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 called the Farmall, but when it became evident that the Farmall was selling well, IH developed additional models with more power and new features, turning the name Farmall into a brand with many models. Afterwards, the first Farmall model became known as the Regular to distinguish it from these later models, which were named in the following ways:

  1. Numbered with the prefix F-, such as F-12, F-14, F-20, etc. (1920s-1938);
  2. Given letter designations, such as A, B, C, H, M, etc. (the so-called 'letter series,' 1939-1954);
  3. Numbered with 3-digit and 4-digit numbers (the 'hundred series', 1954-?).

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
Model H

[edit] Power ratings

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. For 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, and 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, because it was created to give the operator an excellent view of the cultivator teeth as they cultivated the vegetable row. (Cultivating in this context refers to breaking up the soil next to the vegetable row, which kills weeds by uprooting them and/or burying their leaves).

The first Farmall tractor with an optional diesel engine was 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 engines (more cubic inches). The next Farmall tractor to offer diesel power was 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), first introduced on the Super M in 1954, was an extra low-range gear ratio (comparable to the two-speed rear of a truck) that allowed for a quick downshift without the clutch to gain torque at the drive wheels. 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 1960s 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 drawbar.

[edit] Trivia

  • From 1924 until 1963, Farmall's were the largest selling tractors of their design type. From 1963 on, John Deere took the lead.
  • The Farmall Cub (later re-named International Cub) remained in production the longest from 1947 until 1979 with very minor updates in engineering & design.
  • The Culti-Vision feature remained in production the longest from 1939 - 1979.
  • 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 (Super H with Torque Amplifier), Super-HD (Super H Diesel) and F-16 tractors. IH never manufactured such models.[1]
  • 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. This issue and the way it was handled by the factory caused IH to lose their lead in the farm equipment industry.[2]
  • 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 in 1984.
  • Case IH has revived the Farmall brand on some of their latest tractors.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Farm Collector magazine, Nov. 2004.
  2. ^ Tractor Shop magazine.

[edit] External links

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