Farmall tractors was initially a model name which later on became a tractor brand name, which was manufactured by International Harvester (IH). Originally, Farmall were very general purpose and had narrowly spaced wheels at the front. This “tricycle” type of design along with a high ground-clearance allowed the tractor to maneuvere accurately within the field during cultivation of crops. While at the same time, it was capable of performing almost any other duty that up until then had been carried out with a team of horses.
It was not long before other manufacturers introduced similar types of tractor, purely because of the Farmall tractors success.
IH began developing Farmall tractors in the early 1920′s and the prototype was introduced in 1923. This was only released in Texas due to the concern that there would not be enough sales. However, by 1926 it was obvious that the Farmall tractor was indeed going to be a success and IH scaled up production by creating a new Farmall Works plant at Rock Island, Illinois.
Then in 1932 a more powerful engine as given to the Farmall with the designation of F-20, which was the replacement to the prototype. Other new versions were created and the series became known as the F-Series. This included among others:
F-30 (1931)
F-12 (1932)
F-14 (1938)
Until 1937, all Farmall tractors were painted in the color of battleship gray. After 1937 however, a new color was chosen – “Farmall Red”.
The Farmall Letter Series
In 1939, the Farmall letter series came to be: A, B, BN, C, H, M, MD. The industrial designer Raymond Lowy was commissioned to give the new Farmall a sleeker look. It was designed for the smaller sized to medium American farm and the new letter series offered a larger engine, various options for add-on equipment and thus greater capabilities. The larger versions kept the “tricycle” narrowly-spaced front wheel due to its ability at quick steering and maneuverability, which was better than the competing Ford 9N.
The A, B and BN models were compact in size which offered the user great visibility and maneuvering. The C and M series were more powerful and thus larger – better for heavy plowing. The MD model provided a diesel engine. The whole Farmall range thus gave American farming an iconic status. The tractors were built from very heavy duty materials and were made to last long and cope well with heavy use. Even today, you can see Farmall tractors in use on farms – particularly the two largest models – the H and the M.
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