m series help

Have a friend willing to sell an M series, 1940, if I remember the serial number right. Has bucket attachment, 3 point, and pto. I need a manual or help "taking it through it's paces, like pto, 3 point hitch operation, bucket operation, low, and high gears, etc. I don't know how to operate to check it out. I also don't know what the value of these are. NEED HELP. Would be valuable tool around my homestead, but know nothing!

probably best to get someone with mechanical knowledge to try it out and give you his side of the story, but if this is your friend how come he dont take you and the tractor through its paces?

He bought it, but never really used it. He can start it up, and maybe make the front attachment go up and down. He moved some snow, that's all. Said he didn't know what "them other levers are for".

If I could get the tractor operating pages out of an owners manual, I could get a head start on further research.

I don't know anyone who knows tractors. Need an online tutorial on driving and working the Farmall M-1.

I put a note on the "all the Rest forum as well. If you tell us where you are located we may be close. As simple as they seem, a M can be difficult to describe well enough to allow making sense.
Rules.
Gears 1 through 4 go from near 1 mph to about 7 mph.
They are more dangerous as you go faster.
Fifth gear goes 18 mph and will easily tip the tractor over around corners.
The clutch is on the left. Push it at least 4" down when shifting into gear.
It has no syncros. It is not shifted between gears, it is started in the gear you want to use.
(except fifth and that will be a later Topic)
The throttle is fast pulled back, and slow forward.
The lever on the right lifts the loader when pulled. holds the loader when on its little mid point latch/stub, and lowers when pushed in farther. The lift only works with the clutch out.
The PTO only works with the clutch out.
Shift pattern:
R-2-4
N
1-3-5
Make sure the brakes work.
Regular gasoline is fine, no special stuff is needed.
15-40 oil and a new filter is great.
Oil is checked at the little valves on the bottom of the engine. They are called petcocks.
It is full when oil runs out the top one, and needs oil when it won't run out the lower.
Oil is filled with the large winged cover on the front right of engine near radiator.
(do not over tighten it with a wrench.)
The rad takes 6 gallons of 50.50 mix.
the hydraulic takes 20wt non detergent engine oil, or tractor hydraulic oil, or Hytrans Fluid from IH.
It probably has a little over 40 hp
Do not use a bush hog type mower without a overrunning clutch on the PTO (It will push you into fences and buildings)
Never try to pull out trees unless they are less than 3 inches in diameter. Always use a chain, not a nylon strap to pull with. It must be longer than the tree is high!!! (think of being hit with a 700lb flyswatter.
Tire pressure is between 18 and 22 psi on the rear, and 35 on the front.
Grease every fitting following the book as far as amount. I use Mobile 1 synthetic grease.
It is 6volt positive ground (if stock) but that is stock, and many have been modified with alternators and 12volt batteries (negative ground)
The best practice is to drive it in open spaces for at least 2 or three hours, getting the gears in your feel, the clutch action under control, and a feeling of confidence that you are in "beginner level" control.
Purchase an operators as well as a repair manual (this site has them)
Keep in touch, Jim

I would suggest if you could, post a pic of the operators platform and post it here. With a 3pt AND a loader, the manual may not have all of what you need, beings how we, or at least I, dont know what all has been done to make all of this work right.

Wow, that is quite an exhaustive analysis. You must have good typing and thinking skills.
Zach

Howdy,
Jim, that was very good and I'm sure it is going to be a great help to a new M owner. Glad to see that you are keeping up the good work, and also glad to see that the " Go Buy A Book " guys don't show up as often as they did in the past.
Bob S.

Janicholson, Also posted this on the general tractor talk portion of this forum. Thanks for the great response. I will try to get a picture posted, but might take a few days. I live about 60 miles northwest of Green Bay, Wisconsin. I will buy all three manuals if I decide buying this is a sound $ idea for me. I have quite a bit of tools, time, but don't own a farm. I was dreaming of a workhorse without a lot of $ investment. I am not unrealistic, this tractor looks like a beast, and parts (like tires) will already set me back $1,200-$1,500. If I offer $500..... here we go, a money pit and mad wife. She wants the work done, but probably using my back. I'd prefer a tractor.

Am still optimistic this may still be a deal, if I offer him $300.