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Tractor in Middleton, Massachusetts, USA · Photo: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Farmall (International Harvester) · Pioneer · Row-crop

H

Built 1939–1953 in Rock Island, Illinois, USA (Farmall Works)
Power
26.2PTO hp
Engine
4-cyl 2.49 L Gasoline
Weight
1,758kg
Gearbox
5 forward, 1 reverse

The story

The Farmall H arrived in 1939 as part of International Harvester's new 'letter series', styled in bright red by industrial designer Raymond Loewy. It was a mid-sized row-crop tractor, rated for two 14-inch ploughs, aimed at family farms of about 100 acres or more.

Its tall, narrow front end let it straddle and cultivate row crops like corn and cotton. With built-in hydraulic lift and simple, swap-out assemblies, it was easy to work with and easy to fix.

It became the most-produced of IH's letter-series tractors, and many are still working today.

Did you knowThe Farmall H was styled by Raymond Loewy, the designer also known for the Coca-Cola dispenser and Studebaker cars.
For sale

No Farmall H listings yet. Dealers and private sellers will be able to list them here soon.

Selling one?

Nebraska tractor test

Test number333 (gasoline); 334 (distillate)
Year tested1939
Max PTO power26.2 hp
Max drawbar power24.17 hp

Test numbers and titles from the UNL Digital Commons archive. Power figures from Wikipedia, believed to be the gasoline test; original PDF not read. Belt horsepower, not PTO.

Specifications

Engine
MakerInternational Harvester (C-152)
FuelGasoline; distillate/kerosene versions also offered
Cylinders4
Displacement2.49 L / 152 cu in
Power
PTO power26.2 hp
Drawbar power24.17 hp
Drive
Transmission5 forward, 1 reverse (5th gear blocked on steel-wheeled tractors)
Top speed16.3 mph
Hitchnone (drawbar; hydraulic lift for mounted implements)
Size
Weight1,758 kg / 3,875 lb
History
Built1939–1953
FactoryRock Island, Illinois, USA (Farmall Works)
Number made391,227 (Martin Auto Museum); Wikipedia says about 390,000
Price newAbout US$850–1,650 over the production run (Wikipedia); Martin Auto Museum quotes about $2,000 for a 1950 example

About these figures. 26.20 belt hp and 24.17 drawbar hp as given by Wikipedia; these match the 1939 gasoline Nebraska test (Test 333) but were not checked against the original report. Wikipedia labels Test 334 as the gasoline test, but the UNL archive titles 333 'Farmall H Gasoline' and 334 'Farmall H Distillate'. Martin Auto Museum quotes 24 hp. pto_hp here is belt-pulley horsepower (1939 tests measured belt, not PTO).

Sources

  1. Farmall H (Wikipedia)
  2. Tractor Test Files: Farmall, McCormick-Deering and International Harvester (UNL Digital Commons)
  3. Test 333: Farmall H Gasoline (UNL Digital Commons)
  4. 1950 McCormick Farmall Tractor Model H (Martin Auto Museum)