IHC Farmall M

At one time, I thought that an antique was a very old object which no longer has any practical use. Now it is hard for me to think of the M as an antique tractor. The M certainly qualifies as an antique because of its age. Unbelievably the M's design is 60 plus years old. But a lot of M's are still in use yet today. A lot of farmers still use M's as chore or loader tractors. I doubt if many of these farmers think of their M as a tractor which is only suitable for exhibiting at tractor shows.

No doubt much of the reason for the M's continuing popularity is that the M is a very cheap source of power for many farm jobs. But cheap is a relative term. The M is cheap only when compared to the price of much newer 40 hp tractors. The auction price of M's was in the $800 to $1200 range in this area for many years. This translates into 60 to 74 year old tractors selling for 40 to 60 percent of their original selling price. A lot of recent tractor models haven't been able to retain half their value after 5 to 7 years. It takes an exceptional tractor design to retain its value for that many years.

Potential buyers might have realized that IHC had developed a winner when the M was introduced in 1938. The first look should have told them that the M was a substantial advance in tractor design. Unlike the prior Farmall series (which was a leading contender for the ugliest tractor title), the M was an extremely attractive tractor. IHC had spent a lot of time and money to develop an eye pleasing styled tractor. They succeeded quite well as the M is still an attractive tractor design.

The M was also designed with the operator's safety and comfort in mind. He rode on a padded seat using spring and shock suspension. The operator's platform was large enough so the operator could safely stand up. Controls were within easy reach and easily operated. These were features seldom seen on other row crop tractors of that day. Like the earlier Farmall series, the M also offered a wide range of various mounted implements. Hydraulic power replaced muscle power for raising and lowering these implements, although muscle power was still needed for making depth adjustments. It didn't take farmers long to realize that the M was a substantial advance in tractor design. Un fortunately, WW II prevented them from buying M's for several years.

The M's engine provided ample power for heavy tillage operations, and good governor control for light loads and low rpm so the M could satisfactorily pull just about any properly sized implement which was hitched or bolted to it. It was excellent for heavy tillage work and could pull 3-16 plows, 10 foot oneways, and even 14 foot tandem discs. It was also excellent for light work such as mowing or raking hay. Its large, sturdy frame and tight turning ability made it an excellent performer with mounted implements. Because there were a wide range of mounted implements available from IHC and other manufacturers, the M was a very versatile tractor. Using tractors  for row crop farming had finally become practical as tractor designs (such as the M) were able to give farmers the power, reliability, ease of operation, and maneuverability that row crop work required.

Even though IHC made several changes in the M's design during its production life, the basic design was never really changed. These changes kept the M's features competitive with design changes and new models brought out by other manufacturers. A diesel engine became available during the early part of the production run, making the M one of the first row crop tractors to offer a factory installed diesel engine. Low compression distillate engines were popular during the early days, but farmers soon found the high compression gasoline version was the better engine. Eventually equipment for converting M's for propane burning became available. Battery and generator electrical systems and self-starters became a popular option during the late 40's. Quite a few older M's had this equipment installed when IHC offered an electrical system package for field installation. By the early50's, the torque amplifier and independent pto were available on the Super M's. These features made the M easier to operate and more productive, especially when doing pto work. But there was a price to pay. These complicated the M's design, and they usually had to go to the shop to be repaired. It is questionable if all the changes were really improvements. distributor and coil ignition replaced magnetos as M's became commonly equipped with battery electrical system. Band brakes were replaced by disc brakes on the Super M. Both were considered to be improvements, but they had their shortcomings also.

Occasionally somebody's comments about their M find their way into print. I've noticed one common comment appears in many of these. "They should put the M back into production". At first it seems ridiculous to suggest putting a 60 year old design into production again, but is it?