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Looking For "Gray Gardeneers"
In the late 1940's, the Gray Gardeneer was marketed as a "new crawler-type cultivator". With a 7 1/2-in. wide track, gardeners liked the traction and probably felt like they were walking behind a bulldozer. That appeal continues today with collectors.
"I love these little track machines. I have eight different o
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Looking For "Gray Gardeneers" AG WORLD 33-3-22 In the late 1940's, the Gray Gardeneer was marketed as a "new crawler-type cultivator". With a 7 1/2-in. wide track, gardeners liked the traction and probably felt like they were walking behind a bulldozer. That appeal continues today with collectors.
"I love these little track machines. I have eight different ones," says Paul Vanderhulst of Cochise, Ariz.
He saw his first Gardeneer at a tractor show and took photos. Later, when he bought a track cultivator sight unseen, he was delighted to see it was a Gardeneer. He was also glad he had photos because the cultivator arrived in three boxes. Even the handles had been cut up. With little available information, Vanderhulst assembled the Gardeneer and repainted it grey, red and black based on spots of original paint he found.
Russell J. Gray designed the cultivator in 1947. He and his brother, Leal L. Gray, owned Gray Company, Inc., in Minneapolis, which built lubrication and industrial pumping equipment.
"It had some pretty cool lubers for greasing shafts and bearings," Vanderhulst says. Unfortunately, Leal decided the Gardeneer didn't fit well in Gray's line and after several thousand were made in less than five years, the cultivator was discontinued.
"They were a good machine," Vanderhulst says. "With a track like that, it works well in sandy or muddy conditions."
Vanderhulst contacted a historian with the company (now called Graco), who provided basic information and specs on the Gray Gardeneer: 230 lbs., 58 in. long, 39 in. tall, 14 in. wide drive. The cultivator teeth adjust from 9 to 24 in. and dig up to 5 in. deep.
Vanderhulst has only seen one other Gray Gardeneer, which he purchased. Because they seem to be rare, he would like to hear from other Gray Gardeneer cultivator owners to start a registry.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paul Vanderhulst, 3305 N. Golden Rule Rd., Cochise, Arizona 85606 (ph 520 398-2107;
briggsplanet@aol.com; www.briggs planet.com).
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