805 S. Main St., Sandwich, IL 60548
This tractor was fourteen years old when I purchased it from the
Grandgeorge Implement Company located in Somonauk, Illinois, DeKalb
County. The year of purchase was 1937. After doing some needed
repairs and painting the color I.H.C. grey, it was put to work at
jobs which a tractor was used for in those days.
I shall now attempt to describe the various features of this
experimental tractor of which only a few were built. There were no
numbers on the engine block. This machine was used to maintain a
golf course as it had very wide steel rims on all wheels. The
engine was low compression and had an Ensign two bolt carburetor
which was bolted to the hot manifold and would burn kerosene, using
gasoline to start with. The ignition system used a Splitdorf
magneto. The governor case was designed round and there was only
one governed speed which could be adjusted with the use of a spring
tension which was contained inside the case. The throttle and
magneto control shaft were low down and parallel with the frame and
had a quadrant the same as the 10-20. The crank is offset with a
gear case which had a pull rod to engage it for starting the
engine. The brake cables had pulleys bolted to the frame of the
tractor. It had an open and exposed pinion gear which engaged with
a larger spur gear and beveled gear which engaged a quadrant gear
which attached to the bolster shaft that was splined and tightened
with a heavy bolt. This was a great improvement.
A heavy cast iron cover on the axle housing was made to receive
the seat spring. The later tractors were bolted to the top of the
axle housing. There was a notched plate bolted to the bull gear
case which was used to raise the drawbar to three different
positions. I made new plates with holes inserted and bolted them to
the housings. I made this change to accommodate the two row corn
picker. That machine certainly made life easier for me. I bolted
two heavy gusset plates to the transmission case and rear axle
strengthening the frame to bear the weight of the corn picker.
These were also used in later tractors. I designed and built a
mechanical manure loader in 1947. Due to the war, I was not able to
buy a machine so I figured a way to build one. It was very
successful and I used it on this tractor until 1970 at which time I
bought a 1939 used Farmall with all the new features and
transferred the loader to it. I use it quite as often as it has
tremendous lifting power. So, the old Far-mall was not used much
anymore.
After having used the Farmall for several months I decided to
give it a complete overhaul. The engine was laid across the frame
which made it easy to work on. I replaced the main bearings,
resleeved the block with new sleeves and pistons, new exhaust
valves and new sleeves for all eight valves. I cleaned everything
of dirt, old paint and grease. Then painted it International red
with new decals. After all of that was done, the Farmall ran and
looked new again. This was all done in 1942.I must say the upkeep
cost of that machine was very low considering the many years I used
it. After a few years of use, I changed the front wheels. There was
much wear to the straight roller bearings in the front axle and as
they caused erratic steering it was necessary that I do something
about the problem. I obtained a front end bolster and wheels that
were on a late H tractor which had been in a fire; putting in new
bearings and races and with some machine work it was adapted to the
Farmall. These wheels were reversible so I could spread them out
for muddy field harvest condition during corn picking time. This
change raised the front end about four inches. I used the Farmall
then for several years to pick hundreds of acres of corn for many
neighbors.
Once I retired the Farmall from use, it sat around in the rear
of a building for several years. I was planning to restore the
Farmall but it needed parts which I had junked so I sent a request
for help to Gas Engine Magazine. They printed this request but said
I probably would have a very hard time to find them. It was
sometime later that I received a call from an Ivan Weaks who lived
near Delta, Ohio. He was interested and asked if he could see the
old tractor. He came and looked at it, wanting it for his I.H.C.
collection because it was the only one he didn’t have.
I was seventy-six years old at that time and was having medical
problems which made me decide to part with the Farmall as Mr. Weaks
seemed so thrilled to find a tractor that was missing in his
collection. I could see that he was a very fine person, so we made
a deal and he made a down payment saying he would let me know when
they would get the Farmall.
The day finally arrived when they came for the Farmall. It was a
sad looking old machine and as they were loading it, my daughter
took pictures. My wife, Irene, could see that I hated to see the
Farmall leaving and I think she was right. The Farmall was with us
for forty-eight years. I think that is a record.
Here is the rest of the story: Mr. Weaks called me one evening
to tell me that they had the Farmall running and that they were
going to sandblast and paint it the very next day because if left
overnight the cast iron tends to rust more quickly. My daughter,
Barbara, got some good pictures of the loading of that tractor. She
took a closeup of the engine showing the round governor case.
This will just about tell the story of the Farmall. I’m so
glad it will be restored and given a good home. Future generations
will appreciate knowing how machinery has been improved over the
years. As we age we appreciate more than when we were young.
P.S. I forgot to mention that there was a flanged pulley on the
crankshaft that drove the cooling fan. The later tractors just had
a crowned pulley without flange.
