Farmall 230
Built: 1956-1958 · Series: Other models
More machines from model year 1956
The Farmall 230 rolled off the line in 1956-1958 as a tractor. Fitted is a four-cylinder engine. Rated speed is 1,800 rpm.
It combines a sliding gear gearbox with 2-WD.
It runs on petrol; the engine is water-cooled. As standard, it runs on 5.00-15 4-ply tyres at the front and 11.2-36 4-ply at the rear. It replaced the Farmall 200 and was in turn replaced by the Farmall 240. In total, 7,172 examples left the factory.
Farmall – other models: the collective page of US tractors outside the named ranges, from the row-crop pioneers F-20 and F-30 through the BM and Super H to the numbered series 460 to 706, 12.5 to 84 kW, International engines
This page gathers the Farmall tractors the register could not assign to a named range – spanning the whole history of the International Harvester (IH) brand. The F series of the 1930s (F-20, F-30) traces back to the Farmall Regular introduced in 1924, the first mass-built row-crop tractor with a narrow front wheel for working between rows; they ran on petrol or the cheaper distillate or kerosene tractor fuel. The letter series of the 1940s brought the B, BM and BMD as smaller models with a diesel option (D) and Super versions with increased power. In 1958 IH switched to a three-digit numbered series, in which the first digit indicates the size and the last the equipment level – the 460, 504, 544 and 706 mark progressively larger and more modern tractors of that period, and Hi-Clear and High Crop mark versions with raised ground clearance for tall crops such as maize.
Read on 3 more paragraphs
The register lists here 20 versions with 12.5 to 84 kW from four- to six-cylinders of 1,853 to 6,668 cm³ displacement, unladen weights from 1,202 to 5,035 kg, lengths from 2,718 to 4,191 mm and widths from 1,422 to 2,794 mm; the engines ran on petrol, distillate fuel or diesel, depending on model year and version.
Farmall is regarded as the defining American tractor brand of the 20th century, and with the row-crop concept it stood at the start of modern field-tractor development in the United States, before IH scaled the brand back in the 1970s in favour of the International Harvester name.
On the early F and letter-series models, originality, engine condition and the availability of carburettor and ignition parts count, on the numbered models of the 1960s the state of gearbox, clutch and hydraulics, and on the High Crop versions wear on stub axles; spares run through the Case IH network and specialist Farmall dealers.
Sources: Kennwerte der Modelle Farmall (weitere Modelle), Case IH (Nachfolgemarke, Hersteller)
Technical data
Engine
| Engine make | Internationalcorrect |
|---|---|
| Engine model | C-123correct |
| Fuel | petrolcorrect |
| Power | 28 pto, 25 drawbar hp (19.3 kW)correct |
| Rated speed | 1,800 rpmcorrect |
| Torque | 155 Nmcorrect |
| Cylinders | 4correct |
| Displacement | 2,011 cm³ (123 ci)correct |
| Bore | 3.125"correct |
| Stroke | 4"correct |
| Naturally aspirated | naturally aspiratedcorrect |
| Cooling | water-cooledcorrect |
Dimensions and weights
| Length | 3,124 mmcorrect |
|---|---|
| Length | 123"correct |
| Width | 2,032 mmcorrect |
| Width | 81"correct |
| Height | 1,899 mmcorrect |
| Height | 75"correct |
| Wheelbase | 2,089 mm (82" in)correct |
| Turning circle | 15 ftcorrect |
| Unladen weight | 1,406 kg (3,100 lbs)correct |
Drivetrain and chassis
| Drive | rear-wheel drivecorrect |
|---|---|
| Gearbox | sliding-gear transmissioncorrect |
| Gearbox make | Internationalcorrect |
| Forward gears | 4correct |
| Reverse gears | 1correct |
| Front tyres | 5.00-15 4-plycorrect |
| Rear tyres | 11.2-36 4-plycorrect |
| Top speed | 19 km/hcorrect |
Working data
| Fuel tank capacity | 41.6 l (11 gal)correct |
|---|
Origin and approval
| Plant | Tractor Works, Chicago, Illinois, USAcorrect |
|---|---|
| Units built | 7.172correct |
Other data
| Linkage category | 2-point "Fast Hitch"correct |
|---|---|
| List price when new | $2140 (1958)correct |
| PTO output | 28 hpcorrect |
| Predecessor | Farmall 200correct |
| Successor | Farmall 240correct |
More machines with this engine (International C-123, 13)
Where this model stands
Power-to-weight ratio: 13.7 kW/t (19 kW / 1.4 t)
Power class: Compact (< 40 hp)
Stronger than 14% of the tractors in the register — out of 15,659 models with a stated power figure.
Calculated from the documented figures above — not a rating.
Frequently asked questions
How much power does the Farmall 230 have?
The Farmall 230 delivers 19.3 kW.
How much does the Farmall 230 weigh?
The unladen weight is 1,406 kg.
What engine does the Farmall 230 have?
4 cylinders, 2,011 cm³ displacement, gasoline.
How fast does the Farmall 230 go?
Top speed is 19 km/h.
What is the PTO output of the Farmall 230?
PTO output is 28 hp.
What are the dimensions of the Farmall 230?
3,124 mm × 2,032 mm × 1,899 mm.
When was the Farmall 230 built?
Production years: 1956-1958.
What to check before buying
- Check the hour meter against the service records — a replaced instrument is the most common gap.
- Compare the data plate and chassis number with the papers.
- Check the weights in the papers against the figures here — attachments change them.
- Check front and rear tyre sizes: mismatched pairs strain the drivetrain.
- Shift the gearbox cold and warm — jumps only show up at temperature.
- Load the hydraulics and watch for sag.
- Ask about parts availability for this build year — the running costs hang on it.
A general list for this type of machine — no substitute for an inspection or an appraiser.
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This page carries 46 individual figures for this model. They come from 2 recorded sources; every figure can be traced there. What we cannot document is not here — we leave gaps open rather than estimate them.
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