farmall h and m stories and super h and m

who all had, has or wanted or used one of these models?
has to be the most popular row crop tractors ih ever built,
i have a 1952 h, one of the last ones before the super h

and i think my grandpa had a 1946 farmall h that was his big tractor!
he used it for every thing, including pulling logs out of the woods when he sold timber!

whats your h or m, or super h or m story?

Got both an H and an MD never really worked ground with either of them. Planted with the H and drilled with both of them. Mowed hay with the H and the MD. I put a hydraulic pump on the MD mounted it on the left side with a belt running over top of the fan belt. Worked good for what I used it for. Dad didn't like it as it would put added wear on the top of the fan belt so removed it.

When i was growing up, we had a H,M, and a MD. But my dad was friends with the two brothers that owned the M and M, and Plymouth dealer, I can remember it like it was yesterday,The one brother brought the Blockman out, and got my dad in the car and sold him, a 445 MM, a glorified Z Moline, in the summer of 1957. The main reason he bought it, it had Live PTO, for the corn picker, it was live alright, you couldn't shut it off,just a poor tractor in general, so he couldn't use it anyway, nobody would take it in trade so he took a loss on that,The H went back on the picker, i had to haul corn with the MD, with no power steering i was 11 in 57.I wished dad would of bought a SMTA, but he was going to listen to a 11 yr old kid!!!!

i have a 49 h, 42 m, 48 m, 52 m, and a 53 super m. the super is being rebuilt. all the rest run and are chore tractors. the h and the 48 m have loaders and power steering, the 52 m has power steering, 9 speed, and a 260 amp dc welder that runs off the belt pulley. it also has a saginaw 3 pt hitch.

I have 4 Ms.Bought the first,a Super M in 81.Also owned a Super H,gave it to my sister.Also have a 350 and 400.Basocly these are just 'improved' H@M tractors.My Dad always said "you just can't beat an M.Best tractor ever built".I tend to agree.However,he hated Hs.Said they were worthless.

Dad's father had a good crop of red kidney beans during the fall of 1941 so he ordered what would be our M in late November 1941. He drove it home from the dealer in March of 1942. There were a half dozen H's in the neighborhood that were bought new. Two of those H's remain plus my M. I think grandpa looked into a Super M while they were in production but never bought one. Mom's father had both a H and a M. Don't know much about the history on those but I believe his H was bought during the early 1940's. I think that the H stayed until he sold that farm during the mid-1960's and believe the M got traded for a John Deere 70.

My good 'old Super' remains my 'go to',old reliable'...It has 450 pistons/sleeves, M/W live PTO,live hydralics,3 point,wide front,fenders.....I also have a 'quick tach' loader that gets put on from time to time. Hope to put on power steering soon. It will never leave the .In fact,my son just told me he wants it when I am done with it. (I about fainted!)The other 3 have dedicated jobs.The 45 has cultivator mounted,another one has a spray setup ,saddle tanks maouned. The 4th,the MD/400 (Frank) has an F11 Farmhand loader.The 'little' 350 just arrived this fall. It is still 'waiting' for a job.An old big time farmer(who bled green) had an M back in his barn. He told me "you just cant farm unless you have an M. Steve says "you can have bigger and newer,but you just cant beat an M"

We all all of the letter series at one point or another. Still have the M Dad bought in the early 70s, that was the first "workhorse" he bought, but he had I think A C before that that mostly cultivated. My uncle had the big equipment, but as time went on we bought, sold and traded our way up. The old M was the only one we kept.

Dad ordered a brand new M the fall of '51 when he moved onto the 160 acres I grew up on. That M was built December 7th and shipped via rail the 25 miles to Cambridge, Illinois and was deliverd December 24, 1951. The dealer had someone run it the 8 miles from town to the farm. And as I've said here DOZENS of times, December 25th was the first time that brand new 6V stock M wouldn't start. Thank goodness the '47 M started or the cattle would have got pretty hungry. No matter what we had for a #1 fieldwork tractor, Dad always ran HIS '51 M. It was first to get Char-Lynn power steering, got M&W live hyd around 1960, right after Dad bought a Stan-Hoist loader to replace the old Caswell loader. That '51 M went under the 2M-E picker every fall till about 1969. It pulled the planter, a Deere 490 for many years.
About summer of 1963 Dad got our '39 H repainted, modified the rear rims so with the wheels dished "out" it was around 70 inches wide, so it fit down the center aisle of our hog finishing shed. That M became "MY tractor" for chores, mowing/raking hay, sowing oats, spraying, until May i, 1968 when the Dealer Dad bought the '51 M from delivered my '54 Super H and took the '39 back to town. We pulled the planter with the SH, even ground ear corn couple times with the SH when the M was tied up, the H couldn't run the Kneodler burr mill, we tried. It was absolutely EVERYTHING the SH wanted. We chopped corn stalks with the SH, mowed/raked hay. About 1959 or '60 Dad traded a '47 M for a Super M-TA. I started doing fieldwork on it, cultivating corn, it was traded for a '57 450 spring of '65. I wish I could find it, I know where it was traded at but they couldn't tell me what happened to it 56 years later. Spring of '64 Dad hoped he was going to get the chance to rent Grandpa's 160 acres so he bought a Deere R diesel that was "MY tractor" I hated that thing with a passion. that R and SM-TA were within ONE HORSEPOWER of being the same, and the M-TA with the TA worked circles around that green clunker! We still had 16 acres left to plow when it left the farm, Road Commissioner bought it and tore the weak pto gears out of it every year for 3 years.

I am curious why on Xmas day it wouldn't start ? Did it have 30 weight oil in it?

When I was tiny (I mean 3) my Grampa had a 10-20 and a 48 M. The only memory I have of the 10-20 is the day they came and got it, bringing a 53 Super H. The tractors were parked in a building called the Red Shed. Many hours were spent sitting on the M and shiny new SH. When my younger brother came along old enough to climb on board, My grandpa and dad knew where we were very likely to be, and could find us there if we weren't in the yard. We imagined plowing and disking the vista from our seats on those tractors. The Red Shed had bays but no doors, so we could see out from there onto 20 acres down toward the Little Calumet river. We traded off who got to sit on the either because the SH was shiny but the M was bigger. I remember watching the new paint wear off of the pedals till the little diamonds were shiny. Gramps never drove a tractor, truck, or car to the best of the collective memories, so it was my dad and uncle as operators. I probably have 15,000 hours on the SH, and still have it. The M got traded in for a 350U in 57. It was the first tractor I was driving alone, and still have it. Thanks for the opportunity to relive the times. Jim

Dad had a Super M that he sold on the auction when I was 5. Never had another letter series for some reason until a couple years before he passed. He was more partial to the F series, other colors and we had a 560 as our main tractor.

He bought a 1940 M with a loader for $200 in 2015, needed head work but runs great now. I bought an H the same year for the same price but that one was locked up. I use it for raking and pulling the grain drill.

Came home with a Super MTA the fall of 2019, about the only good thing about it was the tin work and back from the TA thankfully. Got lucky.



It had a slight sleeve problem.



I went through the motor and put new shoes on all the way around. I liked how she looked and its a working tractor so I left the tin alone.



The SMTA along with a W-9 gets to do all the heavy lifting here. Its really nice to have a TA when baling.

Dad found this rusty non-running H under a fallen corn crib in the 70's and got it running for a small auger tractor. 25 years ago he gave it to me- a couple months before cancer got him. I shined it up and have a LOT of parades on it- it's even been to RPRU.

I have 4 Hs and 1 M but don't use them. Been trying to sell them for years now. all the Hs are 1940

Ive had a good collection of Ms. Got a 48M, 50MD, 52 SM and a SMTA. The M and MD are in the possession of 2 different sons in law. I also have an H out here along with a 560d, 706d and a 674. Thats my collection. Orange
Grew up around had a 44 M when I was a small boy on the farm that got traded off in the early 60s it was never far away and dad brought it home back in 07 a couple years before he passed. His grandfather was running the farm when it was bought. Picture of it with my grandson driving it making 6 generations on it. Also got an H down in the shed thats only had 1 home. Thats a picture of dad on it at a local tractor pull. That may be the last time it ran. It had water in the oil and very little oil pressure. Another project waiting. Its been probably 12 years since its moved. I remember the H spent most of its time on the manure spreader. Except when it was silo filling time it ran the blower via belt. The pedals are worn smooth on it a sure sign its done a lot of work.


<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto80710.jpg"

My granddaddy bought a M that was same as new in 1944. Another guy got it because he had 3 boys in the army, but couldnt pay for it. My father and uncle payed for it cutting land for the public, sometimes running it 24 hours a day. When I was in college, I found a super M that had been under a cotton picker. It was in good shape but stuck from sitting. My father and I rebuilt it. We found a cutting disc exactly like the one that came with the M. We thought we were really doing something with both those tractors in the field. I drove the M and daddy drove the super M. I wanted to catch him so bad but they were close to equal. I guess the super was slightly more powerful. I finally bought a 1466 with a 18 foot 480 disc and learned those Ms were not as big and bad as I had thought.

I have 3 H's and an M. (Plus a D19 Allis)

Several years ago, I bought a '41 H on a consignment auction. Horrible day. Temp around zero. They didn't even try to start that H on the auction, just said it was driven to where it was parked on the auction grounds. I bought it for $400.

I went back with a trailer the next day to get it, and I was prepared to load it the hard way by cranking in onto the trailer with a come-along. It started right up and I drove it on the trailer.

It always started easy, but would never settle down and run quite as smooth as you expected it to. I replaced most of the ignition parts, had a couple different carbs on it, and even went so far as to check the valve lash and replace the intake gaskets. Nothing made a bit of difference.

While I was studying on it, I replaced the points and condenser on my M. Rather than fight with the horizontal distributor, I pulled the distributor off and replaced and gapped the points with it vertical. When I put it back on the tractor, it started right up, but wasn't running right. I double checked and found I'd installed the distributor with the drive gear one cog off. I redid it and that M purred like it was supposed to.

Then it dawned on me, when the M wasn't running right, it sounded exactly like that H. And the timing was the only thing I hadn't checked on the H. I reset the timing by the book on that H and it purred like it should, but you wouldn't believe the black and blue smoke that came out of the exhaust for the first half hour. I had no way of knowing how long it had been run with the timing off.

Now, it's the nicest sounding engine of my 3 H's.

I also own a '51 H with a loader on it that my father--n-law bought in 1956 and it's been in the family ever since.
I bought another H with the intention of putting the loader on it and restoring the one from my FIL, but that hasn't happened yet.

At one time in tbe 60s we had 4 H tractors around the place, 39, 41, 42 and 51 and also a SMTA. People would stop by and ask , Hey do you want to buy another H?? LOL. The 41 was my favorite. Was tricked out with about everything M&W made for an H. PTO clutch, live hydraulic pump, engine kit. Also had the "service" camshaft from IH in it. Tractor made 36HP on the dyno and we pulled a 3-12 little genius plow with it 3rd gear. I sold the 39 just two years ago. Might buy another H someday.

It was about 20 BELOW zero, IH had special instructions about "Ship Away oils" so I doubt it had 30 weight, probably 10W. The tractor now has Char-Lynn PS that the pump runs off the fan belt, has M&W live hyd pump, more drag starting a cold engine. Was around '57-'58 the IH company store in East Moline, Ill, Cheek & Wessel, sent a salesman around the countryside looking for shop work. The M got 4" 5000 foot high altitude sleeves & pistons, and a fresh coat of 2150. Those larger higher compression pistons didn't make it crank over any easier. It got 4" M&W Add Power sleeves & pistons around 1966-'67 that are still in it. And it didn't start worth a dang with the 6 Volt elec. system. If Dad hoped to clear any snow with it he plugged the block heater in as soon as he heard the forcast was snow.
Dad quit farming after the '72 crop was all in. I helped move Mom & Dad to the 80 acres Dad and the neighbor farmed together. Wasn't much household stuff but when I was home for Christmas break from college Dec. '72 I moved TONS of stuff from the farm Dad farmed for 20 years to the new place. Thankfully Dad kept the Super H and the M. Was about 1986-'87 Dad ordered a 12V alternator kit from a place down in Texas that advertized in Red Power Magazine. It completely changed how the tractor started. Couple years later he converted the SH. After neighbors saw how his M started with 12V they had him modify their tractors too. He probably installed 8-10 total.
It really angers me when the same "Experts" always claim "An M starts fine on 6 volt" BULL POOP! I know better! Maybe a Cub, A, B, C might start on 6V but NOT an M with big high compression pistons and a couple engine driven pumps.
IH knew they were taxing the 6V system for years before they finally started building 450 gas tractors with 12V. LP tractors and diesels were 12V for years before the gas tractors were changed.

Ahhhh, my dad and brother,neither were to mechanical , but my dads M,[with IHC Power craters] it would barely turn, and you had to leave up on the starter button,just at the right time, to give it enough energy to start, they run it that way for seemed like years, i hated to go there to do chores for em,but eventually got changed to 12 volt,but my brother, still got the M engine in a 400 Farmall,got the original uncut crank in it! About a year ago,the local starter man, retired, gave me a M@W starter drive reducer, wished i would had that 60 years ago,LOL

I have the 1942 H my grandfather bought new. After he died my uncle inherited it and the farm. I remember discing with it and my uncle telling me "Just shift her down a gear and throttle back, we got nothing waiting for us but chores when we get done!" Pretty good advice, he was 94 when he passed. Good memories for me.

I have my dads 1952 super H I bought off my mother after he passed but the only bad part about it and it is in great shape but some dumb little kid took the serial # tag off it and so unsure of the number dumb kid.

I'm novel in the fact that I have no old memories but am proud to be building new ones with my kids on the farm we purchased 2 years ago with our '46 H. My 10-year old had the biggest smile on his face when I let him drive the H around in 1st gear on our 2 acre hay plot!
We brush cut, disc, plow, harrow, haul hay in a wagon, and do family hay rides with the H. I don't bale with it...we do our hay loose like the Amish because it's for our use only with some sheep. Plus our 150 year old barn probably couldn't take a ton of baled hay anyways. I got a cheap Deere hay rake last summer in the event that we do bale at some point. Hay is pretty lucrative around our place so we might expand production.
Our farm used to have all Allis Chalmers power according to the older neighbors, but we're a Red power farm now.

My three H's.
On the left a 44 H that was just going to be a parts donor for the other 2 but decided to fix it. It has the 800 psi lift-all upgrade.
Center is a 40 H, has tall oil filter, newer pto housing, fenders and no rear weights.
Right, 43 H, has a magneto, three point lift, and cast shift knob.
The 40 and 43 I inherited from my dad in 2015 and the 44 was purchased in 2018 as a non runner.