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What other tractors didn't exist?

R

rrlund

Well-known Member
The post about the John Deere 4015 got me thinking about this Oliver 8160. It had me stumped until I finally learned the story behind it.
Anybody else have evidence of a tractor that was never actually produced?
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Randy I would like to here more on the 8160. I do have a tad bit of oliver blood. Dad had a 77 with new idea loader. My 1 brother has it. It s inside but the birds are using it. Makes me SICK. RB
 
Some guy claimed years ago he had a 1945 Farmall M with factory live hydraulics. He probably read where IH was experimenting with the distributor located hydraulic pump during the mid-1940's and had a couple on the Hinsdale, IL test farm. Then he imagined that he had one of those.
 
I was told that Oliver made a tractor once that required premium fuel. They decided that farmers wouldn't buy premium fuel, so they dropped the whole idea. No idea what happened to the prototype.
 
I saw that at a show in Eaton Ohio several years ago. I showed some pictures of it to the old Oliver dealer here to see if he knew anything about it. He didn't.
Somebody on here finally told me the story about it. It's an 1855 with a 5.9 Cummins and a cab off a 6000 series White.
 
I believe you're talking about the XO121. It's in the Floyd County Museum in Charles City Iowa.
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A fellow in our tractor club has a Farmall HD, a diesel engine from a military generator or some such. Looks factory.
 
A single XO-121 was Oliver's research tractor in the mid 1950's. Some of the developments were later designed into Oliver 1800 tractor engines. It looks to be an 88 tractor with an experimental 199 CID four cylinder engine. The XO-121 prototype was painted a distinctive red body, with silver engine, green wheels and a unique chrome grill.

A 1996 book by T. Herbert Morrell "Oliver Farm Tractors says the the prototype tractor was given to Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa for display, then was given to the Living History Farms in West Des Moines. The tractor was restored to its original look and added to the Floyd County Museum in Charles City, Iowa.
 
Not exactly a tractor but my Hesston windrower was one of two prototypes of its kind built before the project was cancelled. The odds that both of them survived being scrapped is unlikely (it's the typical fate of most prototype machines) so I consider this one a "one of a kind".
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No problem. You went in to more detail than I did.

Have you ever seen these? Ollie Schaeffer's 880 FWA and a prototype articulated 4 wheel drive.
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I can't prove it but it is said that this Tracilac was a joint venture between Cadillac and John Deere.---Tee
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More likely a joint venture between a coupla good ol' boys with too much time (and beer) on their hands.
 
I wonder why they put a sickle bar under a hood like that? It must be kind of hard to see a plugged knife.
 
How about this one? I later changed the 55 to 66 and had a few people believe there was such a tractor. That's more years ago than I care to admit. Ben
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My only guess is that with the low seat close to the reel that it would have been very dirty to operate without the shield. It folds up and over the top for service access. But, like you say, there's no viewing of anything while operating.
 
How about a JD 5030 or 6020 that would have fit between the 5020 and 6030. It would be basically a 5020 with 531 turbo. Something they could have done if they had gotten on the turbo band wagon earlier.
 
What is the story on the 8160? I am under the impression, based on some quick research, that it's simliar to a 1950, but it has a 6BT engine and an early AGCO Allis/Deutz Allis cab. (Like a 9170 cab). The cab and 6BT were added by the owner, not oliver or White, correct?
 
Somebody on here told me that it was built by Dave Hertel in Indiana and that it's an 1855 with a 5.9 Cummins. The cab is supposed to be off a 6000 series White. I guess he bought the cab brand new when White closed the Coldwater Ohio plant.
 
Ben, you have to tell me more about this one. Is that a Detroit under there? Where did this come from, do you still have it?
 
From the Carsten Farm show, Shelby Iowa. Fellow had a White which he was going to paint, so painted and stickered it as an MM!



 
Yes, that's a 3-71 Detroit. I bought it about 30 years ago from a ditching company near Thamesford Ontario. It was not running then, but all I did was bleed it and put a battery in.It looked like a factory conversion, a lot of work to make the transplant fit, but was done in that area, by whom I can't say. I used it for a few years, was great on the manure spreader....would spread a 10 ton load in hi gear! But, I needed a bigger tractor to run the forage harvester, and that one had no lpto and slipped out of third gear at times. So, I sold it, and haven't seen it since. Got a lot more for it than I paid which helped finance the new tractor. One of those I perhaps should of kept. Ben
 
RR: Moline did not have a version of the oliver/cockshutt 550 Always thought a yellow 55 would be cool!!! Now they did have a UTB/fiat 450 painted yellow would like to make a long 445/460 into a Moline!!!
 
I wonder if the clones have the notch cut out of the frame to change the oil filter? I believe that was a field modification.
 
Ya you're right about the 550. I'd never given it a thought. I guess MM already had a similar sized tractor and they didn't have the need.
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Rare Ford. 6 were built by Ford in the early 60's. Two survived and this one was restored by a friend of mine and then sold to a gentleman I know here in Florida. 172 diesel with a a SOS transmission Ford went as far as printing sales brochures and listing it in their parts catalog but canceled production. Sad thing about it is the gentleman that restored this one cut the other four up for scrap in the late 70's before he knew how rare they were.
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I recently heard that was a prototype that was scratched when they decided to go with the 2-135 and 2-155. Don't if that is true.
 
old must have ben out in his shop working or he would have told us about his BA. I have heard his story and have seen a couple.
 
(quoted from post at 09:52:06 02/12/17) The post about the John Deere 4015 got me thinking about this Oliver 8160. It had me stumped until I finally learned the story behind it.
Anybody else have evidence of a tractor that was never actually produced?

I was in specialty battery store and a man came to buy batteries for his electric riding mower. He was maybe 70-80 yrs old and the mower was made by gen electric i believe. Said it was best mower ever, cut about an acre on full charge. Finally, deck rusted out but no more parts to be had, they'd stopped making them years ago. He tracked down the outfit had bought all the old tooling, explained his situation. The man there told him pay in advance and we'll stamp you a new deck. Both sides held up their end of the deal and the Man was still cutting grass 40-plus yrs after he'd bought the mower new.
Click to expand...
 
I've seen an HTA. I was told the only way it could happen was to mate an H front to a 300 rear with the TA.
 
It might very well be the one that belonged to a neighbour of ours. They farmed about 10 miles from Thamesford and sold out in the early 80's. Can't say if it was a 3-53 or a 3-71 but it was all Detroit noise that's for sure.
I distinctly remember it as having a cable/pulley arrangement to operate the clutch.
Was it McCutcheon Farm Drainage where you had bought it?
 
I remember seeing those in the lawn mower row at the sale in Archbold,probably back in the late mid 70s or so.
 
A friend of mine in Central Oregon put one of those together using parts from 630 and/or maybe or 730. It looks great. Sold at his auction a couple years ago.
 
I think it was called the electrack. Kind of looked like a cub cadet. A mower shop had one several years ago parked outside and it disappeared. They think scrap guys got it.
 
Yes! It had in fact a hydraulic clutch. I bought it in 1991 to be exact, from McCutcheon. He had it for a few years and had said the person who converted it went broke., can't recall his name. There was a fellow who tried to buy it from me, claiming he had done the conversion, but upon insisting for a cash deal, he left. It sold to a fellow ( Roach??)north and east of Ripley, where I did see it a year or so later.I kinda felt those two knew each other. Thanks for sharing the history! Ben
 
I owned one of those and cut my lawn with it for 30+ years . An Electrac E20. It was a Wheel horse chassis with GE electronics, the E20 was 20 HP. They had many accessories, tiller, front mower deck , big power inverter and many other options to run off the 36 volts of golf cart batteries (6). I still have it in a storage shed, although the last set of batteries wore out years ago. I even had a little aftermarket electric / hydraulic front end loader on mine.
 
I was to a farm auction in ND where they sold a little Fiat / Moline that brought crazy money from a couple collectors bidding war. 20 plus years ago, so I don't remember the tractor number, just that it was a little Fiat based compact wearing Moline sheet metal and paint.
 
Probably a 350 or 450. I have the Oliver version of the 450. It was actually a Cockshutt when I got it,but I painted it green.
 
The farmer that owned it was Jack Kelly. I might have a line on who did the conversion, waiting to hear back. Kinda neat to see the old blister after all this time.
 
I have no pictures of it but a friend has a John Deere H standard that he built that looks like factory.
 
That's the guy! He or his son, by the same name tried to buy it from me, but had no cash. I can have a look around where I saw it last year's ago.....if I recall, the last I saw it it was sitting outside with an uncovered exhaust...:^( Ben
 
I remember seeing Jack Kelly spraying with it in the early 80's. Jack ran a lot of land around Thorndale. He had an open station 1150 for his heavy work. They ran almost entirely Massey equipment.
 
John
The six that were built had standup operator stations. Drawbar and PTO but no three point lift I have more pictures of that tractor I'll see if I can find them
 
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