(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

Favorite Oliver

I

IndyFarmBoy

Member
Humor a curious young farmer here. I have grown up driving old equipment but have never had the opportunity to operate an Oliver. We used to have an Oliver 880 narrow front diesel but i was too young to run it when it was sold. So i am wondering, for you Oliver owners out there, which one is your favorite model/models and why?
Also, on a more random note, what is so special about a 1550 loader special?
Thanks for the replies and helping educate me.
 
They were 1555 loader specials. A dealer in Minnesota worked with Oliver to come up with the most stripped down, cheapest tractor they could come up with. Oliver said they'd make them if he'd take a certain number of them to make it worth their while. They didn't have hydraulics, used a belt driven power steering pump. For a loader, you either had to add a crank driven pump or a PTO pump. There was no seat suspension. They sold for less than five thousand dollars when a regularly equipped 1555 was around $7500.

As far as my favorite, I use my 1850 diesel a lot. The 1550 is as handy as a shirt pocket, but I've got a barn find one owner 66 wide front that belonged to a neighbor that I'm pretty fond of, not so much that it's a great little tractor, which it is, but for the personal history of it.
 
My favorite is the one which is already here. 88 gas NFE. I'd like to add a 1555, Super 88 diesel, 550, 880. Oliver made a lot of good tractors. If I got lucky enough I would like to get an 83 picker, 74H picker, and 76 drill.
 
Ah ok. i wasn't sure if it was just a cheaper version or had a big hydraulic pump or something. thank you.

i have heard nothing but good about the 1850 with the Perkins. We run a few Masseys and have been perfectly happy with the Perkies. i guess it was a much better engine than the 310 Wauk ive heard horror stories about
 
I always thought Id want a mist green 880 (preferrably diesel NFE if that exists), an 1850 diesel, and a 2255 with the cat 3208. at least i think that was the bigger engine. . .
 
I operated an S55 utility for a neighbor plowing. I rank it above other utilities and 10 times a Ford 8N. Other in that series are also included. Jim
 
i like the red and white cockshutt combination better than the green. i just got a 1755 in nice original condition . i like the steering they have. they are a stylish looking tractor.
 
Oh ok. i had just heard bad things about them sending rods through the blocks a lot. Anybody got anything to say about the 2255?
 
I don't know where you're looking. Those 354s can be replaced with 354s out of combines on the off chance that they do go bad. The 310 Waukesha in the 1855 did more damage to Oliver's reputation than anything else they ever built.
 
i would have to say 770/880's with egg crate grill for favorite Oliver. mostly because of being around the 770's when i was a kid.

then maybe the 1650/1655s then 1850 for size/style and then the 1755s.
 
Because H-P is pre Oliver Im going to say the 28-44. The tractor that saved Oliver and Russia. Later that model morphed into the 90 which is nice as well. Both were just beefy powerful tractors in their day. I grew up with a S55D and a 770. I currently own a 1650D which is a good all around tractor. I would like to have an 1850 Perkins.

The H-P tractor fleet has a special place for me, but I need to win the lottery.
 
Heck I guess I dont have any favorites cause I love em all! For looks its pretty hard to beat the styling and colour combo of the 70's both early and streamlined. For a good all around working tractors pretty hard to beat any of the 4 digit tractors from 00 series to 55 series. On my wish list is super 99 GM.
cvphoto139674.jpg


cvphoto139675.jpg


cvphoto139676.jpg


cvphoto139677.jpg


cvphoto139678.jpg


cvphoto139679.jpg

The oc3/HG is a nice playtoy as well.
 
The favorite i can afford is one of the 50 series, I got a White 4W115 hidden under a Pearson DP100 (close enough).
Dream tractor would be a 2255 fitted with a Red stripe 2-155 cab (painted white of course), and with a full powershift tranny from a newer one (I said "dream")


I also like the old ones, and have bought an 18-27 in quite sorry shape. Unfortunately, it is an early one with the short wheelbase. The long wheelbase, row crops 18-27 and 80s are nice. They look similar to the massey harris Challenger, which is probably the nicest pre-war tractor in the 1936 red version.

This post was edited by fdt860 on 11/02/2022 at 03:07 pm.
 
cvphoto139682.jpg


cvphoto139681.jpg

Since I'm a huge Detroit diesel fan its my 1967 Oliver 1950..Here it is at the Adrian,MO show and tractor pull in June 2022.My 2nd favorite is my 88 Oliver standard gas.
 
Our favorite Oliver is a 1962 880 gas. We put a Char-Lynn power steering unit on it years ago. It is geared fast and is a great hay rake /tedder tractor. Back in the day, it and the 1550 gas were the workhorses around here. The 1550 is now relegated to picking up round bales and the 880 rakes or teds the hay. The heavy work today is done with a White 2-85 red stripe, a 2-105, and a Perkins repowered 1750. I do not agree with others about the reliability of the big block Waukashau engines. We have had three cases of broken crankshafts, all at the center main bearing. Based upon my experience and my neighbors, if the connecting rods don't ventilate the block, the cranks will break. We love our Olivers, but do not trust the Waukashau 310 engines. Thats why the 1750 now has a Perkins.
 
My favorite Oliver would be the only one I have, an 88 that started life as a diesel but had an 880 motor put in it at some point and power steering. Runs great and plenty of power. I do like the looks and style of the 50 and 55 series
 
I am late to the party as usual!! Ill start with my favorites although its hard to pick a favorite. Top three Oliver's for myself would be 1955, 1950T, 1800C. As for your questions Rrlund explained the 1550 loader special very well. Oliver also had 1750/1850 special tractors to compete with the JD4000 series. They were some what stripped down more basic models. As for the 2255 not to much bad to say about it 3150cat was ok but the updates to make it into the 3208 made it better. Changing the starters and keeping the exhaust together on 2255's were two of major issues. As you seen your going to get very different answers about the 310 Waukesha either people love them or hate them. Yes the 310 in the 1855 was a huge scare for Oliver. The 1850 With a Perkins was arguably one of the best Oliver tractors built. They are very reliable and easy to get parts for. Unfortunately I just spent Alot of money restoring one and completely rebuilt a Perkins and now I have issues with. The Engine has to come back apart but I believe it is due to a issues from the machine shop! Parts are definitely cheaper for a Perkins that a Waukesha I can tell you that. In the process of rebuilding a 310T for a 1955 now.
 
I guess i would also add the early 1800 (checkerboard) for style as well as the early styleized 70s for their class 1930s look.
 
Do you prefer the 1950T to the 1950? Heard mixed responses between the GM blower diesel and the Wauks. Do you have any input?
 
I would have to pick the T over the gm powered 1950. Just for being quieter be and smoother running if you were going to spend your day using it. For coolness as a collector more than a user then the 1950 with a Detroit is the choice. One of the reasons Oliver came out with the 1950T was a lower cost to farmers then the 1950 with the Detroit. I own a 1950T and hopefully someday I can get ahold of a 1950.
 
I understand about the noise. It is nice to keep your hearing. Idk if its known for this but our Deere 3010D is the loudest thing Ive ever run. Idk if it is screaming Jimmy loud but I dont plow without earplugs
 
I have no favorite Oliver and probably will not. I know the guys over to the southwest of me have a new tractor about every 3 or 4 years. They start with a rebuild in the engine then a new transmission then new rearend and then start over with a new engine. Seems like they have a lot of problems with them to me. This iswith all models from a 77 to the 1800or bigger some were in the 2255 range. didn't impress me to want one. We used a Uni with the T354 pukins in it and smoked like a freight train going across the field whether it was running empty or chopping full bore even just shelling corn. So I guess I;m not a fan of pukins engines either in anything from what i've seen in that one.
 
The only way I could see having that many problems is, they beat the living crap out of them. There were and still are a lot of Olivers around here and there never has been very much for trans and diff problems. If your Perkins smoked that much, it needed some adjustments. Lotsa 1850s around here with no more smoke than any other tractor
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

2
Oliver Diesel 77 or OC6
Replies
3
Views
984
2Olivers
2
P
RIP
2 3
Replies
41
Views
3K
dcarp
dcarp
N
replacing Oliver 1800 steering
Replies
3
Views
664
J. Schwiebert
J
S
Cockshutt/oliver 1550 Hydraulic pump.. What else to replace
Replies
0
Views
340
Shawn300z
S
E
Memoirs of an Oliver 77
Replies
2
Views
814
grandpa Love
grandpa Love
Tractor Parts Tractor Manuals

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2024 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top