Benjamin Franklin Gravely, born in 1896, had a lot in common with his namesake. He was a tinkerer, someone who wanted to find a way to make things work better. Over the course of his lifetime, he filed 65 patents. Most of these were related to photography, which was his primary business, but he is best remembered for his farm and garden equipment. Today, the Gravely company is a leading provider of tractors and other outdoor equipment.

Gravely's first tractor, which he made in 1911, consisted of an Indian motorcycle engine mounted on a regular plow with a tractor wheel. He made several improvements on this prototype and then, in 1926, began to raise capital to begin producing tractors commercially. The nation was about to enter the Depression, but Gravely prospered. He began by loading his tractor plows into his car and traveling around the country to sell them. In no time, he had two production facilities and was selling his product worldwide.

Gravely has long been a respected provider of lawn care machinery for professionals, and now provides that same quality for residential uses. Probably their most popular products are their ZT (Zero Turn) riding mowers. The ZT 1540, for instance, has the same 1-1/2' x 1-1/2' x 1/8' thick tubular steel frame as their professional mowers, and is powered by a 15 hp Kohler Courage engine.

Gravely also makes rear-engine riding mowers, walk-behind trimmers and rotary brooms. Each is manufactured with the same care and persistence as Benjamin Franklin Gravely put into that first motorized plow. Now homeowners can use the same equipment that professionals favor.