The Holy Grail of Oliver

rrlund

Well-known Member
Super 44. Only about 775 built. This one sold at a live onsite auction today for $3700. It was a little over two hours away and they said be on time,few small items. I didn't figure I could get chores done and be there on time. From the look of all the junk,I knew the scrappers would be out in full force. I called the auctioneer Thursday and again yesterday about bidding on it without being there. He said he could call me when they got to it and I could bid by phone. Yesterday I asked him if I could just tell him what my maximum was and if it went for that or less,he could just bid for me and call me if I got it? He said he could do that.

I'll tell you,I was way short. I figured if there were two collectors there it'd go through the roof. I just wanted to be sure it didn't end up being crushed or bought by somebody who'd paint it with a barn broom and paint the wheels yellow and put it in the woods. For what it brought,I've got a hunch it went someplace where it'll be done right.
a254304.jpg
 
Come on, You're a "rare" Oliver collector - Loosen up the wallet !!!
Assume it ran when parked.
 
Randy, Did you get my message about the 500 in Sharon Springs N.Y.? Saw this Super 44 at the Roseboom tractor show in September. Spotted a high crop 500 for sale but in Louisiana.
a254311.jpg
 
I've owned several S44 and 440 tractors over the years mostly back in the 80's guess I should have kept a couple.Could buy them running and driving with cultivators from $750 to $1500 most were in tobacco growing areas of VA and NC.I do have a Cockshutt 20 Little Chief one row with cultivators.The Little Chief was built for tobacco country sold by the coop FCX in NC,last
I heard there were 7 known to exist.Most 20's were 2 row tractors.
 
Wander on down to the Oliver forum. More pictures if it from the sale today and more details on it. No PTO or hydraulics. Apparently it had some kind of trencher on it that ran off that front pump. I paid more than I should have for the 500 orchard,but not as much as that thing brought,and the 500 runs.
 
I didn't get the message,no. Only 500 I'd buy now if the price was right and if it was nice would be one of the last 225 built,with the fabricated front axle,to complete the collection. I'd like to find a 600 though. Even fewer of those than there were Super 44s and 440s.
I might have to jump in to a few more of the Fiat builts now.
 
On the offset tractors I would want the cultivators to go with them. That is what they where designed for. I have thought about starting to collect them. I would want the following list of them:

AC "G" (Not an offset but liked them)
IH 140
IH 274
CIH 265 offset
Oliver 44
Oliver 440
Ford 541 Offset
Ford 2000 Offset
Ford 1710
JD 900 HC
Kubota L245H
 
Theses were made so the Farmall implements would fit them. They were late showing up for the dance,didn't come out until 1957. They figured the best chance to sell them was to sell to guys who had worn out their As and Super As and they could sell them if the buyer could use his existing tools on them.
 
I know where there is a Super 44. Sitting there rotting in the ground. I have tried to buy it. Owner will not even think about selling it. Go figure, but it is his tractor.
 
Ya the S44 is one I have always wanted along with a S55 but not likely to find either one that I can afford to buy
 
That was what I said when I finally finished my first 500,never again. Then I found that one with orchard fenders and never went right out the window.
 
(quoted from post at 05:51:48 01/21/18) Don't know. That's what I read in an article about them one time.

I doubt I'll have luck, but I'll go to a salvage yard that keeps any old tractor that comes in. They have a fair number of 77s and 88s up the valley, but I don't know bout the smaller ones. They're the wrong color green :p I'll let you know.
 
You'd need a good torch and welder man,that was one of the problems the Olivers had were the cultivators weren't hitting on much.Really nothing touched IH in tobacco country,back in the day there'd be 50 IH cultivating tractors for all the other brands put together.The Avery BF and R probably were out there as much or more than any other 'off brands'.
 
The S55 shouldn't be any problem to find over, at the Rushville VA consignment auctions the last couple years there have been several S55 and 550 tractors that were running went thru there
none broke 2K.
 
Ya,that was the whole thing with selling a tractor that didn't need a whole new line of tools according to the article. I wish I could find it again. I re read the one in a 2006 HPOC feature and that one didn't mention it. It had to have been in an earlier article than that.
 
There is going to be a restored S44 at the spring Polk auction, hard to tell what it will bring now days, some of the owners/sellers of sure enough rare tractors have gotten rude surprises the last few years. I would think it would be cheaper in the long run to buy an older restoration than to give 3750 for one in that shape.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top