was the oliver 77 a good match for a 2 bottom plow or 3?
and was the 88 a 3 or 4 bottom plow tractor?
was the super 77/88 and small jump in power, or a good size jump? over the regular77/88

im not that familair with those models, but i am very interested in oliver tractors!

thank you for your help

We have tough soil and had a strong running 77 with m&w pistons. It pulled 2-16 in all conditions, usually in 3rd gear. Tried 3-14 once and it couldnt pull it, just spun. I suppose with enough weight and a lower gear it would have done it. 1655 pulled that plow in 3rd pretty comfortably.

Drop me an email if you might be interested in a Super 77.

It all depends on the soil type and how deep you are going to plow. Light sandy soils pull easy, heavy clay or gumbo soils pull hard!!! How deep are you going to plow? A 14" bottom is designed to plow 7" deep, a 16" bottom is designed to plow 8" deep. Everyone wants to take an old wore out 14" plow and plow 10 or 12" deep. On average soils, a 77 would pull a 3 bottom 7 " deep with no problems, and 88 would pull 4 bottoms. Traction would be an issue, you would need weights or fluid to hold it to the ground. I have a 77 and pull 3-14" bottoms in light soil with it at our tractor show, no weights or fluid. Every once in a while I have to raise the plow to get thru a tough spot even when playing with the brakes to stop wheel spin. I have an 880 with no weights or fluid that I pull the same 3 bottom with, I can pull it in 3rd or 4th gear but have to ride a brake to keep from spinning all of the time. I'm looking for some wheel weights.

[quote="CVPost-swindave"](quoted from post at 17:59:17 02/19/21) was the oliver 77 a good match for a 2 bottom plow or 3?

and was the 88 a 3 or 4 bottom plow tractor?

The short answer is Yes. That is how they were marketed.

Our 88s pulled 3-14 rooster comb plows. I have faint memories of a crowfoot roller in tow while plowing for potatoes in the spring. I think my grandfather and great uncle plowed relatively deep.

I have only one memory of any of our 77s on a plow. It was one of the 77s I have today. I believe it would have been with the same plows used with the 88s and remember thinking I was surprised that it was pulling it in third gear.

But this was in Atlantic coastal plain soil that was a sandy loam.

Anther factor is how fast you are/ want to be going. And as mentioned, how deep, how dry are the soil conditions and if it is sod, stubble or green cover crop.

On our ground (central Illinois black dirt) 77 will handle a 2-14 btm easy, but struggles with 3-14
My 88's will handle 3-14 easy. Last fall, the ground was really dry and i didn't even try a 4 btm on the 88
If i remember right, the Supers are rated about 10 hp more.

Depended on the ground. I pulled 3 14s in my lighter ground with my 77. My uncle lived a few miles south, where there's a little more clay and he pulled 2 16s with his 88. In most cases around here, everybody at least tried to pull 3 14s with both.