Farmall BM – specifications
Built: 1949-1954 · Series: Other models
Data for the version built 1949-1954 · Data origin: Reference work (Wikipedia/Wikibooks) · sources
More machines from model year 1949
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
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: SpecCodex register, model data: Farmall (weitere Modelle), Case IH (Nachfolgemarke, Hersteller)
Technical data
Engine
| Engine make | IHcorrect |
|---|---|
| Fuel | petrolcorrect |
| Cylinders | 4correct |
| Displacement | 248 cu in (4.1 litre)correct |
| Bore | 3.875 (98 mm)correct |
| Stroke | 5.25 (133 mm)correct |
| Naturally aspirated | yescorrect |
| Cooling | water-cooledcorrect |
Drivetrain and chassis
| Drive | rear-wheel drivecorrect |
|---|---|
| Gearbox | manual gearboxcorrect |
| Gearbox make | IHcorrect |
| Forward gears | ?correct |
| Reverse gears | ?correct |
Origin and approval
| Plant | Doncaster, Englandcorrect |
|---|
Frequently asked questions
What engine does the Farmall BM have?
4 cylinders, Benzin.
When was the Farmall BM built?
Production years: 1949-1954.
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.
- 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 17 individual figures for this model. They come from 1 recorded source; 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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Other models in this series
Sources: Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki (CC BY-SA 3.0) (retrieved August 2026) · Values adopted and presented in our own form; changes from the source are possible. · Data sources and cross-checks
Tractor in 3D section
Turn the model, look inside and click an assembly — each one is explained.
