Super M question on seat and serial #

Farmall AL · Jul 16, 2009

Did all Super M's have the battery under the seat?
And what did the serial numbers start at?

Red Mist · Jul 16, 2009

No, not all SM's had the battery under the seat. The very first SM's were referred to by IH as Stage 1 SM's and they were basically "souped up" M's. No battery under the seat.

Then, I have been told by several folks there were transitional Stage 1's which had battery boxes under the seat - I don't know what serial number those would be. No live hydraulics.

Next, came the Stage 2 SM with battery box under the seat and live hydraulics. First serial number of that version would be F 28175 for an Illinois built model and L 504802 for a Louisville built model.

Hope this helps you.

mike

Red Mist · Jul 16, 2009

(Delete)

Red Mist · Jul 16, 2009

To fully answer your question I should add that SM serial numbers started at F 501 for Illinois built tractors, and L 500001 for Louisville built tractors. A plain farmall M serial number started with an "FBK" prefix.
mike

D Slater · Jul 16, 2009

Maybe one reason for different opinions is in 1954 IH started selling hydraulic seat packages with battery box under the seat for previous models including M. Package 360454 R91 available for field aplication only on farmall M, MV and SM and SMV below serial numbers F 28175, L 504802 and SMV F 28200. Package contained battery box all seat parts above box, gear shift lever, rear lamp support and battery to starter cable. Also contained a note that if the tractor had the remote hydraulic line cover on the deck some other parts were needed because it was removed. SM Tractors with above serial numbers and higher came with box under seat. SMD package was a different part #. F 28181 was the first one of them made with batery box under seat or the changes to install the live hydraulic systems, if so equiped.

soybeanjoe · Jul 16, 2009

Mike, Live hydraulics were an option on the "Stage II" SMs. There were many Stage IIs that were sold that had the battery under the seat but had the belly pumps like the Stage 1s.

Your comment concerning the "transitional" Stage 1s is the first I have heard of it

mkirsch · Jul 17, 2009

There are a lot of opinions on this, but only one set of facts.

The whole "Stage I, II, III" thing was never used publicly by IH. That is either internal marketing/engineering terms, or something historians came up with to differentiate the major changes in the tractors. If you bought a Super M in 1952 or 1953, whether it had the battery under the seat or under the gas tank, whether it had live hydraulics, belly pump, or neither, it was still just a "Super M" period. In 1954, you bought a Super MTA, not a "Stage III."

Stage II Super Ms were available with either the live hydraulics or the belly pump. There was no "transitional" phase per se.

Farmall AL · Jul 17, 2009

Thanks for the info I learned alot. I would like to have one for tractor rides or pulls.

Super M question on seat and serial #

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