Oliver 550 questions (possible first tractor)

Thinking about buying my first tractor and one of these popped up. The owner claims it's 74 model. It has the Checker grille and the PTO lever is to the right and behind the driver. From the "Oliver 550 purchasers checklist" description of the PTO lever this would put the tractor in the pre-59 range. Also when shifting ranges on the transmission is it as simple as moving to nuetral then bumping forward/backwards? I've never seen a transmission setup this way. If anyone has a loader on one of these I'd appreciate some feedback. This tractor does not have power steering so that might make it impractical.

The PTO lever was relocated to the front in 1964.

So its a little older than a 74. Anyone with a loader on one of these?

Yes I have a Loader on mine, with no power stearing, the worst thing about it is the loader frame is always in the way when you want to work on the engine, example: taking the battery out, to do that I have to remove the hood and loosen up the gas tank hold downs and shove a 2X4 under the tank to get clearence to get the battery out. If you are young and healthy you will have no problem with the stearing.

I have a 1967 version with a loader called the 2-44 model. The PTO lever is in front of the brakes and it is a real pain when a loader has to be put on or taken off. In fact, since I also have a backhoe on mine I don't use the PTO at all and am considering removing the PTO handle altogether.
I use the loader a lot and I really need the rear ballast of the backhoe, otherwise the rear end is too light. My unit has power steering, the Oliver loader #1588 and an industrial front axle that is solid and not adjustable. The power steering is definitely a plus. My bucket is a half-yard and when it is full of gravel I'm sure you wouldn't be able to steer with only manual steering. So if you insist on a bucket I would purposely choose a smaller sized unit.
My loader hydraulics is run by a front mounted pump that is plenty powerful. I also found that the regular exhaust pipe was a problem when the loader would flex, like lifting a load on the side of a hill, so I routed a flex pipe for the exhaust down under the clutch and out the back. This works very well.
And finally, I added a Pertronix electronic ignition kit with a Flamethrower Vibration-free coil. This has made it a very reliable machine and has become a real workhorse for me.

Hope this helps and good luck with your unit.

I can manage better with a small size battery from a Honda car.

PTO lever could be either place, just where ever it was ordered. my 73 has it to the rear my 67 has it to the front

Pto lever could have been in either place or changed later. I changed mine because of the loader made it a pain.

We have a 64 and a 65 550. The 64 model has the front lever. The 65 has the rear. Every front loader 550 i have seen has the rear.

I have a 69 version. Very tough little tractor. Used it last year to run a 9' haybine and square baler with kicker when other tractor was on the fritz. Not a perfect situation but it did the job.
I have even pulled 3-14's with it in a nice sandy loam. They are very handy and don't burn a lot of fuel. I don't have PS on mine and I don't think that I would ever put a loader on it. Its too nimble the way it is.

I have a loader on my 1973. It has been a great unit. Go to 'Tractor Photos' on the left side of this site and type in '550 loader' and you can see some pics.
I owned a Ford 8n with loader and no power steering. It was no big deal without power steering, but when you had a bucket full of dirt you needed to be moving in order to turn.
When I was in the market for a new tractor my short list included a Massey 135, Oliver 550, and Ford 3000. I found the Oliver first and I do not regret the purchase for a moment. Parts are easy to find and it has been an easy tractor to work on. The biggest pain is the loader in the way, but I use it all the time. Mine does have power steering and has the lever in the front on the right side.
Shifting between the high and low range is as you described by going to neutral and bumping it up or down. I am in High almost always using 3rd and R2. The shifter on the left took a while to get used of, but now I think it is the best set up out there. It allows you to shift with your left hand and work the loader controls with your right.
The 550 purchaser's checklist was very helpful for me, bring it with you when you look at the tractor. Get the serial number too so you can be sure on the year.
Good Luck, SW3

Thanks for the info guys.

I will agree with SW3 on the shifter. Not that hard to get used once you have a few hours on it. I find the left handed shifter comfortable. I use mine a lot for moving round bales, raking, mowing, etc and having my right hand free to operate 3ph and PTO is so darn handy.