Originally Farmall was just one of many tractor models for the International Harvester Company. It later became an actual tractor brand. It started out as a simple-to-use tractor with tires on the front which were placed just a few inches apart. This tire configuration made it easy for a farmer to maneuver around fields and made cultivating crops much more precise. The early Farmall replaced horses attached to plows, making manual farm labor much less grueling. This innovative machine led the way to more mechanized agriculture in many areas of farming. Farmall tractors continue to be in demand today by farmers throughout America and abroad.
The very first Farmall was introduced in the 1920’s in the state of Texas, where it was a hit among the farming communities. Because of its popularity in Texas, more Farmalls were manufactured in Illinois for distribution throughout the United States. By the 1930s, International Harvester wanted a more updated and sophisticated version of the original Farmall. It introduced the F-series of Farmalls which had larger and more powerful engines. These tractors were painted a dull gray until a more vibrant red was introduced in 1937. This striking change made the Farmalls even more appealing to the ever-growing customer base.
Starting in 1939, the F-series of tractors changed to a letter series. At this same time, Farmalls were being changed to be more streamlined by ideas suggested by Raymond Loewy, a company industrial designer. The sizes ranged from small tractors which had a radical change in front wheel placement to medium sized tractors where the narrow front wheel configuration remained.
Farmall models changed from letters to numbers in 1955. New looks and additional features were added to the new Farmall tractors at this time also. Things like model diesel engines, lower frames and new white paint were some of the more significant design changes. Even though International Harvested dropped the Farmall name in 1975, there are many older Farmalls still available for sale. Antique and used Farmalls can be found online and through many of your local auction houses. The Farmall name is one of the best known by antique tractor dealers. That is why these magnificent tractors are highly desired by many collectors today.