Oliver 500 or 550?

Hey everyone,

I've got a small challenge ahead of me.

Last year, I purchased what was said to be a Oliver 550. Although, when I went to get the papers for it the model was said to be a 500. Going online confirmed that I was more likely to have a Oliver 550 in front of me as I am from Canada and it is said that very few Oliver 500 crossed the Atlantic to reach our shores.

Now, I am still facing the same dilema and I'd like to confirm with certainty what model I own.

Sadly, a plate with the serial number is no longer where it should be and I couldn't find it anywhere else on the tractor which is maybe why they made an error on the registration.

On my state registration, the serial number is 101564 and the year is 1964. According to http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/6/7/679-oliver-500.html the last Oliver 500 dates of 1963. The serial number 101564 is not associated with either Oliver 500 or 550.

Is there a way to identify the model by crossing other information?

Here are two pictures of one other serial number

https://linksharing.samsungcloud.com/contents/view?contentsToken=1587119686016CBviIeJ&currentIndex=1
https://linksharing.samsungcloud.com/contents/view?contentsToken=1587119660131CGrreLM&currentIndex=1

It appears that the serial number of that part is R13258RD (or R13258R0?) and another number on the plate is 324 3H0. It's a bit rusty so there might be some confusion.

Thank you!

The picture links didn't work. Here's another attempt.

http://s.amsu.ng/ja2captsykyn
http://s.amsu.ng/phbzhg9hvdZN

Here is a picture of my 550

This is a 500. Is this what you have? The serial number you gave fits a 62 or 63 500. 62 I think right off the top of my head without looking it up. I have two of them, serial number 100003 and 100537. as far as a 500 making it to Canada,all of them were shipped from England to the US. Some were sold through the export division from the US to Canada and other countries. They were rare everywhere,only 2048 built in total. There's a serial number registry for them,kind of an owners club of sorts. If it is a 500,the serial number is stamped in the top of the frame on the right side toward the front under the generator.

Thanks for the replies.

It's really hard to tell from a picture for me as the one I have has been heavely modified by adding a cabin. Maybe you will be better at it than my inexperienced eyes.

Here's a photo : https://i.imgur.com/qsx8QHx.jpg

Here's a few more pictures of 500s. They are nothing like a 550 when you really get looking. They were made in England by David Brown. The engine picture is of a








gas version. If yours is a diesel it'll look a little different,but it gives you an idea of what the hood looks like.

500, 1962. No doubt about it.

I'm going to wait for Kevin to get out of bed and defer to him. The serial number is a 62, but you have 8 bolt rear wheels. I was thinking those started with serial number 101751 making it a 63, but maybe it was earlier than that. He has one with 8 bolt wheels,so he's more on top of that than I am. Look on top of the frame where I told you to and find the serial number. Mine starts with 2O/A, but I'm betting yours starts with 2O/C.

I was not sleeping in 8). I've been over on the machinist forum I read.....

Per my parts book, S/N 101500 was the switch over point for 8 lug rear and 6 lug fronts.

Also anything after 101500 should be diesel. It should have brake pedals that go through the floorboard instead of in front of it.

Never saw one with a hard cab on it.

Take one of the bolts that is handy to get at and see if that bolt has a British Withworth thread, There was a gas in this neighborhood and the serial number was on the battery box which is probably inside your cabin It is on the right side if you are sitting on the seat.

Checking threads is not real reliable. Even the late models had lots of BSF and BSW threads from the factory.

Mine is 101937 and has a real mix of SAE and British. Most chassis bolts are SAE. Everything on the engine is British (BSF or BSW) or was. The fellow I bought it from tapped some holes so he could use SAE bolts. Don't know if that's because a hole got stripped or the original bolt got lost. Never been into the transmission so can say what's in there, but the parts book shows a mix. One of my rear wheels has British studs and the other is SAE.

Lots has happened to these tractors in the nearly 60 years since they left the factory