The Farmall B was a small one-plow row-crop tractor built by International Harvester from 1939 to 1947. It was derived from the Farmall A but used a narrow set of centreline front wheels instead of the A’s wide front axle, which let it cultivate two rows at a time.
Farmall B at a glance
| Maker | International Harvester, USA |
|---|---|
| Production | 1939–1947 |
| Derived from | Farmall A |
| Engine | IH C113, 113 cu in (1,850 cc) four-cylinder |
| Transmission | four forward and one reverse gear |
| Plow rating | one 14-inch plow |
| Front end | narrow, centreline front wheels |
| Seat | offset to the right |
| Rear track | 64 to 92 inches |
| Styling | Raymond Loewy |
| Built | 75,241 |
| Replaced by | Farmall C in 1948 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Farmall B.
History of the Farmall B
The Farmall B appeared in 1939 alongside the Farmall A, as part of International Harvester’s “letter series” styled by Raymond Loewy. It was mechanically identical to the A, using the same International Harvester C113 four-cylinder overhead-valve engine of 113 cubic inches and the same sliding-gear transmission with four forward gears and one reverse, driving through a portal axle. Like the A, it was rated for one 14-inch plow. International Harvester built 75,241 Bs over the eight-year run.
What set the B apart was its layout. The A’s engine had been offset to the left to give the driver a clear view; on the B the engine was moved back to the centreline and fitted with a narrow front end, while the operator’s seat was offset to the right to preserve some of that cultivation visibility. The arrangement allowed two rows to be cultivated at once. The rear wheels sat on a geared portal axle and could be adjusted in width from 64 to 92 inches, so the B could straddle wider rows than the A. Versions were built for both gasoline and kerosene, and the price for an A or B was between $575 and $1,000.
In 1948 the B was replaced by the Farmall C, which moved the seat back to the centreline and adopted a straight, widely adjustable rear axle. Before that, from 1940 to 1947, International Harvester also produced the Farmall BN, a version of the B with a narrower rear wheel adjustment range of 56 to 84 inches for narrow rows; about 1,500 BN tractors were built. The letter-series Farmalls, including the B, used an integral frame and unitary construction, so entire assemblies could be removed and replaced instead of being repaired in place.
Design and features
- Narrow centreline front end: the key difference from the wide-front Farmall A.
- Offset seat: moved to the right so the driver could still see the row.
- Two-row cultivation: the layout was designed to work two rows at a time.
- Wide rear adjustment: track from 64 to 92 inches on the portal axle.
- Common engine: the same 113 cu in IH C113 as the Farmall A.
Farmall B versions
- Farmall B (1939–1947): the standard narrow-front model.
- Farmall BN (1940–1947): narrower rear adjustment of 56 to 84 inches, about 1,500 built.
- Gasoline and kerosene versions: both fuels were offered.
The Farmall A was the wide-front version of the same tractor, and the Farmall C replaced the B in 1948. More Farmall tractors are in the Farmall collection.
Video: 1946 Farmall B – Complete Rebuild
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Farmall B, English Wikipedia: production, layout, BN, replacement
