Oilver 66 Questions!?!

Bryce Frazier · Oct 13, 2015

Found an old 66 the other day. It is in amazingly good shape, really is. Sheet metal is really good, rear rims are nice, etc.

It has stamped steel 10x38 rear wheels, with LARGE cast iron weights
Narrow front
A set of hydraulic remotes, that look to be stock, and two "knob" controls on the steering shaft for them.
One good rear tire, one holding air, but not useable.
Has some kind of a home made 3 point sitting in the weeds next to it.
All in all, the tractor is in amazing shape for just sitting there, BUT, I think it might be stuck, and we can't make the shifter grab a gear either?

Didn't see a serial plate on it, but it has one of the later style Yellow Grills, if anyone has seen Nicks new 88Diesel, it looks JUST like that.

Here are the questions I have though...

Horse power? 25+?
Live hydraulics I think?
What is the story with that big pto lever? Does it have live PTO?

Good machines? I am thinking of getting it, and replacing my Farmall H. Would of course keep the Farmall, for other things, but if this has live pto and hydraulics, it would be best on the Swather and Baler, until I get an M up and running!!!

I would love to have it on the baler... That would be nice....

Just wondering what you guys thought of it RRLund, you must have 3 or 4 of them don't you?!?!

Bryce

DeltaRed · Oct 13, 2015

Leave it sit right where it is. They are good little tractors(I have a 60).I'm not sure if a 66 is as big as an H or not.Save your money.Use what you would spend(time and money) on that Oliver(and it' repairs) and fix an M.or save some money and buy something newer in the 60-80 hp range. Old tractors are fun.I'm the first to admit that.But now you need to stop buying every(so it seems) old tractor you find and get something that will go out and really work for you.Lots of tractors from the late '60 and the early 70s that will 'fill the bill'.Not 'chewing' on you.Just giveing my experienced opinion. Steve

DLMKA · Oct 13, 2015

Fleetline Olivers (66, 77, 88) had live power and live hydraulics. They are around 25 hp. Very nice tractors to operate.

DeltaRed · Oct 13, 2015

Sorry,meant to say late '50s th early 60s.Jd 6/720;6/730;3010/20;4010/20;IH 450;560;7/806.Oliver 1800,770/880;Lots of tractors pout there.

EFV · Oct 13, 2015

+1 on DeltaRed's point.

DLMKA · Oct 13, 2015

(quoted from post at 09:43:02 10/13/15) Leave it sit right where it is. They are good little tractors(I have a 60).I'm not sure if a 66 is as big as an H or not.Save your money.Use what you would spend(time and money) on that Oliver(and it' repairs) and fix an M.or save some money and buy something newer in the 60-80 hp range. Old tractors are fun.I'm the first to admit that.But now you need to stop buying every(so it seems) old tractor you find and get something that will go out and really work for you.Lots of tractors from the late '60 and the early 70s that will 'fill the bill'.Not 'chewing' on you.Just giveing my experienced opinion. Steve

Can spend a lot of money keeping a bunch of tractors running or you can spend the same $$$ and get one or two running well and spend less time fixing and more time farming (or chasing tail).

rrlund · Oct 13, 2015

I've only got one. It was Dad's main tractor for a lot of years. He ran the combine,baler,did all his tillage with it,had a pipe mounted corn planter for it,quite a tractor. I had it out this morning to unload some grain out of the grinder mixer. That tractor is ten times the tractor as your H. An M can't even begin to compare as a haying tractor. Live PTO,live hydraulics. The only thing with those hydraulics on that one,if the switches are on the steering column,the wiring might be shot. Look to see if there's any place to mount levers on small shafts sticking out the sides of the pump housing. If it does,you won't need those switches.
If the engine is stuck,don't give it a second thought,all the parts are available for that engine aftermarket.

J. Schwiebert · Oct 13, 2015

Well it should handle nicer than the H. If Super sleeves & pistons have been installed close to 30 Horse Power. Before you try to start it make sure there is oil in the hydraulic unit. How big a baler do you have? I would maybe sell them ( H & M) and get something a little newer as well but a 66 will make a good tractor to rake with if you have a normal(?) rake. What year is the 66> Serial number is on right side of transmission case or lower part of the dash.

rrlund · Oct 13, 2015

Soooo......what should we do with these old tractors then? Sell them for $30 a ton at the scrap yard? That 66 has all the features of a newer tractor,it's an Oliver not a 2 cylinder Deere.

ss55 · Oct 13, 2015

The Oliver 66 should have a six speed transmission. On a 77 the 5th and 6th gear speeds are between the 4th and 5th gears on your H & M, much handier for non-tillage work. If you have a lot of baling, a 66 will be short on power and maybe short on weight in hills too. Even a JD14T can bring a 77 to its knees in good hay.

I agree with some of the other comments on consolidating to one or two more useful tractors. What are your plans for after high school (next May?)?

Traditional Farmer · Oct 13, 2015

Buy the Oliver and sell the Farmalls,good to see a young man move up in the World(LOL)

Traditional Farmer · Oct 13, 2015

Great little tractors with LPTO and Live hydraulics,once you drive that tractor you'll park the H.Very easy to work on too the engine just lifts right out of the frame.

RBoots · Oct 13, 2015

Dad has 3 66's, a Super 66, and a 660, and has sold a couple of 66's and another 660, and he/we love them for little chore tractors. They don't get used as much as they used to, but still very handy, much more than a regular old H or M. Dad's uncle bought a 66 new, along with a 14T JD baler and custom baled with that combination for years. I think he said 10-15,000 bales a year, one year they did almost 30,000. Raked and bales with that 66. My cousin still has that 66. They are good tractors, parts are easy to come by.

Ross

Gambles · Oct 13, 2015

Unless the price is really high, buy it. At the very least you can part it out. (But don't do that!)
The only advantage the "H" has over the 66 is the road gear. The 66 is much prettier tractor.

Dblair · Oct 13, 2015

I have two 66's they're great little machines about the power of farmall sc, 21 drawbar 24.9 pto .

jim castleman · Oct 13, 2015

Nice little tractors, live hydraulics and independent PTO. Does not need power steering.

Bryce Frazier · Oct 13, 2015

Ya, I thought that it was a cute machine!!

I couldn't bear to see a tractor like that parted out... It is in really great shape.

Besides that, Olivers are RARE around here!! The only other one I know of within 200 miles of me is a guys in our club, and it is a 60. He brought it here from a long ways away too I think....

I would like to have one, just to have something different!!

Bryce Frazier · Oct 13, 2015

I'll park the H???

never......... I bleed IH Red..........

BUT! I do like Green!!! BOTH kinds of Green!!!!

Bryce Frazier · Oct 13, 2015

Yes, next May I will be FREE!!!

Not really sure for plans, get some work somewhere I guess!! I have a pretty good offer of an Excavation job, so, I will probably go there, but for now, I am laying flooring nearly full time, and during haying season, work 7 days a week at 2 different farms, and am the top guy at both of them, so I am pretty busy!!!

Right now, I have several of my machines for sale... I really hate to sell anything, but, I have my priorites, and sadly, those have changed away from antique tractors!! At the start of this year, I really wanted to restore another 1 or two tractors, but I have accomplished really quite little... Casey has been a big part of that I suppose. All of my free time has gone to her, and the added trips to town have hurt my fuel costs! I have barely finished one tractor this year, and it isn't done yet!! Once it is done though, it will be for sale.

Anyways, I want to have a FEW NICE machines that I can actually count on to do some farming with. Painted and pretty or not, I do not care, I just like the way they make me feel....

Bryce Frazier · Oct 13, 2015

I don't know. Looking at it, it looks like it is a low hour, very minimally "modified" tractor....

I like the fact that it has a fast ish field gear, I have an IH No.5 4 bar basket rake, so it would be great with that, but my Super C is too.....

I run NH 68 baler's, one with PTO, and one with a Wisconsin engine, so, the Super C does great with the Wisconsin, but is a little weak with the PTO. My Farmall H played with the PTO baler, I was REALLY surprised at how well it handled it in heavy hay, I was really pushing the baler to the max, but not the tractor...

Don't know the year, but I don't recall seeing an info plate on the dash area, and we were kind of looking around for one...

Bryce Frazier · Oct 13, 2015

WOHA!!!! I don't think so partner!!!!

The Farmalls will be staying here for a LONG time!!!

Bryce Frazier · Oct 13, 2015

No, you are totally right my friend. I like my H, and I like my M, but I like the looks of this one too...

I am thinking of selling all the M parts and stuff, and then whats left of the H parts, and then I would have a nice H, and the M (if we ever make it run right), use the money from the M's / H to buy this Oliver, and I would have 3, nice moderate (for me) sized tractors. Live hydraulics and PTO on one of them. The M would have live hydraulics, and would probably be used for the Swather, the H for the Rake / Wagons, and the 66 for the Baler. I think those would all be good matches for them...

Just picking out my fleet...

Oh, and if I get ANYTHING newer, it is going to be a Ford 4000 - 5000.... I want one of those pretty badly as well....

DeltaRed · Oct 13, 2015

A 5000 would be perfect!Approx 60/65 horse.Bullet proof. I've been running an 8700 open station for a neighbor. Great tractor! Graet economy.Great low end/lugging power.Another bullet proof Ford.

Bill VA · Oct 14, 2015

Bryce,

The Oliver sounds like a nice tractor. Baling with live or independent PTO is handy too.

My MF50 has live PTO where half way down on the clutch stops the tractor movement, but not the PTO, and all the way down, stops everything. Stopping everything with a foot pedal is nice when you slam something like the bush hog into a pile of rocks or a stump - or a cattle salt block (hard as a rock -LOL).

OTOH - independent PTO is nice in that if you are running PTO driven spreader or sprayer, you can turn off/on the PTO without stopping the tractor. This is how my JD works. I feel the independent PTO gives a little more dimension to the tractor - and it sounds like the Oliver has it.

I thought my next tractor to refurb was going to be an old family Ford 3000, but my brother has decided to keep and restore it, so I'm back considering a 50's era tractor (just because) and live/independent PTO and some type of hydraulics and 3pt capability are necessary as it will be a worker too. The Allis Chalmers WD45 is high on the list, but maybe I ought consider an Oliver too as like the AC, they bring the above features to the table, are plentiful and are relatively low priced.

Maybe I should get both an Oliver and AC......;-)

Good luck,
Bill

NoNewParts · Oct 14, 2015

You mentioned...rare in your area, so take that into account.
I have most colors tractors...no Olivers...want one.
Pretty scarce in my area and when one comes up for sale...an ouch price.
Life needs change sometimes, but don't be hasty selling stuff.
Drain the gas, pour some oil in cylinders, throw a half-tarp over em, and they will wait for you....for a very long time.

a big second to the advice on a 5000 Ford.
It will do..everything.
(a 4000 will too at a little handier size, but everything a 4000 can do, a 5000 can do ....better)

Leroy · Oct 14, 2015

On the Fords the 4000 series especially the 4100 that is the 38" tire version is way better than the 5000, 5100 version, steering is bad design on the 5000. Now the row crop versions, flat platform are made different in steering area. And that independant PTO on either one sucks. I would rather use the Deere A & B without live PTO on anything PTO powered than that Ford PTO system. I would rather have the 2 stage live pto that the earlier ones had. Only improvement the 3 cylinder 4000 had over the 4 cylinder outside of 4 more ponies was 8 speed tranny and 38" rear wheels. Had 2 of the 4100 and 1 5100 that I farmed with as well as a Farmall H, JD A's, JD B's. Ford 9N , 2N, Naa, Ferguson TO30 and Moline U. Not all at same time.

Bryce Frazier · Oct 14, 2015

I never had been a fan of Fords until I ran the neighbors... They have a 3400, 4000, New 4000, 5000, 8000, 3550, and one more I can't remember...

I really liked that 5000... Big rear tires, you were up off the ground. Just a nice STRONG machine, but it was ALWAYS light in the rear end, always... Even had fluid and weight on it, but it would still spin a tire on wet grass...

keh · Oct 14, 2015

I had an Oliver 550 diesel. The Oliver dealer said the 66 and the 550 had the same engine. Both had independent PTO which is a huge advantage for pulling a square baler, with the diesel being another huge advantage over an H Farmall. If someone wanted to use a sickle bar mower the tricycle type 66 and independent PTO would make a good combination. Horsepower for that engine was 34 PTO hp, if I recall correctly. I never did have a huge square baler, but if I raked large windrows and tried to go fast the tractor grunted. Drop back a gear and all was well. My opinion is that with the 67 NH baler all that was accomplished by going too fast was the opportunity to stop and replace shear bolts,losing all the time saved by going faster.

KEH

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