Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Farmall 400 still at work

I grew up on Hs, Super Ms and a 400. Started when I was 5. Those were good times. I always figured the 400 was a Super M with live power and a TA.

I had never heard that about the 400s. I do know that it became a problem with the 560s. The rear end in them was essentially unchanged from the Ms and even the Hs. When they tried to make the 560 a 5-plow tractor, the rear end was not up to it. There was a retrofit that was available for the 560s. If a 560 has had the retrofit, it should have a triangle stamped onto the ID plate.

we had the tricycle front end on a farmall, I used it to rake hay, pops used it to brush hog. Turned it over on a hillside, for the life of me can't recall what the lil orange tractor he got after that with the wide front end to bush hog with was???

good old tractor, I've no idea what happened to ours, sold at auction I reckon, will have to ask my mom.

I like old guns better ,but my newish cab Tractor with a buddy seat is the chit.

The 300 and 400 series were prone to brake issues.
They had a weird ball and ramp system, worked great, untill they didnt.
Some times they locked up, sometimes they didn't work.
A narrow front end 400, on the road in 5th gear, try to stop and one side locks up.
Gets interesting.

Allis Chalmers, maybe?
At 7 years old, I started on an 8N.
Went to a 350 industrial type at 10 years old
But got to work the neighbor's Super M and 400 on occasion.
Next, another neighbor bought, and loaned us to plow his 560 Farmall - man, what a beast in the early '60's!

I used a 560 a lot growing up and we never had a problem with the rear end. My cousin drove the 460 and I drove the 560...then we got an 856. The 560 diesel was great until the head warped. My Uncle never could get the thing right again after that despite planing it multiple times. I guess that was a thing with them. To me the 560's bridged a gap between what I'd consider antique/primitive tractors like the M's and modern ones like the 856. The next big step up was an actual usable, comfortable cab such as those found on the 1086, which was our next tractor.

Tricycles were much better for some chores such as cultivating, but you had to watch them. The 560 I was talking about had a wide front end and was a lot safer though not turning as tight.

I grew up driving the "old" tractors, and while I like looking at them today, no way would I want to go back to using them. I have tinnitus, partly from shooting without hearing protection, but also from a lifetime spent around equipment that was loud. I love my tractor with a cab, and I sometimes wish my little one had one as well. Todays hydraulics and electronics, and friendly operator controls make the old ones totally obsolete. They are okay to use for nostalgia sake, but for actual work, they went the way of the mule and the horse.

i miss the sound of the old tractors. my dad was a colletor/restorer. he did many old farmalls and a few john deere tractors. his favorite engines were the old matags washing machine kick starters.

No doubt.

I do have a cab on my smaller tractor as well.

Just one day of 105* with dirt, dust and mosquitoes, not to mention yellow jackets will make you appreciate a nice quiet, air conditioned cab.

If I were doing this stuff just for schidts and grins, and could leave the old tractor in the barn until it was 75* and sunny and dry, I might have one. But, I put my time in riding one of those... and I'm not into it for the "practice" anymore.

The reason I don't have a cab on my small tractor is that it's my "piddling" tractor, and I'm on and off of it constantly, and it is too much trouble to climb in and out of a cab 27 times a day. Otherwise, it would have one. I'm too dang old to eat dust and burn up in the sun, like I used to.

This^

That one has the IH fast-hitch too.. Very handy, that - and quite frankly I'm surprised it's asking price is that cheap..


The field being worked in the video looks to be pretty good sized - those boys are gonna be out there a while with those rigs..

I didn't look at the picture until now. That is a pretty nice tractor.

What it seems like is there really is a wealth of 50's era semi-restored tractors in the 30hp +/- range that can be had for about $3500. You just have to find the one you want.

I think I'd be looking for someone who is bundling implements into the mix as a package deal. Spend $4500, get a bushhog, blade, box grader - kind of the tractor starter kit

That's definitely a thought. But the big trick is finding an old tractor that's not worn down to a nub. That's difficult enough. Finding one that's not worn down to a nub with a compliment of implements in close to impossible.

Certainly many of these pretty tractors would last a long time driving them in numerous county fairs whereas actually plowing a field with them (which probably isn't what you're going to be doing anyway) wouldn't contribute to their longevity.

What I've found is that the parts that wear out on a lot of those old tractors have diminished the availability of parts for them.

Steering boxes seem to be one of the hardest and most expensive things to replace. You've got to find out what the weak spots on those old tractors are and then, when you check them out to make sure they're in good condition.

The steering boxes on those international 300, 330, and 350 series are known to cause problems. There's no new ones left, but a rebuilt example will cost you about $1200. That's just one example.

Three or four items like that and all of a sudden you've got $7000 in a tractor that you can get $3000 for.

On the other hand, there's a lot of parts out there for the old tractors that don't cost all that much, but you have to be set up to work on heavy equipment to maintain them. (which I'm not)

Basically, I'm looking for an old tractor that will give me 350 hours with no maintenance other than an occasional oil change here and there.

They're out there, but you have to look for them.

True,...I won't be hooking a 3 bottom plow up and heading for the horizon.

I had an M for many years that I significantly injured my left wrist on when my front wheels hit a hole. That steering wheel spun so quickly it caught my thumb and snapped the wrist sideways. That was after first breaking both bones just above the wrist running hurtles (or should I say tripping over hurtles) in HS. Pounding it really friggin hard with a 3 lb sledge last year didn't help either......