The Farmall B is a small one-plow row crop tractor produced by International Harvester under the Farmall brand from 1939 to 1947. It was derived from the popular Farmall A, but was offered with a narrow set of centerline front wheels instead of the A's wide front axle, allowing two-row cultivation. The operator's seat was offset to the right to allow better forward visibility.
| Farmall B | |
|---|---|
 Farmall BN | |
| Type | Row-crop agricultural tractor |
| Manufacturer | International Harvester |
| Production | 1939-1947 |
| Length | 108 inches (270 cm) |
| Width | 79.5 inches (202 cm) |
| Height | 65 inches (170 cm) |
| Weight | 2,400 pounds (1,100 kg) |
| Propulsion | Rear wheels |
| Engine model | International Harvester C113 |
| Gross power | 20 horsepower (15 kW) |
| PTO power | 18.39 horsepower (13.71 kW) (belt) |
| Drawbar power | 16.21 horsepower (12.09 kW) |
| Drawbar pull | 2,377 pounds (1,078 kg) |
| NTTL test | 331 |
| Preceded by | Farmall F-14 |
| Succeeded by | Farmall C |
Description and production
editStyled by Raymond Loewy,[1][2] it was one of International Harvester's "letter series", with 75,241 produced over the 8-year run. Mechanically identical to the Farmall A from which it was derived, B was rated for one 14-inch (36 cm) plow.[3]
The B is equipped with the A's International Harvester C113 4-cylinder inline overhead valve engine, with a 113-cubic-inch (1,850-cubic-centimetre) displacement. The sliding-gear transmission contains five total gears: four forward and one reverse, transmitted via a portal axle. It was similar to the Farmall A, using the same engine moved back to the tractor's centerline, with a narrow front end, centrally placed, and with the seat offset to the right to preserve some of the A's cultivation visibility. The arrangement allowed two rows to be cultivated.[3] As with other Farmall letter-series tractors, the design featured an integral frame and unitary construction, allowing entire assemblies to be replaced. Rear wheels on all models used a geared portal axle to provide sufficient ground clearance, and could be adjusted in width over a range of 64 inches (160 cm) to 92 inches (230 cm), allowing it to straddle wider rows than the A could.[4][5] Versions were produced for both gasoline and kerosene fuel. About 210,000 As and Bs were produced, selling for between $575 and $1,000.[6]
The B was replaced by the Farmall C in 1948.[7][8]
From 1940 to 1947, International Harvester produced the Farmall BN, with the same engine displacement, but with a rear wheel width adjustment of 56 inches (140 cm) to 84 inches (210 cm) for narrower rows.[4] About 1500 BN tractors were produced.[5]
Comparable products
editComparable products include the John Deere M, the Massey-Harris 20, and the Ferguson TE-20.[9]
References
edit- ^ Pripps, Robert N. (2020). The Complete Book of Farmall Tractors. Motor Books. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-0-7603-6389-8.
- ^ Klancher, Lee (2017). The Farmall Dynasty (1.2 ed.). Octane Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-9821733-0-5.
- ^ a b Pripps pp. 82
- ^ a b Klancher, pp. 110-113
- ^ a b "Farmall Letter Series". SUNY Fredonia. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
- ^ Pripps, p. 109
- ^ Klancher, pp. 119
- ^ "Farmall B". TractorData. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
- ^ Pripps, p. 84
External links
edit- NTTL Test #331 - Farmall B - Gasoline at the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory archive
- NTTL Test #332 - Farmall B - Distillate at the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory archive
