Tractor Letter Designations

[Tankman 3,515]

My 1st tractor was a Farmall L or M, I forget (was over 40 years ago).

 

I was always under the impression or thought the letter designations meant lots; i.e.: A, B, C, D, E, and so on.

 

In my closed mind I think A, B, ridin' mowers. C, D, garden tractors.

 

Am I thinking wrong or just mislead years ago? 

[rmaynard 14,898]

From 1974 to 1977, some B's were garden tractors i.e. B-100, B-80.

[Don1977 604]

From 1974 to 1977, some B's were garden tractors i.e. B-100, B-80.

 All the B's with a gasoline engine in 1974 to 1977 were garden tractors some were 4 speeds and some were 8 speeds. Where were a couple of electric B's that were lawn tractors.  In 1978 all the B's became lawn tractors.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Don1977

[Geno 1,928]

Pretty close Tank, I don't remember a Farmall E but there may have been one.  Don't forget the Supers either, I learned to drive on a Super M. 

 

 

Last time I was in Jersey there was a guy delivering flowers on this, it brought back some memories -

 

 

 

[546cowboy 301]

Well that would have been an IH M, never heard of an L.

[TT-(Moderator) 1,127]

Pretty close Tank, I don't remember a Farmall E but there may have been one.  Don't forget the Supers either, I learned to drive on a Super M. 

 

 

Last time I was in Jersey there was a guy delivering flowers on this, it brought back some memories -

 

Ahhhhhhh yes......  the ORIGINAL Super C. 

[Tankman 3,515]

Pretty close Tank, I don't remember a Farmall E but there may have been one.  Don't forget the Supers either, I learned to drive on a Super M. 

 

 

Last time I was in Jersey there was a guy delivering flowers on this, it brought back some memories -

The picture brings back memories for me too! The Farmall I purchased from the University of Delaware ag school, rebuilt.

 

I loved the lengthy rear axle, could really spread those wheels out.

 

I used the Farmall towing a hay wagon for kids rides and at the Rough 'n Tumble in Kinzers, PA (http://www.roughandtumble.org/). My boys'll never forget. We stayed in my large pickup camper and I really enjoyed the Amish apple cider (burp).  

 

One time I picked up a free load of Maytag gas washing machine motors and took 'em to Amish country.

Black hats were lined up for blocks to pickup an engine off the back of my 45' trailer. Who would've thought of a gas washing machine? 

 

Donated the Farmall to the Lancaster, PA Boys Club for summer farmin'. After which I was given an old Horse, Wheel of course. Now it's my boys and grandsons in the barn shop, playing working with the red TRACTORS.

[rlrnot 39]

This does bring back memories. I started driving on a Farmall C and an H which my father owned. I never heard of an L.

[Kegler 68]

A lot of memories indeed, Spent a lot of time on my G/Fathers farm. Started with an International F-20 and a Farmall H. then an M followed by a Super M. Had a mounted 2 row corn picker for the F-20, What a piece of machinery, You were surrounded by it, with the shuckin' rollers on ether side of you and the lift elevator behind, dropping the ear corn in a wagon. What a noisy, dangerous, beast! A lot of farmers lost fingers, hands, and arms in those things.That was back in the day when you didn't pick a 1000 acres of corn in a couple of weeks. Spent quite a few hours on that monster with snow hitting me in the back. Not quite like today's heated, air conditioned cabs. But ya know what - WOULDN'T TRADE A MIN' OF IT FOR ANY THING!  (Except maybe a new Wheel Horse, of course)

[SousaKerry 500]

Was a time in NW Ohio when it wasn't considered a farm until there was a red Farmall H or M on it.  My Grandfather drove one home brand new from the county fair in about 1947.  Unfortunatly he sold it in the late 80's.  Dad bought a used one for $500 in 1977 when he moved out to Ohio to take over the family farm.  My uncle across the street had one and sold it to my Dad when he left town, Dad still has that one and uses it regularly for harvesting sweet corn and other odd jobs around the farm.  I spent many hours on that tractor as a kid disking and culipacking.  We had a row crop cultivator unit for it that bolted to the side rails, we also had a Buzz Saw that bolted to the side rails and ran off the drive belt. 

 

I have a special place in my heart for the older Farmalls and Internationals.  Easy to drive and operate, good seat springs, power steering? nope didn't need it, cab? if you like canvas and cloudy plastic windows and your head and back exposed yes.  AC? sure drive faster and bolt on the beach umbrella.   Electric start? 6V ready to crank but if you didn't turn on the manual charging switch then you get out the arm buster crank.  Magneto ignition never failed to fire or electrocute anyone who got too close.  

 

Anyone who has ever driven one in 5th gear knows that low whine coming from under your feet and will probably never forget it.

 

BTW Dad never got a tractor with a cab until I was off the farm for about 10 years before that the big tractor was a 1963 Farmall 706 gas without a cab.

 

 

 Had a mounted 2 row corn picker for the F-20, What a piece of machinery, You were surrounded by it, with the shuckin' rollers on ether side of you and the lift elevator behind, dropping the ear corn in a wagon. What a noisy, dangerous, beast! A lot of farmers lost fingers, hands, and arms in those things

 

We had one of those too but it was mounted to a Ford 960.  I was too young to run it and it was gone before I was old enough but I remember it running and climbing all over it when it wasn't to a 5 year old that thing seemed huge.

[WheelHorse79 271]

I grew up on a farm in SW Ohio in the 60's.  My Grandfather had a '36 Farmall F-12 that he farmed 100 acres with until he bought a new Ford 600 in 1955.  When he retired, he bought a 1962 Farmall 560 Diesel.  Man, I thought that 560 was huge when he got it!  Then, my uncle proceeded to buy an IH 706, JD 4440 and a Steiger Cougar II to farm my Grandfather's farm and 200 other acres with.  The Steiger was the largest tractor I've ever driven.  The fuel tank alone held over 100 gallons of diesel.  It was great for working large fields with a disk.

Edited January 14, 2015 by WheelHorse79