[AT] Oliver crawler Loaders

[James Peck]

It is reasonable to assume that after White Motors closed down Cletrac but kept the intellectual property, that Oliver continued to buy loaders from Heil and factory install them on crawlers at the Charles City location.

Sherman had been making add on backhoes for tractors in the early 50s in Troy, Michigan. Ford ending up buying Sherman.

[Dave Maynard] Spencer, I know that Cletrac, even after changing all the badging to Oliver used Heil Blades and loaders as well as some Bucyrus Erie {as did International]. Apparently most tractor manufacturers bought this kind of add on equipment from outside suppliers. I never paid much attention to the OC6 blades I have seen to know for sure, as most I was around growing up had homemade blades. Both my Cletrac AG6H and my Oliver [Cletrac] BG6 Have Heil blades on them. My brothers IH TD6 has Bucyrus Erie and my Son's TD6 has very nice homemade blade. I attached a link to Heil that is interesting.

https://contractormag.co.nz/classic-machines/heil-earthmoving/

[ James Peck] The Oliver OC-9 had a front loader version, the OC-96. That suggests to me that the loader was factory installed. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_OC-9
 
Has Oliver Heritage published any articles discussing the crawler loader manufacturing location?

https://oliverheritage.com/

This says that the OC4 was likely the model spencer saw. Still does not say where the loader was made.

[Wikipedia] In 1962 at the new Charles City, Iowa crawler production line, the last incarnation of the OC-4 was produced. It was a sturdier industrial model named the Series B. They were powered with the same 3 cylinder Hercules GO-130 and DD-130 engines of the mid-series models. The OC-4 product line was discontinued in 1965.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Farm_Equipment_Company#Crawlers

This link implies that no more crawler loaders were built after the Cletrac location was closed after purchase by White Motors.

https://historymuseumsb.org/the-oliver-corporation/

This museum is in Charles City, Iowa. Is Tyler on the staff?

https://floydcountymuseum.org/tour/TractorRoom.html

Hart-Parr, an Oliver predecessor is credited with first using the term tractor.

White Motors closed up Cletrac in 1961.  Did they produce any crawlers later than that?

https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/cletrac-inc

The other question is whether the loaders were produced at a location other than where the crawler was manufactured.

[Spencer Yost] Just one Tyler, a crawler with a loader. OC-6 I guess?   Original paint was yellow and not green so I guess an industrial version? The loader seemed to match the crawler perfectly - not sure if Oliver sold loaders  with their crawlers but judging by the near perfection of design and fit I would say it was Oliver made and came with the crawler.

This was one of the ones with its work clothes on but was in good condition.  The undercarriage seemed tight and overall hours did not appear high.    It went in the $3000s I believe.

BTW:  Every single tractor at the sale started and ran well. There was not a non-runner or stuck tractor in the bunch.  
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