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Farmall H as an only tractor? Hypothetical??

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
If you had an H (or any color with compareable size, weight, and features) with 3pt hitch, wide frontend, live PTO and implenents sized to match along with a small square baler (say IHC 430 or JD 24T) and 10-15 acres to take care of (10+/- in hay). Would you need a bigger tractor or could the H handle it without damaging the tractor (common sense applies)?

Need and want being two different things.


Dave
 
Yes an IHC H would handle it and be fine. Though the live PTO & hydraulics would be nice options. If you could find a 606 or something of that nature you would have them.
 
Reason I am asking, I've got it in my head that I need a bigger tractor to do what I mentioned. My existing tractor (German made farmall) is the same HP overall size and maybe 150 pounds lighter than an H. Has live PTO in a sense and 3PH. Instead of a 4cyl 2.5l gas motor, it has a 1.8 3cyl diesel. 8fwd and 2 reverse gears (HI/LO) and 26HP.

Maybe I don't even need anything else and should just stop looking. Anyay, for the most part, I get some good advice on here when I ask here. Always gonna have the bashing and biased opinions just like on boards here but at least there is no language barrier and I can discuss here.

Dave
 
Dave when i was somewhat younger we had a neighbor this would have been in the 40s when you could get a new one he farmed 400A The H did the plowing discing whatever it took raised lots of hogs so there was tons of feed ground every week and a 40cow beef herd. Hired the bailing of the hay but the H was the only tractor and he got it done. An H would be a fine tractor just add a live pump get a quick-tach loader and there you go. You sure dont need a three-pt to lift a blade on the H. We arespoiled with all this new fandangled stuff and are spending our selves broke.
 
I did it for years with just a barebones H, narrow front, no 3-point, regular pto. Used a mounted JD # 5 mower too. It was kind of a pain to mount and dismount that mower every couple days but I did it.
 
(quoted from post at 04:58:56 01/27/11) No, you don't "need" anything bigger. In fact for a
little haying I wouldn't "want" anything bigger.
Click to expand...
Yeabut.the grass is always greener :roll:

I'll just pull my wanted ads and be happy then unless something comes along that is just too good to pass up. Like my little tractor anyway.

Dave
 
(quoted from post at 04:58:58 01/27/11) Dave when i was somewhat younger we had a neighbor this would have been in the 40s when you could get a new one he farmed 400A The H did the plowing discing whatever it took raised lots of hogs so there was tons of feed ground every week and a 40cow beef herd. Hired the bailing of the hay but the H was the only tractor and he got it done. An H would be a fine tractor just add a live pump get a quick-tach loader and there you go. You sure dont need a three-pt to lift a blade on the H. We arespoiled with all this new fandangled stuff and are spending our selves broke.
Click to expand...

When I was a kid, my neighbor had an H and an 8N and did everything. For some reason, I thought the H had much more power.

Dave
 
for farm size, the H would be fine. However if you are baleing large windrows, I question if the H will handle the 430. If you had a 300/350 with TA and live pto you would be able to make it work. I have a 666 hydro and a 430 with thrower and sometimes I think that he is too small.
 
not too much more power i think, but they seem to have more touque and are a bigger heavier tractor, i did some discing with my jubilee and a friends H hate to say it but that H outworked my old jubilee by a good margine
 
Worse thing about H & M Farmalls is they are geared too high in 1st gear so if you bale with one you need to rake small windrows.Good old tough tractors but I'd hate to have one as my only tractor
 
You're describing a IHC 300 rowcrop, and dad ran the farm here with that as the main tractor for several years when the Oliver 88 got tired.

--->Paul
 
Sure, lots of farmers in the 40's & 50's never had a bigger tractor than an H or something similar, Oliver 70, Allis WC, John Deere A, etc. and they did everything with them. Just not too fast, and not as convenient, but the work got done. Everybodys comments about the limitations of no live PTO, no 3 point, fast low gear are true but they don't prevent you from doing the work. You just have to work around the limitations.
 
My FIL just bought a "H" from a 94 year old neighbor of mine. While talking the ol fella stated that that H was his first tractor and THAT tractor bought and payed for all the tractors that came after it on his farm, but that was in the days when work came first, and you stopped for a bite, and stayed on it till the work was done. No wonder he is 94 and in beter shape than most 40 year olds. My grandad farmed 400+ acres with a super C, and a super H. Milking cows and raising hogs as well. This 94 year old neighbor helped my granfather erect the old post and beam way, way back when. Was a nice visit since my grand dad passed when I was just a toddler. Men sure were men back in them days.
 
I have a wfe H and a ford 4610 for haying, I wouldent give up the ford for the H. I dont think the H is enought HP to run my 9' haybine, or the baler with thrower. .It has no power steering and is not as comfortable as the ford. The H is ok for tedding or raking and pulling wagons around, and spreading manure. Thats why I keep it around. But no I wouldet want to just have that H for what I do.
 
Dad farmed about 100 acres. He had one tractor for most of the years, a Ferguson F40 (32hp, live power, 3-point, wf, gas) It always seemed to be plenty enough tractor for what he did. (about 30 acres of corn, 20 to 25 acres hay, maybe oats or wheat, and about 25 acres of woods. That tractor plowed, disced, planted, mowed, raked, baled, hauled, and whatever else was required.

So, yes it can be done. By todays standards, people think they need a dozen tractors, maybe a couple 150hp mfwd's, and all with cabs, to farm 100 acres.
 
Been selling ag equipment for most of my life and have met some real winners. After reading all your early post about buying a larger tractor, I think you are going to be hard to please and want buy unless you find that person wanting to give you a real deal. Here in the states your H as you describe would be something that most dealers would either put on the back lot or just take to the crusher. Even with the 3 pt and wide front $ 1500.00 would be a good price for it to fetch so better you are in Germany for trade. Maybe you will find that fellow and good luck. Always good to see how things are in other parts.
 
Dave thats all I farm with, I've got my grandpas 1940 H with narrow front and I got a 48 H that I bought years ago and put a wide front on it, 2 way hydraulics, M&W hand clutch (being put on as we speak to help handle the heavy windrows and the 9 foot haybine although I've done without it for years), and I've got a loader for it. Am in the market for a power steering set-up for it.
I do almost 80 acres of hay and pick-up more fields every year and last year was the 1st year I did corn and oats. The H pulls a New Idea 2 row corn picker pretty easy, just cant have wood extensions on the wagon behind the picker, got some hills in some of the corn fields.
I would love to have bigger tractors, like when I'm out plowing with my H and the nieghbor is out with his new tractor w/ cab and heat on a below 0 day, or when I'm balin hay in 95 degree heat and hes in his air conditioned cab!!!
Someday I'm gonna get me a farmall M but being 30 years old and poor it might be awhile.
My next project for the H after the M&W hand clutch is to fab up an underdrive pto comin from the rear to the front to power a front mounted snow blower. Also got a line on a lundeen cabb to add after I get the blower workin on it so I dont get covered w/ snow!!
So to answer your question it can be done!!
 
Dave thats all I farm with, I've got my grandpas 1940 H with narrow front and I got a 48 H that I bought years ago and put a wide front on it, 2 way hydraulics, M&W hand clutch (being put on as we speak to help handle the heavy windrows and the 9 foot haybine although I've done without it for years), and I've got a loader for it. Am in the market for a power steering set-up for it.
I do almost 80 acres of hay and pick-up more fields every year and last year was the 1st year I did corn and oats. The H pulls a New Idea 2 row corn picker pretty easy, just cant have wood extensions on the wagon behind the picker, got some hills in some of the corn fields.
I would love to have bigger tractors, like when I'm out plowing with my H and the nieghbor is out with his new tractor w/ cab and heat on a below 0 day, or when I'm balin hay in 95 degree heat and hes in his air conditioned cab!!!
Someday I'm gonna get me a farmall M but being 30 years old and poor it might be awhile.
My next project for the H after the M&W hand clutch is to fab up an underdrive pto comin from the rear to the front to power a front mounted snow blower. Also got a line on a lundeen cabb to add after I get the blower workin on it so I dont get covered w/ snow!!
So to answer your question it can be done!!
 
Just wanted to add that I've found that the right baler behind the H makes a diff. I used to have a Case model 230 small square baler and it was a bit much, it could do it but I ended up sellin it and gettin a IH model 46, it was made for the farmall letter M's and H's series and it perfect for the H. I bale couple 1000 bales each summer w/ very very few probelms compared to that case!!!
 
You'll be far better off with a utility type tractor. And, having an H, you will sorely miss your agriomatik (i.e. live PTO functionality).
What I envisage is that, giving the type of work you do with the tractor and the chores you're faced with, you have to get on and off the tractor frequently. An H and that cabbed Belarus you showed a while ago do not jive with that.
IMHO, Hendrik
 
(quoted from post at 06:32:50 01/27/11) Been selling ag equipment for most of my life and have met some real winners. After reading all your early post about buying a larger tractor, I think you are going to be hard to please and want buy unless you find that person wanting to give you a real deal. Here in the states your H as you describe would be something that most dealers would either put on the back lot or just take to the crusher. Even with the 3 pt and wide front $ 1500.00 would be a good price for it to fetch so better you are in Germany for trade. Maybe you will find that fellow and good luck. Always good to see how things are in other parts.
Click to expand...

Sure don't get much for 1500 bucks here. Anything that you can pick up, get inspected/plates and use and look halfway decent starts at 4000 euro unless you get something bigger than joe firewood cutter wants. I got mine several years ago for 800 euro, guess I was just in the right place at the right time. I pulled in my ads and will use mine this summer and go from there. My baler is probably not as big as the 430's. Book recommends min 18HP.

Thanks,


Dave
 
(quoted from post at 07:16:21 01/27/11) You'll be far better off with a utility type tractor. And, having an H, you will sorely miss your agriomatik (i.e. live PTO functionality).
What I envisage is that, giving the type of work you do with the tractor and the chores you're faced with, you have to get on and off the tractor frequently. An H and that cabbed Belarus you showed a while ago do not jive with that.
IMHO, Hendrik
Click to expand...

Hey Hendrik! Glad you chimed in. I've got the D326 and the H is the only thing that tractordata showed as being similiar weight, size, and HP for a comparison. Since you know what I have, the biggest job is a Welger AP45 baler. I THINK I'm Ok but have the feeling that I could just end up damaging the tractor. What do you think?

Dave
 
That's the way it used to be.80 acre farms and two plow tractors,but without the 3pt hitches and wide fronts. The only ones with live PTOs were the guys with Oliver 66s or 77s. But sure,everybody in the neighborhood only had one tractor. Farmall H,JD B,Case SC,Allis WC,Oliver 66. I've never understood the mentality that makes a person think they have to have a 90 horse tractor to farm 40 acres. It's insane.
 
sure... if I could only have 1 tractor i think i'd take my 4000 row crop wide front ( add a loader.. etc )

soundguy
 
A family friend farmed 350 acres with a Farmall 350 and a super C. He got the 350 new in 1957 and used it until he retired in 1992.

Those two tractors did it all.
 
Yes plenty of power. IH I believe advertised the H as the perfect 1/4 section tractor. That is 160 acres. Pulled a 4 row #56 planter with the big fertilizer boxes with a H for many years. 2nd gear wide open always had enough power and it ran cheap.
 
Interesting thread. I would mostly agreee that the H size tractor would be adequate. however, the answer now depends on where you are farming.

I had a case 430 on a farmette of about 20 acres here in Wi, and found it totaly incapable of handling the kinds of snow we get. Everthing else was ok. I now remove snow with a 1655 Oliver and 7ft blower. It might seem like overkill---until you have weathered a few storms and the monster drifts they bring.

Of course in the past, they somehow made do. If it took two days to clear the driveway, well thats what they did.
 
The H would not have live hydraulic, pto or a 3 point, unless added. I would get a more modern tractor if you are really using it.
 
Ah but are you talking in today's standards or 30 years ago or 50 years ago. In today's standard nope no way. 30 years ago maybe depending on how you grew up. 50 years ago heck yes and they where happy to have that. But back 50 plus years ago people farmed 160 plus acres with just one tractor of that size and though they had it good. Ya if you had the correct equipment it could be done but the H or one in its class is about to small for a baler ya it has been done may times but is pushing it
 
Pretty much yup...as long as ya live whare ya have 4 acres to turn around in...here in Upstate, NY, that WFE would hit the ding weeds or photo ads quick and be replaced by a tricyclye!
 
10 acres of hay and light utility work? No problem for a H. Extras like live PTO, hitch? Then your talking a 200, 300 series and you seem to have that already. I"ve got the IHC350D from mothers estate and the last use was 5 acres hay field and garden work- fast hitch 3 bottom plow, mower for the hay ground, JD14T baler and a pull rake, 10 foot or so disk. Previously it handled another 10 to 15 acres of corn or beans- plow, plant and wagon pulling for a 303 combine and a couple times pulled a New Idea 2 row corn picker when mother wanted some ear corn for the cows. The previous H and M were basicly replaced by the 350D for the small work needs of 20 acres instead of 200 acres. Older brother has the H, the M went to aunts second husband. RN
 
Grandpa farmed a 25 cow dairy herd with a D-14 Allis Chalmers and an 860 Ford for over thirty years. H could sure do the same.
 
I have run an MF35 for years and a year ago I got an H. I would say
the H can pull heavier loads and has a lot more lugging power even
though the tested HP is lower. The H has a bigger engine turning
more slowly, and also a lot more weight and bigger wheels, all of
which I think helps. It has loaded 14.9/38s and the 35 has loaded
13.6/28s.
Zach
 
I don"t know why not. The H is easily one of the best all around tractors ever made. Our family farmed 400 acres with only an M and a ford. Did it for a long time. Should be a piece of cake. Oh, or use an Ollie 77!
 
The Farmall H was the only tractor we had on the farm for nearly 10 years back in the 1940's and we felt lucky to have a tractor as nice and capable as the H was. The H DID NOT have a 3 point hitch...or wide front...or live PTO...or live hydraulics, but it DID have rubber tires, a belt pulley, a PTO, a hydraulic system that was adequate for nice matching cultivators or a loader, lights, starter, and a road gear....all "luxeries" at that time.
Don't expect an H to become a tractor comparable to what you can buy new these days...no matter how many good and not so good after market gadjets you may hang on the poor thing to make it so. It's like a Model A Ford....a great piece of machinery in it's time and still very useable if you want to enjoy a piece of basic purpose equipment. Honest, simple and straight forward...like a lot of people used to be too.
 
A Farmall H never had live PTO or factory three point. Very few had wide front ends. The biggest issue to me is them just being 22 PTO horsepower. That is not really enough to pull a square baler. Two bottom plows will give it a load. The H tractors around here where used as cultivator and rake tractors. Have a friend that is wanting to find a good reason to give his wife for owning one. He tried using it to run his grain auger at the unloading auger. Plugged the auger twice before giving up. LOL Wife told him to stop wasting money on a small POS.
 
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