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The Oliver 770: a favorite among Oliver enthusiasts

The tractor’s HydroPower system was a notable development

IN THE SHOP with Rachel

By Rachel Gingell
Farms.com

The Oliver 770 was produced from 1958 until 1967. Exact production numbers are disputed by collectors but conservative estimates put the production at 100,000 tractors or more. The 770 was a popular model in the line at the time and is still favored by Oliver enthusiasts.

Parts for these tractors are plentiful and inexpensive due to the large amount of interchangeability between the 770 and other models. The 770 is an upgraded Super 77 (which shares much in common with the 77).

The slightly smaller Oliver 550 shares many design elements with the 770 as well. With an 18-year production run for the 550, there are plenty of tractors around to keep companies supplying parts for these tractors for years to come. 

The 770 came with the variants you’d expect in a well-rounded model of the era: wheatland, high crop and orchard configurations. Engine options included gasoline, diesel and LP-gas, all sharing the same basic Waukesha-Oliver 3.5L six-cylinder engine.



 

This generally handy tractor tested at 44 horsepower at the drawbar and claims 47 horsepower for the PTO. Standard options included the three-point hitch and PTO. Power steering is also available but hard to find.

One of the big upgrades offered in the Oliver 770 was the Power Booster system. This system was similar to International Harvester’s Torque Amplifier, except the Power Booster system was fully mechanical. (Other brands, in contrast, commonly had hydraulically actuated systems.)

The Power Booster system was a great innovation in its day but, compared to later refinements, it can be difficult to operate and repair. Midway through the production line, Oliver replaced the Power Booster system with the superior HydroPower system. Most tractors that originally came with a Power Booster were later changed over to a HydroPower.

While the Power Booster leaves much to be desired, the HydroPower system is fantastic. The entire system is oil bathed, just like an automatic transmission in a modern car. Compared to other torque-amplifier systems that leave some parts dry, the HydroPower’s design cuts down on friction and the resulting heat in the drive components. This system makes the tractor particularly smooth to operate and long-lasting.


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Funds Ditch Ag Commodities, Chase Stocks Amid an End to Middle East War, & Trade Deal Buzz

Video: Funds Ditch Ag Commodities, Chase Stocks Amid an End to Middle East War, & Trade Deal Buzz


The 12-day war between Iran-Israel came to an end sending crude oil futures plunging as the big fund speculators removed the war risk premium.

The weather risk premium in the Ag complex is sending corn, wheat and soybean futures lower on month-end selling ahead of the market moving USDA quarterly grain stocks and acreage reports on June 30th.

Instead, funds were chasing and sending tech stocks higher with the S&P 500/NASDAQ indexes setting new all-time record highs!

June 1 USDA Hogs and pigs report was slightly bearish while the U.S. $ Index traded to new contract lows as the de-dollarization that began in 2014 continues.

Feed in the form of soybean meal futures for livestock producers got cheaper, trading to new contract lows.

The Stats Canada seeded acreage update was bullish canola and wheat.