Best Oliver?

I know there will be many opinions, but I want to hear them. What does everyone think is the best Oliver ever made? White would be ok too i guess.

I just absolutely love the 1655 diesel. Mine is a late one. It looks great, fun to operate, and a very well rounded tractor in my opinion.

What does everyone else think?
 
Too many choices. I guess I'd have to narrow it to a 77,550,1850 Perkins Diesel and the 1650/1655.
 
I think 1655 was the best tractor oliver made. I think that the fleetlines were farther ahead of anything else made at the the time though.
Josh
 
I like these: 77, 1850 and 2255. Some of the best times I had farming were on my 1850 gasser that had more hp than it should, with a big flame shooting out the pipe! Yes, I bought a lot of gas.
 
This is a tough one. I am partial to the Fleetlines. My all time favorite is the 880 followed very closely with 1650. The Super 77 would be right there in the top 3.
 
Oliver super 88 Diesel in front of a Gehl chopper in 12 to 14 ft. corn.

Oliver super 77 gas hooked up to a Gehl forage blower putting corn in a 60 ft. silo.

A late 1650 Diesel on a Gehl 2 row chopper in tall corn planted at 25000+ plants per acre.

The 1850 tractors.

I have been around most makes and models of row crop tractors built in the 1960's and 1970's In that time frame there were no better tractors built by any cumpany.
 
I would have to say the Oliver S88 but then I do use one every summer to bale hay with
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There's a 1855 with recent engine o/h,75 percent rubber and cab.Still has factory paint, for sale nearby.Their asking 5900.00.Might go look at it.
 
Grew up withem and ran them all but my fav was the 1550 gas with narrow front and the high speed rear. Grandpa bought new in '65 came with plow and sickle mower? It did everything on the dairy/hog farm! ran spreader/ground feed in winter did all planting and haying in summer.Sold at our last farm sale in '97. Was never off the farm for repair. One of my regrets in life was letting it go! didnt know until it was gone!! Chris
 
88 gas. It only needed things done to it because it really racked up the hours when it was the main tractor here. 770. 1550. 1850. 1655. I'll probably never be able to have a big collection but I hope I can find a 1550 gas NFE as it was what I imagined as a kid working on the farm here when there were dairy cows. Hauling manure, hay wagons, silage wagons, and planting corn. As it was the 88 handled those chores but even as a young kid I always thought that a farmer could not have enough tractors.
 
Most of my experience is on the 50 series, so probably more my favorite than "best".
My 1650, today I used it to make firewood, can't think of a task that tractor hasn't done at one time or another.
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I agree 1655. We had one with a cab it was sold at Dads sale in 1998. Went to Lebanon county Pa. The tractor I miss the most.
 
For field and baling work it would be a late 1850 354 diesel with a 3 speed, For everything else a 1550 diesel I now have. A real close 2nd would be the 1550 diesel utility I bought a year ago. You just cant beat them. Bandit
 
Kevin, I have owned: 1555, super88, 1950T, 2-70, 1650, 770, 77, and White American 60. The most fun was the 1950T pulling a 4 bottom semi mounted plow and my dad had the 1555 and 3 bottom. We had a small farm so plowing ,discing and chopping was left to the 1950T. I still have the White American and is a handy little tractor. My all Deere neighbor has used it and really liked it. I like them all when they are working! Greg
 
Your right, they're not bad loader tractors. years ago, this one had a loader too until we bought a 1550 with loader, which was a very good tractor also.
 
I vote for a 1850 with Perkins and MFWD. I had one for years and thought it was a well balanced power to weight machine. I have owned six front wheel assist tractors and this one was geared perfect. You could shift it into 4 wheel drive or out while on dry ground. Never was the drive line binding or under pressure. Great little tractor for pulling my #83 narrow picker. Only sold it because of its age and the fear of parts if it ever broke. Started great in cold weather. Kind of miss her, but did buy the same tractor 20 years newer and a lighter shade of green.
 
"Super 88 on a Gehl chopper in 12-14 ft. corn." Been there and done that. Some of my best tractor memories. That Super 88 diesel could always do more than you thought it could. I'll put it first for sentimental reasons. The 1655 is right there with it (a bigger, improved, version of the S88). The 1850 next.
 
880 gas (love the sound of that 265 working hard)
White 2-85 Red stripe. They (White) finally got something right with using that Dot 4 Perkins. A little hard starting, but a very hard pulling reliable tractor.
 
For me the 88 and 1650 are the best. They just keep on going. The most enjoyable to drive were the 1855 and 1755, my first cab tractors. They were worked hard and held up great. I know the 1855's have a bad reputation, but I would have put mine up against any make back then. Took a 2-135 to replace it. Just my 2 cents,....Duane.
 


My favorites are Super 88, 1850, 2255, 66 Diesel, 70. First three I have now, the 66 Diesel was Dad's growing up, and the 70 was mine in H.S. FFA.
 
wish i had one like that now did a lot of seat time on that unit with 7 bottom plow. it had a continental cab on it.
 
88/S-88, 1650/1655, and 1850. The nicest driving Oliver's with the best brakes, pto arrangement, and power steering would be the 1755/1855/1955. If it would not have been for the motor issues with latter three, they could have easily been the best Oliver's ever put on the market. Those split manifold designed 310 turbos were real butt-kickers in their day. If what I have seen of the current crop of 100-110 hp. tractors is any indication, I'd say they are still competitive.

This opinion is probably worth just what you paid for it. (smile)
 
We cut a lot of corn with a NH 800 chopper with a two row head with a S-88 also. It's amazing how well those older tractors held up with the way everyone used to work the things.
 
Which one is best? That's like cutting a pie into 6 pieces and asking which piece is best. I love them all. In the 70's, I had a super 88 gas, 880 diesel, 1850 diesel and a 2150 FWA. Now I have a pair of 1850 diesels, a row crop 88 and a 2-62 loader/backhoe. 2150 was an awesome tractor, I would give up my left one for one of those, love my 1850's, for it's time frame, nothing was better than an 88, would like to have a super 88 diesel. Haven't got to play with the 2-62 yet. Chris
 
I've always liked the 2255, might not be the best one, but I've always liked them, they look big and mean and the cat v8 always sounds good with a strait pipe.
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Let think a minute, in our family we've had a 60, 2-70's, 77, 88, 1800A gasser, 770 gas, 1600 gas, 1650 direct injection, 1465, 1855, 1755 gas, 2255 with 3150 cat, 4-150, super 66, and a Fleetline 1951 66, and a 2-105 White, bought new in Feb of 1975, and a couple of half breeds, 9150 and 9190 Deutz-Allis, they have the White 3 speeds and tranny-rear ends. Hard to pick a favorite. Dad started using Oliver's in 1947 I think, had a great dealer who started with Oliver's in 1929 if I remember correctly, dealership closed in early 2000's and all family members have now passed on.
 
That is my old tractor.

It was the first tractor I restored. After I finished it I sold it so I could get a MFWD 2255. That tractor does not have a true straight pipe, there was a collector insert inside the chrome pipe. Here is a pic of the 2wd 2255 during construction and my MFWD 2255 with the 1955 I restored.

Depending on the task at hand my favorites would be between my 1365 or 2-105. If my 1850D had an 1855 rear it would probably be my overall favorite.
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How do you like the 1465? Do you use it a lot? Not many around.

(quoted from post at 20:12:40 02/10/15) Let think a minute, in our family we've had a 60, 2-70's, 77, 88, 1800A gasser, 770 gas, 1600 gas, 1650 direct injection, 1465, 1855, 1755 gas, 2255 with 3150 cat, 4-150, super 66, and a Fleetline 1951 66, and a 2-105 White, bought new in Feb of 1975, and a couple of half breeds, 9150 and 9190 Deutz-Allis, they have the White 3 speeds and tranny-rear ends. Hard to pick a favorite. Dad started using Oliver's in 1947 I think, had a great dealer who started with Oliver's in 1929 if I remember correctly, dealership closed in early 2000's and all family members have now passed on.
 
The xx55 and whites had a lot better brakes and hydraulics and had a flat operator platform. If only the 1855 and 1955 would have had Perkins from the factory. My 1850 will start right up in single digits without being plugged in, just hit the preheat about 30 seconds and hit the key.
 
Nice looking tractors there, I found that 2255 on the Internet, just curious why do you paint the center of the rear planetariums green? Or just for looks.
 
I always paint with the wheels off. Plus in my opinion it looks better. You know what they say about opinions though.
 
We still have the 1600 gas that grandpa bought new, and also have an 1855. We had a 1755 but it had engine troubles, think it spun a main with low oil pressure.

The 18 gas had done engine troubles that I caught before it blew, but for it's size it really is a great tractor. I love running it on the chopper, which is currently a nh 892, and hearing it lug down a little. Chopping corn and then plowing would be my 2 favorite jobs, and the 18 handles them both.

The 16 is a great tractor, just very slow on the road. I put a loader on it this fall so it's getting more use now than it has for the last several years. I prefer the Massey 285 on the baler myself. The 16 will out run the 285 on the silo blower though.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 

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