M or SM

Needs some help identifying a tractor. I'm told it is an M with serial number 310278 X1.
Here are a couple photos of it. Fast hitch? Definitely a different grill and the axle housing look different. What is it?

All I can make out in the picture is a early M oil filter housing, and maybe a early PTO. Can't see enough of the PTO or brakes to be sure on them.
Regular farmall M tractors didn't go to as high a serial # as you posted.

I'd guess at a frankin tractor. Looks like an early M style seat. I don't think it have the live hydraulic conversion on it. Looks like it is battery ignition not mag. The fast hitch could have been farmer added. And it looks like someone put some white paint on it to make it look newr than it is.

Bad angle on the pics but for the most part it looks like my old M.

Rick

It can be bought for less than 1500 and is suppose to come with a fast hitch disk and blade. I'm waiting on those photo of the implements right now. Tires are suppose to be in good shape and it is suppose to run well.

I would say M.Big oil filter,Mhood ornament.Need to see a pic of the brakes and gear shift lever to be sure.Steve(BTW plow/parts and book are waiting....)

I'm back in Az now. I will be planning a trip your way shortly. Need to get my plow ready for plow day!

See you soon!

Could be mistaken, but the angle of the steering shaft says it's an H, the SN agrees. It is not a Super H because the SH did not use X1, a gas engine was standard for the SH an option for the H's, at least the wartime ones, X1 was apparantly carried to the end of H production. I would like to see how the fast hitch attaches, I have seen pictures of brackets attached to the axle housings.

Starting from front. It has the 2 cultavator bolt holes at top of grill, [M has those bolt holes in next section below this one}. Bolster is rounded off all the way around at bottom of grill.This type of bolster discontuined when M D came out in early 1941.The M went with a more flat front bolster below grill and H stayed with rounded bolster to end of run. Lots of people painted the grill white when 450"s came out , to make tractor look more modern. The grill insert has a slight v opening at bottom of grill about 1/8 in.wide in middle at bottom of insert. The starter is on the right side an all M"s were on left side.Look close at gas tank an hood. the M will be about 2 inchs higher than the H. In other words , thicker .H built about 397,000 units ,while M built 298,218. The oil filter is the large type that came on M till about 1941. It then started using the tall filter canister that H had fm. new and H went to a short canister.
the MD came out with M"s old big canister and stayed with it to end of production.. MY thought on oil filter is, farmer could have put it on down thru the years. Lots of dirt in Arizona.On the pto, I know from about 1945, that the ingagment rod came straight up instead of at an angle.The first H"s and M"s all had the pto rod hooked to far left platform bolt hole. The tractor here in pictures is an H. Two point can be put on them anytime. Buck

CNKS after looking at the picture agian I think you are right that it is a H.

Looks like a H rather than a M. Mainly angle of steering shaft is most easily identifying feature.

Harold H

Buck,you are correct!I was so busy looking at the pics I didnt see the tractor!I feel like a fool...

The starter on this tractor is on the upper right side of the clutch housing. The starter on the M is on the upper left side, the H is on the right.

Definitely an H.

I've heard rumors that M&W made adapter plates to mount a fast hitch on H's and M's. This might have a relatively rare aftermarket item.

M seriel numbers only went up to 298,000.