Oliver OC3 first long test drive

Dan S (NY) · Mar 11, 2020

I have always liked the look of the Cletrac HG/Oliver OC3 crawlers and last August there were five of them in the Vintage Tracks Museum auction near Canandaigua NY. I bid on and won the Oliver OC3. I got it running within a couple days of getting it home, but it had a number of issues I have been working on slowly over the fall and winter. Last weekend I had it put back together and took it for its first long drive up in the woods. It was fun running through snow and ruts without effort that I know my Ferguson's and MF50s wouldn?t have made it through easily, or at all.
Did anyone here pick up any of the HGs from that auction? If so, I wondered how you did getting them up and running? You never know what you might find from a static museum display that you can?t test drive before you buy.
I posted a youtube video of some of the test drive.
Oliver OC3 drive

mikewood869 · Mar 11, 2020

(quoted from post at 03:41:56 03/11/20) I have always liked the look of the Cletrac HG/Oliver OC3 crawlers and last August there were five of them in the Vintage Tracks Museum auction near Canandaigua NY. I bid on and won the Oliver OC3. I got it running within a couple days of getting it home, but it had a number of issues I have been working on slowly over the fall and winter. Last weekend I had it put back together and took it for its first long drive up in the woods. It was fun running through snow and ruts without effort that I know my Ferguson's and MF50s wouldn?t have made it through easily, or at all.
Did anyone here pick up any of the HGs from that auction? If so, I wondered how you did getting them up and running? You never know what you might find from a static museum display that you can?t test drive before you buy.
I posted a youtube video of some of the test drive.
Oliver OC3 drive

I ve seen one at a tractor show and it was cool seeing it go around. That one had a dozer blade and belt pulley on the back. I have a friend that has one too with a dozer blade and belt pulley. They got there s running in the summer and driving by the fall. When I watched the father load it onto the trailer after a event, I thought he was going to get flung off (what a boat going on the trailer). It runs good.

moresmoke · Mar 11, 2020

They are a neat little crawler. Primarily meant to be an Ag tractor. Even though some were fit with dozer blades, they are not the best piece of
construction equipment. The later ones were better in that regard. The OC46 made a much better industrial tractor.

If they were doing otherwise, encourage your friends to always load the crawler by backing it on the trailer. Driving it on, the tracks can catch in the
ramp and cause it to rear over backwards. This is true of any crawler. Or winch it on.

I have an HG that was bought new by a family member. Along with 4 other crawlers.

JDEM · Mar 11, 2020

I have a late-model HG I use for trail-building in the Michigan UP. Same machine as an OC3. I love it. Easy to truck and good for tight places. I have an Anderson dozer on mine with hydraulic tilt. Main downside to standard HGs and OC3s is that first gear is WAY too fast. Add and aux. trans. and it makes them much more useful. Oliver offered that aux trans as an option and used a Ford Model A car transmission. I put one in my HG 20 years ago and cannot imagine not having it. Trasco made the aux kits that Oliver sold. I made my own.

JK-NY · Mar 11, 2020

Looks and sounds good. Looks like another project on the trailer in the beginning of the video. Did you get the doodle bug at the same auction? I went through that museum several years ago. Where in NY are you located? Most of the snow was gone here south of Syracuse by last weekend except for where it drifts or where I pile it up with the snow plow.

2x4 · Mar 12, 2020

just don't get it sideways on ANY slope with snow & ice on the ground. All those cleats become sled runners and injury or death results.

Dan S (NY) · Mar 12, 2020

Yes, I got the Model T doodlebug tractor at the same auction. It will need a lot of work to get going. Still not sure if it will get fixed up in its current form or if I will use its parts to build up a Model T Worthington project. I'm in the Plattsburgh area. Most of our snow is gone now as well except for the large piles.

Janicholson · Mar 13, 2020

My dad's construction company had an OC3 woth a loader on it. Not really a digger unless in sand. Finally sold when it used more oil than fuel. But it paid for itself. many times over. My uncle took it on a 175 foot sideways trip down a driveway and across a paved road then up the other side about 20 feet. He never drove it again. IIRC he went home about 1/2 hour after climbing off. Jim

old · Mar 13, 2020

I have a n HG42 with an Oliver 60 engine in it

Oliver OC3 first long test drive

Dan S (NY)

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mikewood869

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moresmoke

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JDEM

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JK-NY

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2x4

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Dan S (NY)

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Janicholson

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old

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