Oliver's are sweet

Yardster · Nov 6, 2005

Oliver\'s are sweet

I just needed to say that.

RobertN · Nov 6, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

There's one out by us, at an apple farm. It is just sitting out there unkempt. It is an older one for sure, and is on stilts. It is about the size of my Farmall A, but is on stilts with an add on chain drive to get from the rear differential down to the wheels.

I want it, but do not need another project right now /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Yardster · Nov 6, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

This isn't an Oliver, but still pretty neat. http://www.olivertractors.ca/75_jim_dandy.htm

Check out the orchard version.
http://www.olivertractors.ca/goodison_connection.htm

RichZ · Nov 6, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

Olivers were some of the most durable tractors ever made. My main tractor is an Oliver 1550, with a factory installed loader. I use it almost everyday, all year long. It was built in 1967, and I've had it for over three years of hard use. The only things I've had to do to it since I've had it was replace the battery and voltage regulator, which I could easily do myself. I don't think that I could be happier than I am with this tractor.

slowrev · Nov 7, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

I almost bought an Oliver that was not an Oliver a few years ago.
A 500 oliver. Turns out it was a rebadged David Brown and parts were a nightmare to get for it, and it needed several. so I passed on the deal.

Ben

Chuck_Lind · Nov 7, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

What was the reason for the demise of the Oliver? Around these parts...you'd be hard-pressed to find one.

Was it competition, poor marketing, good-tractor-turned-bad in terms of cutting manufacturing costs?

Just curious...I never heard anything bad about them; the company just disappeared off the face of the earth.

RobertN · Nov 7, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

Here it is...

RobertN · Nov 7, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

Another...

RobertN · Nov 7, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

One more...

slowrev · Nov 8, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

Chuck,
I am not sure what happened to oliver. All the old timers areound here say they were good tractors. Just got bought out to kill competition I suppose.

Ben

Farmwithjunk · Nov 8, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What was the reason for the demise of the Oliver? Around these parts...you'd be hard-pressed to find one.

Was it competition, poor marketing, good-tractor-turned-bad in terms of cutting manufacturing costs?

Just curious...I never heard anything bad about them; the company just disappeared off the face of the earth. )</font>

Oliver built a great product. (tractors and plows especially) The rest of their product line was equal to about anything on the market in that era.

Problems arose when it came to business managment of the company, as well as some decisions that would have effected their future.

They were lightyears ahead of everyone in regards to VARIABLE SPEED 6 cylinder engines. Thinking of the day was to build engines designed to run at a given RPM. Oliver used a wide power spread. Their 1500 and 1600 tractors were on the market a couple years before Deere stole the show with the 3010/4010. About then is when they started to fumble the ball.

By the late 1960's Oliver was in trouble. They absorbed Cockshutt and Minneapolis Moline and became White. White was finally bought by what became AGCO.

Just like International Harvester, Oliver proved that just manufacturing a good product isn't enough. It takes business savvy to stay in the hunt. (Along with a design team that developes the "4010 of each generation")

Chuck_Lind · Nov 8, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

Just answered my own question: Please view the link below and it gives a lot of history, etc.

http://www.olivertractors.ca/oliver_history.htm

Bob_Young · Nov 9, 2005

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

Thanks for all that, Junk and Chuck. Love hearing about the old Ollies. When I was a teenager trying to earn money for school in the early sixties, I spent alot of time on an Oliver Super 88 and an Oliver 55, and later, a diesel 770. As was said, they were lightyears ahead of the contemporary Farmalls and 2 lung John Deeres.

The farm I used to work at still has a few of the old Ollies sitting around. Thought I saw the Super 88 under an apple tree. Haven't seen 'em work, so they're probably being kept for restoration.

The owner said he did restore one and couldn't believe how much money went into it. As he told it, the tractor was taken completely apart and everthing not in service limits was replaced. The way he was shaking his head, it'll be awhile before he tackles another one.

Being retired, I've helped out there a few times during the haying season. The guy's an old tractor buff. He still uses a couple of JD 430s, a Farmall Super C and, occasionally, a JD A show tractor to rake hay. It's fun when they're running right.
Bob

amie239 · Jul 20, 2011

My husband found an Oliver plow. he said it is a 2 hrs. plow. It has a big plow and a little plow. Not sure what else I can explain. I am not familiar with plows at all. I will take a picture and post it so you all can see what it looks like. We are wondering what it is worth and if it is worth selling. Look forward to any helpful comments! Thanks!

Bird · Jul 20, 2011

Nearly all my hay cutting and baling was done on an old Oliver. I believe it was a model 1855, 6 cylinder diesel, and the owner thought it was made about 1972. He bought it about 1996 with the hour meter showing a little over 5k hours. It was a fine old tractor.

JasG · Aug 20, 2011

As long as this thread is up again. Did Oliver make there own diesel engine for any models? The few I have seen had either a DD or Cat motor.

flusher · Aug 20, 2011

Re: Oliver\'s are sweet

Yardster said:
I just needed to say that.

Can't beat the classic Ollies for style. My 1945 Oliver 60 Row Crop is a real gem.

I'm finishing up a brake job right now--left lining oil soaked, right lining ground to dust. Found a replacement drum on eBay for the right side ($25 plus shipping).