IH plow- What have I got

Hi Everyone! Here"s photo of a Little Genius #8 that I fixed up last winter. It had been used as a parts donor and was in rough shape. She"s in good working order now. I have a few questions. Photo #2 shows a one piece non-adjustable handle. I have never seen this on another Little Genius.#3 shows the narrow wheels this one has. I know different widths were available. Last photo shows IHC logo stamped in the beam. Again , I have never seen this on another Little Genius plow. Hope somebody can help explain these discrepencies. THANKS! Jim

I would assume you are talking about the spring hitch in the second photo, not a handle. Could you clarify?

I think the "non adjustable handle" is the lever you tie a rope to to raise/lower.

No, I think the reference is to the two handles for depth and level that are normally 2 piece adjustable for length.

I'm referring to the handles used to adjust the plow depth. All the others I've seen are in two pieces and are adjustable so the operator can reach them from the tractor seat. THANKS!

Hi Delta! I'm referring to the handles used to adjust the plow depth. All the others I've seen are adjustable so the operator could reach them from the tractor seat. THANKS!

The handles seem to get broken frequently.

Those could be replacements, possibly forged by a blacksmith.

That is an odd IH logo. Almost looks laser-engraved. Never seen one like it. Normally the plow would have the old-timey IHC logo.

One theory that comes to mind is, this is a P&O plow built around the time IH bought the P&O company. The oddball IH stamp could just be IH "marking its territory" on plows already in inventory.

The IHC logo would presumably be stamped into the forgings while they were still hot. That would be a production change.

That is a nice looking #8. The skinny land wheel, the IHC stamp, and the one-piece non-adjustable levers are all characteristics of an "early" #8. I see other "early" parts on your plow, like the hook on the hitch and the cast arm on the furrow axle. I don't have a parts book in front of me, but I think the one-piece levers were pre 1934 (the #8 was built 1927 to 1960).

If you want to narrow the age of your plow down get me the following part numbers, and I will look them up in my book:

-front beam(right beam)
-bell shaped piece that is integral with the land wheel and also interfaces with the clutch
-back side of clutch
-one of the sand bands on the furrow axle and the tail wheel.

Hi IHCPloughman, here's some numbers. Front beam#PO12778, Bell shaped piece#PO1407, Back of clutch#PO1405, Sandband on furrow axle#PO1258, Sandband on tailwheel#PO125. The last two numbers are kind of hard to see. THANKYOU!

(quoted from post at 23:59:28 10/08/13) Hi IHCPloughman, here's some numbers. Front beam#PO12778, Bell shaped piece#PO1407, Back of clutch#PO1405, Sandband on furrow axle#PO1258, Sandband on tailwheel#PO125. The last two numbers are kind of hard to see. THANKYOU!

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PO12778 was used 1927-1934

PO1407 was used only in 1930.

PO1405 is nothing special, it was used 1930 and up.

PO1258 is also nothing special, it was used 1929 and up.

PO 1251 or PO1252 was used 1929 and up.

It looks like the one-piece levers were used 1927-1936.

I ask for those numbers since there was unique furrow and tail wheel equipment (different axle diameter) used in 1927 and 1928 and unique pieces used around the land wheel during 27-30. It looks like there were 3, 4, and 7 inch wide land wheels, evidently you have the narrow one.

This is really cool, the "land wheel box", as its called in the parts book determines this plow was built in 1930. They made scads of #8's from 1927 to 1960, but you can claim with definitive certainty that yours was built in 1930.

I can't explain the IHC stamp on the beam. I have seen it on other early plows, stamped in different orientations, never square. I have seen an IHC stamped deeper in the right beam though, not the left beam like you have pictured. Matt's explanation is plausible. It looks like an afterthought, like they decided to add it at the last minute. However, IHC had bought P&O way back in 1919, so they had owned them for 8 years before the #8 was released. Hm.