Thinking about getting a 1550

NY 986

Well-known Member
There is one coming up at auction in a few weeks. I would most likely get rid of the Ford 860. I am still sorting through this as I would like to put in a small orchard at some point and the 860 would be handy for that. The 1550 would make a suitable back up for the 4010 with presumably 15.5x38 tires for the sprayer. I really can't keep both at this time. The 1550 would sit less for the near future.
 
I'll tell you what,my 1550 is the highest hour Oliver that I have. Not that I run the heck out of it anymore,I mostly use it to rake hay and haul wagons,but you'd have a devil of a time getting it away from me.
 
A 1550 is something I dreamed about as a kid when the buyer's guides came in the mail. I loved the other tractors here but even as a kid I knew a dairy farm could never have enough tractors (within reason). I used to envision coming home from school and seeing a 1550 planting corn or sitting on the forage blower at the silo. I also envisioned a 2520 or 3020 side console along with the 1550 plus the 4010, 88, and Farmall M that were already here. The 860 does have memories of a good friend who is no longer with us. I'd like to keep both but I need to get serious about a hay business to boot. Last year I upgraded the mower conditioner and this year I would like to get something done on a modern rake.
 
Ya,I built that new barn last year and bought a different pickup. I need a discbine this year. Looks like I'll have to go way off to central or southern Indiana or Ohio,or spend the long dollar on a new one. I want to stay with a 9 foot so I can keep the V rake that I've got,but a nine footer is as scarce as hens teeth in Michigan for a good one. In fact I've only found two new ones here.
 
9 foot machines are fairly plentiful whether disc or sickle cut in PA and NY. I bought a Deere 1219 last year in pretty good condition for 1600 dollars. It took the place of a wore out and then some NH 469.
 
There are 9 foot sickle types all over the place here,but most of these guys are buying new 12-13-15 and 16 foot disc type and trading them in every few years. You can make a heck of a deal on those. Dealers seem to be so overloaded with them that they just want to get them off the lot. I might have to do some math and see if it would just make more sense to buy one of those and a bigger rake. But then I don't know if the feed throat on the baler would take it,or if it would be a hassle to get a bigger swath dry without a tedder. Sounds like I could open quite a can of worms.
 
I have a 1207. It's solid but the rolls are going. I pull it with a F 2000. It works OK but no live PTO and on my hills it skids out on the turns. Bought a 1550 last year over winter thinking I could use it right away....ha! PTO seemed to work but was shot. Front axle and steering bad. Water pump, lift arms, all needed work. Starts and runs great and mechanically solid. I know it will be a good one when I'm done. I just can't bring myself to used them when so many little thing are wrong. I still hear about it from SWMBO once in a while, but what does she know. Randy, think I should go for that plow? Not sure if the 1550 would handle four in this clay around here.
 
A bigger windrow means slower drying time for dry hay. Not so important for haylage. I think I would stay at 9 feet and keep watch of Tractorhouse, Machinefinder, etc. for what you want.
 
A 1550 would pull 3-14's in heavy ground here at 3 to 3.5 miles per hour on average. I don't know much about the 1550 coming up for sale here. I would not mind doing a few things to it if needed and it does not need to be painted. The Ford sits too much as it is. If I was awash in cash it would be no problem keeping both.
 
No,that's too much plow for a 1550. Remember,they're just a modernized and updated 770. Great little haying tractor and chore tractor on a livestock farm,but to take one out and work the crap out of it with big tillage equipment,I wouldn't. That 4 bottom semi mount would be a better match for an 1850 with those tractors being the age that they are.
 
Ya,there's a Kuhn FC 302 with a flail conditioner about 120 miles away. As near as I can figure it's about a 2004. I don't know what to think of it. The price isn't bad,and that's what scares me. If a dealer thought it was real valuable,they'd be asking more.
 
I would tend to disagree- we mow dry hay with a 13 foot center pivot. it really depends on the tedder and rake. Use a good spinner style tedder and a rotary rake- we use a 22 foot double rotor Kuhn rake and put 22 feet into one. No problems. BTW where are you located in NY? I am in western ny and have a good running 1550 to sell.
 
I hear what you are saying. Kuhn is supported pretty well here but once you get into them or Claas for parts it gets expensive quick. If I had to guess I would say Deere sells the best here and then NH. I understand your issues with Deere so maybe it might be time to look at NH.
 
I'm over by Geneva in the Finger Lakes Region. Can you tell me a little about your 1550?
 
I'm just not real fond of the rolls in a NH. They and Kuhn are the best choice for dealer service here for sure. The NH salesman lives just east of town here and will bring parts home at night. I used to buy Holstein bulls from him and his dad when we were all milking cows.
 
That's the devil of it though,I don't have a tedder. If I have to buy a tedder and a wider rake,it makes more sense to just make a few more rounds while I'm out there cutting with a nine foot. I could end up spending twenty grand just to save five thousand buying a late model used 12 footer instead of buying a brand new nine foot and then I'd still have to make another trip over the field with the tedder.
 
That's why I was asking if it's the type of plow you could remove the first one, like the 565s. With the dips and hills in my fields I might be better off with a trail type.
 
I like Olivers as much as anyone. I had a 1550 and it was a good, handy tractor. A 1650 or 1655 is about the same physical size, but a whole lot more tractor.
Josh
 
The two things driving this are availability and probable price. 1650's usually are the better part of a thousand dollars higher than 1550's. There is an auction coming up so I don't need to worry about the cost of trucking as I can drive it home on a nice day. Everybody is pretty well set on charging 4 bucks per mile so a 100 mile trip is going to be 400 dollars. Theoretically the 1550 gas should burn less fuel than a 1650 gas. Lastly, the 1550 is something I have been fascinated with for a long time.
 
Randy-just to confuse things further, I've had a Kuhn FC283 for seven years. It's a nominal 8.5 foot cut. I find I'm covering ground noticably faster than when I used a 9 foot NH Haybine, faster ground speed and no stops. About tedders, rakes and wide swaths- on spinner type tedders the center two spin away from each other. This leaves a slight but noticeable break in the middle. I mow with a 8.5 disc mower, ted two swaths at once with a 17 foot tedder, and split the tedder swath into two windrows with a NH 256 rake, with no problems at all. Lotta possible variations for you to consider.
 
In that case, a 1550 is a nice tractor. I had to sell mine when I upgraded another tractor, but I miss it and I'm sure I'll eventually have another.
Josh
 
As I stated before if I get the 1550 then the Ford will have to go as I also have financial limits. My goal if possible is to get the 1550 for within 750 dollars of what I could hope to get for the Ford. The Ford condition-wise has some positives but does not have a fancy paint job on it.
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I'd wanted a 1550 to go with my 1650 for awhile and have found/bought 2 this year a gas and a diesel.Just got the diesel but have used the gasser for a few things really pretty much like my 1650 but I haven't needed the extra power either.I paid
$2000 for the gas and $1500 for the diesel both have had a few problems to work out nothing expensive.
 
I'm not too far from you. Tractor is in Palmyra. It's a 66 new rear tires. Runs goood, I haven't had it too long, bought it at an estate sale. Too good of a deal too pass up. Email is open.
 

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