Oliver 770 compared with Farmall M

Heya,
I am wanting a loader tractor. Lots of choices out there in the classic tractor space. Never driven an Oliver. I have heard they are comfortable. How about a 770? What options and selling points do they have?

The 770 has independent PTO and hydraulics where the M as factory equipped does not. Both good tractors but I guess I would go with the 770 even if the parts are not as universally available such as it is for the M. Commonly needed things are no problem and things such as radiators are available used if nothing else. The Farmall parts have a wider secondary market outside OEM which means you might have to venture a little further on Oliver but not much.

You're comparing a new Cadillac to a Model T there. Crank the steering on that miserable M and you'll wish you had the Oliver even if it cost you four times the price.

I bought a 770 last year , first oliver we ever had . They were ahead of the m I believe . I used it a bit this year after some help from the folks on this forum. If I was putting a loader on anything I'd want power steering though . All in all for its age it worked pretty well. I've decided to sell it because I 've kinda outgrown it already by taking back more land that we rented out. If I wasn't on a budget of someone getting back into farming I'd keep it .

Buy the 770. It's 3 generations newer tractor to start with and technilogically light years ahead of an M, especially for loader use.

If you are a die hard Farmall guy then at least hold out for a 450.

Will I am not sure you can compare an Oliver 770 to a Farmall M. The 770 I have was built in 1962 that my dad bought almost new. So I think it should be compared to a Farmall 460 of the same time frame. My 770 has PS and the fancy seat and it does drive and steer much nicer than my 1946 Farmall MD. But when it came to plowing, my MD could handle a 3-bottom plow in my land but the Oliver could not because of traction. But if the Oliver was weighted down to weight of the MD, I think it could pull 3 bottoms too. My 770 has 3,400 hours on it and we have not had any problems with it the 50+ years I have owned it. I suspect it would make a good loader tractor as it does have live hydraulics with 2 valves. Farmall Ms have only single hydraulics and they may not be double acting. So I would recommend a 770 over an M. Al

The M was behind Oliver when Oliver was building the regular 77,Olivers had the best steering in their era and Farmalls the worst except for the D and S Model Case.

Randy, that brought back memories of our M the half moon key fell out of universal joint where the steering shaft goes thru the hood. I was in fifth gear with a load of hay behind me and only one working brake and steering wheel went round and round in my hands yahoo! LOL Greg

Did you honestly think anyone on this forum would tell you to buy an M over a 770?? Come on.

Hands 770 I have a M and 770 the M is good but the Oliver has way more good features.

I'm a Farmall guy mostly, but I'd certainly tell you to get the 770 if the two were the same price. It's a much newer tractor with better features. Now if you were to compare the 460/504/656 and 770 I'd call it either way (give me a fast hitch any day). But if you don't have fast hitch implements you wouldn't be ahead.

Look at the gear shift arrangements. To me the Oliver would be easier to shift between forward and reverse in the one straight line motion, and it has the two reverse speeds. If I remember correctly, R1 & 2nd gear are in-line and R2 & 4th are in-line in high range. Does the 770 have an optional two speed shift-on-the-go on the left side, might have been called Hydra-Power?

Live hydraulics and live PTO are good to have on the 770. Power steering would be a plus on either tractor. Wide fronts on older tractors don't turn very sharply compared to newer tractors, I prefer a narrow front on tractors of that age. The M is slightly smaller and should burn slightly less gas, but not much less. The 770 was made between 1957 and 1965? The M was made between 1939 and 1953. To me, the seat, disc brakes and standard fenders are more comfortable on the 770, but drive them yourself to decide. Other Oliver models very similar to a 770 are: 77, Super 77, 88, Super 88 and 880.

It's usually much less expensive to buy a tractor with a loader already mounted than to buy them separately and then modify the loader and hydraulic lines to fit the tractor. Neither tractor has high pressure hydraulics, check the pressure requirements if you are buying a loader separately.

Have you asked this same question on the Farmall forum yet?

If your looking for an m try to find a super mta they had live power and factory power steering. Kinda hard to find but they are out there. The next series would have been a 400 which is pretty much still an m but with more creature comforts. If your gonna put a loader on it I would use a pto pump to run the loader instead of the factory hyds.

If you end up with the Oliver, I have a loader for sale. Good loader, just don"t need it.