Farmall M - worth picking up? Fair $?

Hi all,

With the 400 down for the time being and me not wanting to run the bigger tractors to sickle hay, I thought I would look into picking up a new-to-me tractor.

With that in mind, I came across a '49 Farmall M - but need some opinions.

Would you pass or pick it up & if pick up, what is fair price?

Here is the skinny:

Straight Farmall M, relatively clean for what is there, faded repaint (likely 20+ years ago) - unknown history.

•Tires - hard but not cracked (yet)
•Rims/hubs - clean
•Belly pump, case cover, dust cover and all hydraulics missing along with arm and linkage
•No battery
•Water in rear end
•fuel mixed in with engine oil
•radiator near full but some white scaling - color looks good with slight film on surface
•sand/sediment in fuel bowl (forgot to check tank for rust - will do tomorrow)
•pre-cleaner missing

After the above pre-check went to turn over, but someone else before me checking it out hooked up a 12V battery and trying to get it going broke the starter switch.

So I went and got a replacment switch, hooked up my 6V and my battery wasn't as charged as I thought and wouldn't turn it over.

Going back to see if I can turn it over, drive, steer, pto engage etc.

Will have more details after tomorrow but was hoping the Farmall experts could chime in with opinions.

Wasn't too concerned with the watery rear-end nor the fuel in oil as those would be changed out by me if picked up - and I know if wanted to replace the full hydraulics system it would run me hundreds for all the parts BUT if everything else checks out okay, what you think?

Thanks! 😀

Is the hay going to be any good after you get all those things fixed,you'r going to need hyd, to lift the sickle bar right, that Old M probably wont do it,unless you know it's got a 800 lbs of pressure! Have you changed grease in a old M, before,, it's expensieve,and you really should take the PTO out, or the top cover off when doing, to get the last gallon of sludge out of housing, that stuff that comes out of there is usually worse than what comes out of the back end of a cow, and i am not exaggerating!

Do you know the last time it ran? Wide vs narrow front end makes a difference on price. Any chance of posting a picture. You can probably get the belly pump and parts to make it work off of ebay but I can't see you getting everything done on the tractor in time to cut hay before he hay is shot. Whats wrong with your 400? Without more information it would seem to be time and money better spent to get it going again.

And that's iust the list of thing you know about! I'd keep looking or stay with the old 400 gal that brought you!

You never say if the engine is free as in not locked up? Did you pull the spark plugs to see if there is no water in the cylinders? I agree with others.probably a money pit. If your hay is ready probably not that terrible to mow hay with an 806 if your field is not to mushy.

The issues you ran into with the 400 are lurking inside that M. You want Hay down, and a farmall, get a running and operational Super C or an H. They are not expensive, and you can use tham right away. If your intent is to mechanic, fix the 400, and have the hay custom cut/baled. jim

You need a RUNNING tractor, not another project. Why would you even consider looking at a non running tractor with all the problems you've listed out?

If you want another project for later, then buy the tractor. Otherwise, pass on it.

That sounds like a hot mess you probably really don't need right now. Worth about a buck-two-eighty. There's plenty cheap older IH power still available, so I would recommend shopping elsewhere.

Mike

For a sickle mower tractor, live PTO and live hydraulics help a lot. If you have many acres to cover I would consider them a necessity. Power steering and good turning brakes help too. I would look for a running tractor rather than another project that only delays getting the 400 fixed. A Farmall 300 or 350, Oliver 77 or 770 would be a nice fit and burn 1/4 to 1/3 less fuel than an M or 400 on a light load like a sickle mower.

For the $1,000 plus to buy another tractor, could you hire someone to fix the 400? That might be the easiest and cheapest solution, especially if the 400 has power steering and good turning brakes.

If you want to use the 806 you could put an adapter on the 1000 shaft to mow with at half throttle. We did that on our 856 before. Mowed about 50 acres on half the fuel with a 9 foot 1219 deere mower conditioner. I think I was in like first high to match the 3rd low we usually mow in. That doe not work for a baler using that as your torque curve is not right for the baler when using the adapter. I would also forget about the M no live power nor power steering most likely. Plus all the work to get it running. If this hay is first cutting it is already getting real old by now too.

Wow, lots of pratical responses 😀 thank you all.

I agree as a get'r going now tractor does not make sense - but as a project tractor what are thoughts?

Worth making an offer and if so, what a price?

$500 dollars and you move it. No more. Less is OK, but it will not be a good mowing tractor, it is too heavy and not nimble. Jim

Wow, really?

I took a look to see if I could find and H's or C's but all are just as expensive as picking up a bigger tractor - which then got me looking at the 706's and 300/350's and I got sidetracked.

Ugh 😒

For a non running tractor, probably scrap price, since you don't really know what you're getting. If it runs and you can drive it, then maybe a different story--whatever the two of you can agree upon. At least then you have a better idea what you're getting into.

When I was a kid we had a new balanced head side mount mower on an M with a conditioner on the back. When it was time to make hay, weather permitting I cut hay every morning. I wasn't crazy about farming but I liked that mowing set up, really worked nice.

I bought a running Super M in 2008, not because I needed one, just wanted one to go with my Super C. That turned into a catastrophe, one thing led to another and think I got real close to 4 grand in it and no use for it. I was going to take both of them to the local threshing show until my back went goofy and have trouble walking sometimes.

Wow, they both look great!

I would spend the time and money on a running 300 or 350 to rake hay versus a non running M.

Agreed. The M is heavy and burns a lot of fuel. If all you were doing it mowing a C, H 300 or 350 would be much better.