Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:18 pm Post subject: Re: farmall M Serial Number: Way too many digits to be a serial number. The serial number could have three, four, five, or six digits. In the serial charts, the FIRST serial number for each year is listed. When you get a valid serial number, it will fall between two numbers on the chart. A total of 270,140 Farmall M tractors rolled off the assembly line before the termination of production, going for $2,400 in its final year. With a shipping weight of 4,858 pounds, the tractor measures 133 inches in length and 84 inches at its widest point. Standing 78.3 inches high, purchasers in 1948 could request the 'MV' variant, which. Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:35 pm Post subject: Re: Serial Numbers - Farmall: The numbers you posted are casting or part numbers.To help determine approximate year,there will be a number like this on major castings:.9-24-B. That is a casting date code,meaning September 24,1956. Check out this chart to determine the model year of your tractor. Serial Number Tags Drawbar/Hitches Drivetrain Electrical. Farmall Cub Forever is a.

Cost:
For a lot of years the Farmall M was in the big leagues--one of the few tractors with the power, capability, styling, and popularity to become a lasting symbol of modern farming. It was one of the most successful tractors of all time, which has two implications for current sales: One, lots of people still really like them, which drives the price up. Two, many of the 300,000 or so that were built are still around, which drives the price down. Typical auction prices for average Ms in running condition are around $1200, here in the midwest. A non-running 'parts tractor' might go for just a few hundred; a restored 'show tractor' might go for three or four thousand or even more, especially if it's a Super MTA or Super MTA Diesel, the last versions of the M.

Severely worn, cracked, or flat tires will drive the value of the tractor down by a few hundred dollars; new or nearly new ones will drive it up by a similar amount. Overall condition of the sheet metal is another big variable, with the front grille being especially likely to be bent up or missing the little insert near the bottom. Even if that insert is gone, check to see if the bottom bar of the grille itself is still there--the inserts are readily available from aftermarket suppliers, but if that lower bar has been cut out you'll need more than the insert to fix it.
If the gauges, lights, and starting and charging systems work, it'll save you the cost of repairing or replacing them later. Optional equipment like fenders, a belt pulley, the toolbox that mounts on the lightbar, wheel weights, etc., are less expensive to buy already on a tractor than as separate individual parts. Oil leaks from beneath the engine, brakes, axles, or power takeoff shaft aren't unusual and likely don't mean anything serious, but it can be a lot of work to fix them. (Click here for photos and notes about minor repairs I've made to my 1950 M).

Hydraulics:
Most Ms have an internal 'Lift-All' hydraulic system for tractor-mounted implements like cultivators or a loader. An auxiliary hydraulic valve was available as an option to provide two-way pressure for a remotely-mounted hydraulic cylinder, such as might be mounted on a trailing implement like a disk or brush hog. Those valves and related components are frequently auctioned on eBay, so you can add them to a tractor that didn't previously have them, but it'll likely cost $150 or more by the time you get it all set up.

4-row cultivators on a Farmall M at a tractor show in Portland, Indiana.

Auxiliary hydraulic valve

Some Super Ms built in 1953 or 54 (and regular Ms with after-market equipment--see below) have an engine-driven hydraulic pump, as opposed to a transmission-driven pump. That means hydraulic implements can be operated independently of the transmission clutch, which is a nice feature. The 'live' pump also has more pressure and a higher volume flow, so you can lift heavier loads and lift them faster than you could with the original transmission-driven pump. If there are hydraulic hoses running along the right side of the tractor engine, from up by the distributor to back under the gas tank, the tractor has live hydraulics. (The live pump is driven by the timing gear train, the same thing that turns the distributor shaft, so the hoses have to snake alongside the engine to reach the pump).

The live hydraulic pump on a Super M, on the right side of the engine between the distributor and the timing gear train.

If you're going to add a live pump to a tractor that didn't previously have one, check the spacing of the two top bolts on the distributor drive (it should be about 3' for older Ms, and about 3-1/2' for newer ones and Super Ms). IH pumps will likely only fit the wider spacing, but you may be able to find a pump made by an after-market supplier that will fit the narrower spacing.

None of the M series tractors came with three-point hitches, but they can be added as aftermarket items. At least three ATIS members have done so, and wrote the following descriptions. (Note that all three also have live hydraulic pumps on their tractors.)

Mike Sloane wrote:

'..I bought a used IH hydraulic pump that fits in place of the distributor drive between the timing gear and the distributor (that was $250 from Biewers Antique Acres). Then I was fortunate to locate a used hydraulic valve and some other parts that were originally from a JD combine, complete with some long curved handles. A bracket was made for the valve, and I mounted it on the right axle, with the curved handles coming right at hip level when sitting. I bought various hoses, adapters, reservoir, and filter from Northern, a Worksaver Farmall 3-point hitch kit, and a 2x8' cylinder from CT. Because the valve is a two way valve, I rigged up the lift cylinder for two way operation - it is much faster going down that way, but I needed one extra hose. If I could have located a used OEM reservoir from a parts tractor, it would have made a neater job of it, but I ended up putting the reservoir under the seat - the battery remained under the gas tank.

'Does it work? Yes, it works fine. How much did it cost? I think I spent about $800 all together. Was that worth it? I don't know. It was interesting and maybe fun to work through the whole process, but to spend $800 on a $1600 tractor was probably not an efficient operation -- I could probably have bought a similar 400 with fast hitch and live hydraulics for about the same money. Fast hitch adapter kits from 2-point to 3-point are only about $60. Also, if I had known, I would have bought the Saginaw 3-point kit, which comes with 2 cylinders and saved at least $200 - that would have made the job much more economically sensible plus I could have retained the Farmall swinging drawbar (you can't with the Worksaver kit unless you buy yet another adapter).

'What you wind up with is a Cat II hitch with no draft sensing. It does have sway control and good position control, but the only way to adjust the individual arms is by turning the lift screw sleeves -- no hand crank from the operator's seat like a regular 3-point hitch. Since I only intend to use the hitch with a brush cutter, platform lift, or boom crane, none of those d

Farmall M Serial Number Chart