Advice on Oliver 1955 and 1755

wowsk

Member
I currently have a gas Farmall 560. I would like to upgrade to another tractor that is diesel with a 3 point. I have always been partial to IH, but after looking on Craigslist it seems to me that Olivers are way cheaper than JD or IH. I found these two tractors both are a couple hours away. A neighbor has always used Oliver and liked them, and I have a general idea about the hydraul shifting, but any information is welcome.

Is there anything that anyone sees on these tractors that are deal breakers or something I should watch out for?

Thanks and again, any information is appreciated!

https://dubuque.craigslist.org/grd/d/oliver-1755-diesel/6721317693.html
https://dubuque.craigslist.org/grd/d/oliver-1955-turbo-diesel/6757411941.html
 
That 1955's a lot of tractor to be replacing a 560. Best thing to do on that one is scrap the cab and put a set of fenders on it. I guess on that one,I'd want to know if the engine has been updated. Those engines had a little bit of a problem with wrist pin bushings and rod cap bolts. They were a two piece wrist pin bushing and tended to mash out the sides. If it's been updated to the one piece bushings and hardened rod bolts,they're fine. The 1755 would be the same way,but they weren't turboed,so didn't have as many issues. The 1755's a lot nicer looking tractor for sure,but right up there at the top end pricewise. Both would have closed center hydraulics. I guess it would come down to asking if you need something as big as that 1955 and could you get a little better price on the 1755.
Link to 1755
 
Biggest difference is HP. There are minor differences between them otherwise. I currently have a 1755 and an 1855 with an engine from a 1955.
I also know the guy selling the 1955 and he's a straight shooter but he's not a mechanic, so give it a real good look over if you go take a look at it.
The hydraulics will be like night vs day compared to your 560, provided they're are working up to snuff. Nice thing about those 55 series is the pumps are external, so easier to change, but they're not cheap to replace and hydraulic filter replacement is critical to proper operation.
If the 310s are not rebuilt properly they will have a hard time starting, so checking how it starts when cold and if they smoke will tell you a lot about the engine as well as what rrlund mentioned. With a small mirror you can peek in the dipstick/fill hole to take a look if it has 12pt rod bolts. If so, it likely has the 2-piece wrist pin bushings replaced as well, but not necessarily.
I've had several Olivers over the years and at first I didn't like the looks of the large-frame 55 series (1755+) but have since fallen in love with them due to their improvements and functionality over the older 00/50 series Olivers.
As rrlund also said, ditch the cab and get some fenders. The guy in Bellevue probably has some sitting around.
Contrary to popular opinion, I actually prefer the turbo 310s (1855, 1955 (1950T)) because they're a little cleaner (less smoke) and, to be honest, I like the whistle of the turbo lol! However 100HP is really a lot to ask of only 310 Cubic Inches so it's no wonder they had some issues, but if it's been upgraded and rebuilt properly, they're great. Wouldn't be scared of them at all if upgraded.

Let us know what you decide! We're all willing to help as much as we can and it's always fun to see someone join the Oliver crowd!
 
Oh, and don't be surprised to find that 1755s are higher priced than their bigger brothers - The issues the 1855s and 1955s had (rods trying to escape the crankcase) have given turbo-310s a bad reputation, and, I feel, that has negatively affected the selling price to this day of the 1855s and 1955s (1855s specifically due to lack of an oil cooler). But, like I said, if they've been upgraded, they're pretty great engines.
 
Wow thanks for all of the great advice. I was thinking the same thing in regard to the cab. I don't care for them and would mainly be using it in the spring, summer, and fall.

Are the hydrauls pretty reliable? They seem to be like a TA on the under and just an overdrive on the over.

I am leaning towards the 1755, because it just looks in better shape and taken care of. It also has been on for a couple months it looks like, so he might be willing to make a deal.

I will still contact the guy with the 1955, see if the engine has been upgraded, and if any other issues exist. He mentions the turbo seal leaking, is that a hard fix to replace it?

If anyone has any more advice, please let me know!

Thanks again.
 
All the 55-series should have the "Hydraul-Shift" which is Under (over-running/coast/freewheel), direct, and over drive for 3 shift-on-the-go speeds for each transmission gear, similar to the TA. I think the under is 25% and over is 25%, but don't quote me on that.

Hydraulics on all the large-frame 55-series are a closed-center, variable displacement piston pump system. They use stacked valves on the side of the hydraulic reservoir/unit so both serviceability and reliability are greatly improved vs the older Olivers. They are still considered a pretty current-style hydraulic system. They have hydraulic-powered brakes and hydraulic-actuated PTO, so if you loose hydraulic pressure somehow (engine dies, run out of fluid) you don't have much for brakes and the PTO turns off. There is a mechanical parking brake you can pull, but I wouldn't want to be grabbing for that with a full wagon pushing me down a hill!

You'll find all the Oliver rear ends are well known for being well-built and strong, so if the engine is good and the hydraulics are good, it should be a good tractor. Olivers are pretty easy to work on but unlike the others, you pretty much never split the tractor.
 
I have had several Olivers and liked them. I would prefer the 1755 over the bigger one. The larger ones
seemed to be a little too big, sorta unhandy.
 
If you don't need the extra horsepower, I would go with the 1755. I have the exact same tractor that I gave $6500 for about eight years ago
I do 7-10k of small squares a year, and I couldn't ask for a better haying tractor. Enough weight and power to stay out of trouble on the hills, but still real nimble.
Sorry about the extra picture - I uploaded it, and don't know how to unload it without starting over
Pete

cvphoto4092.jpg


cvphoto4093.jpg
 
Again, all of this information has been very useful. I was discussing this with the neighbor who uses Olivers and it came up that he has an 1850 diesel in a shed that has been sitting there for 20 years. He said if I am not afraid of doing some work he would sell it to me. I like this idea a lot better because I know who owned it and it is a couple miles down the road. I am going to go take a look at it this weekend.

From what I can tell an 1850 is the same size as a 4020 JD. My grandpa has a gas 4020 and he has all sorts of problems with plugs fouling, etc. that is one reason I am staying away from the gassers.

Thanks again,
Noah
 
Yes, exactly what rrlund said, but if you're coming from a 560 it'll still be an upgrade!
Let us know how it goes!
 
Go with the 1755. I own a 1955. Performance-wise they are great, but Oliver pushed the motor a bit beyond what they should have for that engine design. Oliver's Hydra power/Hydual shift unit is far,far superior to IH's TA. And yes, a 1755 would be a noticeable upgrade from a 560. While an 1850 is comparable to a 4020 on paper, performance-wise the 1850 has the edge. A properly running 1755 should do anything a 4020 would do, maybe a bit more, and do it on less fuel, especially if the 4020 has a power shift.
 
So, I went to look at the 1850 and the sheet metal is off it, but he has it somewhere and will give it to me if I buy it. It has been sitting in the shed for 20-25 years. He said that the rear tire wouldn't hold air and he didn't want to buy a new tire because he had another Oliver (2255?).

He said that when he used the 1855 it always used a lot of oil. Is there a way to fix that? New pistons, sleeves, and rings?

Can you still get parts readily for these Olivers? Can you get overhaul kits?

He said that he would probably sell it for $1000, which seems like a good price to me. It gives me a lot of room for buying parts.

Any advice is again welcome,
Noah
 
In all honesty,as many of those 354 Perkins engines as there are out there with low hours in parted out combines,I wouldn't even open one up to overhaul it. It would be cheaper and easier to just swap out a low hour,running engine. Those are a dry sleeve engine,not a wet sleeve like the Waukesha was. It makes it harder to get the old ones out and new ones in. There's another post up above about problems with getting those sleeves in right. My cousin's husband used to be a mechanic at an Oliver dealer. He said he used to take those sleeves across the street to the grocery store and put them in their freezer overnight. I put a set in mine one time and put them in my freezer. I should have done it in the dead of winter. They went the last few inches awful hard.

I don't know what to say about the price. You know it needs one $1000 tire. If the other one's been sitting for 25 years,you probably need two,then add in two $200 front tires and you're probably getting up there higher than the tractor's worth when you add in an overhaul or another used engine. I think I'd sooner widen my search and pay some trucking. Try searching Craigslist in SE Michigan,then change locations in Michigan fanning out from there. There tend to be a fair number of them here at a decent price,ready to go to work.
 
Shoot,I had you mixed up with Chas036. You've both been talking about buying an 1850. I'd go with that 1755 if it's still available before I'd put that much in to an 1850 that's been sitting that long. Like I've said,they were one of Oliver's best,but for what you'd have in to that 1850,with the 1755 having better hydraulics and better brakes,it'd be worth the difference for a tractor that's ready to go to work.
 
I rather buy a 1000 dollar tractor that needs an 5-6000 dollar overhaul and be reliable for years to come versus buying a 5-6-7000 dollar one that you'll find needs an overhaul after a week of using it.

my 2c
 

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