Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Remember the David Bradley garden tractors.

Every thing old is new again! The tiller discussion, and the pics of the nice BCS equipment reminded me of the scrap piles around the farms when I was a kid. All of my Aunts, Uncles, and Gparents grew up and spent their lives farming and minding small dairy herds. Each family was pretty self sufficient. That meant big gardens as a way of life. Roto tillers were unkown before the 60s. Grandma had the first tiller around, a Merry Tiller with spikes instead of blade tines. She got it in the early sixties and the David Bradley got left out behind the barn.

I remember several of the David Bradleys in the scrap heaps around the families' farms. But don't remember ever seeing one run.

These are not mine. Just random photos I scoured off the net.


Easier to get around the garden than a horse and plow. And you did not need to feed it through the winter.




Here is one with the belt driven (PTO) rotary mower. Keep[ your fingers away! Who needs shields?!! Folk were expected to have a lick of sense. Eight or nine fingers on a man was a testament to those who did not.


The cultivator attachment, where the operator walked between the weeder bars.


Good thing OSHA was not around yet


The walking plow.

Nope, never seen one before.

However, I do happen to like Alec Bradley's cigars.

Yes I do, and chainsaws.

That looks like it would get the job done. I don't remember seeing one, but then again I only remember using shovels, rakes & hoes for the tillering! Try turning over the soil on an one acre garden with a rice shovel.... Then bust it up with a hoe and rake....... It was a tough life but through perseverance, grit & the grace of the good Lord we made it...... (Well maybe a bit of moonshine every now and again 😁)

When I use my Iseki and rotary tiller, my log splitter, circular saw, chop saws, impact drills, etc..... I often think of dad and wonder what he would think of all this modern technology that takes the place of backbreaking labor🤔

A guy not far from here runs a small engine/lawn mower shop. He has several of those that are still running as far as I know. All sorts of accessories hitch to them.

Good post!

Yeah, I can see the potential for a few farm accidents there...

Good old machines- - - -just downsized versions of the same stuff that was used out in the big fields. I think they were made in Britain and/or Canada. Simplex was another brand name of the same type of equipment. I went to high school with kids who were already missing a few fingers and other body parts from farm accidents. Tough guys- - - -definitely ones to have on your side in a confrontation!

I remember using one to prep the potato patch. We then got the troybilt and I don’t think the big unit was used after that.
Had a rope start which look a little work to get it going.

Ever drqgged a deer out with a Gravely ?

lol

I had one many years ago. It wasn't anywhere near new when I bought it but it ran ok. I only had the cultivator tools, though. I had to rebuild the clutch and even back then parts were very hard to find (pre-internet).

A little history research indicates, David Bradley was an American inventor. He is credited with inventing a steel plow capable of cutting prairie sod. He had a large manufacturing facility in Chicago. The two wheel tractor was introduced shortly after WW II. Then the company was sold to Sears Roebuck in 1952??? I think.

I remember a few of the red and green implements around the farms. Manure spreaders, I think. And I actually owned a David Bradley hay rake until recently.


Yes, which explains even fairly poor folk willing to spend precious cash for a machine to make it easier.

I don't think I've ever seen one of them. I'm sure they are powerful though.

We had a big ass DB chain saw here on the ranch

Drug em out with a Rolls-Kanardly

I saw one of pics had a three HP Briggs. Geared way down.