TRACTORS at Work: OLIVER 1600

Big Tractor Power is out in the field with a 60 hp OLIVER 1600 tractor row crop cultivating corn with a 4 row Oliver 640.

Big Tractor Power Video 2,129

[billknoderer]

I retired in 2019 after 45 years of farming. My dad started me out on an IH Super C with a set of two row front mounted cultivator and rear drag out sweeps. I plowed corn and soybeans in the field with the hands who were running 6 row rigs on JD 730 diesels. In soybeans, we used stove pipe fenders to put as much dirt to the crop as possible in order to cover up small weeds and vines in the day before post emergent herbicides. Those fenders were flared at the ends to spoon the dirt away from the beans as forward motion threw dirt towards the crop rows. It was rudimentary in comparison to how things are today, but it worked. When the beans were “layed by”, we walked the fields and either chopped or hand pulled the escaped weeds. Labor was cheap and the days were long, but I wouldn’t have traded any of it for all the money in the world.

[garyblumberg]

Grew up on a small dairy farm in western Michigan. We had a 55, a 77, 770, an 88, super 88, a 1655, a 1750, and a 1755. Great tractors, most of which are still being used. Lots of great memories!

[joegotz]

I spent many hours on an Oliver 88 with a 4 row cultivator in soybeans. I really enjoyed cultivating, there wasn’t much dust, and i always had a great tan. It beat the hell out of driving an old 49 Ford truck next to the potato harvester in July.

[lawrencekiel-sr]

We had a 1600 with the same cultivator. In the 60s and 70s for tomatoes and string bean cultivating. It was a nice setup. It would put you to sleep after a few hours. It had a rear tine cultivator to clean up the tire tracks, too.

[markreetz]

Lots of memories there. Dad had a 1650 diesel. And he had a 770 that we put the 4 row cultivator on most years. He'd do the corn and the sunflowers. now that was truly "back in the day?" Thanks Jason!

[jeffreynolds]

Love the old Oliver tractors. My cousin had six of them, both gas and diesel, and loved working them all in the hay field and row crops. Nothing like seeing your cultivator and knowing how to cultivate crops. Thanks to my dad for showing me how. The young farmers today depend too much on technology. Let the row markers down on the planters and aim for a tree or a fence post on the other end of the field. That was my GPS when I was farming! Had a few crooked rows but that just increased my plant population and yield!

[Josiahdrews]

Great tractor. Thats from back when farming was in its golden age. Love the Oliver’s. Keep up the great work.

[OliverFarmBoy]

Something about cultivating will calm you right down. I will say I like a mid mount cultivator a lot better than a three point. Easier to see what’s going on and a lot easier to follow the rows in a curve. I know where there’s a 4 row 640 sitting in a junkyard complete with the cover gang for the three point that I need to snag one of these days.

[nitro]

What a great way to spend a day. I love this old school stuff.

[michaelstark]

All those sounds are music to my ears, and I can smell the field and tractor.

[timnichols]

Our set up was a 1962 John Deere 3010 diesel with a 400 front mount cultivator. Haven’t cultivated in 20 years. Still have the 3010. Cultivated corn twice and beans 3 times if we could.

[jeriatrix]

In high school back in the late 50s, I worked on Doris Duke's farm in New Jersey. One of the jobs was cultivating corn on guess what? An Oliver tractor. Best summer job I ever had.🤣

[rosstheoliverman]

It’s great to see the tractors out being used for what they were made to do!

[leslieholman]

That tractor would probably sell for 4 times it's original price today, nice working and nice sounding rig thanks for the video

[Railfan]

Great video. Nice to see folks still cultivating instead of spraying.

[rfore]

This video is the first time I've seen somebody cultivate ANYTHING since I was a teenager. I thought that had gone the way of the moldboard/bottom plow!

[mikemerrill]

Talk about longevity. That one paid for itself many times over.

[ScottPykare]

That is so cool to see. Good thing there is some wind because you just imagine the heat/humidity out in that field. Hats off to this farmer absolutely. GO BTP 💪

[rburli]

Use to row crop cultivate corn and beans on my Uncle's dairy farm with an Oliver 88

[motorcop]

Cool to see a mounted cultivator! Nice gas powered Oliver too.