Farmall H with belly mower

• H photo

Maybe his Super A is getting a little long in the tooth, and may be in need of an engine overhaul, because a Super A is supposed to have twice as much power as a Cub. If only I had a Super A...

Frankly, unless you have a lot of nice flat open ground to mow, I would pass on the H. The H is a nimble little tractor in a 5 acre field, but it's like wrangling a bull in a china shop when you're trying to mow around the house. Forget about getting anywhere near a tree. Your head is 8-9 feet in the air... You'll get knocked off.

What I did say, was that unless the mower blades were razor sharp the belt and pullies would be hot when done mowing my acre. Now don't come back and tell me my belt is loose, or I will pick you a tune of turkey in the straw on the belt.

Now I will admit I don't mow my grass as often as most folks, and I also have my mower set so blades are 4" off the floor in my shop when in mowing position. I always let my grass get 6-7 inches high before mowing, precisely why I have healthy looking grass always. I am constantly asked by folks why their grass looks poorly. I tell them they would look poorly too if wounded as often as they wound their grass. Besides a 4" lawn will not burn up as quick in dry weather.

The second factor I encounter with the Super A is height of tractor as well as operator, around ornamental trees. Depending on direction of travel I scratch either tractor or me, and I break limbs from the trees, a factor I don't like. That will only be worse on an H.

As much as I really don't care for an 8N, I am giving serious consideration into buying one to mount my woods mower on. I grew up never liking an 8N as they had very poor traction and pulling ability. However I believe they probably have a little more pto power than the SA, plus they should be very good around the ornimentals.

There is another factor for me, I don't like my 130 and 140 as well for gardening and would love to put my cultivators back on the SA.

Here is another suggestion, here in Canada we have a Newfy commedy group of folk singers. They have a song out about installing a Chevy 454 in a lawn mower. I loaned the CD to a guy in Detroit, of the 10 or 12 selections, the one that caught his attention was the powerful lawn mower. Since I've got an 86 Buick LeSabre here in the yard, excellent power train, but rusted to crap. Now there is an idea, build a zero turn using a woods mower and V6 power.

The H should work well for you, unless you need to mow close under some trees. My property is just under 2 acres. I paid something like $1,600 for the outfit, it was running and ready to go to work, but it sure didn't look like it does now.