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Farmall M

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 09:19:36

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I'm looking at buying a Farmall M and was wondering about the hydraulics. It has an aftermarket 3 pt system that seems pretty heavy duty and has one hydraulic cylinder on the side.

I want to use this to smooth my 1/2 mile driveway about 7 or 8 times a year and to shred about 40 acres maybe twice a year.

I was wondering if the hydraulics would be strong enough to scrape a decent amount of road to get it smooth or if this would be pushing the cat I setup?

The tractor is in pretty good shape with perfect tires and nice paint. Gasoline engine. has a slight leak right in the middle of the engine at the bottom. Runs good, sounds good and starts right up. Brakes work good and it has the narrow front end. Comes with a post hole digger setup with 2 augers and a straight blade. Guy is asking $2,800 is this a reasonable price to pay?

Thanks, Nathan

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 15:56:50

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 09:19:36

Well, I picked her up and drove her home this evening. Started up and everything seemed to go really smooth. She wasn't quite as pristine as I had remembered with a few rust spots on it and a few scuffs on the tires but still pretty nice for a nearly 60 year old tractor.

Not sure how to post pictures but I will try to post them straight to the thread and if that doesn't work I'll post those as links.

[img]http://padens.com/files/Farmall_M_front.jpg[/img]

[img]http://padens.com/files/farmall_M_side.jpg[/img]

Thanks for the support and advice so far. The brand name of the bush hog I was quoted is Knose I think. They said the heavy duty would be $150 more on the 6' model.

Thanks again, Nathan

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 15:58:25

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 15:56:50

Here is a pic of it from the side:

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 15:59:17

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 15:58:25

And one from the front:

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 16:23:13

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 15:59:17

I hope everyone doesn"t mind my pics but here are some more! ;)

Another from the right front.

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 16:24:40

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 16:23:13

Here is the 3 point setup. It has the post hole digger attached right now.

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 16:25:38

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 16:24:40

Other side of the 3 point setup:

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 16:28:48

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 16:25:38

And the worst for last. Here is the pic of the oil leak. From what the guy told me it has always leaked here and it hasn't seemed to get any worse, but if you guys have any input on whether or not I should be worried about it I would appreciate any comments. Also it seems like there is a separate leak right at the bottom left where the parts come together in this pic.

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farmallhal

03-05-2005 07:15:45

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 16:28:48

Nathan, I should have suggested to clean up that leak area with some spray Gunk or other oil and grease remover and some water under pressure. Then keep an eye on it and see what it appears to be and what is the source. You are gonna love your tractor and they are simple in design and easy to work on especially with this group on the forum. Have fun and be extra careful until you get the feel of the young lady.

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williamf

03-05-2005 04:09:13

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 16:28:48

You're gonna love that tractor. Can tell just from the pictures that it's a good one.
Hal's right about the hydraulics, but it looks like it's leaking around the seal on the shaft of the belt pully, too. My H leaks there, and I swear that one year I'm going to get around to fixing it. Not hard to replace that seal, but it's not hard just to wipe it off when I want to make a good impression, either.
Enjoy
Wm

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farmallhal

03-04-2005 20:00:10

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 16:28:48

Nathan, Looks like a very nice M for being as old as they are. Looks well taken care of and the grill really looks nice and straight. Maybe you don't have brush down in Texas to bend them up though. The oil leak looks like it could be around the belly pump hydraulic fill and vent cover. Usually, there is some felt or some breathable material in the top of the cap to keep it from squirting out when the reservior is filling. Make sure it won't fall down into the eeservior though - a washer which just fits in the cap under the vent material should work if the dip stick is missing. Also, it might be too full - It holds 6 quarts when full. You would probably be best to drain and refill the hydraulic pump as it might also have detergent oil in it which foams. The manual states to never fill when implements are raised or the reservoir would be overfilled when they are lowered. Also you should use a non-detergent oil (I use 30 wt. here in Missouri) or some folks say to use Hy-Tran which is thinner and is probably more prone to leaking. You can get an Owner's manual from this site or Binder Books if you don't already have one. Have fun and enjoy your M as they are sure sweet tractors.

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Nathan in Texas

03-05-2005 09:04:55

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Re: Farmall M in reply to farmallhal, 03-04-2005 20:00:10

Which manuals should I get?

There are a few on ebay that are CD roms that I could print out whatever I needed for about $25 or so.

On Binderbooks they have the owners manual for $20 and a service manual for the engine for $8.

Then there are about 50 other manuals for specific parts that I don't think I would need.

Thanks again for all the input so far!

Nathan

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farmallhal

03-05-2005 14:50:15

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-05-2005 09:04:55

Nathan, I would certainly get an owners manual, the service manual and a TC-28F (I think is the correct no.) Parts Catalog. The parts catalog is really good in obtaining the part numbers of parts you need before going into a dealersdhip or contacting a parts supplier online and it also shows exploded views and assembly sequence of parts into a major assembled component. It will also identify the parts by their proper name for discussion and communication purposes. If you plan on doing any service work yourself and you have some basic mechanical skills also obtain an I & T Service IH shop manual. The number of the I & T manual for an M is IH-8. The I & T manuals can be purchased at serveral locations like a Farm and Home, tractor dealerships, etc. but don't think Binder Books sell them. I got my I & T manual off EBay for around $10 and I think they sell for around $25 or maybe more at the Farm and Home type stores. Let's hope you won't need the engine related manuals quite yet and I believe they are for serious stuff like rebuilds and major internal repairs. Hope this helps and I have left my email open if you want to chat off forum. How did the M run today - I'm sure you did a little trip around the place to get the feel of the lady. Hal

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HarleyMac

03-05-2005 16:20:26

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Re: Farmall M in reply to farmallhal, 03-05-2005 14:50:15

The leak you showed is the seal on the papper pully PTO shaft. it is an esay fix. take out the three bolts and pull out the gear ass'y and replace the leather seal with a new rubber seal from NAPA parts store. and the hydrlic liftalls seem to fid leaks no matter what you do.

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Nathan in Texas

03-05-2005 15:58:34

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Re: Farmall M in reply to farmallhal, 03-05-2005 14:50:15

She ran great!! :-)

Not many jobs you do that you get done and find yourself singing to yourself!

I got the blade that came with the tractor today and it's a nice 7 footer! (He just said he had a blade but couldn't remember how big it was). Wasn't near as much work to switch out the post hole digger and hook up the blade as I thought it would be. Did it by myself in about 5 minutes no problem.

It has been sprinkling most of the day so that seemed like perfect weather to be out on a tractor blading a road! She can really scoop up the dirt! Worked awesome! Spent about 2 hours smoothing it out and was pretty happy with the end result.

I think I will just order the CD off of ebay. What weight engine oil does it use? 30 weight non detergent? I need to add a quart and would like to use it a bit more before the service manual gets here!

Here is a link to the CD I am looking at. It says it includes the owner's manual, service manual and the parts manual for $25. I think it will really be a good thing to have because there are a few broken guages and a few switches that the guy I bought it from didn't even know what they were for.

Thanks again for all the help.

Nathan

Link to CD rom on ebay

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farmallhal

03-05-2005 16:27:53

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-05-2005 15:58:34

Nathan, CD's certainly have their place and are just perfect for some people. Just get what you are comfortable with but you do need something. The Servicemans Guide is not a service manual but is a publication for new tractor dealer preparation for delivery - I think they contain about 20 pages. I never got one as the person at Binder Books told me every thing was covered in more detail in the Service Manual. I purchased a printed service manual and used it right away doing a governor adjustment. It gave step by step directions. Might be a good one to have in paper format to use next to the tractor when something needs done. About the oil, you should probably use 30 wt. detergent being in a warmer climate year around. The manuals will say non-detergent but that was before detergent oils came into existance as you are talking about a 1939 first production unit. Everyone I know uses detergent oils in these letter series tractors and some folks really like the multi-grades like 15W-40. I just kept using the straight detergent 30 wt. in mine since that is what had been used by the previous owner since a complete rebuild and restoration. In case you don't know, you check the oil level by the two petcocks on the side of the oil pan. The owners manuals says to open the bottom one and drain down to that level daily. Tighten it up and fill until oil comes out of the top one. Should be about a quart between the two levels. Don't overfill the tractor and I would think a quart above the lowest petcock is enough. Again, this oil check and daily fill thing is based on 1939 oil sources and prices - probably came in 5 gallon cans and was penneys to the quart. You put oil in the tractor through the top of the right side front engine cover in front of the distributor. There is a large cap (about 2" in diameter) with a ridge down the middle and a bolt through the center which is removed to pour in the oil. Again, hope this helps and enjoy the pretty lady. Hal

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Paul in Mich

03-04-2005 15:20:55

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 09:19:36

Nathan, There is a road construction company here in mid Michigan that uses an M to do exactly what you mention. They have a 3 point system, and a good, heavy duty (not your average tractor supply version) back blade. They also can use a box scraper. The guy says it does a bang up job, and they can maneuver around places that they couldnt with a pull behind patrol grader.

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Ken Campbell

03-04-2005 15:06:15

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 09:19:36

Nathan, I am in Texas for a while and have an M. I am in Dallas, where are you located?

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 16:00:47

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Ken Campbell, 03-04-2005 15:06:15

I'm in Slaton, just outside of Lubbock.

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Chad Franke

03-04-2005 11:00:13

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 09:19:36

I doubt very highly that it is a cat I three point, I would imagine it's a Cat II. Should be able to do what you want, but what do you mean by shred? Use a shredder or a bush hog type mower? A bush hog it should work, a shredder takes a lot of power to turn, at least the machinery we call a shredder.

And as Rusty said, it won't work like a grader, but will get the job done on your drive.

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 11:13:04

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Chad Franke, 03-04-2005 11:00:13

Thanks for the quick replies.

By shred I mean bush hog or whatever it is. Pulling a 5' or 6' mower behind the tractor to cut the grass to help with weed control mainly. I have some tumbleweeds poping up and I think if I mow them down the grass can outcompete them.

This would be my first tractor and I'm a complete newbie at this.

Thanks, Nathan

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farmallhal

03-04-2005 12:57:01

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 11:13:04

Since you stated you are a "newbie" get you an overrunning clutch on your PTO. Your bush hog dealer will know what you need. It goes on the tractor PTO shaft and in front of the bush hog drive shaft. Without one the tractor will get shoved forward even with the clutch pushed in and the brakes on. Not good when up next to a ditch, fence, building, etc. Tractors with live or independent PTO's don't need one but you do need one for safe operation on your new M. They cost around $50.00 or so. Your M should handle a larger bush hog then 5 or 6 feet if you want to go a little larger. My friend pulls an 8 foot with his M. Hope you enjoy your new M and welcome to the club.

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 13:15:01

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Re: Farmall M in reply to farmallhal, 03-04-2005 12:57:01

Okay, the guy who I was going to buy the shredder from called it a slip clutch.

I've been told to go ahead and get a new bush hog and for a 6' model they want $765 for it. The 8' model was up over $1,250!

Does this sound reasonable or should I start shopping around?

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farmallhal

03-04-2005 13:36:51

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 13:15:01

All the bush hogs and rotary mowers we have here on our Missouri farm are Bush Hog brand. I believe they are rugged and last a long time especially if kept shedded and out of the weather. I bought a 3pt. 6 foot Squealer model a couple of years ago for around $1125. It is a medium duty bush hog I use for keeping the grass beyond our extended yard in check during the summer. The heavy duty 9 foot dad bought several years ago was around $2500. That one has three gear boxes and two blades and is a trail type with hydraulic cylinder. I think they are fairly easy to find used but don't know how to identify a bad one as we don't abuse ours and haven't had any problems to deal with. Check around a little and this is probably one of those things you get what you pay far. The light thin metal ones with marginal gear box ratings are at the bottom price range while the heavy duty trouble free long lasting ones are at the upper price range. A 6 foot generally isn't two expensive even in the good brands. There are several good brands out there but if you want something durable and trouble free it would probably be best to stay away from the Farm and Home store brands. Hope this helps and good luck.

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RustyFarmall

03-04-2005 10:05:20

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 09:19:36

The hydraulics on the tractor are more than adequate for what you want to do. The problem you will run into is that when it comes to playing roadgrader, the weight of the tractor and the weight of the blade will prevent you from being able to dig very deep. It just won't work like a big roadgrader. Don't worry about that, the M and the blade will still do a fair job of leveling your drive, it will just take a few more passes. $2,800 is maybe a bit steep, but not too far off.

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Nathan in Texas

03-04-2005 11:41:42

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Re: Farmall M in reply to RustyFarmall, 03-04-2005 10:05:20

Well, I called the guy back and told him I would buy it. He agreed to $2,500.

Looks like I will be a new member of the Farmall club. I may be on here posting more questions but hopefully it will hold up well and I won't be needing to ask too many difficult questions. If it has been running for 50 years hopefully it will run trouble free for a few more.

Thanks, Nathan

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williamf

03-04-2005 15:00:40

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 11:41:42

Rusty's right about the manuals. If you go ahead and order an owner's manual and an IH service manual from Binder Books they'll be there by the time your new friend is delivered. They'll pay for themselves in the first week.
Wm

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RustyFarmall

03-04-2005 11:53:12

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Re: Farmall M in reply to Nathan in Texas, 03-04-2005 11:41:42

Congratulations, I think you did very good. The very next thing you need to do is get yourself a complete set of manuals. Those books will take a lot of the mystery out of your new tractor.

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FRANK

03-04-2005 11:18:56

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Re: Farmall M in reply to RustyFarmall, 03-04-2005 10:05:20

IF THE TRACTOR IS IN GOOD SHAPE MECHANICALLY AND WITH DECENT RUBBER AS WELL AS WITH SOME EQUIPMENT, THATS NOT A BAD PRICE.ESPCIALLY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT A DECENT LAWNMOWER WILL COST ALLMOST THAT MUCH. I GRADE MY DRIVE WITH AN M, AND THE DRIVE IS ON A PRETTY GOOD GRADE. I BARELY KICK IN THE GOVENOR GRADING IN THIRD GEAR.

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