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Farmall Tractor
International Harvester Announces THE FARMALL A
With its new Farmall-A, formally announced at a factory preview in Chicago, July 12, the
International Harvester
Co.
is now producing the smallest tractor in its thirty-one years of tractor
manufacture - an all-purpose power unit for
which complete implement equipment is available to make farm mechanization possible on the smallest farms of the
United States and the world. Also not to be overlooked are its possibilities on the larger farms, where it can supplement
larger tractors in the lighter operations, or eliminate the last team from the power set-up.
The Farmall-A sells at a base price of $515. It is available only with rubber tire equipment and weighs approximately
1700 pounds, which is less than the weight of the flywheels on some of the company's earlier models. The new tractor is the result of several years of development
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during which the company has had the benefit of its extensive experience in tractor, automotive and implement engineering.
The company has built more tractors than any other organization in the world, has been an extensive producer of heavy duty
motor trucks for even a longer period and has developed tractor implement equipment for practically every kind of crop and
soil condition. It has drawn freely from all these reservoirs of knowledge in its development of the Farmall A.
The new tractor is impressive, has a striking attractiveness and appealing graceful lines, all of which have been possible though
the company's primary consideration has been to build the tractor up from the field to the factory. During its development period
the Farmall-A was required to meet the hardest possible working conditions. It was put through the toughest tests that could be
found, not only on the company's own experimental farms, but in various farming regions of the United States. The tractors were
tested in the hands of regular dirt farmers who weren't trying to nurse any pets up to the assembly lines. |
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The Farmall A
The Farmall A has seen grueling service in the Black Lands of Texas. It has withstood tests in the
Imperial Valley of California. It has been put through all types of work in the hilly, mountainous
sections of Pennsylvania. It has been tried in the fruit belt along Lake Erie, in the cotton lands
of the Southeast and in the Corn Belt of the Middle West. As a result, the company's engineers and
officials feel confident that the tractor will stand up under any and every possible condition
for which it is designed.
The most obvious features of the new tractor are the offset positions of the engine, transmission
train and seat. The engine is offset 9 inches to the right, while the seat is offset the same
distance to the right. This arrangement affords the operator an unusual area of vision, which
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greatly facilitates row crop work, and which is described as "Culti-Vision." In addition, it is pointed out,
this arrangement affords a certain desirable balance in plowing, which is often approximated by unequal
weighting of the wheels. The states, the figures representing millions, |
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The "Culti-Vision" feature is claimed to be of great value to growers of corn, cotton, vegetables and other crops which are planted in rows and which require cultivation. Such work is right ahead of the operator, and he is relieved of the necessity of looking sidewise or operating his tractor from a cramped position. The comfort of the operator is furthered by the seat which is of upholstered, sponge rubber, mounted on leaf springs. The seats can be adjusted fore and aft to meet the stature requirements of the operator. The springs can be adjusted to the weight of the man, and the seat is hinged for tilting to permit the operator to stand when desired.
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Model A Production
Model A, AV, International A, Super A, Super AV, and Super A-1
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Units |
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1939 |
6,242 |
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1940 |
22,023 |
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1941 |
22,950 |
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1942 |
9,579 |
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1943 |
105 |
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1944 |
8177 |
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1945 |
18,494 |
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1946 |
19,739 |
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1947 |
20,937 |
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1948 |
15,869 |
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1949 |
13,805 |
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1950 |
16,376 |
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1951 |
27,562 |
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1952 |
11,334 |
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1953 |
17,909 |
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1954 |
5,953 |
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Total Production |
237,054 |
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Low Fuel Consumption
The 4-cylinder engine of the Farmall-A has a 3-inch bore and a 4-inch stroke and operates at variable-governed speeds from 900 to 1400 r.p.m. with full throttle at any speed. It is regularly equipped for operation on gasoline, has a displacement of 113 cubic inches and is said to operate on one gallon of fuel an hour. The engine has replaceable cylinder sleeves, overhead valves, precision bearings and the crankshafts are Tocco-hardened.
Maximum drawbar horsepower, the company states, is 12 and belt horsepower is 15, while the rated drawbar horsepower (75 per cent of maximum) is 9, and the rated belt horsepower (85 per cent) is 12.75.
The Farmall-A has four forward speeds, with a top speed of 10 miles an hour for highway work, the three lower speeds being 2.25, 3.67 and 4.75 m.p.h., respectively.
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The rear tread is adjustable at 4-inch intervals from 40 to 68 inches through tire rim and disk wheel reversals.
The regular front wheel tread is 43 inches. An adjustable front axle is available which permits front and rear wheels
to run in the same paths, the adjustable front axle being furnished as an attachment when ordered. Steering brakes
may be operated separately for short turning or simultaneously for road operation. The wheelbase is 70 inches, the
overall length is 105 inches and the turning radius, with 40-inch rear tread, is 9 feet. The front wheels are
equipped with 4x15 tires and the rears with 8x24.
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A new line of implement equipment is available for the Farmall-A which includes plows, cultivators, planters, middle-busters, mowers, etc., all of proper
size and specially designed. The tractor will pull a 16-inch plow bottom or a one-row middle buster. In plowing it will cover two to three times as many
acres a day as a team and do the work at less than half the cost per acre. It will double disk from four to six times as many acres as a team and at a
cost of about one-fourth as much per acre. On one gallon of fuel it is said the Farmall-A will plant 3 to 4 acres of corn, cultivate 2 or more acres
of corn or cotton, mow 21/2 to 3 acres of grass and haul a loaded wagon 11 to 14 miles. A wide range of speeds is available for such field work as
cultivation as the tractor can be governed down to 11/2 miles an hour without loss of pulling power. The tractor has a minimum ground clearance of
211/2 inches under its lowest part. |
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While the Farmall-A is regularly equipped for operation on gasoline, a special combination manifold for burning gasoline,
distillate or kerosene is available. This includes an adjustable radiator shutter and a heat indicator.
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A belt pulley and power take-off are available. The tractor has adequate power for operating hay presses, two and four-hole shelters, 6 or 8-inch
feed grinders, any McCormick-Deering cane mill and hammer mills or small threshers to the capacity of the engine. The belt pulley is 81/2x6 inches
and operates at 1157 r.p.m. with the engine turning at1400, to provide a belt speed of 2574 feet a minute. The power take-off has a 1/-inch
standard spline and turns at 540 r.p.m. The power take-off is needed for operating the Farmall-A mower and the mechanisms of such tools as the
tractor binder, and can be supplied alone if the belt pulley is not needed.
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