Technical register for agricultural, construction and commercial machinery · sourced data
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International Harvester FARMALL-LETTERS-Baureihe

6 models in this series

The FARMALL-LETTERS-Baureihe series from International Harvester comprises 6 models. Rated output ranges from 19 to 37 hp.

International Harvester Farmall Letters Series (from 1939) - the letter series A to M: offset seat, high-clearance V versions, the MD as the first diesel row-crop tractor, 14 to 27 kW

International Harvester FARMALL H/HV
Pictured: International Harvester FARMALL H/HV

The Farmall Letters series was International Harvester's reworking of the Farmall line from 1939, styled with input from industrial designer Raymond Loewy and, across the smaller types, featuring the characteristic offset driver's seat. The letters order the ascending power class - A and B as small tractors, H as mid-class and M as the large tractor - the suffix V denotes the high-clearance row-crop versions (AV, HV, MV), N the narrow-tread version (BN), and D the diesel engine: the 1941 Farmall MD was IH's first diesel row-crop tractor, started via a small petrol pony motor.

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The register lists 6 versions with 14 to 27.2 kW from four-cylinder engines of 1,853 to 4,059 cm³ at 1,400 to 1,650 rpm, kerb weights of 830 to 2,404 kg, lengths of 2,699 to 3,381 mm, widths of 1,419 to 2,146 mm and heights of 1,607 to 1,988 mm; the models mostly ran on distillate, kerosene or petrol, one on diesel.

With the Farmall Letters series, IH set the standard for the post-war row-crop tractor in North America - the letter in the model name became synonymous with an entire tractor generation that replaced pre-war narrow-front designs. The A and B were found on smaller farms and in orchards and vineyards, while the H and especially the M ranked among the most widely built American tractors of their era.

On a used example of these petrol/kerosene engines, check the cylinder head and carburettor; on the MD, also the starting system with its petrol pony motor and changeover valve; the belt pulley, steering gear and brakes; and corrosion on sheet metal and the seat mount. Parts supply through collectors and reproduction makers is as good for the Farmall Letters as for almost any other tractor series.

Sources: SpecCodex register, model data: International Harvester Farmall-Letters-Baureihe

Models compared

6 of 6 models.

A/AV1939–1948 B/BN1940–1948 FARMALL H/HV1939–1953 FARMALL M/MV1939–1952 FARMALL MD/MDV1/1941–3/1952 FARMALL-C1948–1951
Power 14 kW 14 kW 19.1 kW 27.2 kW 25.7 kW 15.4 kW
Rated speed 1,400 rpm 1,400 rpm 1,650 rpm 1,450 rpm 1,450 rpm 1,650 rpm
Cylinders 4 4 4 4 4 4
Displacement 1,853 cm³ 1,853 cm³ 2,493 cm³ 4,059 cm³ 4,059 cm³ 1,853 cm³
Top speed 15 km/h 17 km/h 26 km/h 26 km/h 26 km/h 16 km/h
Wheelbase 1,807 mm 1,848 mm 2,248 mm 2,254 mm 2,292 mm 2,073 mm
Length 2,699 mm 2,740 mm 3,181 mm 3,381 mm 3,219 mm 3,058 mm
Width 1,419 mm 2,013 mm 1,905 mm 2,146 mm 2,134 mm 2,032 mm
Height 1,607 mm 1,651 mm 1,880 mm 1,988 mm 1,988 mm 1,788 mm
Unladen weight 848 kg 830 kg 1,690 kg 2,227 kg 2,404 kg 1,290 kg

Models

Tractor in 3D section

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