My dad said he knew we were OK cause he could here are 1955 running called it ballad of the 310 turbo . Think I was 12 dad had messed up his ankle n was on crutches grandpa was in the 2150 discing, I told dad I could disc with the 1955 with 21ft Krause disc . I haven't run any of are big tractors yet but gramps put me in it and I was in heaven gramps road a round or two then turned me loose . From there on I was trusted. Are 1955 looks just like yours less the front axle it a 74 too great memories of my gramps n dad from turkey creek farms be safe n thankful
I've been thinking about chasing down and 880 or up to a 1600 diesel. I accidently bought a 14ft 252 disk and I think its just a tad too big for my 770, so that's an excuse to get another tractor. I'm not sure if an 880 has enough backside those for the disk. I can't make up my mind! I tried to tell the wife I need a 1955 and she gave me "The look" so I'll stick to the 880 or 1600. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Bill, maybe if you tell your wife that you'll get her a tractor that is her favorite color then she'll let you get one in the horse power range you want lol.
@@stephenfonder7409 she knows very well. She says I have enough tractors to do that already. She wants me to finish our home projects so we can sell out place in town and move onto some land where we can keep her critters.
Bill, I'd go for the 1600. Horsepower wise it's basically the same as the 880, but the integrated 3 point hitch makes it a much more useful tractor. Throw in better hydraulics and the hydra-power drive, and the 1600 is the obvious winner.
I've never regretted buying used equipment or land even if it seemed high at the time. In ten years time inflation makes you look like a genius. It's the things i didn't buy i regret.
I always enjoy your videos, you give a good explanation of the tractors of their history and specs, and what they kind of turned into or replaced with on the production line. Nice to watch and listen when i am drinking my coffee.
Around here more than half the 1955 & 1950-Ts you see are repowers. After a 310 failure at the farm, they wore out their welcome 😂 and there was never another.
What made the 310 Oliver Diesel sound so different than Hercules, Cummins, Perkins, or even a JD and IH? Just by the sound, you know its an Oliver 310!!!
That's a good question. The German 310 diesel in some Farmalls has a piston design that is almost identical to the piston in the Oliver 310. I don't know if I have heard one of those running to hear how similar they sound. Oliver did use a cross flow head, that might have helped give it a more distinctive sound as well. I imagine things like the shape of the block can affect the sound as well.
Another great video! So I was thinking about maybe starting a registry of serial numbers for the 1955 MFWD tractors out there. Maybe there is one already. I am not sure of how exactly to go about it honestly. I was just thinking out loud.
I don't know of one, but it would be cool to have one. I was looking into making one using google sheets for all models of Olivers. It doesn't look too tough, just haven't gotten around to putting in the time.
It was originally made by a company called Crenlo, but White must have bought them and started making them in house. In the parts book it's called the ROPS cab. I think the door latch is still available. Other than that, you're probably going to have to find used parts.
@@ThatOliverGuyChris okay thank you after 8 years I finally got my grandpas 1855 back with the white stamped cab but I need a bit of stuff to complete it
From the comments it's obvious that the 1955 is very popular, no question about it, we all love this one. You got some really nice shots, I always love watching your videos, you get some of the best shots, liked seeing Ophelia. I enjoy that sound of the whistling turbo, great video, thanks for sharing, have a great Sunday and awesome week ahead!
Yeah I put a chrome straight pipe on my tractor with a stainless steel or aluminized flapper which I paid like 60 or 70 bucks for it cuz I didn't want it to rust but it rattles I tightened some things up and it helps some but it rattles it's kind of annoying cuz I want to hear that sweet Turbo that's the best part of your video give us some turbo whistle I just got in from Bush Hogan with the 1855 never get tired of that sound thanks for video
Chris: Could you discuss the variance in the Oliver wide front ends on 2WD tractors? On earlier models, it appears the wishbone was oriented and attached to the top of the axle arm while on later models it was attached to the lower side. In this video, I see your 1600 has the lower mount. Is this a matter of the 1600 having a later assembly substituted? Was this change done due to an excess failure rate of the original style? Or an engineering upgrade to prevent problems? Or simply a design preference? Also, my '74 1755 has the wishbone appearing to be retained with a pin; whereas all the earlier units were retained with a nut threaded on to the ends of the wishbone. Are you aware of a reason for this change? Thank you again for all of your insights.
That's a good topic, maybe I can record some examples at the tractor shows I might go to this summer. The 1600 had an aftermarket wide front when we got it, and we were able to get the one that is on it now. Dad called it a tight turning radius axle. Apparently moving the wishbone under the tie rods gave it more room crank the wheels. When the tie rods were under the wishbone they could hit when the axle was oscillated and the wheels fully turned. As to your 1755, I might not be following you correctly, but I haven't seen one with a pin. Later front axles got rid of the nuts on the front side of the wishbone and were welded directly to the axle tube. I'm kinda surprised they didn't do that sooner.
@@ThatOliverGuyChris You are correct - it is welded. I only recently bought it and had not looked closely enough. I do, though, now have a question about fluids. The Over/Under fluid level is low. The previous owner told me they had recently changed fluids and used AW-32. The hydraulic reservoir appears to be typically clear AW-32 but the very tip of the Hydraul dipstick appears to be pink; like an ATF. What would your advice be?
They have become fairly common in the past 3 or 4 years. They've been working their way down from the north. On the way to the bridge crossing I saw 2 different bald eagles soar above the road, about an hour apart.
Talking about manufacture years. Our 1850 (gas) was a 1971 with over/under. Is that possible? It had finder tanks and a cab made by LTC. which fit tightly between the fenders. It wasn't much but it kept the wind off your back. Doors came off in the summer. Love the sound of that 310 turbo. Sweet! Stay safe!
The 1850 wrapped up production in 1969. It is possible it has the over/under as it was an option starting in 1968. Could be your tractor wasn't sold until 1971, they would occasionally have unsold tractors a year or 2 after the new models had come out.
I think the biggest reason I like watching these old machines work is because they do what they do today as well as when they were new. Maybe even as well as modern machines and the operator can maintain these without a degree in computer science. That Dickey monitor on your dash is period correct also-right? I remember my uncle having one of those when it was new and that had to be back in the mid 70’s. Does anyone know what happened to the last Oliver to come off the line or if it still exists?
The monitor is from my 6 row Oliver planter, so it's correct for the tractor but about 15 years older than the drill. Last I knew, that last 2255 has not turned up. It could still be out there, and records indicate it should be in the USA. I do remember seeing where someone had the next to the last one.
You can't beat Seafoam to clean a fuel system, I have used it in the crankcase to remove sludge from lifters (You must change oil and filter in short order and not drive it like crazy), the Transflush they make in a Torqueflite (And then change the fluid and filter). In a well abused Dodge W250 I bought used a few years ago and it made a huge difference to keep it going until I get time to restore it!
Waukesha 310 diesel is correct. Some of the reliability issues might have been better if they had stuck with the Perkins, but hindsight is always 20-20.
Thanks! No, I haven't. We had a field once that got planted, nothing was up, it got a couple of inches of snow on it, and a few days later when the snow melted back off, the field was green. The wheat had grown under the snow! Fortunately we got about a quarter inch or better of rain last week. I can see the first planted wheat from the road now. In 1988, the ground was so dry some of the corn didn't germinate. Then we got a shot of rain in late June, and that corn started growing. So I know it can happen.
I have tried it, and depending on the soil type and conditions, it will get the seed in the ground. I don't think this year was the year to try it with as dry as we were.
And on the 7th day, we rested so we could watch our favorite tractor porn video. Keep them coming and keep showing that those older Olivers are not auger queens.
When I bought this drill people were telling me I was going to need an articulated tractor to pull it, so I started with the 2255. It didn't know it was back there. I eventually tried this one, and most of the time it's a cakewalk. There are a couple steep hill that it digs just a little pulling that much iron up, but it still gets to the top, all without fluid in the tires.
Did you notice sales drop off when they brought out the White colors? What were the customers opinions on it? Was any thought ever given to painting the chassis black and then using different color sheet metal to give everyone what they wanted like was done on the Americans? I never understood that whole thing on the outside looking in...............Would have been about like Tennaco using JI Case colors on everything after the merger, they lost enough good IH dealers and buyers just merging, a poor color choice would have finished off something that barely made it as it was.
It was a bit before my time, but the story I was told was when White decided to consolidate the 3 lines, Cockshutt, Oliver and Minneapolis Moline, into one brand, the original plan was to continue with the Oliver name and colors. The farm crisis of the early 70s had hurt sales, so consolidation was going to be a money saver, and of the 3 brands, Oliver had the largest market share by quite a margin. That's when the in-fighting began. Minnie Mo dealers didn't want to give up their brand, and neither did Oliver. It was finally decided that if everybody couldn't come to an agreement, then neither name would go on the tractors, they would be painted neutral colors, and would be branded as the White tractor. With Oliver having somewhere around 8% share of the US tractor market, and MM down around 3%, the choice should have been a simple one, in my opinion. Sticking with the Oliver name and green paint would have cashed in on customer loyalty, but they threw that out the window and put silver paint on instead. Would Oliver still be around today if they hadn't done that? Probably not. Eight percent is just not enough today, and some future crisis would have eventually caused them to get bought out. But I think they would have lasted a lot longer than they did.
As to the sales drop, I don't know if we did drop much. I know there's a lot of early Whites in my area. Talking to guys at shows and what I have seen online, that was the time many made the switch to other brands. They felt like their brand was gone, and their loyalty went with it.
@@ThatOliverGuyChris Ok, so you had 11% between the 2 before hand, where did the number go when it went to White? Did it stay at around 11 or did it drop? By that point the only dealer that sold Oliver was pretty good distance from here, and it seems they sold more Gehl than anything else so I have nothing to judge by.
The percentages were from 1970, 4 years before the silver tractors hit the market. Unfortunately I don't have figures for market share for the time when the tractors were called White. Just talking to farmers, I'd have to guess they lost some market share, but it would be only a guess.
Great story about the eagles !
We had a 105 a great tractor 1975
One of my favorite tractors
How blessed your are to lead the life that you do, and how blessed we are to share it! Thanks, Chris.
Thank you! I am quite fortunate, but that's largely through the hard work of my ancestors.
My dad said he knew we were OK cause he could here are 1955 running called it ballad of the 310 turbo . Think I was 12 dad had messed up his ankle n was on crutches grandpa was in the 2150 discing, I told dad I could disc with the 1955 with 21ft Krause disc . I haven't run any of are big tractors yet but gramps put me in it and I was in heaven gramps road a round or two then turned me loose . From there on I was trusted. Are 1955 looks just like yours less the front axle it a 74 too great memories of my gramps n dad from turkey creek farms be safe n thankful
I've been thinking about chasing down and 880 or up to a 1600 diesel. I accidently bought a 14ft 252 disk and I think its just a tad too big for my 770, so that's an excuse to get another tractor. I'm not sure if an 880 has enough backside those for the disk. I can't make up my mind! I tried to tell the wife I need a 1955 and she gave me "The look" so I'll stick to the 880 or 1600. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Bill, maybe if you tell your wife that you'll get her a tractor that is her favorite color then she'll let you get one in the horse power range you want lol.
@@stephenfonder7409 oh I wish! She's not much interested in tractors. She wants goats, horses, and other near useless animals.
@@BillTheTractorMan you just have to convince her that the tractor will be beneficial in growing the food for those animals lol!
@@stephenfonder7409 she knows very well. She says I have enough tractors to do that already. She wants me to finish our home projects so we can sell out place in town and move onto some land where we can keep her critters.
Bill, I'd go for the 1600. Horsepower wise it's basically the same as the 880, but the integrated 3 point hitch makes it a much more useful tractor. Throw in better hydraulics and the hydra-power drive, and the 1600 is the obvious winner.
I just went to Goodhue mn yesterday to get non fluid filled rims for my 1655 snow pusher. Old rims just about shot after 53 years
Must be you visited Justin?
Yep, 1st time to his house, little over 3 hours one way
Got to operate the Kavalier Oliver dealership 550 forklift
Nice tractor. Did I read that dealer decal right Peckens in cohochtah? If that dealer only about 5 miles from me.
That is correct. I bought the tractor near Perry.
Really nice to hear the tractor and some stories while watching the beautiful scene
Thanks 👍
Great video bro it even had cool story time. Safe travels
Thank you, Ken!
Great video Chris thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it
I've never regretted buying used equipment or land even if it seemed high at the time. In ten years time inflation makes you look like a genius. It's the things i didn't buy i regret.
Agreed
Thanks for the great videos. I enjoy watching and hearing your comments. I farm not very far away and visited your dealership back in the day.
Thanks!
I also think its neat the 18 and 19 are 10 days apart living on the same farm
That looked real nice how it was sowing. That is a good looking tractor.
Thanks, Jeff!
I always enjoy your videos, you give a good explanation of the tractors of their history and specs, and what they kind of turned into or replaced with on the production line. Nice to watch and listen when i am drinking my coffee.
Thank you!
Love that whistle on that gorgeous Ollie...great video Chris...long live the old school Oliver's
Thanks!
Great video. Love the sound of that tractor. Could listen all day.
I was worried I'd get complaints about me trying to talk over the tractor. I just consider it background music.
Around here more than half the 1955 & 1950-Ts you see are repowers.
After a 310 failure at the farm, they wore out their welcome 😂 and there was never another.
I love the 310, but there's no doubt in my mind that if they had kept using the Perkins the 1855 and 1955 wouldn't have sullied the Oliver name.
the turbo has the muffler spinning too. :)
It's all that power!
What made the 310 Oliver Diesel sound so different than Hercules, Cummins, Perkins, or even a JD and IH? Just by the sound, you know its an Oliver 310!!!
That's a good question. The German 310 diesel in some Farmalls has a piston design that is almost identical to the piston in the Oliver 310. I don't know if I have heard one of those running to hear how similar they sound. Oliver did use a cross flow head, that might have helped give it a more distinctive sound as well. I imagine things like the shape of the block can affect the sound as well.
The 1850 is my favorite and the 1955 is a close second. Your 1955 has all the options I would want.
Just tempting me to work on the 1900 I see 🤣, thanks Chris
I try to be a man of my word. 😆 I do enjoy watching you work on the crawlers, though.
Beautiful tractor Chris! Great video as always.
Thank you!
Another great video! So I was thinking about maybe starting a registry of serial numbers for the 1955 MFWD tractors out there. Maybe there is one already. I am not sure of how exactly to go about it honestly. I was just thinking out loud.
I don't know of one, but it would be cool to have one. I was looking into making one using google sheets for all models of Olivers. It doesn't look too tough, just haven't gotten around to putting in the time.
@@ThatOliverGuyChris well maybe I will have to do some research on it.
I just seen it end of the video LOL The Waukesha sounds much better than a Perkins if I do say so myself
Yep. The Perkins is ok, but the Waukesha is sweet.
Cris does that drill pull hard? Sounds like she is working that motor.
Not really. I don't run full throttle and rarely have to shift down.
Is there a way to take apart the arm rest on a later 105 without destroying it?
Yes, but it's been so long I'd have to look it up.
What is the cab model on that tractor I need to find parts for one
It was originally made by a company called Crenlo, but White must have bought them and started making them in house. In the parts book it's called the ROPS cab. I think the door latch is still available. Other than that, you're probably going to have to find used parts.
@@ThatOliverGuyChris okay thank you after 8 years I finally got my grandpas 1855 back with the white stamped cab but I need a bit of stuff to complete it
From the comments it's obvious that the 1955 is very popular, no question about it, we all love this one. You got some really nice shots, I always love watching your videos, you get some of the best shots, liked seeing Ophelia. I enjoy that sound of the whistling turbo, great video, thanks for sharing, have a great Sunday and awesome week ahead!
Thanks! I better get the 1855 done, I think it will be a real hit.
You need a chrome straight pipe for that bad boy !! Lol
It might let that turbo whistle come through!
Yeah I put a chrome straight pipe on my tractor with a stainless steel or aluminized flapper which I paid like 60 or 70 bucks for it cuz I didn't want it to rust but it rattles I tightened some things up and it helps some but it rattles it's kind of annoying cuz I want to hear that sweet Turbo that's the best part of your video give us some turbo whistle I just got in from Bush Hogan with the 1855 never get tired of that sound thanks for video
can you get parts?
There are a few that have been discontinued lately, but in the recent past, it was no problem.
Chris: Could you discuss the variance in the Oliver wide front ends on 2WD tractors? On earlier models, it appears the wishbone was oriented and attached to the top of the axle arm while on later models it was attached to the lower side. In this video, I see your 1600 has the lower mount. Is this a matter of the 1600 having a later assembly substituted? Was this change done due to an excess failure rate of the original style? Or an engineering upgrade to prevent problems? Or simply a design preference? Also, my '74 1755 has the wishbone appearing to be retained with a pin; whereas all the earlier units were retained with a nut threaded on to the ends of the wishbone. Are you aware of a reason for this change? Thank you again for all of your insights.
That's a good topic, maybe I can record some examples at the tractor shows I might go to this summer.
The 1600 had an aftermarket wide front when we got it, and we were able to get the one that is on it now. Dad called it a tight turning radius axle. Apparently moving the wishbone under the tie rods gave it more room crank the wheels. When the tie rods were under the wishbone they could hit when the axle was oscillated and the wheels fully turned. As to your 1755, I might not be following you correctly, but I haven't seen one with a pin. Later front axles got rid of the nuts on the front side of the wishbone and were welded directly to the axle tube. I'm kinda surprised they didn't do that sooner.
@@ThatOliverGuyChris You are correct - it is welded. I only recently bought it and had not looked closely enough. I do, though, now have a question about fluids. The Over/Under fluid level is low. The previous owner told me they had recently changed fluids and used AW-32. The hydraulic reservoir appears to be typically clear AW-32 but the very tip of the Hydraul dipstick appears to be pink; like an ATF. What would your advice be?
Chris are eagles normal for your area? I wish I could see one some day.
They have become fairly common in the past 3 or 4 years. They've been working their way down from the north. On the way to the bridge crossing I saw 2 different bald eagles soar above the road, about an hour apart.
Talking about manufacture years. Our 1850 (gas) was a 1971 with over/under. Is that possible? It had finder tanks and a cab made by LTC. which fit tightly between the fenders. It wasn't much but it kept the wind off your back. Doors came off in the summer. Love the sound of that 310 turbo. Sweet! Stay safe!
The 1850 wrapped up production in 1969. It is possible it has the over/under as it was an option starting in 1968. Could be your tractor wasn't sold until 1971, they would occasionally have unsold tractors a year or 2 after the new models had come out.
@@ThatOliverGuyChris Thanks Chris. Good to know.
Excellent camera placement for sound pickup buddy this was awesome
Thanks!
I think the biggest reason I like watching these old machines work is because they do what they do today as well as when they were new. Maybe even as well as modern machines and the operator can maintain these without a degree in computer science. That Dickey monitor on your dash is period correct also-right? I remember my uncle having one of those when it was new and that had to be back in the mid 70’s. Does anyone know what happened to the last Oliver to come off the line or if it still exists?
The monitor is from my 6 row Oliver planter, so it's correct for the tractor but about 15 years older than the drill.
Last I knew, that last 2255 has not turned up. It could still be out there, and records indicate it should be in the USA. I do remember seeing where someone had the next to the last one.
@@ThatOliverGuyChris man that would be a cool one to find, thanks.
You can't beat Seafoam to clean a fuel system, I have used it in the crankcase to remove sludge from lifters (You must change oil and filter in short order and not drive it like crazy), the Transflush they make in a Torqueflite (And then change the fluid and filter). In a well abused Dodge W250 I bought used a few years ago and it made a huge difference to keep it going until I get time to restore it!
Tractor data indicates Waukesha deisel in these models. I wondered if maybe Perkins.
310 all the way you can hear it
Waukesha 310 diesel is correct. Some of the reliability issues might have been better if they had stuck with the Perkins, but hindsight is always 20-20.
Here we have a lake called Reelfoot Lake and eagles raise here. Their a beautiful (buzzard) bird. Lol
They've really made a comeback in my area in the last couple of years. They can have all the raccoons they want.
Great video Chris. It has been pretty dry here as well. Have you ever had a fall where the wheat didn't germinate before freeze up?
Thanks! No, I haven't. We had a field once that got planted, nothing was up, it got a couple of inches of snow on it, and a few days later when the snow melted back off, the field was green. The wheat had grown under the snow!
Fortunately we got about a quarter inch or better of rain last week. I can see the first planted wheat from the road now.
In 1988, the ground was so dry some of the corn didn't germinate. Then we got a shot of rain in late June, and that corn started growing. So I know it can happen.
Looks like it's doing a mighty fine job pulling the wheat drill. Did you work the ground with the 4-225 white?
Yes I did. I didn't make any video of that though.
Always heard the solid stand Great Plains without coulters would work for fall no till. Have you ever tried it?
I have tried it, and depending on the soil type and conditions, it will get the seed in the ground. I don't think this year was the year to try it with as dry as we were.
👍👍👍👍👍
And on the 7th day, we rested so we could watch our favorite tractor porn video. Keep them coming and keep showing that those older Olivers are not auger queens.
When I bought this drill people were telling me I was going to need an articulated tractor to pull it, so I started with the 2255. It didn't know it was back there. I eventually tried this one, and most of the time it's a cakewalk. There are a couple steep hill that it digs just a little pulling that much iron up, but it still gets to the top, all without fluid in the tires.
Did you notice sales drop off when they brought out the White colors? What were the customers opinions on it? Was any thought ever given to painting the chassis black and then using different color sheet metal to give everyone what they wanted like was done on the Americans? I never understood that whole thing on the outside looking in...............Would have been about like Tennaco using JI Case colors on everything after the merger, they lost enough good IH dealers and buyers just merging, a poor color choice would have finished off something that barely made it as it was.
It was a bit before my time, but the story I was told was when White decided to consolidate the 3 lines, Cockshutt, Oliver and Minneapolis Moline, into one brand, the original plan was to continue with the Oliver name and colors. The farm crisis of the early 70s had hurt sales, so consolidation was going to be a money saver, and of the 3 brands, Oliver had the largest market share by quite a margin. That's when the in-fighting began. Minnie Mo dealers didn't want to give up their brand, and neither did Oliver. It was finally decided that if everybody couldn't come to an agreement, then neither name would go on the tractors, they would be painted neutral colors, and would be branded as the White tractor. With Oliver having somewhere around 8% share of the US tractor market, and MM down around 3%, the choice should have been a simple one, in my opinion. Sticking with the Oliver name and green paint would have cashed in on customer loyalty, but they threw that out the window and put silver paint on instead. Would Oliver still be around today if they hadn't done that? Probably not. Eight percent is just not enough today, and some future crisis would have eventually caused them to get bought out. But I think they would have lasted a lot longer than they did.
As to the sales drop, I don't know if we did drop much. I know there's a lot of early Whites in my area. Talking to guys at shows and what I have seen online, that was the time many made the switch to other brands. They felt like their brand was gone, and their loyalty went with it.
@@ThatOliverGuyChris Ok, so you had 11% between the 2 before hand, where did the number go when it went to White? Did it stay at around 11 or did it drop? By that point the only dealer that sold Oliver was pretty good distance from here, and it seems they sold more Gehl than anything else so I have nothing to judge by.
The percentages were from 1970, 4 years before the silver tractors hit the market. Unfortunately I don't have figures for market share for the time when the tractors were called White. Just talking to farmers, I'd have to guess they lost some market share, but it would be only a guess.
@@ThatOliverGuyChris Do you happen to know where Deere, IH, and Allis stood? I would guess by that point JI Case was pretty close to the bottom?