F12 Farmall

Hi Last week I bought this F12. It has just been imported into England from the USofA. I know that there were a great many made and I dont know where this came from. As you can see the hood is a sorta rusty green. I wonder if anybody recognises this. I would be very interested because I would like to try to piece together its history. Now I know I'm asking virtually the impossible but I just have to try. Do tractors In USA have to carry licence plates for use on the road as they do over here. Your help really appreciated. MTF

No plates, but we are suppose to run the safety triangles! Unless you can find dealer records and previous owners, you probably wont find much on its history.

Licensing requirement varies from state to state. In Maine, I can run it on the road within a certain distance of my property without licensing it.

Don't remember exactly what that distance is, but I want to say it's 5 miles. Not a problem anyway, I'd have to pack a lunch to drive my F14 5 miles. "8^)

Nothing personal Mike, but few former F-12 owners will admit to wasting their money on such a slow, powerless machine.

Welcome to the F-12/ F-14 fraternity.

Yes, these babies are SLOW and then you change into top gear and they are STILL SLOW. My neighbour's cat can out run me with its eyes closed
BUT I really like my F-14 and enjoy tinkering and driving it (SLOWLY ).

Many of us have faster and more powerful tractors, yet the F-12/F-14 is a favourite still.

If you read off the serial number from the engine - it should match the tractor number on the data plate under the fuel tank. This will at least help you date the tractor.

Kind regards

Adrian Whiteman

Nice tractor. The hood's greenness is more than likely someone's decorative construct. Ignore Tom 43's opinion. There are great stores of info both here in the archives, and in print. Jim

Mike,My favorite tractor is my F12,I bought it from a guy that left it in the woods for 30 plus years,Its a 1937,and it has a road gear,I feel I lucked out because mine will do about 7 MPH,The motor was locked and cracked,missing parts,Rims rusted off,A lot of people shook their heads and laughed when I was hauling it home,I came home today and decided to put it away for winter,two clicks from the mag and she started.I would give anything if I had a small farm where I could use it on a daily basis.Some day I've always wanted to mount a sickle bar mower on it and mow a field of hay

jimmy

Great find
I have one in my shop ready to rebuild right now.



Its a 36 with kerosene equipment.
I don't understand why someone would belittle a tractor that was built for a small farmer to replace a team of horses. The F12 fulfilled the role it was designed for perfectly. It has working gears, its slow, but it wasn't designed to be driven from farm to farm or in parades or tractor rides. It stayed on a small farm and tirelessly worked a small farm to new levels of productivity that could only have been achieved by not having half its production going to feed the team of horses. If you have been around one they are very advanced compared to the other F series as IH was using it to test new technologies. Stand behind one and you will see the rear end design used for every H,M,B,C,supers,300,400,350,450, and the basis for every IH tractor after the F series. The final reduction being on board in the transmission case with adjustable axles. The transmission is a structural member not a case suspended inside a frame or tub. The engine was full pressure lubed instead of splash, a feature it shared only with the W40 series of the time. That engine lived on in the A,B,and C and on combines and power units. The F12/14 was a very important milestone for IH tractor design.

F12 and power.Did not realize they were so under powered at the time. Dad could pull a 2/14 trailer plow with his. Dont know what gear. He used it for most of the farm work.


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Hi Jim. Thanks for that. I agree with you entirely I am just hoping that someone who knows this tractor may with a whole lot of luck see it here and maybe tell me about it. MTF

A firs response would be to attempt reversing the paper trail on ownership and transport. That would give at least a proximate location to zone into here in the states. Jim

Thanks again. Yes I've got that one in hand. I was just hoping for a whole lot of luck MTF

Thanks again. Yes I've got that one in hand. I was just hoping for a whole lot of luck MTF