Oliver 600

[rrlund]

A big thanks to psimmer. He found this Oliver 600 near Suttons Bay Michigan and told me about it. We bought it late last summer. I got some paint on it last week. I made a big runny mess out of the grill and am still trying to clean that up so I can repaint it. I put the front wheels back on the day before yesterday and got it back inside. It's coming along. The rear tires are way too big. They cut the rims and widened them four inches, and put 16.9 28s on it, I assume for more traction in the orchard. All four tires were loaded. They should be 12x28 rims with either 13.6 or 14.9s.

 

[M Nut]

Thanks for posting your progress. I always enjoy seeing and reading about your Olivers. Theres a few in my area of MN, but not many. My brother had a model 60 for a few years, and I helped an older gentleman make hay one summer when I was a college student with summers off from classes. He had an 1800 for cutting and baling, and a 77 for raking. That my extent of using Oliver tractors.

 

[Hoofer B]

That is coming along nice. Tell us more about that model. I have never seen one. Bill

 

[Bruce from Can.]

Tires might look a wee bit big, but you are going to have a sharp looking tractor. Is this an Oliver badged DB ?

 

[rrlund]

They were a David Brown 990. In February 1960, Oliver and David Brown made a deal to sell the DB 850 in the US as an Oliver 500. In 62 they expanded the deal to sell the 990 as a 600. By April of 63, DB had established a dealer network in the US and ended the deal. Only about 500 of them were ever made. This is only the third one I've ever seen. It was thought that the serial numbers ended with 452301 and that all 600s has two six volt batteries, one on either side of the seat. This one has a 460xxx serial number and it has one 12 volt battery in front of the radiator. Where the batteries should be, there are just sloped flat toolbox lids.

Several more have been found like this with 460xxx serial numbers and the battery up front. I contacted Peter Williams of David Brown Parts Ltd in the UK about it. He said they moved the battery up front in April 63, the same month they ended the deal with Oliver and that these ones found must have been run off to fill an order.

 

[rrlund]

Ya, a 990. They looked better green didn't they?

 

[rrlund]

I threw in the towel on that grill this morning, quite literally. I was sick of messing with it, so I put some paint thinner in a coffee can, threw a hand full of shop rags in it and started rubbing. I wiped all of that gummy runny mess off, ran the sander over it and repainted it. It's good enough for who it's for.

 

[tomstractorsandtoys]

Looks good. it is hard to get a perfect farm paint job. None of mine ever are. As the painter we know every run or thin spot as well as ant dirt we might have missed. But everyone else standing back thinks it looks great and when you think what you started with they do look great. Tom

 

[Vito]

Nice work. Was surprised how many orchards and wineries are in that area . Drove around some when my son toured Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Interesting climate they have in that region.

Vito

 

[THinAl.]

Nice looking tractor.

 

[Den N Ms]

rrlund ,I like those 16.9s on it,looks like a mini 990.Nice tractor,need a pic when done with it.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

Looks way better.

 

[rrlund]

Biggest trouble is, the steel in the band they welded in wasn't too resistant to corrosion. There's a real big spot
around each stem that's crusted awful thick. I chiseled some of it off, but I'm afraid of breaking right through to
the tube. I just painted over a lot of crusty stuff.

 

[Part Time Pete]

Looks nice. We've got an 880 - it's a great little tractor

 

[johnlobb]

Looks great, Randy!!!