300 vs 350

[Kansas4010]

I don't know very much about Internationals so I have a few dumb questions. I have been around an M and a C but nothing newer. I am looking for a small enough tractor to pull equipment out of small sheds my bigger tractors have a hard time fitting in. I also want it big enough to pull a hay wagon. The wagons fully loaded weigh around 5,500 lbs. It won't be doing any tillage work, just odd ball chore jobs. There is a sale coming up that has a Farmall 300 and a 350. The obvious answer is look into the one that is in the best shape but don't know which one that is yet. So here are the questions. Assuming both are in similar shape is there much difference between them. I've looked through some of the archives and it seems other than a white grill and a couple more horses they are nearly the same. Is one more collectable than the other so it sells higher usually? Also are these big enough to handle the wagons easily or should I be looking for an M class tractor. Thank you.

 

[PretendFarmer]

Sounds like a job that an H could handle easily. You could probably buy 2 or more H's for the cost of one 300 or 350. I think they increase cubes from 169 to 175 for the 350. Others will likely chime in but I think everything else is the same.

 

[steve_in_mo]

I have to say "ditto" as to something cheap and simple that should do what you need done.
If you want fancy, the 300 and 350 are a lot fancier than the H.
The instrument and control layout are the same for all 3.

 

[Kansas4010]

You might be right but someone told me the H was the in thing with collectors now. I was at an auction the other day that had an H and a 300. Both were in pretty rough shape but the H had a nice spray can paint job. The H sold for $2700 and the 300 for I think $1700. Can't guarantee the 300 price I was still in shock from the H so didn't catch it.

 

[Roger in Wisconsin]

The one that has power steering

 

[D Slater]

Unless looking for a certain type hitch, power steering or wheels go with the one with best care, shape and tires. Several changes were made in productions but nothing to big. Most engines in 300 tractors rebuilt by this time to equal 350 HP. In fact later 300 with the same number connecting rods when rebuilt with the piston and sleeve size used in a 350 ended up being identical engines as early 350 except for size cast on block. Early on they did change from the 300 type manifold and later changed the camshaft nut threads on a 350 engine.
Brakes probably will need work and check rear housing under bull gears for repairs that leak.
Really a M unless weighted down is not far from the same weight or width as some F-300, 350 tractors and will have more stopping power and simpler to work on. If it just wasn't for the big gap between 4th and 5th in a standard M for moving wagons on the road.

 

[dhermesc]

Not a lot of difference between a 350 and a 300. But I would take one of them any day over an H.


Faced with a choice I would go with the one in best condition. Unless they have a wide front or a loader PS isn't that big of deal. Mine has a WF and loader and the PS didn't work for the entire time I've owned it (18 years) until this year. I got it fixed because my sons have started mowing and baling with it - $350 for a used Behlen motor and that was the cheapest unit I could find.

 

[D beatty]

From records that I have the 300 was made in gasoline only and the 350 could be had in gasoline,LP gas, and diesel.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

If your M is too big to pull things out of the shed handily, a Farmall 300 or 350 won't be much different. They are a little larger than an H, about 4/5 the size of an M overall. You sit at the same height.

 

[Kansas4010]

I don't have an M. I have run my neighbors though. My small tractor is a JD 2510. Height wise it is ok but I have to move around in the shed and with the wide front it's a tight fit. I got the 4010 in once and had a heck of a time getting it out. It was just tall enough the breather was going to hit. I borrowed the M and it was much better maneuvering in there with the nf.

 

[jsborn]

(quoted from post at 10:18:00 09/01/16) From records that I have the 300 was made in gasoline only and the 350 could be had in gasoline,LP gas, and diesel.

Was The IH 350 utility ever made with an All fuel engine? I seem to remember the one my neighbor had could be run on gas or tractor fuel (kerosene).

 

[Mac AR]

Buy either one of them. With the live hydraulics and T/A, you won't regret it. I use my 300 almost every day doing something on the farm. Its the big tractor on my place. It pulls the brush hog, carries the spray rig, and when I start plowing before long, will do all my tillage (what little I have left anyway). I'd take it over an H or Super H any day. Just make double d@mn sure the T/A works on it before you buy it. Its almost a thousand dollars for the parts alone, and its a two day, double split job to replace. Brakes are easy fixed, I did both sides on mine for $80, and under 2 hours work. With the 300, like was mentioned earlier, you may find that its been bored out to 350 spec, and on further inspection of mine it was found to be bored a little over standard to 3 5/8, had firecrater pistons, and was stroked an inch and a half. It will make 47 hp on the local dealers M&W dyno. I just can't say enough good about these old girls, and if you're handy with a wrench, you can do all the maintenance and even do some improvements like I listed above. If you have any questions about them, my email is open and you can feel free to contact me.

Mac

 

[dhermesc]

I guess it would help if I read your entire post. A 300/350 with a couple wheel weights (most have them) will handle a 5500 pound hay wagon without to much trouble - basically you are talking about 100 bales. More than a few have pulled that size of load behind a baler. To my knowledge neither is more "collectable" than the other when you are talking row crop gas tractors. The 350 diesel is somewhat rare - but for a working tractor that will eventually need parts I don't think I would pay more for one. Finding parts for the continental diesel is difficult today.

 

[used red MN]

If one has a fast hitch that is the one you want. For moving implements it would be like having a built in jack. The draw bar will raise and lower with the hydraulics. Looking for the power steering would be another good point, although they are both equally adgile without it. I think it was an option for the 350, but would be an add on for a 300.

 

[Charlie M]

I think the 350 had a couple more horsepower and people seem to like the paint job on a 350 better. They are a couple years newer if that means anything. People will paint a 300 and try to pawn it off as a 350 if that means anything to you. If they have a fast hitch the one on the 350 is different from the 300. I don't know in the end if the one on the 350 is that much better. If you don't have 2 pt hitch implements it probably don't matter.

 

[Donald in MN]

300 may have the 6 volt system 350 would maybe 12 . 300 would have manual steering unless it was added 350 would be more likely to have power steering

 

[caterpillar guy]

Why not just put a narrow front under the Deere cheaper than buying a tractor, and no more shed space needed. Better PS and Live PTO and hydraulics.

 

[PretendFarmer]

Clearly the 300 or 350 is a more usable tractor than an H or SH. Around here, a lot of the tobacco farmers use H's to move their tobacco racks around. I see other farmers using them to move hay wagons around full of hay. It makes sense as using a 300 or 350 for such jobs is a waste. The hydraulics, the live PTO and the T/A is completely unnecessary, in my opinion, when all you want the tractor to do is move wagons around.
If your looking to do other things with it too, then those other functions might be useful and that would be a different story.
The biggest problem you'd have with the H when pulling a wagon full of hay, is unless your on flat ground, your not getting into 5th gear. That's where having a T/A would be nice.
There are H's with X1G after the serial which would indicate slow first gear, fast fourth (about 7 1/2 mph).
If an H sold for more than a 300 or 350, its because that H had nothing wrong and that 300 or 350 must have been beat to a pulp.

 

[D Slater]

Do have a 350 that previous owner cut the axles on with narrow front. Moved some stuff in shed that others wouldn't clear with it. No power steering. Farmall SH, 300 and 350 have standard axles that make them about the same width as a M, 400, ETC, easy to catch axles on things with wheels in. Learned the hard way about that when passing daughters car once when I though plenty of room on a 300 until I noticed car shake a little. Ended up getting a crease in rear fender fixed. Plan on replacing the cut axles with 2.75 axles and wheels if I get to fixing it up.