Richard E. Byrd, better known as Admiral Byrd, made his first expedition to Antarctica (South Pole) in 1928. This first expedition lasted from 1928 to 1930. During this time, Byrd made the first successful flight over the South Pole on November 29, 1929 in a Ford Tri-motor plane named the Floyd Bennett.

By the year 1987, White Farm Equipment, through its heritage companies, had been manufacturing farm equipment and tractors for 160 years. Allied, the new owner of the WHITE brand, did not want that heritage to spin out. There was great hope in keeping the wheels of the farm equipment company moving after a decade of economic turmoil.

One can only speculate as to whether the engineers that designed the Fleetline series knew their design would last three generations. But as the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The Fleetlines turned into the Supers then the Supers turned into the 3-digit models. Only minor changes/improvements were made throughout this three-generation span, making that design one of Oliver’s most remembered.

Wide Wide World of WHITE

The Championship Team

WHITE-New Idea

White Farm Equipment was shook to its foundation during the farm crisis of the early 1980’s. In the five-year period from 1980-1985 the WHITE brand name changed hands three times. White Motor Company had sold its farm equipment division to a Texas Investment Company in 1980 and after five years of struggle Allied acquired the line. November 6, 1985 began a new chapter in the WHITE story as Allied kept the wheels of the company turning.

Our Super 55 Diesel
One of the Family for 3 Generations
By Fred Hollen

This is the story of a three-generation relationship with Oliver tractors. Among my earliest memories is an Oliver 60 tractor belonging to my Grandfather. It was quite distinctive with a big yellow umbrella sunshade above the seat. He used it on his small farm and for trips to town to the bank or feed store.

The Oliver OC-3
The Continuation of a Good idea
By Landis Zimmerman

The OC-3 is one model that I have neglected to write much about. This does not mean that we think it’s any less important than any of the other Oliver-Cletrac models. As a matter of fact, it could be said that the OC-3 is a more mature version of the HG.

If you ask an Oliver collector what single tractor they would like to add to their collection, many of them will say the Super 44. They are uncommon, easy to maneuver, take up minimal space in the shed, and are basically trouble-free. With the attractive Super styling, it’s just a Super little tractor. Until the late 1950s, Oliver did not offer a tractor that would fit this bill. But along came the little 44 – Oliver’s spunky, snappy 2-plow tractor.

Cletrac Facts
Rollin H. White Inducted Into the National Inventors Hall of Fame!
Recognition Long Overdue

By: Landis Zimmerman

On May 3-4 of 2011, a great honor was bestowed on the name of Cletrac. Rollin H. White, founder of The Cleveland Tractor Company, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Rollin was chosen for induction based on his invention of a flash boiler that generated steam rapidly and safely in steam cars, and also for the controlled differential steering in crawler tractors that provided uninterrupted power to both tracks even while on turns.

In order for a tractor manufacturer to be competitive in the earlier years, it needed to offer a full line of equipment. This both increased sales for the company and kept the customer from walking in someone else’s door. If the manufacturer did not feel it was cost effective to design their own product, they would often purchase equipment from another vendor and then market it as their own. This was the case with Oliver swathers.