I have a 1952 Oliver OC3 crawler with a blade, have owned and restore with my dad over the years. It's still on 6 volt start nd is always ready to work, which I had it out this morning to clean the yard off.
I can remember when my dad bought his first Cletrac in 1947 and then another one later and then an Oliver OC-6. I grew up on those early Cletracs here in southwestern Michigan. We were in a somewhat hilly and somewhat stoney area and there were many sold in our area and they worked great here. We had to take the tracks about 50 miles away to have the pins and bushings changed in the tracks, so my dad made a pin and bushing changer out of iron channel iron and with sized pins the fit the holes to sledge hammer the pins and bushings out, we could change them very quickly and cheaply. We then drove them out and turned them 1/2 way around to double the wear time on the track.
I'm also restored AG6 Cletrac 2009 in Iowa and once it was done. The guy who I bought the machine from and was so pleased to see it running again. He gave me the same money that I paid for it $ 800.00
When I was stationed in West Branch, MI in 1980, there was a late 1940’s vintage Cletrac at the station that pulled a fire line plow for fighting forest fires. It still ran at that time, and we would get it out an play occasionally. I have no idea what happened to it. It was a neat tractor.
I worked for an Oliver dealer in the mid 70s and worked on quite a few. They were modified to work row crops. Low ground pressure pad's and a model t transmission for low speed
Mahalo for the memories, my first tractor was the HC I think 48" not sure too long ago. I was about 9 or 10 years old then, am 78 now. I have plowed many a mile and hauled many tons of manure with my Cletrac.... I still like tracks...
That is about it for me too. I am 78 now and my dad bought the first one when I was 4 years old. They were very safe machines and I plowed many a mile pulling an Oliver 2 bottom 14 inch plow with a spring drawbar hook which came unhooked when it hit a rock.
Now those guys were using their brains for hauling sods, not brawn. Great stories,....I sure would love to have one of those, then again, any tractor nut would like these!
My son has OC3 that has only been owned by 2 families. Only one in world with original like new tail light. original front loader. All new OEM replacement parts if needed. Started up 3 or 4 times a year. Always garaged.Think it is about 4 ft wide.
Hi, Squatch253. As I understand it, Cletrac used that differential steering system right from their first crawler models from about 1917. I also have heard that Rollin H. White (Cleveland Plow Company, as it was then) bought the design and rights C. H. Best after seeing his 16 hp differential steer tractor at a machinery show in San Francisco in 1916 and formed the Cleveland Tractor Company - Cletrac - to build crawlers. I think Oliver bought Cletrac in about 1947 and started the OC model designation shortly after that. Just my 0.02. Thanks for the video. You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.
Thx for this. My father used a Cletrac in NW Canada making seismic lines for an oil company and land clearing for local homesteaders in the early 50s. Apparently it was close to the size of a D8 and used hydraulic cylinders to control the blade. Would you know the model? It originally came from East Canada used to build logging roads and pulling sleigh trains of logs.
I have a 1952 Oliver OC3 crawler with a blade, have owned and restore with my dad over the years.
It's still on 6 volt start nd is always ready to work, which I had it out this morning to clean the yard off.
I can remember when my dad bought his first Cletrac in 1947 and then another one later and then an Oliver OC-6. I grew up on those early Cletracs here in southwestern Michigan. We were in a somewhat hilly and somewhat stoney area and there were many sold in our area and they worked great here. We had to take the tracks about 50 miles away to have the pins and bushings changed in the tracks, so my dad made a pin and bushing changer out of iron channel iron and with sized pins the fit the holes to sledge hammer the pins and bushings out, we could change them very quickly and cheaply. We then drove them out and turned them 1/2 way around to double the wear time on the track.
I'm also restored AG6 Cletrac 2009 in Iowa and once it was done.
The guy who I bought the machine from and was so pleased to see it running again. He gave me the same money that I paid for it $ 800.00
When I was stationed in West Branch, MI in 1980, there was a late 1940’s vintage Cletrac at the station that pulled a fire line plow for fighting forest fires. It still ran at that time, and we would get it out an play occasionally. I have no idea what happened to it. It was a neat tractor.
I had an OC3, it was 51" from outside of track to outside of track. I bunched logs with it. Best machine for that I ever had.
I worked for an Oliver dealer in the mid 70s and worked on quite a few. They were modified to work row crops. Low ground pressure pad's and a model t transmission for low speed
I didn't know do many brands made crawlers. Those two could tell some tales about the hard work they did.
Mahalo for the memories, my first tractor was the HC I think 48" not sure too long ago. I was about 9 or 10 years old then, am 78 now. I have plowed many a mile and hauled many tons of manure with my Cletrac.... I still like tracks...
That is about it for me too. I am 78 now and my dad bought the first one when I was 4 years old. They were very safe machines and I plowed many a mile pulling an Oliver 2 bottom 14 inch plow with a spring drawbar hook which came unhooked when it hit a rock.
That wide one would be nice steep hills, great little models, thanks again for showing this nice tractors
Nice video, I have two of the later models (OC’s ) in my barn to restore or sell. This gives a little motivation to blow the dust off them.
Thanks.
I was thinking how neat that wide track model would be in light snow clearing duties around the home.
They both look so good too!
Now those guys were using their brains for hauling sods, not brawn.
Great stories,....I sure would love to have one of those, then again, any tractor nut would like these!
My neighbor has a OC3 that I borrowed to disk my small acreage. It pulled very well for a small crawler.
Great little crawlers! I have 4 OC 3 ‘s with front end loaders , 2. OC 3’s 68 wide track and an OC 4 with a dozer blade. 4 run and 3 I am working on.
Interesting tractors to say the least and you definitely wore OUT more than one camera there! Thanks, Toby!
Very Interesting,You find the good stuff to show us ,I would never think of looking at!! Oliver made some great machines,at least I think..
My son has OC3 that has only been owned by 2 families. Only one in world with original like new tail light. original front loader. All new OEM replacement parts if needed. Started up 3 or 4 times a year. Always garaged.Think it is about 4 ft wide.
Wave a bag of Jack Link beef jerky over the phone and look what happens. Thanks for the video ,very simple looking Tractors. Neat
Hi, Squatch253.
As I understand it, Cletrac used that differential steering system right from their first crawler models from about 1917. I also have heard that Rollin H. White (Cleveland Plow Company, as it was then) bought the design and rights C. H. Best after seeing his 16 hp differential steer tractor at a machinery show in San Francisco in 1916 and formed the Cleveland Tractor Company - Cletrac - to build crawlers.
I think Oliver bought Cletrac in about 1947 and started the OC model designation shortly after that.
Just my 0.02. Thanks for the video.
You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.
Great stuff, thanks for doing a great job !
Very informative, you really know your stuff & explain well, thanks !
Thx for this. My father used a Cletrac in NW Canada making seismic lines for an oil company and land clearing for local homesteaders in the early 50s. Apparently it was close to the size of a D8 and used hydraulic cylinders to control the blade. Would you know the model? It originally came from East Canada used to build logging roads and pulling sleigh trains of logs.
I never knew Oliver made Crawlers those two machines look really cool especially that wide track
@@squatch253 did they have any kind of special purpose for that wide track model?
@@squatch253 thanks for the info and yes they do look way cool
Some of the wide tracks were to straddle corn rows. Corn rows in our area were mostly 38 or 40 inches, I think.
great video !! thanks
One of my customers in central MN have one of these painted red thats been repowered with an ih power unit..
Great video,there's a 42"" sitting down the road from my house.
Thanks for sharing
I do like Oliver. Tractor's.
we had one the wide on we had it was row crop and had a narrower track
👍
hg was a row crop tractor we had one
Row crop narow is gp tractor
rear drive sprocket we had to rebuild the sprocket