Oliver Big and Small

04/14/2023 by ST Leave a Comment

It was late August and I’d been waiting for the perfect night to photograph my Dad’s Oliver 1655 with my daughter’s 1855 pedal tractor. We’d bought her pedal tractor before she was born, my Dad’s tractor had just been fully repainted, and I had a vision that initially looked completely different than this.

I photographed the tractors together with his in the background before deciding to line them up. He really didn’t want any part of being in the pictures but when I asked him to be in “just this last set” he went (hesitantly) willingly. In his basic mowing clothes and her crazy baby ponytail, this moment was born. She turned to find Grandpa and he waved back to her.

Lindsay Dinkla
Casey, Iowa
Tractor Photo Contest Winner

1955 Oliver 55

01/30/2023 by ST Leave a Comment

A friend of ours purchased a house to renovate and with it, came a tractor that was lost in the brush and even had a tree growing up through it. He asked my Dad if he would be interested in coming and getting it out of there. My husband and Dad showed up with a tractor and trailer and set to work trying to get it out. As they cleared brush and cut the tree down, I think it became their personal challenge to get it running again.

Within a week, my Dad and brother had it driving around with intentions of entering it in the antique tractor pull at our local, annual threshers event. True to form, Dad pulled it and took first place in his class. It looked a bit rough with years of grime on it, mismatched tires, and moss and lichen still growing on it, but Dad’s grin was priceless! When asked what he spent on it, he joked that the most money was spent on oil and grease!

It is a 1955 Oliver 55 or affectionately known on the farm as “lil ollie”.

Veronica Brown
Sullivan, Missouri

If you would like to submit a story with photo(s) about an experience with your tractor, interesting facts about its history, or a restoration project, please go to Tractor Story Submissions. If your story is picked to appear on the blog you will receive a FREE Steiner hat. Some stories will also go on to be published in our quarterly magazine. We look forward to hearing your story!

1964 Oliver 550

12/15/2022 by ST Leave a Comment

1964 Oliver was bought new by my great grandfather in 1964.

My brother and I had just finished putting a new clutch in and used it to clear snow on the place to break in the clutch.

Jonathon Schmedding
Walthill, Nebraska
Tractor Photo Contest Winner

Get a FREE 2023 Tractor Calendar

11/11/2022 by ST Leave a Comment

Stay organized with our new wall calendar. This full size calendar features tractor photos and exclusive monthly coupons for savings the entire year. Place a retail order of $49 or more and get a free 2023 calendar using coupon code FREEYEAR at checkout. Shop Now >>

Available while supplies last!

Oliver 770 Brought Back to Life

04/08/2022 by ST 2 Comments

This Ollie was built in Charles City, Iowa and sent to Brighton, Michigan. It was then sent to a dealer in St Johns, Michigan who must have leased it to our Lake Odessa Canning Company where we assumed it remained for several years as my wife’s brother and their father purchased it somewhere in the mid to late 1960s.

Larry farmed with it up into the 1970s when he purchased a larger White. Their father did not want it sold so he bought it from his son and kept it for odd use around the farm. Before he passed away, he gave it to his daughter Kathy who I married.

The tractor was left in the upper area of the barn and pretty much remained until we decided we needed to get it running and bring it to our barn where we could fix her up. One thing turned into another,…..first front tires weather checked,…which means clean up the wheels (sandblasted and powder coating to get it down from the upper level of the barn). Cleaned gas delivery system, started her up,….we drove it to its new home.

Fall was setting in so we power washed it and parked it in our barn for more going over. Long story short,……I worked on it most of Winter 2019 and we could see it was now more of a restoration than simply getting it working. We started back in the Spring when COVID rolled in. Lots of phone calls and parts trips to several Oliver junkyards,…..sanding and painting,….gas tank renewal,…..new gauges, many hours wiring we eventually parked it in our yard to remove back wheels and tires,….THAT WAS A BIG EXPENSE! But now all new tires and powder coated wheels,…..NICE!

By the Clarksville Steam and Gas Show she was ready to make her way to visit the public. Grandson Ben Scobey drove her the 6 or so miles to the show and she sat for others to check her out. We still have a couple items to work on yet,…front axel bushings need replacing and the clutch could use some help. It has the Power Boost so that may be a major job.

Mike Scobey
Lake Odessa, Michigan

January Featured Photo

01/03/2022 by ST 5 Comments

1958 Oliver 880 sitting out waiting to run a generator if needed.

Photo by William Jay, of Seymour, Illinois
2022 Tractor Photo Contest Winner

Here is the story of my 1944 Cockshutt 60

01/19/2021 by ST 4 Comments

I grew up in an Oliver family, everywhere you looked we had Olivers running the family farm, guess you could say it was a family tradition. My first tractor restore was a 1944 Oliver 60, it was a tractor very similar to what my dad learned how to drive on, so I wanted to keep the family tradition going. I fell in love with the look of the Oliver 60, and then I discovered that there was another 60. A Canadian company called Cockshutt hired Oliver to make a few tractors for them, using the same factory and the same assembly line, using 95% of Oliver parts, and one of those tractors was the Cockshutt 60. There was just a few differences, like the axle housing and front strip on the grille that said Cockshutt instead of Oliver, these tractors were painted Cockshutt Red and the wheels were painted Cockshutt Yellow. The neatest thing was that the gauges still said Oliver on them and the Serial Tag said COCKSHUTT 60, built by The Oliver Farm Equipment Company, Charles City Iowa. I had to have one, so the search was on!

After a few years of searching, I kept falling short. You would think being from Southeast Minnesota, the state above where the tractors were built and the bordering state to Canada, it would be easy to find one, not so much. My search finally ended when I stumbled upon a Craigslist ad from Michigan, an old Cockshutt 60 on steel wheels. This tractor needed a lot of work, but when this was the only tractor I could find, I had to buy it and have it shipped to Minnesota. Seeing that an Oliver 60 is pretty much the same tractor, I also bought two Olivers for parts tractors, using all three to make one tractor.

This was a pretty neat project, I removed the steel wheels and added rubber wheels, added a 5 speed transmission, replaced the missing pieces with either new parts or parts from the Oliver parts tractors. I used as many as the original parts as I could. This is truly a “RED” Oliver, every parts book that I would look up Cockshutt 60, it would tell me to see Oliver 60. This “Red” Oliver got completely rebuilt from front to back, top to bottom.

It took me longer to find the tractor than it did for me to restore it, I finished it in just over a year! When I take the tractor out, there are people that think I painted the Oliver the wrong color, think is it a Massey, an Avery, or even a Farmall, until I tell them the history of the tractor. I believe I have the only Cockshutt 60 in Southeast Minnesota, making it stand out from the rest. So whether it is a green or “Red” Oliver 60, the family tradition rolls on!!

Thanks for Reading!!

Mitch Paulson of Rushford, Minnesota

End of Summer Savings

09/07/2020 by ST Leave a Comment

15% off retail orders of $200 or more

Coupon code – SUMMEREND

Offer good September 7th – 13th, 2020 11:59 pm EDT

Retail orders only. Order minimum must be $200 or more not including tax and delivery charges. Discount is not redeemable on special order items or gift cards, and cannot be combined with other special offers or sales.

Tractor Roundup July Featured Photo

07/06/2020 by ST 2 Comments

The Johnson family from Wilcox, Nebraska spends its Winters restoring and tinkering on old tractors. One of the tractors in the photo is a 1953 SC Case and has been in the family for 5 generations. We have been doing this for years and at times there have been 4 generations working together on them.

Our collection consists of most brands, but Oliver remains the most dominant. We plow and pick corn with a 1 row Co-op corn picker. We also enjoy antique tractor pulls. If you want to see more pictures we have a facebook page called Johnson Family Tractors.

Steve Johnson of Wilcox, Nebraska

2020 Catalog Photo Contest Winner

February Featured Photo

02/18/2020 by RT Leave a Comment

February’s featured photo was submitted by
Scott Herigstad of Stanwood, Washington.

“My dad, Floyd, bought the Oliver 60 Standard when he was in high school. Between it and dynamite he cleared land on his dad’s property and planted berries. The second crop paid off his tractor, a new car and dad’s mortgage. Grandpa gave him half the property and that is where I was raised. I drove that Oliver around as a kid, not knowing how important it had been to our family.” – Scott Herigstad

This photo was chosen as a winner in our photo contest
and is featured in the 2020 Steiner Tractor Parts catalog.
Check out the other winning photos here.

Need a catalog? Request one here!

September’s $200 Gift Card Winner

09/25/2019 by RT Leave a Comment

The lucky winner of September’s $200 Steiner gift card is James Bradley of Westmoreland, Kansas. James has been a Steiner customer since 2010 and his favorite tractor is an Oliver Super 55. Congratulations, James!

Would you like to receive our monthly newsletter and be enrolled for a chance to win a $200 gift card? Sign up here >>

Improved Delivery Times

07/25/2019 by ST Leave a Comment

In 2018 we introduced our new delivery program that allows you to choose when you need your tractor parts. This new system proved to be a winner. We have been able to get your order to you in a faster and more affordable way. It also made choosing a delivery option easier.

We are excited to announce that our new delivery program has successfully allowed us to exceed your expected delivery time on our economy and standard delivery options.

In addition to our improved delivery times, we are excited to now offer FREE ECONOMY DELIVERY* in the 48 contiguous states (U.S.) on retail orders of $374.01 or more.

* Retail orders only

* Economy delivery only

* Tax not applicable towards minimum subtotal.

* Not valid on special order items or gift cards.

* No coupon code necessary.

Life With All Our Tractors

06/17/2019 by ST 1 Comment

I was born and raised here on a 280 acre farm in West Central Wisconsin. My Great Grandfather purchased the farm in 1897. My wife Kathy and I built our home on the Northeast corner of the farm in 1977. We had Case and IH tractors and equipment when I was growing up.

In 1970 I worked on the Loren Young farm and he had Olivers, 880, Super 88 and 77, all diesels. I fell in love with those Olivers and his daughter Kathy. We were married September 1, 1973. We have four children and seven granchildren. My son Scott and I are diesel mechanics by trade, we have a large shop were we work on our old tractors, six of which are sued for antique and farm pulling.

My grandson Xander pulled his Moline U for the first time in Fountain City. He took a 1st and 2nd in his classes. His dad Scott and I were very proud of him. He did a great job for only being 8 years old, but he has lots of hours of practice at home. We had three generations pulling that night.

We have purchased parts from Steiner Tractor Parts over the years. You have an excellent and friendly staff with reasonably priced parts. I also enjoy your catalog. Here are a few photos of some of our collection.

Ed and Kathy Chamberlain
Black River Falls, Wisconsin

Hickory Ridge Farm Tractor Show

01/14/2019 by ST 4 Comments

Hickory Ridge Farm History

This story is more about a place rather than a tractor. In 1980 a husband and wife decided to have an antique tractor show at their home. Just like any event the first was small but successful. The duo had a unique love and common hobby of antique farm equipment. Together Horrace and Norma Potter owned over 300 pieces! They easily could have shown their own equipment and had an amazing show, but they chose to open it up and share the hobby with other restorers.

Annual tractor show

The annual tractor show went on for 20 years in Milford, Delaware until the Potters hung up their hats in 2000. Now this is where two lives collide. In 1991 on the 10th annual Hickory Ridge Farm Show a 15 year old named Russell Geyer III started showing his own farm equipment. Russell showed equipment and participated in the tractor pull competition. Russell being a part of a farming family loved Hickory Ridge. Horrace taught him how to compete. Russell competed at Hickory Ridge for 4 years.

Purchasing and restoring antique farm equipment

After high school graduation he, like most graduates, joined the working class. In 2014 Russell purchased and restored a tractor his family bought new in 1963 which appeared in his wedding to his wife. In 2015 Russell and his wife began purchasing and restoring antique farm equipment. Again a husband and wife team up to rescue these long forgotten power houses. By 2018 the Geyer’s had 18 tractors. Nothing compared to the Potter’s but its a goal to work towards.

A new legacy

After Norma Davis Potter passed away in 2017 the farm was prepared for a new legacy and going up for sale. Friends of the family connected Russell with the Davis/Potter family and in October 2018 Mr. Geyer purchased Hickory Ridge. Vendors, tractors, and exhaust had not filled the show grounds in 20 years. Children had not ran through the property eating hot dogs. People from surrounding states had not taken in Hickory Ridge’s beauty. Russell remembers the smells, the roar of a tractor pulling a load down the track, the American flag whipping in the wind. Russell and his wife vowed to the family the show would come back to Hickory Ridge.

Hickory Ridge Antique Tractor Club

On November 3rd 2018 the first Hickory Ridge Antique Tractor Club held its meeting. Bylaws and rules were formed, positions were filled, and a sense of pride fell over the 5 members and even 2 junior members in attendance. The club is working hard to have the second Annual Hickory Ridge Antique Tractor Show in August 2019. We are looking for more members, including youth members, more vendors, and more sponsors. The family and club want the show to be just like it was. It was a place where history came alive, festivities were affordable, and memories could be made. Hickory Ridge is back and ready to get the show started!

For my tractor stories read on here.

Cyber Savings Start Now!

11/20/2018 by RT Leave a Comment

Why wait until Monday? Steiner has cyber savings ALL weekend long!

Shop now and get up to $50 OFF your retail order. Place an order of $179.00 or more and get FREE DELIVERY in the contiguous U.S.

-Valid Thursday, November 22nd through Monday, November 26th at 11:59pm (EST).
-Retail orders only. Does not include special order parts.
-Premium option not available with free delivery promo.
-No coupon code needed. Discount & free delivery automatically applies at checkout. See below for checkout tips.

Having trouble checking out? We recently deployed our new website and the checkout process has changed a little. A coupon code is no longer needed. Once your subtotal reaches the qualifying amount AND a delivery method is selected, the promotion will apply to your order. If your order qualifies for $5 – $50 off and reaches the minimum for free delivery, both discounts will be combined in the “promotion discount” line. To see the savings, scroll to the bottom of the checkout page and you can see the price breakdown.

If you do not see a discount applied to your order, check the following things.
1. Your subtotal reaches the minimum amount of $25.00 or more.
2. You selected a delivery method. Our old website had the “free delivery” option once a coupon code was entered, but this no longer will be an option as we no longer require a coupon code. You will now need to select a delivery option (economy, standard or truck), and then it will deduct the amount of the delivery option you selected at the bottom of your invoice. (Premium option is not available with the free delivery promotion.)
3. If you are still having difficulties, please email us at sales@steinertractor.com and one of our CSR’s will contact you as soon as we are back in the office on Monday, November 26th.

November Featured Photo

11/01/2018 by RT 4 Comments

This month’s featured photo was submitted by Mike Smith and features his 1960 Oliver 440. One of only 700 produced, the 440 is a very rare and sought after model. They were designed to be used for cultivating tobacco fields in Virginia, Southern Pennsylvania and the Carolina’s.

“This tractor has a set of cultivators which have been removed. It was up-fitted with a 60″ Woods mower that runs off the PTO. The hydraulic lift cylinder and hoses are with it, as well as the original drawbar, front wheel weights and top link. Pretty much a complete unit. This tractor runs smoothly and is a blast to just drive around.” Mike said.

Mike plans on starting a mechanical restoration in the fall and will finish the project off with a fresh coat of paint and new decals. “We plan on keeping it as a very pretty, working tractor.” said Mike.

This photo was chosen as a winner in our annual photo contest and will be featured in the 2019 catalog.

To view all of the 2019 catalog photo contest winners, click here.
To view the 2019 calendar photo contest winners, click here.

Meet Us At Mecum

10/19/2018 by RT Leave a Comment

Don’t Miss the Auction Action!

We’re hitting the road to join our Mecum Auction friends at their Iowa Premier in Davenport, Iowa November 8th-10th. With over 500 tractors and 800 signs & farm relics available, this is an auction you won’t want to miss!

Enter Our Daily Raffle

Stop by the Steiner table to say hello and enter our raffle for a chance to win a bundle of goodies including a Steiner gift card! 3 winners will be drawn each day.

Free Shipping + $50 Gift Card

Place a order at the auction and get free shipping. If your retail order is over $250 we’ll throw in a $50 Steiner gift card with your parts! Offer is valid on retail orders shipping regular ground in the contiguous United States.

Pickup Your 2019 Catalog

Be one of the first to get the new 2019 Steiner catalog.

View Auction Details >>

August Featured Photo

07/31/2018 by RT 2 Comments

August’s featured photo was submitted by Bill Adams. This photo was chosen as a winner in our annual photo contest and will be featured in the 2019 Steiner catalog.

Joe Tarbet, a good friend of Bill’s that restored this Oliver 550, helped Bill start collecting and restoring antique tractors. Joe found this Oliver 550 in a very dilapidated condition at a cotton gin yard near Lamesa, Texas. In its last years it had retired from plowing and was used to pull cotton trailers around the gin. Bill watched Joe restore this Oliver 550 and several years later when Joe decided to liquidate his collection, Bill was fortunate to be able to buy it.

To view all of 2019 catalog contest winning photos, click here.

May Featured Photo

05/07/2018 by RT 1 Comment

May’s featured photo was submitted
by Bill Luecke of Kansas.

“On March 1st, 2012 I purchased this Oliver 2150 from Richard Kreger in Jetmore, Kansas. This is 1 of only 14 made in this configuration. The tractor is a Wheatland model with a planetary rear axle, 478ci Hercules engine, 130 horsepower, over/under hydraul-shift and has serial number 209290-657. It was very sound mechanically, but very bad cosmetically. I removed the cab and restored it. I repaired the doors, installed all new glass, replaced all the padding and even got the air conditioning working. I sandblasted everything, primed it with epoxy primer and painted it with PPG Essential polyurethane. I put everything back to original as much as possible. In April of 2014, I finished the restoration.”

View all of the winning photos from the
2018 Catalog Photo Contest here.
To see other winning photos that we have previously featured, click here.

SaveSave

Steiner Apparel Line

05/03/2018 by RT 2 Comments

New T-Shirts Now Available

We are excited to announce the launch of our new apparel line. We are kicking things off with new exclusive Steiner t-shirts. Designed with a loose fit for the hot summer, our t-shirts are perfect for everyday wear or your next local tractor show. Add a pop of color and rock Steiner gear along with your tractor! Check back soon for more items as we continue to add to our apparel line. View Shirts >>

Oliver Big and Small

1955 Oliver 55

1964 Oliver 550

Get a FREE 2023 Tractor Calendar

Oliver 770 Brought Back to Life

January Featured Photo

Here is the story of my 1944 Cockshutt 60

End of Summer Savings

Tractor Roundup July Featured Photo

February Featured Photo

September’s $200 Gift Card Winner

Improved Delivery Times

Life With All Our Tractors

Hickory Ridge Farm Tractor Show

Hickory Ridge Farm History

Annual tractor show

Purchasing and restoring antique farm equipment

A new legacy

Hickory Ridge Antique Tractor Club

Cyber Savings Start Now!

November Featured Photo

Meet Us At Mecum

Don’t Miss the Auction Action!

We’re hitting the road to join our Mecum Auction friends at their Iowa Premier in Davenport, Iowa November 8th-10th. With over 500 tractors and 800 signs & farm relics available, this is an auction you won’t want to miss!

Enter Our Daily Raffle

Stop by the Steiner table to say hello and enter our raffle for a chance to win a bundle of goodies including a Steiner gift card! 3 winners will be drawn each day.

Free Shipping + $50 Gift Card

Place a order at the auction and get free shipping. If your retail order is over $250 we’ll throw in a $50 Steiner gift card with your parts! Offer is valid on retail orders shipping regular ground in the contiguous United States.

Pickup Your 2019 Catalog

Be one of the first to get the new 2019 Steiner catalog.

August Featured Photo

May Featured Photo

Steiner Apparel Line

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Hickory Ridge Farm History

Annual tractor show

Purchasing and restoring antique farm equipment

A new legacy

Hickory Ridge Antique Tractor Club

Don’t Miss the Auction Action!

We’re hitting the road to join our Mecum Auction friends at their Iowa Premier in Davenport, Iowa November 8th-10th. With over 500 tractors and 800 signs & farm relics available, this is an auction you won’t want to miss!

Enter Our Daily Raffle

Stop by the Steiner table to say hello and enter our raffle for a chance to win a bundle of goodies including a Steiner gift card! 3 winners will be drawn each day.

Free Shipping + $50 Gift Card

Place a order at the auction and get free shipping. If your retail order is over $250 we’ll throw in a $50 Steiner gift card with your parts! Offer is valid on retail orders shipping regular ground in the contiguous United States.

Pickup Your 2019 Catalog

Be one of the first to get the new 2019 Steiner catalog.

Categories

Monthly Archives