# Anyone here using walk behind tractors?



## sandc (Apr 26, 2010)

I have a thing for the walk behind tractors. I already have an old simplicity with a trailer load of implements in storage back in Arkansas, but I picked up another one last week. The one in Arkansas needs a new engine and some work, but the one I picked up out here runs like a top and has practically brand new tires.

My plan now is to rebuild the one back in Arkansas with a diesel engine. Thinking that might give me more options in the future. I will try to get pics of the new toy on here


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## maverickxxx (Jan 25, 2011)

im not sure what you mean by walkbehind tractor.


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## taylorlambert (Jul 4, 2010)

Im crazy about them to I dont have one yet I do have 2 parts of one thats clutch steered. THe Italians have us beat on them they have some that will reverse the handle bars and ues them with a mini baler. I was upset a friend of mine passed away and had 4 David Bradley WTs that were in various shapes and sizes and all complete. THese along with some hard to find tractors were scrapped. 

I got a lead on an older DB with cultivators and disks and a plow. I use bigger tractors found that using a friends with a mower to mow nut grass between my okra plants. At one time dad said when he was a teenager many large truck patch farmers used them for gardens up to 5 acres.


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## sandc (Apr 26, 2010)

they are more popular back in the part of the country where people were working smaller acreage. I was very surprised to find one in Colorado. It came with a snow plow type blade to mount on the front. I already have a harrow, disc plow, several different plows as well as a stump saw setup that can also be mounted to a stand and run as a log saw.

Those BCS tractors are awesome, but cost as much or more than a regular tractor. Plus you will rarely find cheap used stuff for them.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

maverickxxx said:


> im not sure what you mean by walkbehind tractor.


Two wheeled tractor; such as the BCS, Grillo, Simplicity, David Bradley, etc. 

One sales company for new units.
http://www.earthtoolsbcs.com/index.html

I have and use a BCS two wheeled tractor. My main use of it is with rototiller attachment. I don't have a sickle bar mower but sure would like one. I wouldn't object to a rotary mower either.

BTW, here is a photo of my daughter with my first one. http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t298/growerguy/Barr-Peters/scan0619.jpg I made the blade from an old water heater. It moved snow pretty well. It came with a cultivator and a sickle bar mower.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

maverickxxx said:


> im not sure what you mean by walkbehind tractor.



Something like a heavy duty tiller...only you can easily remove the tiller part, and use other implements on the machine....such as a rotary plow, ( see video), mowers, blades, mini balers, and so on.

I bought a Grillo 107 with 8hp diesel engine on it from Earth Tools ( in KY ) few years back when it was time to replace my 25 year old Ariens rear tine tiller.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de7vMFasJEU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de7vMFasJEU[/ame]


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

I have a Goldoni set up for tilling. I've never been able to stall the diesel.


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## Ray (Dec 5, 2002)

I have had several over the years, and really enjoyed using them. Then I realized the ones I had, had no kill switch or safety switch to stop the machine in emergency. If you are in reverse and walking backward and happen to trip, the machine would continue on over the top of you and keep going. So think about getting one with a dead mans release for moving. Like you have to hold the handle down or it wont go, and when released the machine stops automatically, and do not tie these down! Be safe, best wishes, ray


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## Murray in ME (May 10, 2002)

I have a Grillo 107d. 11 hp Honda engine, 28" tiller. It makes the 8 hp Troy-bilt I used to have look like a child's toy in comparison. I'm extremely happy with it.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Ray said:


> I have had several over the years, and really enjoyed using them. Then I realized the ones I had, had no kill switch or safety switch to stop the machine in emergency. If you are in reverse and walking backward and happen to trip, the machine would continue on over the top of you and keep going. So think about getting one with a dead mans release for moving. Like you have to hold the handle down or it wont go, and when released the machine stops automatically, and do not tie these down! Be safe, best wishes, ray


Think it would be more economical to make your own dead man switch than buy a whole new walk behind tractor. Course with a new tractor, you would have somebody you could sue if something goes wrong....


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## Wis Bang 2 (Jan 12, 2010)

My father had a business mowing wed lots, mostly inside city limits, using a Simplicity FB w/ Sickle bar head. You could always lift up on the handles & pin the head allowing the wheels to slip. It also had a freewheel so you could push down and rotate at the end of the row and cut back the other side & could do it in tight places. 

Ours had two Clinton 7.5 hp engines we'd keep rebuilding & swapping them. It had three Sickle bars, a garden plow, wheel weights, chains, snow plow. Later we added a rider w/ 4 foot sickle bar.


We used to trim w/ scythes and Austrian grass blades.


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## sandc (Apr 26, 2010)

I wish I could get my hands on a sickle bar for it. I am probably going to try to pick up a david bradley to restore because I think they have the best looking hood of any tractor ever made. Of course I am keeping a weather eye out for an economy or powerking tractor.


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## sandc (Apr 26, 2010)

I wish I could get my hands on a sickle bar for it. I am probably going to try to pick up a david bradley to restore because I think they have the best looking hood of any tractor ever made. Of course I am keeping a weather eye out for an economy or powerking tractor.


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## Wis Bang 2 (Jan 12, 2010)

sandc said:


> I wish I could get my hands on a sickle bar for it. I am probably going to try to pick up a david bradley to restore because I think they have the best looking hood of any tractor ever made. Of course I am keeping a weather eye out for an economy or powerking tractor.


We traveled w/ an extra head in case something, er WHEN something broke. We would run them an hour or two and would grease em when we filled the gas tank. 

There were parts that HAD to be on there or it wouldn't work right. It would mow! we were called out to a job in anther town, corner lot next to the house 'Mom & Dad' built but daughter never did. Mowing in from the street the ground dropped b/4 rising to a neighbor's property line. It walked right thru as the growth got taller and then tapered down. Felt like I cut thru a forest of stuff.

Simplicity sold the parts for the 15 yr old machine [I'd bet they STILL do!] bu the cost of the blades rose to be too high. Dad even bought a rivet tool and drills & taps and steel & we'd recover the teeth and build our own blades in the winters but finally sold it when I left for college. We'd scavenger any similar sized sickle bar we found for the cast 'teeth' and bed plates. We ended up w/ multi color cutters...


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## farm (Jan 11, 2011)

Here's what I did yesterday with my BCS walk-behind tractor.


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

Saw these listings today.


http://eastnc.craigslist.org/grd/2321516215.html


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## Dieselrider (Jul 8, 2008)

This may sound like a dumb question for those of you in the know but, what all type attachments can you get for them and are all the attachments fairly standard (can fit different machines like three point attachments for big tractors) or do you have to buy only one brand of attachment for different machines? 

Okay, I lied, here is another question. What about the old Gravely walk behinds? How do they compare and where do they fit into the mix?


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

There are all sorts of implements for use with the tractors, even including round balers. Seems as if you can dream it and have the money you can have it. Other than spline for powered equipment a lot of simple equipment can be homemade. 

BCS and Grillo have SOME things that will interchange, but not all. See a catalog here: 
http://www.earthtoolsbcs.com/html/bcs_implements.html

The old Gravely is simply one of many small two wheel driven power units. They were considered pretty bulletproof and great workhorses. David Bradley is the one we often see photos of from years past. Simplicity is another. 

One thing I don't really see available that is often shown in foreign video clips are the carts used behind the two wheeled tractors that connect to the power take off shaft which then drive the cart wheels to assist in traction for large loads. I wouldn't mind having such a cart. The drive shaft to the rear wheels extends back through the tongue of the trailer thus enclosing it.


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## billfosburgh (May 20, 2009)

i have a David Bradly with plow , disc, cultivator , & a blade. if you go to mytractor.com they have a walkbehind forum thats pretty good


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## hefty lefty (Aug 22, 2013)

Windy in Kansas said:


> There are all sorts of implements for use with the tractors, even including round balers. Seems as if you can dream it and have the money you can have it. Other than spline for powered equipment a lot of simple equipment can be homemade.
> 
> BCS and Grillo have SOME things that will interchange, but not all. See a catalog here:
> http://www.earthtoolsbcs.com/html/bcs_implements.html
> ...


 Sadly, nothing on a Gravely interchanges with a BCS OR Grillo. 

The BCS is a reasonably good machine, but for the cost it should be. Nothing interchanges with Gravely, which is the single biggest reason I have not bought one. If Gravely still made the old ones with a few updates it would be a heavier but more durable longer lived machine than the BCS or Grillo. Up until recently it seems like the BCS and Grillo all had European common small engines that were not common here. 

In the Gravely's heyday local parts and service was readily available from a substantial dealer network. While I am sure the current BCS and Grillo importer is an honest and diligent person if he goes out or if regulatory changes make the import business no longer feasible you are in trouble. It is flat impossible to buy anything from Italy over the phone or internet and I say that as a former Alfa Romeo owner. Italy has good manufacturing capabilities but business is chaotic and messy plus the language barrier.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I have a 1950's some thing from Monkey wards bought new. I use the sickle bar mower onb it.

 Al


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## Bret4207 (May 31, 2008)

Al, it's likely a Simplicity. I have one and several Gravelys. I like the BCS but the prices scare me to death.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I rented a walk behind Gravely once to cut some weeds on my fish farm. It went through them without the governor kicking on. The store said something about not needing full throttle but I didn't pay attention. After fighting that thing for about 6 hours and almost running it into a pond several times I was almost ready to puke and I was in great shape and much stronger than I am now. 

That's when I remembered what the store said about running on less than full throttle. The memory of a friend saying it was a man killer on full throttle came back at the same time. Ooops! 

I think they would be a very handy tool with the right attachments but I'll never try running one on full throttle again.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Could be I suppose be a Simplicity as it has some semblence of orange handle bars. rest is green. Engine is a 3 HP b/s Sickle bar is on it but was bought by my farther in law with a cultivater. One of those woman things, the cutilvater sat beside the back yard grarge when not mounted on the tractor and she said it made the place look junky so get rid of it. It runs but needs a carb part to get the full effect of the engine.

 Al


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## Bret4207 (May 31, 2008)

fishhead said:


> I rented a walk behind Gravely once to cut some weeds on my fish farm. It went through them without the governor kicking on. The store said something about not needing full throttle but I didn't pay attention. After fighting that thing for about 6 hours and almost running it into a pond several times I was almost ready to puke and I was in great shape and much stronger than I am now.
> 
> That's when I remembered what the store said about running on less than full throttle. The memory of a friend saying it was a man killer on full throttle came back at the same time. Ooops!
> 
> I think they would be a very handy tool with the right attachments but I'll never try running one on full throttle again.



One does not "drive" a Gravely. You dance with it! They're heavy and more powerful than you'd think. I started using one right after I got out of the Marine Corps, back when I was half mountain lion and half grizzly bear! It kicked my butt too. Then a little old frail man in what had to be at least his late 70's showed me how to dance with a Gravely. It's sort of like a balancing act. You have to learn to be quick on the forward-reverse and learn to sort of swing it rather than turn it outright. I love my Gravelys.


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

I have a 1934 Standard Twin iron wheeled spoked tractor with extension rims. Crank start. I rigged a disc for it. It came with a 10in plow. I also got a Simplicity 2 wheel tractor with 8in plow. Don't like it. I gave one with a gear shift to my DD who hasn't done a thing with it. Id like to find another, and I likely will at that sale I go to the first Sat of the month. I put one of those Harbor Freight engines on it.


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