Pros Cons on 1800 Diesel

chas036

Member
I have been looking for an Oliver diesel tractor and since most people say that the 1850 diesel with the Perkins is the best diesel to to get, I have kind of been just concentrating on looking for this model. My problem is I can't seem to find a good one in my area or close to my area for the price I want to pay which is $4000 to $4200. Most all I find are $5500 to $6900

Just recently I came across a 1800 diesel in relatively good condition, with hydra power , kept inside, starts good, no leaks, everything works, for $2900.

My plans for the tractor is to pull a 12 ft culti-mulcher, a 12 ft disc, a 6 ft bush hog and a 3 bottom 14" plow on hilly ground.

My question here is, would you buy a good condition 1800 diesel, or would you try to wait for an 1850 perkins?

Are parts still available for the 1800 diesel motor if in the future I wanted to put new rings and pistons?
 
Need more information. The 1800 tractors were built from the summer of 1960 till late summer of 1964.The first ones were the A seies. Then they were replaced by the B Series which was replaced by the C series. B & C series have a 310 cubic inch engine. The C series have better hydraulics and hydrostatic power steering. The B & C series engines take a sock type oil filter. The A series diesels have 2 engine oil filters. On the A & B series the throttle is close to the steering wheel. On the C series the throttle is on the side of the dash. B & C series have about 75 horse power.
 
I believe it is an C series Here is a picture
cvphoto4099.jpg
 

That's a C series, yes. I'm not sure the 70-75 hp is going to be enough for a 12' disc, especially if you have heavy ground. But if it's really clean and in good condition, 2900 could be a good buy. Parts aren't going to be easy, but they're not impossible.
 
Would the engine parts be easier to get for the 1850 Perkins?

If this will not pull an 12 ft culti mulcher or a disc, then maybe I should wait for the 1850. My soil is hard pan, laced with field stone and my fields are sligtly inclined. I have a JD 730 gas that has a lot of trouble and bogs down with the disc and culti mulcher and that is why I was looking for an Oliver.

Would not having easy access to engine parts make this tractor something to stay away from and continue to look for a 1850?
 
(quoted from post at 18:13:10 11/28/18)
That's a C series, yes. I'm not sure the 70-75 hp is going to be enough for a 12' disc, especially if you have heavy ground. But if it's really clean and in good condition, 2900 could be a good buy. Parts aren't going to be easy, but they're not impossible.

I was looking for parts and I can't even find fuel injectors listed for a 1800 with a 310 Waukesha engine. I find them for the 1855, but nothing for the 1800.

Did the 1855 have the samer 310 as the 1800?
 
What is indirect injection? Is better then the engines with fuel injectors?

Sorry for the questions but I have never owned a diesel tractor.
 

They all have injectors. Google direct vs. indirect diesel injection. The 1800 has a Lanova (indirect) energy cell system.
 
All I can say is that a 1800 Oliver diesel would play with those size implements in my area..Several new 1800 gas burners were sold new by the local Oliver dealer and they all pulled 5 bottom plows.....We pulled a 12 ft IH disk with a 460 Farmall diesel which is way less tractor than a 1800 Oliver..I wouldn't be afraid of a nice 1800...
 
I have had a couple chances to buy an 1800 but have shied away since most parts on an 1800 are specific to an 1800 and won't necessarily interchange with A,B and C models as far as I
can see.So its a semi orphan compared to later 4 digit models that have other models to interchange parts which would make after market companies more likely to manufacture them.
If I found an 1800 cheap enough I'd still buy one because I like they way they look and just be neat to own.
 
I have been wanting to comment on this post for the past few days but between work and dealing with snow and weather around here the lately this is the first chance I got. Anyway I am very partial to 1800's its one of my favorite tractors. We have three of them, one A series and two C series. The A series started life as a gas tractor but now has a Diesel (Due to the gas engine spun a bearing from being run low on oil). The other two tractors are Diesel's. We are doing a complete nut and bolt restoration on the one, so far I have not had any trouble finding parts for it at all. Between the numerous places that sell aftermarket parts, places that part out tractors, and AGCO dealers there is a lot available. I also found that the C series tractors and 1850/1750 tractors have a lot of common parts for example bearings and seals, gaskets for the Hydraulic system, and filters are most all the same. They sell complete engine over haul kits for these tractors, probably the hardest thing to find would be a crankshaft but there are out there and hopefully you will not need one. You can have the injectors tested and rebuilt if needed, same with the injection pump.

I would not be afraid of the indirect injection they run just fine if the injectors and pump are all in good shape, but that is true with any diesel engine. They may start harder when its cold but again that comes down to condition of pump and injectors also timing and fuel play part in that. If they need to be rebuilt you just have to find the right person to rebuild it.! A block heater works wonders and also the preheat system if it works. Almost all of our tractors when we got them, the preheater did not work and or was disconnected. It is a very simple system and easy to repair. The picture you posted looks to me like its a B or C series tractor with either 1800 A decals or side panels. Also the grill has the keystone emblem not the Oliver logo like the A's had. If it is a C series that's good because it has the updates to the hydraulics and transmission. I seen that tractor listed on CL its a pretty good price. That's my opinion though. As J said a serial number would help.

I think a 1800 would fit your needs very well, it maybe a little under powered when pulling the cultimulcher but with enough weight and traction it will do just fine. A 1850 would probably do better but that would not make not buy a 1800. My FIL and BIL worked a lot of ground with that A series pulling a 5 bottom semi mount plow, a 12ft disk and Picking corn. In some of the clay muddy hill ground around here. That tractor is still used today for haying and as far as I know has never has never had a major engine overhaul.

chas036 what part of NY are you from? I have gotten to know a lot of the local Oliver guys and maybe be able to get you in touch with someone to help your search for a tractor.
 
Look at the picture again. I think that tractor was put together. The engine has 2 oil filters on the right side + 1 fuel filter. Only the A series diesel engines had both a bypass and a full flow oil filter. Also loo at the intake manifold.
 
J. You are probably right the tractor was put together. Yes I seen the oil filters but I didn't even think about the manifold till you said to look at it. I can't blow the photo up big enough to see if it had "Oliver Diesel" cast in it, but I bet it does. Unfortunately there is alot of mismatched tractors out there. Those tractors have been around for almost 60yrs so who knows what's happened to them over the years. I guess it getting harder to find original tractors. After I posted my comment yesterday, I got to thinking about it somemore and went back and looked at the build cards. I had forgotten that one of our 1800C's was a gas tractor when it was built then at some point in time someone put a diesel in it. Who knows the real story, because we bought it at a local auctio and have no back story on the tractor.

I guess the point I was trying to make to chas036 is don't shy away from a 1800 if he finds a good one for a fair price. Not necessarily this particular yractor.
 
(quoted from post at 20:47:03 11/29/18) Look at the picture again. I think that tractor was put together. The engine has 2 oil filters on the right side + 1 fuel filter. Only the A series diesel engines had both a bypass and a full flow oil filter. Also loo at the intake manifold.

I agree. My eyes always go to the dash with an 1800 to look for the throttle. I saw the handle and said, "Yep, that's a C." I think the odds are more likely it is an original C, as an engine transplant would be more likely than a dash swap, but who knows from this far away...
 
I am the "proud" owner of an 1800 B diesel. It is a mutt. It has an 1850 back half and numerous parts from other Olivers. When we bought it, it had a "pop" that we would hear out the exhaust. It also started poorly. Today, $4,100 later...it runs darn good. We replaced the injection system. New pump and injectors. Then we discovered the head was cracked in 9 places. Ultimately, we were able to have the head repaired and put in new valves. There were several other things we did to it as well, but it runs and starts excellent. We dynoed it and she hung right in there at 73 horses. We have spent alot of money on it, but she's 56 years old and now we have a good tractor that will give me alot of enjoyment. The Oliver diesel of that era was a good engine. I like my 1800 now and I will continue to fix her up and maybe give her a better paint job and maybe some new shoes. We gave $3500 for her and with hauling we had $4,000 in it. So far, I have put in $5375.00 in parts and labor. We will never recover that investment, but I could also not buy a new 70 horse tractor for that money today.
 
Sounds about like the ax a fellow owned that had been handed down from his great grand daddy.The head had been replaced 3 times and the handle had been replaced 4 times.(LOL)
 
That's what I seen also the throttle lever
and grill. I agree is probably was an
engine swap. Maybe from a Early A series
that had rear end issues but the engine was
good.
 
99% of those heads crack. 99% 0f those cracks are normal in a Lanova head and do not hurt anything. Location of the cracks is what is key. when indoubt pressure test the head, if it does not leak run it, it will be fine.
 
I had an 1800 C diesel.. It was a great older tractor. It will free wheel when you have the hydra power in low side. I had trouble with the brakes on mine, but I never understood how to adjust them. I enjoyed the hundreds of hours I put on it.
 
NYOlivers,,,,I live in Johsnon City, near Bingahmton.

I was going to go look at that 1800 tractor because it is in the Rochester area only 3 hrs from me, but after Schwiebert mentioned that it had an 1800A engine in it, I decided against it.

In reality, I would like to find a 1850 diesel , and no an 1800, but when I saw this one on Craigslist in Rochester, it kind of stirred my interest. Thanks to Schwiebert for telling me about that engine, because I would have never known and maybe would have bought it.
 
I am in WNY east of Buffalo. We found our
1850 20 miles from here. So they are out
there. There's a guy in Canadaugia NY that
buys and sells alot of tractors. Mostly
Oliver's and whites. His name is George
Coryn Google Coryn farm supplies for the
number. He had a white/AGCO dealership but
gave that up and still sells alot of
equipment. He may know of one for sale or
could possibly look for one at a auction.
We got to know him pretty good and have
boughtem quite a few parts and a tractor
from him.
 

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