that is what counts for you.

Floating 36. I will go out on a limb here. This is my opinion not reflected on/for the company I work for. In my opinion, 32 or 36 inch floating decks are unnecessary. The person/yard that will scalp will do so with so-called floating decks just as easily as the fixed decks. Small decks, if the casters and drive wheels are close enough to the deck, do not scalp easily and do not need floating ability. Technically, you probably want a ground following deck. This would be the cat's meow.

Barry Adamski
Gravely Engineer

[65hoss]

Floating 36. I will go out on a limb here. This is my opinion not reflected on/for the

That is exactly what the exmark factory guys told me also. I've never needed a floating deck with 36". But the 48" + will scalp.

[lawnboy82]

About how much does that thing weigh in at?

[Eng Mwr Guy]

Don't have exact number but hydro is in line w/competitors.

Gear is heavier than most w/7 ga engine platform.

Barry

[casey]

Eng Mwr Guy,
My Exmark 36 hydro floater came with only one anti-scalp roller & I have welded 2 additional rollers on the deck. It makes a difference, especially in the the growing season when we're cutting below 3". The learning curve on the pistols is longer than ECS &T-bar for new employees. In tight areas (which you will be in with a 36), even if you have experience the pistols are inferior.
The long grass kit looks like a great idea.

[rixtag]

Barry,
I am curious about one thing. It looks to me that the left front wheel sticks out further than the right one? If so, why?

Rick

[Eng Mwr Guy]

This is due to it being a 36 inch 2 spindle deck. The blades are not timed and an offset and an angle must be chosen for this.

Other mfg's choose to square the deck off with metal on the discharge side. This gives you a span between the blade tip and the point of contact of the caster wheel. We didn't square off the deck for several reasons one being better anti-scalping. The closer the caster wheels to the blade tip path the less likely a scalp situation will occur. Therefore, by design, the Gravely 36 decks will scalp less than other mfg decks.

I have found it is very difficult to get the Gravely ProGear 36 to scalp. All the more reason, at least for Gravely, we don't need a floating 36. Which of course may or may not mean we will come out with one next year.....you want it we do it.

Barry

[vipermanz]

thanks for the bahia kit info!:)

[edward hedrick]

I use a 52 Lesco with a T bar, I can engineer one on most belt
drives. Toro owns the patent but YOU can put one on your mower.

[Eng Mwr Guy]

Toro does enforce it's patents. However, there are ways...

Barry
Gravely/Ariens Engineer

[Eng Mwr Guy]

Forgot to mention the toolless bracketless grass catcher system which expands to a leaf catcher. Strikingly similar to the grass gobbler used on a Wright Stander.

Also have a kit for those who dislike twin sticks tying the 2 speed sticks together.


Barry

[edward hedrick]

Glad to see some improvement in the collection system, this is a problem with w/b mowers. A sears Tractor seems to do a better
leaf pickup than most w/b

[plow kid]

Looks nice Barry!

[Double D]

Barry, do you know if Snapper has a patent on their 'loop' system? I enjoy mine, and everyone who has tried it seems to like it. Just curious. Also, on my Snapper 36" floating deck, the left side castor wheel sticks out a good 6" further than the right one. I have to be real careful when making right hand turns on any type of slope, in your opinion, is this a design flaw? Thanks.

[Eng Mwr Guy]

I believe they do those silly people.

If the caster wheels are close to the deck this will prevent scalping....this is the best anti-scalp system you can get. Snapper did it right.....in my opinion.

As I have found with all the testing I have done everyone has different beliefs in what is "right". I am trying to make the majority of people happy with my WB's but in reality I have had to pick my niche or position.

Barry
Ariens/Gravely