The Oliver 77 has a unique place in farming history. It was one of three tractors Oliver introduced to bring more row crop power to farmers. The 77 was the middle of the line. The others were the Oliver 66 and Oliver 88. There was also an Oliver 99 for the farmer of the 1950s era who needed even more tractor power.

Adam Humbarger, Delphi, is proud of this Oliver 77. It’s not his only tractor. In fact, his family owns several tractors that were once part of the Oliver lineup. What makes this one special to Humbarger is it was the first tractor he painted and restored.

The Oliver 77 was his project in ag mechanics class at Delphi Community High School. Under the direction of Doug Walker, ag mechanics instructor and FFA advisor, 25 tractors have been completely disassembled, repainted and restored in the ag shop during the past five years.

Humbarger, a 2017 graduate, also played a big role in restoring a Massey-Harris 44 a year ago. Featured earlier this year here on the web, it was the first Massey-Harris tackled by the Delphi ag mechanics program. This year the program marked another first, restoring a Co-op E3 — the first Co-op restored.

“Paint is hard to find for those older tractors,” Walker says. “If you’re restoring a John Deere, for example, it’s not that difficult because John Deere is still in business, still selling paint.”

Humbarger also restored a WD-45 outside of school for Walker’s dad, Bill Walker. Currently, Humbarger is helping farm and working for another farmer. But he’s also opened his own side business, Humbarger Tractor Painting. He hopes to take the skills he learned in school and turn them into a profitable side business. Learn more by contacting him directly at [email protected] or 765-427-1528.