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In 1901 Hart-Parr began production of their first tractor. It was rated at 17-30. The 17-30 models were built until 1906

Following the failure of the Little Devil, the Hart-Parr Company came out with a newly designed model, the 12-25.

With the merger of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works and the Hart-Parr Tractor Company, a completely new tractor was designed using ideas from both companies.

In 1937, the Hart-Parr Oliver 70 tractor took on a new streamlined look and became the Oliver 70.

In 1948 Oliver introduced a “New Fleet of Quality Tractors”.

The Super Series were merely updated version of the Fleetline tractors. However, during the Super production a few more models had been added to the line.

In 1958 the Super Series was upgraded to 3-digit series. These consisted of the 440, 550, 660, 770, 880, 990, 995 and 950.

In 1960 Oliver introduced two new models. The 1800 was a replacement for the 880 model.

In 1964 Oliver began to upgrade their previous models to the 50 Series.

In late 1969, Oliver introduced the 55 series of tractors.

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Oliver Parts Source

Michael Hinton's Antique Tractor Show

Official site of the California Oliver Cletrac chapter

Your best source for Oliver reproduction sheet metal.

Ag Parts First - OEM & Aftermarket Parts

Check out great upcoming Oliver auctions held by Lulich Auction

Framed art collectibles for all brands of tractors, created by Edward Schaefer

Looking for an umbrella to add the finishing touch to your Oliver tractor?

Parts for "Fiat Made Oliver-White-Moline" and Various Other Brands

Specializing in Oliver items including hats, t-shirts, patches and more

Manufacturers & Distributors of Seat Assemblies for Farm & Industrial Equipment

Your best source for a full-line of Oliver decals and embroidery service

Reproduction parts for Oliver-built tractors

Parts and services for the Oliver and Cletrac crawler line

Collectible framed art featuring vintage tractors

Tractor canopies for Oliver tractors

The liquid solution for seized up engines

Upcoming Tractor Rides

Your source for Hercules Motor Parts

Custom Oliver Toys

Antique Farm Tires and more with free delivery to certain shows.

Larry Harsin’s website and home to “Ask The Oliver Mechanic” question and answer forum

A forum for the discussion of tractors of all brands.

Depicting life-like scenes from the past & present, these lighted art framed pictures will captivate you.

Looking for Oliver toys to add to your collection?

A site to help you sell anything from tractors to farm toys.

Home of the new RFD show This Week In AgriBusiness, featuring Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong

Home of the I&I Antique Tractor Club of Penfield, IL

Home of the American Farm Heritage Museum in Greenville, IL – Featuring Oliver in 2007

Specializing in diesel pumps and injectors for Oliver, White, MM and Cockshutt tractors

Wiring Harness Specialist

Order your HCEA official show video featuring the Cletrac line

Builders of limited edition Oliver toys and pulling tractors

Parts for the Fiat-built tractors.

Miller Enterprises

In order for a tractor manufacturer to be competitive in the earlier years, it needed to offer a full line of equipment. This both increased sales for the company and kept the customer from walking in someone else’s door. If the manufacturer did not feel it was cost effective to design their own product, they would often purchase equipment from another vendor and then market it as their own. This was the case with Oliver swathers.

By the late 1930’s, many farm tractor manufacturers were taking notice of the many small farm owners that could benefit from a small tractor. In 1936, there were 3.5 million small farms that could not justify tractor ownership as there was not anything being built to fit their need. Cletrac wanted to fill that void and did so very well with one of their most successful little machines.

The WHITE agricultural brand entered the 1980’s as an endangered entity. For most of 1980, White Farm Equipment was unable to produce any tractors due to the financial collapse of its parent company, White Motors. With the sale of the WHITE agricultural brand to Texas Investment Corporation (TIC), the farm equipment line was stabilized and able to return to full production.

Most people think that the flex-fuel vehicle is a product of the last decade. However, the dual fuel system actually began following the turn of the century. Henry Ford produced the first commercial flex-fuel vehicle in 1908 with the model T. However, first use of a flex-fuel system in a tractor should probably go to Hart-Parr with their kerosene and gasoline tractor back in 1905. By the time the 18-36 came around, the tractor was designed to burn THREE fuels, making it a true flex-fuel machine.

Identification or Confusion?
The main reason a serial number was attached to a tractor or piece of equipment was to provide a means of individualized identification. The company was able to track how many units were built, when changes occurred, and sometimes how the machine was equipped by the serial number.

While many will agree that the model 70 was revolutionary as a modern tractor, many will also agree that the introduction of the Fleetline series gave Oliver a real boost in the market. With new engines, new styling and new features, these three models had efficiency AND beauty. In my opinion, these are still some of the best looking tractors out there today and no wonder that they are referred to as - The Three Beauties.

Shortline companies have always played a large role in the manufacturing of agricultural equipment. Manufacturers like Oliver were in business to build tractors, equipment and some of the optional accessories. However, when it came to the many smaller tools that could be used with their tractors, this was often left to the shortline companies. If the manufacturer approved those tools, they would help to sell them as an allied equipment supplier.

The Le Sueur County Pioneer Power Association was formed in 1977. In 1979, this enthusiastic group of volunteers purchased 110 acres of land and began a yearly summer show that grows more every year. In addition the association also hold a spring swap meet in the last weekend of April that draws tractor and machinery buffs from all across the country.

This year on August 27-29, the Heritage of Oliver was celebrated at their 33rd annual show. The title encompassed all brands that were part of Oliver. Three chapters pitched in to help make this a successful show with over 250 tractors present. Those three were the Great Plains Oliver Collectors, the Great Northern Oliver Collectors and the Northland Oliver Collectors.

By the late 1960’s Oliver was pushing to offer a wide array of equipment for all of their dealers. Oliver’s many plants were able to build the majority of their equipment with the exception of a few parts. For example, Electric Wheel manufactured the wagons and Wetmore built the grinder/mixers. An outside company also built the stalk chopper and flail shredders.

While Oliver was known as an agricultural company, they also offered models for industrial use as early as the 1910’s with the Hart-Parr Road King. These machines were not designated as “industrial” until 1932. The industrial models had their own numbering system such as the 28, 35, 44 and then the 50. It was not until 1945 when the ag and industrial models shared the same numbers. The 99 industrial was the largest tractor in the lineup and was eventually replaced by the 900 industrial.

While old Oliver's can be seen hard at work in fields all over our great country, there are two Super 88s and an 880 doing a most unusual job in a most unusual place. These old timers don’t plow soil on the farm; they plow snow in the city. Rochester, a small city in Western New York, contracts with the private sector for sidewalk snow removal. Several of Rochester’s current contractors have farm connections and utilize old tractors to do the job.

In 1935, the Oliver Farm Equipment Company caught the attention of the farmer when it introduced the new Hart-Parr Oliver 70. This tractor was powered by SIX cylinders and even had optional headlights and electric start! It was revolutionary for that era. During the next few years, several models were added to this series but it would be five years before the smallest model would enter the picture. The Oliver 60 finally arrived in 1940.

By the 1950’s, earthmoving machinery continued to get bigger. Allis-Chalmers, Caterpillar and International were trying to out do each other by building bigger and more powerful machines.

1958 was a busy year for the green tractor companies. Deere upgraded their 20 series model to become the 30 series. At the same time, the Meadow Green shade was also making big upgrades to their line-up. The cosmetic change made to the entire Oliver fleet would incorporate a new color scheme that lasted until the end of the Oliver era in 1976.

The Cleveland Tractor Company had always been a forward thinking company. Rollin H. White was a pioneer in steam automobile production since 1900. He had the ability to think outside if the box. Already in 1919 The Cleveland Tractor Company was conducting experiments with a two-cylinder two-cycle diesel engine. It is unknown who actually built this engine. Some people have speculated that it was GM engine but I personally believe that this time period was too early for this to be possible. Over the years Cletrac tested and experimented with literally dozens of diesel engines including some foreign ones.

In this issue of Oliver Heritage we will complete the story of White Farm Equipment tractors in the 1970’s. From 1976 to 1979 WHITE introduced a variety of new modern tractors to build a lineup of farm machines poised to be at the forefront of the farm equipment market in the 1980s.

By 1930 The Cleveland Tractor Company had been building crawler tractors for 14 years and held the title of “the largest exclusive crawler tractor manufacturer.” They had manufactured a number of outstanding larger tractors, which put them in a good solid position. Now it was time to produce a more modern and up-to-date machine to replace the obsolete model W. With its single-speed forward and reverse transmission and very few operator comforts, it wasn’t what the customer was looking for anymore.

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.

WHITE became the brand to watch in farming with a bold new name and style in the mid-1970’s. In issues 33, 34 and 35 of Oliver Heritage the Wide, Wide World of White has traced the development of the sister brands of Minneapolis-Moline, Cockshutt and Oliver as they formed White Farm Equipment. Starting with issue 37 of Oliver Heritage we will follow the White Farm Equipment story beyond Oliver into the late 1970’s, through the turbulent 1980’s, and into the 21st Century. White Farm Equipment began the second chapter in its farm equipment story in the years of 1974 and 1975.

We interrupt your normally scheduled article series of the Wide, Wide World of White to bring Oliver Heritage readers breaking news from the 21st Century on the legacy of the Oliver line that is taking place today at the AGCO Corporation. The Wide, Wide World of White will return to its regular schedule with the interesting story of White Motor Corporation and its involvement in the agriculture industry through Oliver and its sister brands as the company formed the WHITE Boss line of tractors, combines and implements in 1975. The 1975 WHITE story will be postponed until issue number 37 of Oliver Heritage. And now for the news................

The 8N Ford was introduced to the public July 9, 1947. It incorporated a hydraulically controlled 3-Point hitch with position control. The retail price at introduction was $1,095 fob Detroit, Michigan. This tractor was highly successful with over half a million models built through production and captured 19 percent of the US wheel tractor market. This had the attention of Oliver so they set out to build a utility model of their own to get a piece of that pie.

James Oliver made giant strides in 1868 when he received the first patent for his chilling process. Throughout his life, he continued to make improvements but none of them were huge steps in design. But when the Raydex points were introduced in 1939, it changed the way the world plowed.

Buying a tractor on Ebay is something I never thought I would do but in February of 2007 a listing appeared offering a 28-50 Hart-Parr. According to the serial number of 71620 it was a 1930 model, the last year they were built. The serial number tags read “Mfg. by the Oliver Farm Equipment Company, Charles City, Iowa.” The photo on the listing showed a tree growing up between the frame and the fuel tank and the engine was stuck. After a few emails to the seller I decided to bid on the tractor located in southeast Kansas. When the hammer fell I was the new owner of a 28-50.

The White Farm Equipment story began in November 1960 with the acquisition of Oliver Heritage readers’ favorite brand - Oliver. In issues #33 and #34 of Oliver Heritage we began tracing the corporate strategy of White Motors to market and produce three popular brands of farm equipment under the Oliver/Minneapolis-Moline/Cockshutt names. The keystone of the White Farm Equipment brands was the Oliver Farm Equipment Company and its vast line of tractors and machinery.

Farming in California is much different from anything we know about in the east of the Midwest. One of the biggest differences is the fact that in certain parts of California, everything needed to be irrigated if you expected to harvest a crop. Ditch irrigation was the most common way to get water to the right place in the fields. This required a completely level field for best and consistent results. After the leveling process was completed, irrigation ditches were laid out and dug.

Oliver had been widely known as an agricultural company even though industrial models were part of their lineup. Their industrial line began to pick up strength in the late 1940’s and early 50’s. Part of their strength came from a company located far from the Midwestern factories of Oliver. This company would join forces with Oliver and help them market equipment that is very collectible today. Like Oliver, the company is no longer around to savor the success of their product line.

Oliver began providing tractor for other company’s in the early 1930’s. These tractors would have the Cockshutt name on them and sold by Cockshutt dealers. This would be the only farm equipment manufacturer that Oliver would provide tractors for until 1959 after being approached by Massey Ferguson.

In this issue of Oliver Heritage we will trace the second branch of the White Farm Equipment family tree in the early part of the 1970’s. Cockshutt is our focus as we take a snap shot look at the White subsidiary based north of the border.

The concept of a general-purpose crawler tractor wasn’t a new idea for the Cleveland Tractor Company in 1934. The company had enjoyed success with the Cletrac Model F about a dozen years earlier. Several different push-type cultivators had been developed to use with this small tractor making it a handy tool for weed removal.

The years from 1970 to 1975 were an interesting time in the history of Oliver and its two sister brands in the White Motor family. This period of time can also be a confusing time period for WHITE-Oliver fans to follow. In the next three issues of Oliver Heritage we will look back at the history of the three tractor brands that formed White Farm Equipment in the five years leading up to their consolidation into WHITE. First up is the Minneapolis-Moline story of the early 1970’s.

Oliver started work on a heavy-duty tractor in the midst of World War II. Speculation leads us to believe it was in an attempt to sell it to the government for building airstrips. It would be three years later before production actually began with the tractor that was basically a 99 with a facelift.

The White Motor Corporation entered the decade of the 1970’s focused on meeting the needs of the modern farm with big iron. When White entered the farm equipment world in 1960, a large tractor was just 70 hp, but in just ten years, the 100 hp mark was broken and even surpassed.

Helping someone to identify a manure spreader is something I’m asked to do on a regular basis. I had written a story many years ago about spreaders but due to numerous requests, I’ve updating the story and added a little more information. This article will help you to identify the various models in the earlier years of Oliver and color schemes.

The OC-46: The tractor that made a good start for us
By Landis Zimmerman

The Clyde Weder Oliver dealership is long gone but in it’s day, it was one of the most modern in the area. In fact, when Farm and Power Equipment magazine visited with Clyde’s operation in the 1960’s, they referred to it as the “idea factory”.

Power units have been around longer than the tractor but never quite gained the same popularity in collecting, until recently. Hart-Parr’s first creation was a stationary engine back in 1898. Oliver continued to build power units until 1960 using the same engines of the popular series of tractor of that time.

The Car That Cletrac Built

Rollin Motors Company

Spring is in the air and thoughts turn to fieldwork and preparing the soil for the years bounty. Oliver built a successful line of tillage tools and the 200 series disks were quite popular 50 years ago. With the popularity of “working shows” more people are pulling the Oliver disks out of the fence row and putting them back to work. Signage was minimal on Oliver’s disk so this article will highlight the differences in the 200 series to help you identify your model.

The 71 series engine was first introduced by GM in 1938. The “71” designates 71 cubic inches per cylinder. Therefore the 3-71 used in the Oliver Super 99, 990, 995 and also the Oliver built Massey 98, has 213 cubic inches.

I had always admired the Cletrac model 55, as it resembled a smaller version of the mighty CLetrac 100. Not expecting that any of these machines would be located in a reasonably close vicinity in eastern Pennsylvania, I sort of filed the thought away for the moment.

Tractors restoration often means fixing old parts. There are times when replacement pieces simply cannot be found, and you must restore an original casting or metal part. Cast iron repairs can be a challenge, though, and most restorers would rather hunt down a replacement casting. If the search fails, a cast iron repair might be the only option.

Things are normally calm in Nokomis, Illinois but when i hit the road, there is never a dull moment. This great adventure started in November when I ran into the William Brothers, owners of the Big Bud 747 tractor. They told me about a Big Bud reunion that was going to take place in Havre, Montana in December. This had my attention and I just knew I had to be there. And so the adventure begins.

Each year the Prairie Land show held in Jacksonville, Illinois is one of the last of the antique tractor show's summer season. The grounds itself offers a myriad of activities with a barn filled with museum quality pieces, a flea market and the beloved ham and bean dinner. Each year the club features a tractor and this year it was International Harvester. During their Prairie and Heritage Days, you saw IH from several clubs but for Dave Fleming of Carthrage, Illinois, it was Oliver all the way. Other may have hauled red, but for Dave, it was green, Oliver green.

The Oliver Farm Equipment Company was always looking for a way to attract attention to their products. Whether it was a purple tractor, a crawler that ran over eggs without breaking them or a tractor driving through a parade with no operator, there was always a gimmick.

With the trend turning toward the larger series of tractors, more people are becoming fascinated by a model that has come to be known to many as El Toro. However, there is a bit of misunderstanding where this model is concerned. Most collectors think that if a tractor has Terra Tires on it, that it makes it an El Toro model. However, this is not the case.

When the Cleveland Tractor Company merged with the Oliver Corporation in 1944, this did not set well with some of the Cletrac personnel. This is a common occurrence when new management is put in place. There was some feeling amongst the Cletrac people that the Cleveland Tractor Company was primarily an industrial company and they considered being bought by Oliver, who was primarily a farm equipment manufacturer, was taking a step backwards. A situation like this usually causes some unrest and the offended party begins to look for employment elsewhere. The time was just right- a small new crawler company who was in need of talented personnel was just being born.

In years past, who would have thought that tractor collecting would become a huge as it is today? I mean think about it, maybe Chevelle SS 396, Mustang Cobra Jet or Dodge Super Bee are worthy of an extensive restoration but an Oliver 77 or 1550? Come on now, that old Fleetline did a wonderful job pulling a Grainmaster combine and that 1550 looked great on a 6-row rear-mounted cultivator, but those days are over.... or are they?

While the great flood of 2008 affected many lives in its path, it also took a toll on one of Charles City, Iowa's most memorable landmarks- The Swinging Bridge.

The Oliver Corporation was well-known as an equipment manufacturing company devoted to the farm industry. But did you realize that Oliver also had a hand in building airplanes??

Since we've been talking about an Oliver orchard tractor in this issue, it's only fitting we talk about some of the orchard implements manufactured by Oliver.