5 millionth IH tractor revisited.

I have always argued 5 million IH tractors never happened. It is also my belief I have been mislead on this matter. On numerous ocasions it has been stated a Farmall M in the late 1940s was the millionth tractor. From the post of Red Dave currently on page 4, that M was not the millionth tractor, but rather the millionth Farmall. That is a completely different statistic. Secondly, it was not real late in the 1940s as the tractors shown in the IH broshure are A, B, H and M. That makes it pre 1947 as the C is not there. Until now I never questioned this 1 million figure. I had read enough about IH history, that made the 1 million figure sound very reasonable.

My argument has always been that if IH didn't produce it's 1 millionth tractor until the late 1940s, they damn well didn't produce another 4 million between late 1940s and 1974. All figures I've seen including Cub Cadets, production numbers between late 1940s and 1974 were somewhere in the order of 3 million. I now know there were more than 1 million tractors produced prior to the late 1940s, maybe even as many as 2 million. I say this as it was brought to my attention that well over 200,000 - 10-20 tractors produced. I have also looked at the numbers on a few other NON Farmall, but IH tractors. Given the fact that 1 millionth Farmall occured in probably 1945 or 46 rather than 48 or 49, those three years could make a huge difference. Tractor sales were probably at their peak just after the war.

To the guys I have jumped on re the 5 million issue, you have my appologies. Not sure I agree with 5 million just yet, but there are certainly more than I've been lead to believe.

To Messers Fay, Updike and others, you are the guys who made money writing books. I cite Fay and Updike as most times I have been involved in discussions on this matter, other participants seem to refer to your books as reference material. This misconception that has occured is precisely why I have never bought your books. You guys have researched this matter, may I suggest you now publish a complete list on production numbers of each tractor ever produced by IH. It might put money in your pocket. Remember also, you two have been quite tight liped when guys were misquoting your books.

Production numbers of each IH tractor made? Sure. We still trying to figure out WHICH tractors were made. We're up to over 600 models (been awhile since I've looked at the list). Heck, I'm not even sure about factories- try figuring out the Spanish factory.

Quiet when folks have been misquoting the books? When?

We don't have good numbers on the industrial side after 1948 that I now of. Some of the foreign operations, which really kicked in production in the 1950s, I've never seen good numbers for, especially France.

Here's some numbers to roll around:
1. The millionth Farmall was the Millionth Farmall, not IH tractor. Different number than total produced. There's been some major confusion about this, even at Case IH. However, the millionth Farmall number would only be affected by the Neuss numbers overseas, for which there are good numbers (living somewhere in my basement, from Etienne Gentil).

If memory serves correctly, the "Millionth" Farmall was produced in 1947, so for the sake of argument, we'll leave out the German tractors (production of the F-12G varients had been only a few thousand up to this point, but include the total Farmall A, B, BN production.

Farmall Regular, 135,048
F-30 29525
F-12 123441
F-20 154398
F-14 27401

Total US pre-1939 changeover (this is a rough figure) 469813

Total Farmall A, B, BN production-@218625
So there's a total of roughly 688,438.

Since in 1947, the H and M both had quite a ways to go, we have to use the yearly numbers: (With all these numbers, I'm using serial numbers, which isn't great, but in the data book, the 1939 numbers hadn't been found yet).
H through 1946-240641
M Throush 1946-122321

This actually puts the numbers up over 1,000,000. (1,051,400) I was using serial number subtraction throughout, and using the total A, AV, B, BN production for that number might be off. The year might have been 1946- it's early Sunday morning.

The foreign factories are a big kicker. Just doing some quickie numbers from Doncaster before 1970 (from Alan Condie's book, which was in the shelf in my bedroom) gives 243,887 (not including crawlers). With crawlers to 1925, the number hits 273,380. And Doncaster by this number hasn't started building some of the bogger production models it saw under IH. Neuss had bigger numbers than Doncaster in these years, as well.

I don't think it necessary to list model by model of all 600 and some odd models. I for one would like to see the count at the end of Mogul and Titan production, another figure for models between Mogul and Titan through to F and W series, F and W series themselves, letter series (lump super and non super), 00 series, 30-50 series, 40-60 series, 04-06 series, 56 series, 66 series, 86 series, etc. Aside from that I think total figures for each Britain, France, Spain, Germany, Australia, etc. Would be quite sufficient.

Your figures satiafy me that the 1 millionth Farmall probably happened somewhere between 1945 and 47. I had been seeing the same from serial numbers here at YT with figures from Regular, Fairway, F series and on to letter series. But then if one looks at non Farmalls like 10-20, 8-16, etc those numbers are quite significant. I only raise this as I was wrong each time I went after the 5 million guys. I really don't like being wrong, I guess that is human nature. I guess my old chemistry professor from college days was right in his opinion of statistics. He used to say," Stastics are much like a bikini, while revealing they still hide the vital points."

Someone we know has some lit on the millionth farmall.. I won't name names, but I am sure you have seen the lit (projected date of the said tractor being produced, seating charts, costs for company event, etc...)

Don't know about the 5millionth IH, but the 1 millionth rolled off the line on April 30, 1951.