War Year Tractors

[T-Mo]

I saw this thread on the Red Power forum: https://www.redpowermagazine.com/forums ... -tractors/

Topic alluded to cast gear shift knobs and different grille emblem material. I have a '44 B, but my gear shift knob is plastic, which could be a replacement one. I haven't looked at the grille emblem too much, so I'll have to check to see if it's steel or aluminum. Also someone mention the radiator fins being steel and not copper. Again, I haven't looked at mine yet.

Any other quirks in the war year tractors?

I placed this here as there is no general Farmall section, and since I have a B......

[Super A]

There were lots and lots of little running substitutions to the war tractors. Guy Fay published something on it, I think in Harvester Highlights, once. They really had to scramble to find raw materials for some things.

I may be wrong but I think the cast iron knobs screwed on. So that might help you narrow it down.

Also there were no As and Bs made in '43 according to the records.

Al

[Jim Becker]

The worst of the shortages were evidently 1943, the year no A/B tractors were built. Some of the substitutions appear to have come and gone as material was available. I have seen other '46 models with iron shift knobs. Material substitutions I am aware of include shift knobs, name plates, serial plates, radiator fins, and engine bearings. Tires were even made of lower grade material.

T-Mo, I'm under the impression your B is a bit of a Heinz 57, so probably not a good indicator of what came from the factory at any particular time. Your rear wheel disks look like very early production. What date codes have you found on the transmission and final drive housings?

[T-Mo]

Jim,
I'll try and find those date codes this weekend. It's not surprising my B isn't original - it's 75 years old and who knows how many previous owners had an opportunity to "improve" or "fix" things on it.

[Lt.Mike]

There were lots and lots of little running substitutions to the war tractors. Guy Fay published something on it, I think in Harvester Highlights, once. They really had to scramble to find raw materials for some things.

I may be wrong but I think the cast iron knobs screwed on. So that might help you narrow it down.

Also there were no As and Bs made in '43 according to the records.

Al

The cast knobs do screw on, I have one on my early A.

[T-Mo]

I guess I need to find me a cast knob...

[liquid plumber]

I have a cast Knob hanging on pegboard in my shop. I wish I could put it on one of my cubs