Farmall B - Value and what to look for???

Matt Weltz · May 4, 2011

Hey guys! Found a Farmall B out in a pasture that the guy is willing to part with. Said it ran 5 years ago when parked and is currently loose. I have only seen some pictures but it looks like something I could work with. Grill is rough and it is pretty rusty but I have seen worse. Anything specific I should look at on it? I have never been around anything smaller than an H. Also, what would it be worth in scrap??? I figure that is probably a good starting point for it. Thanks!!!!!

old · May 4, 2011

I have payed as little as $150 for one and $250 for another but both where locked up. Scrap price is some place in that ball park. As far as what to look at it is pretty much the same as you would with any other tractor and no running is very hard to be able to really know what is or isn't wrong with one

Dave H (MI) · May 5, 2011

If you have been around tractors some then I am probably telling you things you already know. I've been dragging home a tractor a year for the last several years and have picked up a few ideas of what I look for. In terms of value, I look at tires, rims, and sheet metal as well as stuck or not. Rims can look good on outside but be like Swiss cheese inside. Rust around the valve stem, welds, etc are all good indicators rims are shot. In terms of labor I look for leaks. Gaskets won't break you but splitting a tractor might. Decide how much dripping is acceptable to you and look for the signs. They all leak somewhere. If it has a starter it will need a battery. Tune up kit and carb kit are a given...price them ahead of time. My SAV had an odd carb with a $200 kit price. Cheaper to replace it. Others will tell you things I forgot.

Get out there with a pad of paper and make an honest appraisal of condition and then get out your catalogs and put some numbers on it. From my perspective the B was the easiest and cheapest tractor I've worked on. Well behind the Cub and 2N and a bit better than the SAV.

mkirsch · May 5, 2011

Even a good condition running B isn't worth a huge amount. <$1000 IMHO.

All they are, is a tractor. There's no hydraulics, no TA, no Fast Hitch... Just an engine, four wheels, and a seat. A glorified go-kart...

Occasionally you'll find one with an implement, but most have had the implements stripped and scrapped decades ago.

There's also the somewhat rare exhaust lift... Once in a while you'll run into one with the exhaust lift.

BN's appear to be in higher demand than plain B's, at least around here. There are definitely fewer B's around.

glennster · May 5, 2011

years ago i bought a farmall b with a 59 woods belly mower, the engine was froze and had 2 bent rods. gave 300 for it. did a rebuilt and new clutch while it was split. its a good mowing tractor, handles the belly mower fine. i also added a pto driven hydraulic pump, and run a log splitter off it. with loaded tires, it pulls a pretty good load.

Dave H (MI) · May 5, 2011

Pretty good load? Ours was originally used to spot equipment....baler, wagons, rake....and was easier to use than the SMTA for those purposes. It also turns on a dime and can get out of really tight spots without having to move a lot of stuff. One day I decided to have it move loaded wagons. 125 square bales on an old style hay wagon...you do the math. It pulled up and down hill without a problem. I was only nervous on the downhill side but the ground was dry and it held it's traction. The hills are not terrible but it still took some power. Good little tractors from a fine line of equipment that IH had to offer.

sflem849 · May 5, 2011

I have one that runs on the photo ads and can barely get a call on it at $1200.
Scrap is around $250/ton and it would weigh some where over a ton. Probably $300 tops.

gregk · May 5, 2011

If they are like a c farmall(and they are in a lot of ways) watch for a cracked engine block from the oil pan on up or on the front by the distributor. Sometimes when used for mowing and they got bounced alot this would crack the engine block, my 1950 c is like that. My 46 B on the other hand I overpaid for but picked up a cheap woods 59 belly mower and couldn't be happier. As is stated earlier they are easy to get out of tight places, steer very easy, are easy to use for wagons since you can just lean back and pull the drawbar pin, and are just plain handy. Price wise depends where you are at, in NE they are uncommon as they were too small for alot of field work and the farms around here were 160 acres or more. I would say if the tires are OK maybe 500 or so.

Matt Weltz · May 6, 2011

Well the guy actually has an FFA member that put in an offer on the B after me. I told him to let the kid have it; I already have 5 and he is just starting! Lol. My grandpa found a "49 Farmall C about 3 hours from him (good 6.5 hours for me) that I may have him check out. Bit far to drive for a tractor with diesel being soo high but would give me an excuse to visit my grandpa too. Guy says the C either needs a new clutch or just needs it adjusted. Asking $550 for it

dww · May 15, 2011

I am looking for the brackets to mount a Woods 59 belly mower to my Farmall BN.

Does anyone know where I might obtain such?
Thanks

DW

Farmall B - Value and what to look for???

Matt Weltz

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old

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Dave H (MI)

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mkirsch

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glennster

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Dave H (MI)

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sflem849

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gregk

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Matt Weltz

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dww

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