Buying Advice Buy Oliver Tractor for real work?

[GoldenTreeLover]

Hello,
I am wondering how ambitious it would be to buy an Oliver tractor to really use, i.e. bushhog, till etc,. Do folks buy Oliver Tractors to use or just for the hobby.

I was looking at Oliver 1250, but I heard that you cant get parts for them. So I maybe I should consider another model Oliver tractor
What model can you get parts for? I am looking at 20HP-40HP because I already have a larger John Deere.

I want an Oliver tractor because Oliver is a family name and I think that would be cool, but if i cant use the Oliver tractor for real work I may have to pass.

Thanks
GTL

 

[murphy1244]

Hello,
I am wondering how ambitious it would be to buy an Oliver tractor to really use, i.e. bushhog, till etc,. Do folks buy Oliver Tractors to use or just for the hobby.

I was looking at Oliver 1250, but I heard that you cant get parts for them. So I maybe I should consider another model Oliver tractor
What model can you get parts for? I am looking at 20HP-40HP because I already have a larger John Deere.

I want an Oliver tractor because Oliver is a family name and I think that would be cool, but if i cant use the Oliver tractor for real work I may have to pass.

Thanks
GTL

I see them still used on farms here in Ohio

 

[roadhunter]

Still used around here as well

 

[fidowanttobe]

Lots of Olivers still earning their keep up north here which makes me think that parts are available. Steiner's has them too.

 

[murphy1244]

Heck we even have a Oliver grave yard for used parts up here. One time Oliver was the #1 seller here.

 

[mddorange]

:welcome:
To TBN forum GTL. Are you west of Montgomery and north of US80 in Saint Clair?

 

[jeff9366]

How proficient are you in diesel, hydraulic and general mechanical repairs?

Do you have time for same and time for tracking down parts?

 

[super55]

Wow tough crowd on oliver tractors here.

There's a reason why you see so many of them in the fields still. It's because they are very good tractors.

If you are looking for a good utility tractor I would highly recommend an Oliver Super55 or a 550. I have a Super55 hence my ID and I absolutely love the tractor. To best describe the Super 55 think if it as a Ford 8n and add 15 hp and live PTO and hydraulics. It has 6 forward speeds and 2 reverse speeds that give a wide range and plenty of pulling power. Mine has the Wakasha 4 cyl. gas engine which puts out the same HP as the diesel version and has been an incredibly faithful and strong motor for me.

My oliver does 90% of my field work. I have a JD 4310 as well and the only thing that it does is run the tiller and flail mower because the RPMs are more stable and I can run it at a slower speed. The oliver does all the discing, plowing, seeding and manure spreading. Even though it is only 2wd with R1s it is as good if not better than my 4310 in 4wd with R4s.

All major parts are easy to find. eBay and Steiner's carries a lot of them. A lot of junkyards will have parts as well since they were very popular tractors in their day.

I wouldn't recommend getting one with a FEL though. No power steering and the design of the spindles make it a weak point for heavy weight on the front end.

Maybe I lucked out with mine but I only paid 2500 dollars for it and only done basic maintenance of fluids, filters and plugs. I've had it for about 5 years and probably have over 300 hours on it.

People think that these old tractors are undependable but I honestly see more people having issues keeping these new tractors running from issues with safety switches and other issues.

 

[GoldenTreeLover]

:welcome:
To TBN forum GTL. Are you west of Montgomery and north of US80 in Saint Clair?

ST Clair County, North East of Birmingham

 

[4570Man]

What happened to Oliver. Based on what I have gathered they were great tractors. I went to that farm show in Indiana a few years ago, and I was completely amazed at all of the different brands that are no longer made. I was actually pretty amazed at the whole thing.

 

[ck4man]

You are right, a 1250 Oliver would be a hard tractor to find parts for because they're not really Olivers. Fiat, an Italian company, built these tractors for Oliver in late 60's and early 70's. The 1250 was smallest and earliest one built and did not have the greatest reputation. The series improved with the introduction of the 1255, the replacement for the 1250. I don't think you could wrong with a four digit Oliver - either the '50 or '55 series. Real Olivers and easy to find parts for.

 

[bcp]

Oliver became White became AGCO..

Tractors, Farm Tractors

Bruce

 

[mddorange]

ST Clair County, North East of Birmingham

Now I know where you are, thanks.

 

[jeff9366]

What happened to Oliver? Based on what I have gathered they were great tractors.

I went to a farm show in Indiana a few years ago, and I was completely amazed at the different brands that are no longer made.

Check this LINK of defunct tractor manufacturers: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/all-other-brands/336055-defunct-tractor-manufacturers.html

Tough business, manufacturing tractors.

 

[LD1]

Oliver became White became AGCO..

Tractors, Farm Tractors

Bruce

Cockshutt got swallowed up in that mix too.

Have seen a few 1250's around here for sale from time to time. But never considered one cause 1. its a Fiat and 2. parts.

Always been told if you want an oliver, make sure its an oliver. And in the 4-digit tractors, that starts at 15xx tractors, which are BIG and HEAVY old iron.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Oliver tractors were never very popular in Louisiana even when they were new(maybe more so up North). If I were looking for some old iron, I would stick with Ford, IH or JD which were most popular selling tractors of their day so parts should still be available.

 

[flusher]

I had a nice 1945 Oliver 60 in my collection of vintage bull gear tractors.



It's a pretty basic tractor--drawbar and pto. OK for pulling draw-type implements.

You can find engine rebuild kits for Oliver tractors on the Web.

I had to reline the brakes (linings oil soaked) and replace the seals on the shafts on which the brakes were attached.

My 60 ran well and is spending it's senior years as a parade tractor.

Good luck with your search.

 

[GoldenTreeLover]

You are right, a 1250 Oliver would be a hard tractor to find parts for because they're not really Olivers. Fiat, an Italian company, built these tractors for Oliver in late 60's and early 70's. The 1250 was smallest and earliest one built and did not have the greatest reputation. The series improved with the introduction of the 1255, the replacement for the 1250. I don't think you could wrong with a four digit Oliver - either the '50 or '55 series. Real Olivers and easy to find parts for.

Okay Thanks, I will try to figure out what was the most common later model (1950-1973) OLIVER tractor and be on the look out for that.

 

[BrentB]

I grew up on a farm that was mostly Oliver tractors.

Had two 550 gas tractors...a great tractor for utility work because of the live pto and good horsepower and weight. Had to be careful because of the manual steering....it would try to break your thumbs if wheels hit a ditch while steering.

We had 3 1655 tractors... 1 gas and 2 diesel. Great tractor for cultivating, planting, mowing with disc mower, and baling.
Oliver 77 tractor mainly to run the grainovator feed wagon...high up for good visibility, easy on and off, terrible brakes. We added a buick power steering pump and valves to add hydraulics to run the feed wagon auger...worked very well
Oliver 1955 tractor 105 hp, for field work. It was okay...brakes got weak on it and front wheels would jacknife beyond where they should have on turns if you werent careful
Had a 1800 when I was real little, don't remember much about it, though.
The Oliver 1450 was the odd duck of the bunch. It was a heavily built tractor with loader. The interesting thing about it was that 540 rpm was at maybe 2/3 of throttle..so it was nice to be able to mow without having the engine roaring at full bore. It has not run in several years as not needed anymore, but really don't recall any mechanical trouble with it. I would be very worried about getting parts for it though.

 

[MossRoad]

Hello,
I am wondering how ambitious it would be to buy an Oliver tractor to really use, i.e. bushhog, till etc,. Do folks buy Oliver Tractors to use or just for the hobby.

I was looking at Oliver 1250, but I heard that you cant get parts for them. So I maybe I should consider another model Oliver tractor
What model can you get parts for? I am looking at 20HP-40HP because I already have a larger John Deere.

I want an Oliver tractor because Oliver is a family name and I think that would be cool, but if i cant use the Oliver tractor for real work I may have to pass.

Thanks
GTL

Here's what's left of the Oliver tractor factory.... the power house, which is now a brick retailer. The factory is long gone. They were made here, in South Bend, Indiana and it is still pretty common to see Olivers towing carts, utility use, sitting in fields, or if they are lucky, being paraded or shown. I've seen a few in vintage tractor pulls, too.

Google Maps

My point being, yes, you could use a strong old tractor to do work. But Olivers are becoming more of a collector, hobby farmer kind of thing and from what I hear from a couple friends that live here and collect them, parts are becoming hard to find.