Centex Farmall

Kelly in tx · Nov 27, 2015

Centex, in response to a post about a 1939 Farmall H, you mentioned a low serial number. Just curious, what do you consider a low serial number? Mine has a four digit serial number and I believe I can date the DAY it was produced (the last day of the first full month of production). Does the four digit serial number qualify as a low one? Thanks, kelly

Janicholson · Nov 27, 2015

I would say it does. There is a serial number registration spot here "tractor registry" . There appears to be 50 registered now with 4 digits.. Jim

gene bender · Nov 27, 2015

The cast codes dont mean when it was built just when the part was cast no way to know just what day it came off the line but 4 digit is sure a low #

D Slater · Nov 27, 2015

No there was only a little over 10% built in 39 above 4 digits. Wouldn't consider anything above 506 to maybe 509 worth more than any other 39. They are worth more if they have all the correct early parts still there. Other 39 maybe worth a little more for other year H in the same condition to a small number. Depends on condition for the rest of the tractors and the biggest percent of buyers. Unless you have the first second or last serial number of most models the percent of buyers drops a good bit and the biggest percent go by condition after that, IMHO.

LA in WI · Nov 27, 2015

Kelly,

In August of 2004 I contacted the Wisconsin Historical Society (the possessor of old IH archive materials) and asked them what month in 1950 my "H" was built, based on the tag serial number.

They told me the month of February, but they also stated that IH did not keep a record of what DAY in a month it was built.

I've heard that JD owners can find the day, but not sure about that.

Gene is right; block numbers only mean when the block was cast...they often made many blocks ahead of time and they took them from their supply as needed.

LA in WI

PS I learned long ago that Ol' Gene is not to be messed with on old IH info...he has forgot more than I will ever know.

CenTex Farmall · Nov 27, 2015

I'm basically in agreement with what Mr. Slater has typed. Three digits is very low and four is relatively low considering they made nearly 400,000 H's. That's my own totally subjective opinion.

Without going out into the cold rain to look, off the top of my head one of my 39's is a 3,xxx and the other is 5,xxx. Neither has all the correct parts but the 3k is slightly more original. I like having them, kind of a "gee whiz" thing for my "collection". Honestly I would get more excited about an H (or M or hundred series) of any year that still had all of the distillate parts. I've managed to scrape most of those pieces together with the intention of putting them on one of the 39's.

I know where there's another '39 that was made into a pavement roller. It's in _bad_ condition however and I don't use the word "bad" very often (I don't use "restored" very often either).

rhtx55 · Nov 27, 2015

Many of you may well know any part that was cast back in the day had to "season" out in the weather for a specified period of time prior to machining or being placed into production. The casting date codes can be used as a guide to determine whether all cast parts may be original to the tractor, but major repairs over time may have required replacement of these parts during it's life span, and can be considered "original" in most circles. Trying to nail down a production date for a tractor with no serial number tag using the date codes can usually give you a year to year range but the Wisconsin archives contain only monthly production numbers by serial number. If you take the total production for any given month & divide by the number of days in that month you will get a general consensus of the day it may have rolled off the line, but then you will need to look at the calendar month of that year, then was it a five day work week, six day work week, then figure in any company holidays involved. Hard to be exact, but you can get pretty close.

rhtx55 · Nov 27, 2015

Courtesy of Wisconsin State Historical Society resource available on line.

Farmall H Production 1939
July 21 501
Aug 1 504
Sept 1 1346
Oct 1 2986
Nov 1 4916
Dec 1 7619

Jan 1 1940 10653

Kelly in tx · Nov 27, 2015

FWIW, the Wisconsin archives list only three (serial numbers 501-504) made in July 1939. It appears 842 H's were made (serial numbers 504-1346) in August, 1939. There were, I believe from studying a 1939 calendar, 20 work days in August, 1939. Dividing 842 by 20 yields approximately 40 per day. My serial number is within 30 of the total produced in August 1939, thus my belief is that mine was made the last day (August 31), 1939. Why would this NOT be correct? Kelly in TX

rhtx55 · Nov 27, 2015

I would say you were close, if not dead on.

George 3 · Nov 29, 2015

(quoted from post at 04:33:29 11/28/15) I would say you were close, if not dead on.

Perhaps the reason for the low production in July 1939 was the summer plant shutdown for vacation.

rhtx55 · Nov 29, 2015

Were they working a 5 day work week, 6 or 7 day work week ? One shift or two? Only someone who was actually working on the line can attest. Your calculations are as accurate as possible with what information is available.

Jim Becker · Nov 29, 2015

(quoted from post at 14:09:26 11/29/15) Were they working a 5 day work week, 6 or 7 day work week ? One shift or two? Only someone who was actually working on the line can attest. Your calculations are as accurate as possible with what information is available.

And did they run that model every day? Did the same people build Hs for the first half of the month then build Ms for the rest of the month? So few were built that month compared to the next month or two that a lot of possibilities exist.

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