Although some of their tractors are a different shade of green today, Troy Furrer still has a special place in his heart for Oliver tractors. When he was growing up, there were several Oliver tractors on the farm. Today, Troy and his wife, Lisa, farm with his father, Don; their son, Josh; and their son-in-law, Tyler Earney.

“I always liked the looks of the Oliver Super 44,” Troy says. “This isn’t one we had on the farm. I bought it because I really like its looks and overall design.”

The Oliver Super 44 was built in 1957 and 1958, according to tractordata.com. The best information available indicates that they were built at the Oliver plant in South Bend, Ind.

The low-slung, wide-front design made the Super 44 a stable utility tractor. Tricycle front ends were not a factory option. Oliver claimed 25 hp at the drawbar and 28 hp on the PTO. The steering wheel was offset, like some of the smaller Farmall models it was competing against. The offset design was thought to increase visibility for the operator, especially if he was cultivating with a two-row mounted cultivator.

The Super 44 featured a Continental, 4-cylinder, gasoline engine. The tractor weighed only 2,400 pounds. You could have bought one in 1958 for around $2,200. Only 775 Super 44 models were built.

Oliver also made a Super 55, which was a heavier version of the Super 44. The Oliver 440 replaced the Super 44, and Oliver produced that model until 1975, when White Motor Corp., the new owner, shut down the line.