Advice about buying a Farmall H

Once you've established is truly a Super H, look/listen for the normal stuff: Knocks or raps from the running engine, blue smoke in the exhaust, water in the crankcase, oil in the cooling system, leaks or drips from motor, cooling system, carb, hyd system, transmission. Run the tractor in every gear listening for gear whine (worn gears/bearings) or repeating clicks/clunks (busted gear teeth/bad bearings). Run it in road gear and check the front wheels for wobble (worn steering parts). Also try to stop it with the brakes while in road gear - brakes should be able to slow the tractor and load the engine, and the clutch should not slip. Look for blowby escaping from the crankcase breather tube (right side of motor below and behind the oil filter) with the motor loaded.

Check the oil pressure both with motor cold (should be high) and warmed up/idling (needle stays out of the red). The ammeter should show charge at all speeds above idle. Nice if the temp gage works, but often it won't on an older, working tractor.

Finally look at the shape of the tires. Fronts are cheap and easy to replace, but a new set of rears will run $600 or more.

I'm sure others can add more, but this will get you started. Good luck! I own a '53 SH - it's a great tractor!!

If it runs, doesn't have any engine knocks or bad noises from the transmission and the hydraulics work it's probably worth considering. See if the brakes can stall it, clutch slipping isn't a good sign, would at least be a negotiating point. Make sure the PTO works too.

If they used it with the loader a lot the steering is probably sloppy.

I saw a non-running Super H go for $3000 last summer at an auction.

I use an H (not Super) with a baler, thrower, and wagon; works okay on fairly level ground. It's a 50 year old machine, but they are pretty easy to fix unless the pistons are fused to the sleeves, ask The Red...