F656 Long Serial Number

[GR Gold]

Is the serial number the last 5 digits of this? What does the rest of it mean?

 

[caterpillar guy]

The last 6 are what you would use if you were at a big sale to identify the unit For checking the S/N The rest if you lok in the owners manual will usually tell what the other numbers or sequence of them means . It will be in with the section about decals and such in the very front.

 

[used red MN]

Yes, the 43881 is your serial number making it a 1970. In the case of the 656 they never made enough to require a 6 digit SN. Here is a link to page in the Farmall 656 parts catalog that defines the meaning of letter suffixes which follow the serial number. Your tractor has none.
CNHI Farmall 656 parts catalog
I have never heard any discussion that gives a break down of what the 1st portion of the numbers stood for. Maybe since JD had longer SNs that actually stood for something IH decided theirs should be longer as well, IDK.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

The part after the U is the serial number. The part before the U is a production code of some sort. Like Used Red MN, I have also never seen any definitive information on what the production codes mean. There is nothing in the manual about it.

I believe IH started adding production codes in 1970.