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Which is a better tractor JD3020 or Oliver 1650

C

chas036

Member
I am in the market for an older 4 cylinder tractor for under $5000 and after much research and looking around, I have kind of narrowed it down to a JD 3020 Gas syncro ( because I already have some JD 2 cylinders) or an Oliver 1650 or 1655 gas.

My question is, between these two tractors, which is an all around better tractor? I know each has its pros and cons , but overall, if both are in good condition and around the same price, which is the best buy in terms of things like engine reliability; hydraulics, transmission reliability; ease of repair of hydraulics, clutch, brakes, etc.; and parts availability ?
 
NOT sure what you intend to do with the tractor, unless you are going to put HUNDREDS of hours on it a year as a hard-working farm tractor you can buy just about any color in good shape and not have to worry about it for many years.

That being said, which tractor company has survived for well over 150 years? They musta got SOMETHING right???
 
Drive both. On fifty year old tractors, condition is everything if it needs to be a reliable working tractor.
 
We had 2 1650's, just loved those tractors. Neighbor had a 3010 gas, what a pile. I do think the 3020's where better. Kind of s toss up.
 
No complaints about my 3020 it?s exactly like my 4020 only smaller and it?s a powershift the 4020 is a synchro the 30 does pretty good on fuel to 16 hours on 25 gallon diesel drilling grass this fall heavy work pulling a 14 foot lely rottera about 10 hours on 25 gallon it has a 29 gallon tank the hydraulics are amazing and the power steering is finger touch easy and the tractors are easy to service and work on the brakes are enclosed and run in oil and work when you need them . I?ve done a lot of work with the 30 that the keyboard farmers said no way I could
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I would take the Oliver 1650-1655 gas any day over the JD 3020 gas. The difference is the motor. The Oliver will run much better on today's gas than the JD 3020 gas.
 
Parts pricing for the Oliver is considerably less. Check this site for pricing on a carburetor, brake discs, or a clutch, probably the things that you'd come up against the most on an older machine. Also if you do need to overhaul the engine at some point, after the engine is pulled on the Oliver you just pull the carcass which is still up on its wheels out of the shop to make room again. If you need a LOT of gallons per minute for running a hydraulic motor like a planter blower, etc. the JD has the Oliver beat. You need to drive both of them to check how you fit in relation to the controls. Depending what you have a lot of around, you might want to look at the 180/185 Massey which is in the same power class and at least around here they don't bring much.
 
The Oliver gas engine has it all over the 3020 gas engine but 3020's made 1965 and after did have differential lock offered as an option which the Oliver did not. Differential lock is a mighty handy feature depending on the job. I would almost split the difference and go with a Ford 5000 gas even though you are not considering one at the present as the gas engine was pretty respectable and they also had differential lock as an option. 5000 dollars or a little under should buy a very good one.
 
I wouldn?t have a ford 5000 shoved sideways up my well ya you know. Whopping 8 gpm hydraulic flow brand new and gear shifts beteeen your legs
 
I don't plan on putting a lot of hours on it. I will be using it to plow 10 to 15 acres a year and pull a disk and do some bush hogging. In the winter I would like to use it for snow blowing and that's about it.
 
Gas 3020 not the smoothest runner. If you
win the lotto buy a 4020 Diesel. Dimension
wise about same wheelbase as 1650 I would
bet.
 
No question. The OLIVER is the better tractor hands down. And yes I have operated both John Deere and Oliver tractors.
 
You will like being able to stretch your legs out on the 3020 and the hydraulics and the way the controls are laid out
 
I've never drove the Oliver but I wouldnt get a gas 3020. The diesels may be ok, but I outworked a 3020 with an allis wd45 all of last summer. Just sayin
 
SVcummins: You have your JD 3020 just wait until it dumps the crankshaft and you spend a $1000 for a good used one or the main hydraulic pumps dumps and you can easily dump another $1000. Then consider that he is looking at a JD 3020 GAS. They are terrible to keep running correctly.

I own a Oliver 1655, handles like a dream and rides better than a JD 3020 would. I have owned several Oliver 1650 gas tractors they work well too. Then do not ride a Ford 5000 down. They are a work horse of a tractor that will run for thousands of hours cheaper than any JD of its age. Not as comfortable but in every way as rugged if not more so.

The only reason to look at the JD is hydraulic flow IF he needs it. Which it sounds like he does not.
 
A Ford 5000is a bulletproof a tractor as there was.True,Not as comfortable as others,but OK. there are several around the neighborhood. great fuel economy,too.
 
I borrowed a propane 3010 once. Worthless POS. My trusty old SuperM would work the tar out of it-by a long ways......
 
That differential lock almost caused me to wreck a 3020 and it had the second worst controls of any tractor I have driven with a 2010 being the worst. I would only take a 3020 given to me if I could haul it directly to a scrapper.
 
You were in the same field pulling the exact same implement ? I?d love to see that allis lift let alone run a 14 foot power harrow or a 15 foot disc with a 15 foot mounted harrow just sayin
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And I guess a ford 5000 never will need an overhaul ?and how cheap Is a ford crank from fiat ?and that junk pump is 700$ dollars aftermarket so not much less than a Deere pump aftermarket .
 
Ya becuse controls scattered all over both sides of the tractor and beteeen your legs with a center hump beteeen your legs is a lot better than all the controls in one easy to reach spot
 
No more bullet proof than a John Deere buy any stretch of the imagination there are 3 3020 around the one Is still the main chore tractor and runs a new holland stack wagon all summer the other one was bought brand new and pulled a two row potato harvester for ten years then went to another farm and did all the mowing balling and drilling until the farm bought a bigger tractor that mans son still run a new holland hydraulic rake with it all summer it?s never been overhauled
 
I?m sorry I got a burr under your saddle I have nothing again ford tractors at all I just like John Deere better you happen to like fords better . I?ve always said If I wasn?t buying a John Deere I would buy a ford
 
You can get a diesel CASE for a lot less, 730's,830's,930's and 1030's can all be bought for 2500 to 4000 with good tires. New generation JD gassers have gotten cheap in the last few years unless a special model, a 3020 gas syncro wouldn't bring anywhere near 5000 at auction, neither would the 1650 gas.
 
John Deere guys say the JD , Ford guys say the Ford and Oliver guys say the Oliver ? So we have learned nothing yet again ! LOL.

So what brand engine did Oliver use ? Which ones had the Waukesha engine ? was that a gas or diesel or both ? and where are you going to find Waukesha engine parts ?

Just use the JD620 and keep on keeping on. My uncle had a lot of tractors but liked the 620 the best.
 
Well I am an AC guy, but we owned a 3020 gas back in the 80's we did not keep it for long, hated the power shift, hated the control lay out and it suck fuel like there was not tomorrow. Never had anything to do with an Oliver, but a buddy has an older one and loves it.
 
All the bickering and chest beating down below aside, I'd look for a 706, 756 or 766 Gas. A D-19 gas or 190 gas Allis would be a good tractor too. The Olivers I ran all had rearends/transmissions that whined something terrible, poor road gears too, same with Allis too, slow road gear.

Everybody down home, 20-30 miles east of Moline, Ill spent the extra bucks for a 4020 over the 3020.
 
The Oliver had an Oliver designed,Waukesha built engine. They were cast by Oliver then sent to Waukesha to be finished. All parts are readily available for them at the drop of a hat. In fact,given my last little bit of experience getting parts for a 20 series Deere,I have to say that's even more reason to go with the Oliver.
 
I have ran a 3020 gas powershift for over 20 years. Has a Alis 190 carb on it. Not a problem with running winter or summer. That being said. The gas mileage SUCKS.. I have not ever ran a oliver 1650. If you look at the tractordata.com that has good info..

For me the j.d. was a plus because in my area there are 4 J.D. dealers within hour drive. And I can get parts when needed.
My Dads Massey for many years I had to get parts online as closest dealer was hours away.. However within the last two years one came in the area about 30 minutes so that tractor is easier to get what I need now..

If I was in the market 4020 diesel would be the choice.. but prob not in that 5M price range
 
Waukesha made their own design of engines. The only Oliver that used a true Waukesha was the Super 99 gas that used a 302.
 
Looks like a pretty decent Oliver 1650 diesel, with 3pt rotary mower, for $4500 on St. Cloud, MN craigslist. No connection, just passing on info.
 
His Wd45 couldn't pull the set up you have on the 3020...out of the ground! And, back in the day JDSeller would have told a potential customer, we don't have anything here, go down the road and get yourself a Oliver! Amazing stuff on this site, but that's what makes it fun.
 
I'd say Oliver 1650/55 would be better (white 2-70 is the same tractor too). good design, easy to drive, 6cyld power, probably heavier to pull with. 18 speeds if it has the over/under/direct. lots of them made.

i'd also look at a 770/870 Case too. about the same size and generally not that hard to find for a good deal.
 
Hey SVcummins do you have any idea how much fuel you burn pulling that 3 bottom plow? Just curious because I think Grandpa went about 5 hours on one tank with the 3020 gas (side console, 241 engine). That was pulling a 4 bottom plow (I think 14in).

To OP if you go with a 3020 gas, parts for the 241 engine are expensive. From what I see, parts for the 227 gas aren't that bad. Only problem is you won't get the side console with the earlier 227 engine. I have zero experience with the Oliver so I can't speak for that side.
 
Oliver thousand series don't whine. The 3pt works much better on the Oliver than the John Deere.

Grandpa H ran Oliver's while grandpa T Had a 3020 and Case. Dad had a 706.

Dad's 706 was a good tractor except being very slow at shifting gears. It wore your knee out shifting gears when planting point rows. Other than that it was a good tractor.
The Oliver shifted much quicker and smoother than the 706 or the 3020.

There were several things about the 3020 I didn't like. I did like it when the auctioneer pointed at it and said SOLD!!

I recommend the Oliver. Dad also prefers Oliver's over John Deere. Dad is a retired diesel tech.
 
Chase,
Are you sorry you asked yet?
Both were good tractors in their day and each worked well on thousands of farms doing the type of work you described. Buying a fifty year old tractor is much like buying a thirty year old car, you have to look at what condition it is in today, not what it was back when it was new. Drive them both and maybe some other brands too and see how you like each one.
Good luck.
 
Pulling that lely was ten times harder than that little
plow and burned about 25 gallon in about 9 or 10
hours I don?t know the exact figures I will keep
better records next year I was just trying to burn the
carbon out of it when I bought the tractor it wouldn?t
pull itself so I gave it a complete tune up and put it
to work after a couple days on the disk and then
that big power harrow it?s running like a top . As far
as a gas engine I believe your story About burning
that much fuel
 
Neighbors big tractor for many many years was a 706 and the 3020 was the haying and drilling tractor that guy farmed 500 acres with just those two up until about 10 years ago that man is my idol for working that much ground all them years with such small equipment
 
Yip I bet he sent a lot of guys away to buy an Oliver instead of a John Deere . I have nothing against the Oliver tractors I?ve always wanted to find one but there are almost non existent here
 
I have a Oliver 1650 gas and 1655 diesel. Both have been good tractors, the 1650 is abit more thirsty but it starts well in the winter. The 1655 diesel is the best tractor ive ever owned so far very fuel efficient. Parts for Olivers are actually easy to come by if not easier for some models
 
You hated the powershift ? Why becuse you couldn?t figure out how to push a lever ahead in straight line ?
 
(quoted from post at 11:16:54 01/05/18) His Wd45 couldn't pull the set up you have on the 3020...out of the ground! And, back in the day JDSeller would have told a potential customer, we don't have anything here, go down the road and get yourself a Oliver! Amazing stuff on this site, but that's what makes it fun.
Click to expand...
Back in the day The JD 3020 would have still been a fuel hog but it would have ran on the gas that was commonly available then. It would have been equal too or better than the Oliver THEN.

We are talking about buying these tractors after 40 years have passed. The parts availability for the JD 3020 gas engine has some problems and expense, mainly the crankshafts. Also the JD new generation GAS tractors run like crap on the gas we can commonly get today. I think that is regional too. Some guys say theirs run great but in my area NO one can make them run right all of the time. They run half A$$ed most of the time and that is with fooling with them all of the time. The Oliver gas engine is superior to the JD in this comparison of these two tractors.

Guys I have owned an Oliver 1655 diesel for close to forty year great tractor. I also own an IH 1466 diesel my Grand Father bought new, good tractor. So I have owned just about every brand out there. I am honest in my opinion.

I owned a JD gas 4020 for 30 years that was used daily feeding livestock. Ran fine until about the mid 1990s. That is when they started reformulating the gas we could buy. It ran like crap after that regardless of what it had done to it. Completely overhauled, solid state ignition, new carburetor, new distributor. I even replace the complete wiring harness because it would run great times but not at others , so I wanted to rule out a broken wire in the harness. It still would foul spark plugs in about a week. It would not take throttle 75% of the time without stumbling and almost dying. You know what would make it run like a Swiss watch?????? Turbo Blue racing gas. Run like a top. I could not afford the $5 a gallon fuel. So the fuel is/was the trouble. I know I spent over $10K trying to make it run right. I had every JD guru in a 50 mile radius try to figure it out. No dice.

In 2003 I bought an Oliver 1650 GAS tractor. I put it on an 8 foot snow blower that I use on my house drive way. Loved it and had ZERO trouble with it for 5 years. Sold it to a fellow that owns it to this day without any issues with it being a gas tractor.

So with this in mind I can NOT advise anyone to buy a GAS JD 3010/3020/4010/4020. Especially when they are looking at an Oliver 1650 in comparison. In 2017 the Oliver 1650 GAS is a better running tractor on average. Also should be a little cheaper. That is my HONEST recommendation PERIOD.
 
There are no gas engine tractors here i was looking for one but
found a 3020 diesel powershift to cheap to pass up so I'm glad
after hearing what you have to say I didn't get the gas engine my
tractor Will be used as it was intended as a farm tractor plowing
disking and drilling and other heavy tillage operations .am I
right that a 70hp was a big tractor in its day?
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