Might as well introduce myself '51 Farmall M

Well I might as well go ahead and introduce myself and my tractor. I'm the ol' boy that owns the Farmall "M" in the post askin' about front hubs. The picture was taken a few weeks ago at the Bluefield, Va Christmas Parade.

I guess you'd say I've been a "lurker" on this site for probably 10 years or more. Usually the big, ugly, quiet type I've kept quiet over the years cause I've always felt like I didn't have anything to add that hadn't already been covered, and usually don't ask alot of questions simply because I like to figure stuff out for myself with the information I have at hand. I'm a firm believer in owners, service, parts manuals...and experience.

I spent the better part of 20 years dreamin' of owning a Farmall M and after spotting this one on the side of the ride several years ago I was finally able to purchase this '51 Farmall "M" late in the summer of 2008. I took it home got it running and overhauled the engine with a kit purchased from this site the following summer. Over the next winter I tore it apart and put it all back together again. I never hire anything done, learned most of what I know about mechanics in general from my Dad. I prefer to do stuff myself, learn as I go. Paint and bodywork has been my biggest challenge.











Since this picture was taken I've added a set of fenders to it, and a couple weeks ago finally sent my seat off to Darrell Darst to be recovered. I'm also planning on getting me one of those C&G reproduction mufflers when they become available this summer.

Along with this tractor, I've got a '49 Farmall Cub which is an "original" IH Blue Ribbon Reconditioned Tractor. Also a '56 Ford 640 which belonged to my late grandfather. I was "born and raised" on a '51 Farmall Cub that my Poppy bought new. He kept it until I was in high school and bought the Ford. Many years ago I got started in this hobby with garden tractors and still have three John Deere's a '67 John Deere 112H, '73 140H3, and '85 420. Three years ago I restored a '59 430W John Deere for my boss, which I take to shows and parades sometimes. Needless to say, I like old iron of all colors and makes, but my Farmalls are my favorites.

Sorry for the long first post and introduction...

I'd say you have learned well. You could be a teacher.

looks pretty darn good to me. glad you have fenders on it as it makes it complete. the ones without fenders just dont look right to me. "looks" like you found those big headlites a guy was looking for his 650.or do they just look big?

WELCOME!

You should have been on here along time ago! (BTW,I am the guy who "hijacked" your picture for "different hub" demonstration purposes!

L I K E your ride you got there!!! The entire M series is my favorite out of all of the IH family!

Welcome to the websight. You might be the go to guy for restoration work. That M looks fantastic. Thanks for posting the pictures. Ellis

(quoted from post at 08:14:35 01/18/12) looks pretty darn good to me. glad you have fenders on it as it makes it complete. the ones without fenders just dont look right to me. "looks" like you found those big headlites a guy was looking for his 650.or do they just look big?

Click to expand...

The headlights look to be correct for any of the letter series.

I grew up on Hs and Ms, and never saw a set of fenders on either until I started going to tractor shows about 15 to 20 years ago. Fenders were an extra cost option that didn't add to the functionality of the tractor, and would need to be removed before mounting most of the implements we used around here. I agree they do look nice.

Welcome to the Farmall forum and your Farmall M just looks great. I'm sure you have a huge amount of pride in a complete restoration which you accomplished totally by yourself. My first collector Farmall is an early 1951 as well. I obtained it from the 2nd owner who got it from his uncle. Until I bought the tractor it was never further then 1 1/2 miles from its delivery point on an Iowa farm. My grandpa had a M which he used mostly to run the neighborhood thrashing machine when I was a kid. I used to set on it when belted to the trasher but never really got to drive it much as was just to much tractor for a kid 7 or 8 years old. I spent all of my time on his Farmall A which I drove a lot.
Welcome again and we all hope you become a familiar contributor as you will have a lot of first hand knowledge to share with the rest of us, Hal.

Agreed. I grew up around Hs, Ms, 300s and 400s and wasn't aware that fenders were offered on them until they started showing up at antique tractor shows. The oldest tractor we had with fenders was a 656 and I think dad only got them because thats were the headlights were mounted.

Exceptional work that is probably the nicest restored m I have
scene! Welcome to the forum were glad to have you. Jim.

Good to see you posting over here too Dusty! I would say welcome, but since you "joined" before I did, it wouldn't seem right! I'm sure some of the guys here would like to see a pic or two of the Cub and the Blue Ribbon decal as well! Great looking M!

Your a better tractor man than I am,If I had a Farmall that looked as good as the first picture,I probally would have stoped there

jimmy

Hi! you're another fella like me- don't add much and figure most things out on your own.

You should be a proud M owner- looks great! Wish I had a tractor that purty...

Keep posting! You probably know it by now, but there isn't much barking and biting going on!

-Andy

I thought that was yours!!!

Very nice looking M ! You did a great job. I also like the way they look with fenders, kinda completes it for my taste.

Very interesting intro., and story. Thanks.

took another look at the lights and the rear tear drop is correct for the letter or W series but the front apply to the ihc hundred series 400,450,600,650 tractors as it is a bigger light that has a sealed beam. the tear drop lights have a bulb.not discriminating your tractor just is the first time i saw big lights on a letter series and had to satisfy my curiosity. they look good though.

Welcome. Think I remember you from ATF, and nice to see the progress on your M. Congrats on a real nice looking M. Little bit more going on here with some guys that really know their stuff. ...I'm not one of them.

That last photo is the one that made it inside the front cover of the 2012 Steiner Tractor catalog. I KNEW IT WAS ALL TOO FAMILIAR!

Glad to have ya on the board.


Billy

Thank you all for the compliments, you certainly know how to make a fella feel welcome. Yes this tractor was featured on the inside front cover of the 2012 Steiner Catalog, as well as the October 2012 issue of Vintage Tractor Digest

It's far from perfect, and there are things I wish I done differently. I do need to put new rear rubber on the ol' gal someday, but the old ones were good enough for now.

I will point out that the dealership decals on the sides of the grille are reproductions I made for my great-uncles IH Dealership here in Princeton, West Virginia "J.M. Snider". No way of knowing for certain, but being a local tractor, it likely came from there originally, as did my grandfathers '51 F-Cub

Here's a couple more pictures, before and after.

Welcome and a nice looking tractor. Think I remember seeing pictures someplace when you first purchased it. Think I remember commenting or wondering why the Stage 2 SM or SMTA instrument box cover ended up on the tractor.

Ok D Slater,How is the instrument box different than others? (NEED TO KNOW !!!! lol)

Welcome, glad you finally joined.
One heck of an introduction there.
My grandparents had an M an H, and a super H and milked 45 head of holsteins in south central Indiana.
I can remember crawling all over the H & M like a jungle gym. Had my shins constantly bruised and skinned from sliding down off of them, to give you an idea, my cousin & I were just big enough to peer over those clamshell fenders while hanging on for dear life.
We both were horsing around on the M one day & my cousing accidently hit the starter lever, it was in gear and lurched forward about a foot or two. Both of us wouldn't go near it for a month or so, we figured it was possessed or something, that's how little we were.

Thanks for bringing that memory back.
Congrats on a very nice M.

Dustys cover has the on/off switch and fuse holder in the box. Ealrier ones didnt. The fuse was on the light switch and the on/off switch mounted on the hydraulic control arm. I put the same cover on my 41 M, simply because its easier for me to reach.

Show them your "blue ribbon" Cub! Some here will get a blast seeing that.

Thanks John,You gave me my Farmall "lesson of the day" !!!! My 53 super m has THAT panel.(I have never owned a regular M.)

ohh wow you even have the governor seal on it,good stuff.

It's got a magazine spread,as well???

Looks great! I'm surprised it is a '51. If I was guessing I'd think about a 1940 (or wartime???) cuz of 1) tall oil filter, 2) seat, 3)steel belt pulley, and (looks like) 4) metal knob on shift lever. I've also never seen the same shape on another shift lever.
Thanks for sharing the info and photos. Enjoyable to see!

rustred,
Sorry, but all three lights are the same, original, 4-1/2" Guide's with original reflectors, lenses, new gaskets and new 12V bulbs...granted they may look bigger in the pics

John M is correct on the box cover, its a change most commonly associated with the '52 Super's. This tractor, serial no, 282XXX is a late October '51 model so I guess it must've got the change a couple months early...

big red man,
The seat fools alot of people, but I think everyone forgets that the pipe seat with toolbox was the "standard" seat, the Monroe seat was an option. I personally think the Monroe seat became so popular by the late 40's and early 50's the dealers ordered them with the optional seats 99% of the time. Paper belt pulleys were on their way out by the early 50's and either one could be ordered. Early M oil filter shell's were larger in diameter than the later M's, but still quite tall. Early and late H's have way different filter heights...

For whatever reason this ol' gal had a large cast steel shift knob, unlike no other I've ever seen. No doubt it was a "conversion" done by the original owner. There was also a homemade twisted wire trip rope clip attached to the seat and a large clevis attached to the drawbar. The clevis had laid there and rattled so long it wore a groove in the drawbar. As a testament to the tractors original owner, I left the shift knob, the rope clip and the clevis all intact on the restored tractor.

It's not a "textbook" restoration, I pretty much done it the way I wanted to, with some input from my wife and daughter. I like alot of detail on a tractor, but not alot tacky stuff either...

Mike at the top of page in the picture in the bulletin about IH announcing the changes made to SM tractors to accept engine driven hydraulic attachment. Notice instrument panel and steering post. On a stage 2 the voltage regulator mounted low on steering post. Ignition switch in gage panel. Stage 1 SM regulator if equiped was mounted to rear tank support. Stage 1 SM came with a ignition switch located in the same place a late M does.

Thank You Mr Slater.Good answers as always!

BTW,I am glad you showed me that page!(Starts ANOTHER question.)

It talks about the 12" clutch ,3 bolt starter thing! Someone on here told me their was NO difference between OLDER clutch housings and NEW ones ???? My Super has the 12" Rockford clutch and 3 bolt starter.

So the housing on My Super M IS different than older Ms ?????