I-4

[Brent]

I know nothing about them but I looked at a IH I-4 yesterday. It's all there including the head lights. Surface rust but no major dents in the sheet metal, wires all there and hooked up. Electric start. It doesn't look like anybody botched it up, everything looks original. Needs tires but guy had two rears in good shape he said he would throw in. I couldn't tell if the motor was stuck, no crank and he had it chained to the trailor. I'd like to put a battery in it and see if it turns over but I'm not sure if it's positive or negative ground. Serial# 20101 supposed to be 1937. He's asking $700 but I think I could get it for $500. Anyboby out there know anything about the I-4. How about the asking price? My main concern is parts availability.

[Jim Becker]

The I-4 is the industrial version of the W-4, which is the standard tread version of the Farmall H. The engine and most of the drive train parts will be the same as an H (major exception may be gears of different ratios). So most of those parts will be pretty easy to find.

Since they were an industrial model, most of them tended to get beat up even more than most farm tractors. So clean, straight ones are not very common. According to Guy Fay's book, there were 6,426 built. Don't know when the first I-4 was built, but the first W-4 was 1940 and the last I-4 was 1953. Serial numbers were in sequence with the other 4-Series tractors. 20101 was built in 1948.

The electrical system was positive ground.

[Brent]

Jim,

Thanks, If it's a 1948 It's the same year as my Cub. Could that be an omen telling me to buy!

[beaconlight]

You Bet!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill

[cowboy]

Just a reminder I would soak the cylinders with penatrating fluid before trying to turn it over

Good luck Billy