The 1850
Versatile and Variable
By Sherry

While Oliver was a company that offered their equipment with many options, the 1850 can probably be found in more variations than any other model. To add to the variety, it was also sold in different colors and even sold wearing a different name. Production numbers of this model could only be beaten by the 550/2-44 model for any models built after 1960, a testament to its success.

The 1850’s predecessor was introduced in 1960 and took an entirely different look from the 3-digit series. Through its lifespan of five years, the 1800 went through many changes and was known as the A, B and C Series. By the time the 50 series tractor were introduced late in 1964, the 1850 had most of the bugs worked out of it.

The 1850 was introduced to the dealers at the “New For 1965” Growing “O” Shows. While there was not much difference cosmetically from the 1800, the engine took a step forward. The gas version went up to the next size engine, which was a Waukesha 310. The diesel tractor added a new vendor to Oliver’s list. This model was powered by a Perkins 352 CID engine.

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