Models Farmall

1 models

1.1 farmall , f-series

1.1.1 color schemes


1.2 letter series , golden years of ih
1.3 letters numbers
1.4 60 series recall , later production
1.5 standard, industrial, utility, , other models
1.6 end of era

models
farmall , f-series

farmall regular

the fordson first mass-produced, light, affordable tractor, , first tap market of small medium family farms on large scale. design excellent in many respects, including design manufacturability , low cost allowed. 1 task design had not been tailored cultivating rows of young row-crop plants kill weeds. ih recognized motorized cultivating unmet need in marketplace. under intense competitive pressure build fordson beater soon, lest fordson go on dominate entire marketplace of agricultural equipment, imperfections or no.

ih s first effort solve problem motor cultivator, class of machine various companies building , selling in late 1910s , 1920s. name implies, these self-propelled cultivators in simplest sense—little more horse implement motor added. ih motor cultivator , all-purpose tractor, moline plow company s universal, both sold several hundred units in late 1910s. ih s machine not particularly successful; moline universal more successful, parent company nevertheless faced dire financial straits. both models discontinued. many farmers content (and afford) keep 1 or 2 horses or mules around miscellaneous light work (such cultivating).

a 1930s mccormick-deering farmall (f-14) @ northeast texas rural heritage center , museum in august 2015

around 1920, ih s motor cultivator died, team of ih engineers experimenting all-purpose tractor, replacing horse in every job including cultivating. 1923, settled on configuration, , informal name project, farmall , selected product s official name. ih management concerned new high-riding, tricycle design—a rather spindly-looking thing eyes of 1920s—might turn off customers, farmall released in texas, in order minimize potential embarrassment if design proved unsuccessful. however, new tractor did many jobs , hence sold well, , 1926, ih ready large-scale production @ new farmall works plant in rock island, illinois. although farmall never reached per-year production numbers of fordson during 1920s, tractor prevented fordson owning market on small, lightweight, mass-produced, affordable tractors small or medium family farm. narrow-front tricycle design, high ground clearance clear crop plants while cultivating (helped portal axle [drop gearset]), power take-off (a feature on ih leader), , standard mounting points cultivators , other implements on tractor s frame (a farmall first) gave competitive advantages on fordson, row crops, , became favorite row-crop tractor of america, outselling other competitors (such john deere s).

in 1931 came first variation of original farmall. f-30 bigger, heavier, , more powerful. original farmall became known retronym regular. (it may never have been official name branding, common among farmers.) in 1932, ih updated farmall regular more powerful engine, , renamed f-20. @ time, ih added model, f-12, smaller, lighter version of original. had no portal axle @ rear, deriving ride height instead larger-diameter wheels. thus, beginning in 1932, farmall brand had grown single model model line, became known f-series. in 1938, f-12 replaced f-14, identical f-12 except updated steering column , higher-revving engine (whose higher rev limit, 1650 rpm instead of 1400, made more powerful @ peak output).

color schemes

all farmall tractors painted deep blue-grey until mid-1936 (around july through september). color has been mistaken battleship grey, bluer. wheels red. in mid-1936, decision made change entire tractor (frame, sheet metal, engine, , wheels) new color, farmall red . around time many tractor manufacturers began using bright, distinctive colors branding (e.g., allis-chalmers orange). farmer out across fields , see neighbor s tractor great distance , know make was; provided sort of advertising in intensely competitive tractor market.

the letter series , golden years of ih

the f-series tractors lasted until 1939. in late 1939, famous letter series of farmall tractors introduced. model name letters a, b, bn, c (which replaced b , bn in 1948), h, m, , md(m diesel). ih commissioned industrial designer, raymond loewy, give new farmall general-purpose tractors sleek new streamlined look. designed small-to-medium size american farms, ih s new machines offered wider variety of capabilities, engines, , equipment options. smallest of line, , utilized company s culti-vision offset engine/front end design, along wide front wheel track , dropped axles. b same exceptions used narrow, tricycle type front end, , engine/driveline placed along centerline of tractor. on larger models, tricycle type, narrow-spaced front wheel design retained, provided quick steering , considerable improvement in maneuverability on competing tractors such ford 9n.

ih took care produce model every farm , every need. farmall a, b, bn , later c offered compact size; h , m series provided plowing capability , power, while model h proved popular customers. md farmall offered diesel engine, started on gasoline, switched on diesel when thoroughly warmed up. sales took off, , letter-series production did not end until 1954. overall, farmall letter series, built , affordable, became not defining product line in ih history, iconic symbol of prototypical american small-farm tractor. many machines (especially 2 largest models, h , m) still in operation on farms today.

in 1947, smallest tractor in farmall line introduced, cub. 60 cu. in. four-cylinder engine , 69-inch wheelbase, cub aimed @ small farms such truck farms, horse farms, , other small acreages had continued rely on horse-drawn equipment. various john deere l/la/li models, 1 of mechanization-resistant markets hoped penetrate small, poor, one-mule family farms of rural american deep south. cub sold owners of larger farms required second tractor. production of cub commenced @ newly acquired farmall works-louisville plant (formerly wartime curtiss-wright aircraft factory in louisville, kentucky) expanded, remodeled , re-equipped. selling $545.00 in 1947, cub proved extremely popular, , original design continued in production without significant alteration until 1979.

restored farmall bn



restored farmall c c-254-a two-row cultivator

the letter series tractors updated super series beginning in 1947 super a, 1951 super c, 1952 super m , 1953 super h, b , bn models having been dropped production , replaced c in 1948, combined attributes of both models 1 tractor, while moving operator position on top of tractor in more traditional layout h , m. though super series received improvements, these tractors largely followed design of predecessors, , them, built last.

letters numbers

in 1955, numbered or so-called hundred series tractors appeared. hundred series models used numbers instead of letters identify model. new models given different looks , few new features, still famed letter series tractors. farmall cub continued unchanged, in 1955 new low-boy version added, featuring shortened 62.5-inch wheelbase , frame 8 inches lower regular cub tractor, improved machine s center of gravity. 1956 saw introduction of ih model 350, offered engines using variety of commonly available fuels: gasoline, diesel, or lp-gas. diesel engine version had direct-start feature, , started , run using diesel fuel. in 1957, ih again gave tractor lineup overhaul. although basic design still not changed significant degree, new white paint added front grille , sides, new engines introduced, , new number designations added. along these additions, torque amplifier added model 300 , larger models. provided on-the-go shifting suit varied needs; operator offered ten forward gears , 2 reverse, instead of usual 5 , one. addition these tractors independent ( live ) power take-off (pto), meant farmer run pto when clutch disengaged (clutch pedal pushed down). although new tractors did improve sales, ih s innate conservatism , reluctance update tractor line in response changing times becoming apparent.

60 series recall , later production

at hinsdale, illinois testing farm in july 1958, ih entertained on 12,000 dealers on 25 countries. ih showed off new 60 series of tractors: including first of kind, large six-cylinder 460 , 560 models. excitement caused new introduction short-lived. in june of year, ih recalled 460, 560, , 660 tractors after reports of mechanical breakdown in field. ih, wanted first big-power tractor manufacturer, had inexplicably failed substantially enlarge , re-engineer critical drive components on new six-cylinder tractors. tractors final drives, made of unaltered letter series components, (the 460 carried on model h, 560 did same model m), failed rapidly under stress of more powerful 60 series tractor engines. ih s competitors took advantage of recall, , ih lost customers in ensuing months.

throughout 1960s , 1970s, ih introduce new tractors , new methods of marketing, conservative management, unwieldy corporate organization, , policy of in-house promotions tended stifle new ideas , technical innovation @ company. tractor production mainstay of company, ih realized have modernize , re-engineer tractor line, lowering costs possible in order remain competitive. massive boilerplate frame , iron housings of old ih tractors phased out lighter, less-expensive components. streamlined exterior of earlier tractors replaced straighter, more angular lines, updating , requiring less-complicated equipment manufacture. new machines became vastly more complex, though easier operate. bowing inevitable sales pressure , bitter price competition other manufacturers, ih tractors, while still well-made, no longer relied upon last indefinitely.

standard, industrial, utility, , other models

many farmall tractor models have 1 or more mechanically similar models under ih brand designed other uses, such industrial, utility, orchard, or wheatland use. these models have lower ground clearance , wider front axle. during letter series era, these alternate models sold under mccormick-deering brand; later models badged international brand. examples include:

farmall h—mccormick-deering w-4 standard—mccormick-deering i-4 industrial
farmall 300—international 300 utility
farmall 450—international w450 wheatland
farmall 656—international 656 row-crop—international 656 utility

the international 544 , 656 row-crop tractors bit of anomaly until international dropped farmall brand, in combined of customary features of farmall (such adjustable wheel width) utility tractor.

end of era

by 1973, ih had officially dropped farmall name new tractor models, ending era began first farmall regular in 1924. however, farmall nameplate continued appear on new 1974 , 1975 tractors until factories exhausted inventory of obsolete name badges. on february 1, 1974, @ 9:00 a.m., 5,000,000th ih tractor came off assembly line @ farmall works plant in rock island, illinois. ih first tractor manufacturer accomplish officially happen

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