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Farmall & IHC Tractors Discussion Forum
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Can someone teach me about number series?

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Mike CA

05-14-2007 13:36:51




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I've concentrated on letter series since I've gotten into tractors. I know in the early 50's they switched to numbers, and I can pretty much folloow them. 400 is an M, 450 is a better M... but what does the 50 mean? 300, 350 is an H, 100 used to be the A, 200 used to be the C.

But then I start reading about 666, 876, 1206, and a ton of other numbers that make absolutely no sense to me. What does it all mean? Whats the difference between a 656 and a 666 for example? Or an 706, 806, 1206? It's pretty confusing. So, I thought I would ask, rather than just not care.

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John A.

05-14-2007 20:53:34




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to Mike CA, 05-14-2007 13:36:51  
Mike, If you do not allready have Guy Fays Farmall Letter Series book Get One! Read it! Then Go get his follow up book The Farmall Number Series book then do the same. That will give you thhe basic foundation you need in you Farmall knowledge.
Next just start parusing the book racks @ Barnes & Noble, or Hastings, or some book stores in your area to start filling in the gaps. There are many apon many books from various authors that should do nicely to help you get you Farmall Education! Hope this helps. Later, John A.

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Mike CA

05-14-2007 23:11:30




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to John A., 05-14-2007 20:53:34  
The Letter Series was the first book I bought. I never bought the number series because it isn't what I'm interested in. I just wanted a quick education.



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J.J. from Afton

05-14-2007 20:32:37




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to Mike CA, 05-14-2007 13:36:51  
Really to sum it up, the number series was a series of numerous serieses in and of itself.
Like others said there was the hundred series, 40 and 60 series, 06, 56, 66, 26, 86, 88, etc.

Than to make it more fun some tractors in each series were availible in numerous ways.

The 340 for example was availible in rowcrop, utility, highcrop, industrial, forklift conversions, with each availible in diesel. Than add to that the crawler versions, standard and narrow gauge, gas diesel, etc.

It was all about what the customers were looking for.

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GA Dave

05-14-2007 18:54:43




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to Mike CA, 05-14-2007 13:36:51  
chadd. They made a 240 Farmall row crop. A 240 International Utility. Different uses for whatever the end user needed. My $.02 worth. Whatever happened to the cent key? I had one on my old Underwood manual typewriter. I called it lightning because it'd never strike twice in the same place! David.



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caterpillar guy

05-14-2007 16:59:15




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to Mike CA, 05-14-2007 13:36:51  
I was under the impression that the 26 series had a german diesel engine in them and some other differences glow plugs and such or at least the 726&826 did from what i've read. Do correct me if i'm wrong and no offense taken.



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texp

05-14-2007 16:39:29




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to Mike CA, 05-14-2007 13:36:51  
Jeepers Wally! I just thought that they threw something at an adding machine, and what ever came up, they named a tractor after it!



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NDS

05-14-2007 14:44:31




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to Mike CA, 05-14-2007 13:36:51  
I have read that on the 06, 26, 56, and 66 series the last digit was for number of cylinders and the first digits were the HP 656=65 HP, 966=96 HP, and 1266=126 HP etc. this may not be true and I hope someone will correct me if it is not.



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georgeky

05-14-2007 20:47:04




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to NDS, 05-14-2007 14:44:31  
That is fairly close. The 24,34,44,54,64,74,84 were this way as well, but then came the 85/95 series and screwed that up.



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georgeky

05-14-2007 14:11:15




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to Mike CA, 05-14-2007 13:36:51  
Every time an update came along the numbers were changed. The 300 replaced the Super H it had fast hitch, power steering IPTO better hydraulic system and so on. The 350 replaced the 300 it was basicly the same with a larger engine. The same with the M,Super M,400,450 and so on. The A went to Super A, 100,130,140. The B was replaced with the C then Super C,200,230,240,404. All this is just progressions of previous models. The same is true with newer models. The biggest difference in a 656 and 666 is just updates. The 666 has a bigger engine than the 656 a larger hydraulic pump and starts a lot easier, but basicly the same tractor, then the 666 became a 686 which is really the last Farmall tractor. The 656,666,686 are kinda like a Super super super MTA. The same is true of the 06,26,56,66,86 series of larger tractors. Its called progress.

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Mike CA

05-14-2007 14:19:24




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to georgeky, 05-14-2007 14:11:15  
I guess what is confusing is that they don'tt follow a standard "rule" of progression. The 300 went to 350. But the 200 went to 230.

I guess, when I think about it, why did they have A,B, C... H... M? Why not A, B, C, D, and E?

*sigh*



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chadd

05-14-2007 15:27:25




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to Mike CA, 05-14-2007 14:19:24  
There actually was a 330 if it makes you feel better. It was a stopgap model using a 340 engine in a 350 chassis. You really can't go back through time and say that the 200 series carried on all the way through this certain progression. . . An example is that the 26 series tractors actually came out AFTER the 56 series tractors. Instead look at them as "series" of tractors.

Hundred Series
100, 200, 300, 400, 600, 130, 230, 350, 450, 650, 330 (international only)

40 and 60 series
140, 240, 340, 460, 560, 660

04 and 06 series
404, 504, 606 (international only), 706, 806, 1206

56 series
656, 756, 856, 1056, 1256, 1456

26 series
726, 826, 1026

54 and 74 series
454, 574, 674

66 series
766, 966, 1066, 1466, 1566

Right about here, I can't continue from memory. . .

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Nat 2

05-14-2007 14:32:49




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 Re: Can someone teach me about number series? in reply to Mike CA, 05-14-2007 14:19:24  
MARKETING is why there's no rhyme or reason to it. It's whatever sounded "cool" at the time.

The A, B, and C were never manufactured at the same time. The A and B were manufactured through 1947. Then they introduced the C and SUPER A in 1948.

When they went to the 30/50 series, they already knew they were coming out with the 40/60 series. The decided that the middle number in the 40/60 series would indicate the number of cylinders in the engine, and they certainly could not go "backwards" from a 250 to a 240. So, they used 30's for the smaller tractors. Besides 230 has more of a "ring" to it than 250.

You'll notice that the number series ALWAYS progressed forward, and the numbers got bigger. It was a marketing ploy. They didn't think farmers would buy a tractor with a smaller number. Sometimes the jumps were not logical, especially when new "classes" of tractor were added.

You will do yourself a big favor by locating a copy of "150 Years of International Harvester" by CH Wendel (out of print, may be at your local library).

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