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Tractor Treasures: These two tractors made International Harvester a respected player in farm machinery in the mid-20th century.

May 5, 2022

1 Min Read
Farmall M and H tractors
PRETTY PAIR: These restored tractors, owned by Matthew Seib, fit well inside the toolshed at Seib Farms, Poseyville, Ind. The farm’s equipment inventory features lots of Case IH machinery.Tom J. Bechman

If you have a Farmall H or Farmall M tractor, you have a piece of history. Matthew Seib, Poseyville, Ind., has two pieces of history: both an M and an H. They make a classic pair tucked into the family farm’s toolshed, parked next to modern red equipment.

Seib, part of a large family farming operation, purchased the tractors so he could begin his own antique tractor collection. They’re decked out in good paint, restored and ready to go.

The Farmall H debuted in 1939, according to tractordata.com. From 1939 through 1953, International Harvester made 391,277 Farmall H tractors at its plant in Rock Island, Ill. List price for an H in 1953 was $2,000.

The H replaced the Farmall F-20. The company rated it at 19 hp at the drawbar, but it produced 24 hp in Nebraska tractor tests. It delivered 26 hp off the belt in the same tests. Its upgraded styling signaled a marked improvement over the bare bones F-20.

International also began producing the M in 1939. Most people believe the M was the most popular tractor in the Farmall line of the day. However, according to tractordata.com, 270,140 M tractors were built, fewer than the H. The M was the row crop version of the McCormick-Deering W6.

Production continued through 1954, and longer at Doncaster, England, home of the BM model. The M delivered 33 hp at the drawbar in Nebraska tests, and over 33 hp both through the belt and PTO.

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