Farmall tractor

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The Farmall was the first general purpose tractor with narrowly spaced front wheels. It was introduced by the McCormick-Deering division of International Harvester (IH) in 1924. The narrow front combined with good ground clearance allowed for more nimble and accurate field cultivation, yet the Farmall could perform all the other duties a farmer would have previously achieved using a team of horses. The Farmall H, produced from 1939 to 1952, became the top selling individual tractor model of all time in North America with over 390,000 sold.

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[edit] Models

At first there was just one model of the Farmall, but when it became evident the Farmall was selling well, IH developed models with more power and new features to carry on the Farmall brand. Afterwords, the first Farmall model became known as the Regular to distinguish it from later models which carried F- designations, followed by the so-called 'letter series' tractors then the 'hundred series.'

Beginning with the letter series tractors (A, B, C, H, M), the famous industrial designer Raymond Loewy was commissioned to give the tractors a sleek, modern look.

Model H
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Model H

Generally tractors were marketed by the number of 16" width plows they could pull in average soil to indicate their power. Here is a brief family tree of Farmall tractors based on number of plows: NOTE: Depending on the plow width used, a three plow tractor could handle a four or five bottom plow. Example, in the 1950s and 60s it was very popular to upgrade the Super M-TA and 400 model 264/cid engine to 281/cid. An economical cylinder sleeve and piston change was all that was needed. This brought the power level up to that of the 450 model. Below are general plowing abilities. These plow ratings are generalizations dependent on soil conditions but advertised as such.

  • 1-plow: Cub (12" width or less), A, Super A, B, BN, 100, 130, 140
  • 2-plow (14"): F-12, F-14, C, Super C, 200, 230, 240, 404
  • 2-plow (16"): Regular, F-20, H, Super H, 300, 350, 340, 504
  • 3-plow: F-30, M, Super M, Super M-TA, 400, 450, 544
  • 4 plow and up: 460, 560, 656, 666, 706, 756, 806, 1206, 1456

[edit] Equipment features and options

The Farmall Cub, A, B, 100, 130, 140 models have the seat offset from the engine, allowing the operator to look directly at the ground under the tractor. This feature is called Culti-Vision.

The first Farmall tractor with an optional diesel engine is the M. It started on gasoline and was manually switched to diesel after warming up. The Super MD, 400 and 450 diesels used the same engine as the M but with larger displacement/cubic inch engines. The next Farmall tractor to offer diesel power is the 350. Unlike other diesel engines that IH manufactured itself, the 350 engine was built by Continental Motors. It was IH's first 'self start' diesel tractor (no gasoline).

The Torque Amplifier (TA), which allows for a quick downshift without the clutch to gain power, was first introduced on the Super M in 1954. The TA model was then called Super M-TA. The TA became an option on the model 300 and larger tractors after 1955.

The Fast Hitch was IH's answer to the Ferguson System (three-point hitch) developed years earlier by Harry Ferguson. The Fast Hitch was first offered as an option on the Super C. Fast Hitch was then an option on the 100, 200, 300 and 400 and some later models. However even the Fast Hitch had three incompatible variants (100-single prong, 200-two small prongs, 300/400-two large prongs). IH discontinued the Fast Hitch in the 1960's after the three-point hitch was standardized by the industry. There are kits available from a variety of sources that will either convert a Fast Hitch to a three-point, or add a three-point hitch to tractors that originally only had a fixed draw bar.

[edit] Trivia

  • From 1924 until 1963, Farmall tractors were the largest selling tractors of their design type.
  • Farmall's have been used as the model for more toy tractor designs than any other make.
  • The Farmall Cub (later re-named International Cub) remained in production the longest from 1947 until 1979 with variations in engineering & design.
  • The "Culti-Vision" engineering design remained in production the longest from 1939 - 1979. The engine is off-set to the left with the driver seat off-set to the right. This allowed superior vision ahead of the driver. Models using this design are the Cub(including Cub variants), A, Super A, 100, 130, 140 and the later 274.
  • A Farmall Cub appeared in an Old Navy television commercial that aired from 2002 to 2003.
  • IH "Red" became the standard tractor color after 1936 through the 1970s. The only variations known from the factory were Highway Yellow, used for municipalities and Demonstrator White used for dealership demonstrator models. Other colors have been known to exist outside of the official colors. Most likely these were painted by the dealer at owner request, or painted by their owners.
  • Many Farmall tractor models also have a mechanically similar model under the International brand designed for industrial or utility use. Utility models have lower ground clearance and wide spaced front axles.
  • A few clever mechanics have created so called Super H-TA tractors (Super H with Torque Amplifier). IH never manufactured such a model.
  • The Farmall 560 (introduced in 1958) was recalled in 1960 to strengthen the rear differential gears. The 560 used essentially the same differential assembly designed for the Farmall M in 1939. The 560's 6-cylinder 263/cid engine produced 15 to 20 more HP and increased torque. Under severe duty this sometimes caused premature differential wear.
  • IH discontinued use of the Farmall brand in the 1970's (all IH tractors henceforth carried the International brand).
  • The Farmall Works plant Rock Island, Illinois opened in 1926. The last tractor was built in May 14 1985. Internationals Ag division was sold to Tenneco Corp in 1984.
  • Case IH has revived the Farmall brand on some of their latest tractors.

[edit] See also

International Harvester

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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