Farmall never made a Super B?

[Mike CA]

A Super B was never made, was it? The C replaced the B? Then the Super C?

Just want to make sure I have this right in my head.

 

[glennster]

how about a super BV t/a diesel. high crop with a torque and a diesel. somebody will prolly build one and park it next to a super h t/a. seriously, no super b. c replaced the b.

 

[randy hall]

ten years or so ago there was an article in the red power magazine showing a super b prototype being tested on an ohio farm. it never made it into production.

 

[ScottyHOMeY]

You got it right. The only variant of the B was the BN, whcih was eight inches narrower (four on each side) than the B. They were made until '47, after which they were replaced with the C. Later, when the "SUPER bug" hit, the A, C, H and M were upgraded to Super, but the B was long gone by then.

 

[Steven f/AZ]

Nope, no factory Super B.

It would be simple to build, though - just need the parts to add live hydraulics and perhaps the C123 engine with water pump.

 

[rustyfarmall]

I've seen a picture somewhere of a home-built Super BTA. It was well done, but kinda looked like a total waste of two otherwise good tractors. The Farmall B and the Farmall 300.

 

[Hugh MacKay]

Scotty: Long gone on all but one, actually the last B and the first Super A were only days apart in late 1947. On the rest, I agree, it would be 1951 before we saw another Super other than the SA.

 

[Hugh MacKay]

Steven: I'm not sure putting a C-123 into a B would be a good idea. Probably not a great idea on As or early SAs. Not many folks realize this however Super A final drives got an upgrade just before factory SA1 with C-123 engine in 1954. Super A had the 354898 R1 block, same as Super C since 1951, however IH chose to put thicker 3" sleeves and 3" pistons in keeping them at C-113 until after the final drive upgrade.

I've seen C-123 engines break those older final drives, and it was a good steady pull. I've seen them break the newer final drives, but it was Canadian ring chains, pulling 2 cords of wood on bob sleds close to 10,000#. The problem was Farmall 130 would spin those chains, however they would also catch.

Here in Canada, IH would not stand behind their warrenty on European built IH tractors if you were using Canadian ring chains. It was okay to use those chains on US built tractors. I expect there were never enough folks put those chains on an offset or 200, etc., that it was a big issue with IH. The larger Farmalls saw a lot of ring chains here and those rear ends seemed to take it. I've seen my 560 coming up a grade on ice, ring chains and probably 20,000# of bob sleds with logs hitched behind, in 3rd gear and the corks on those chains chewing a trench in the hard ice 3" deep. They stood up to that punishment.

 

[steelfronts]

No there wasnt any Super B's. We have made quite a few tho using a 153 cu in combine motor. We then added fluid to the tires and three sets of wheel weights per side. They will pull three 16 's in sandy ground.(for a while) This was one way we used up several bone yard parts. I must add it made a little B very unruley and lots of caution was required.

 

[Steven f/AZ]

I see, I was not aware that there was an upgrade to the final drives on the Super A-1 and up...

Would this qualify as a "Super" B?

 

[gots-2-go]

There is one that someone with a lot of parts and time has built. It is listed on the chatstractors web site.

A real one like it was never made by IH, but one like it would be a neat peice to take to a show.

<IMG SRC=http://www.chatstractors.com/2005_farmall/051165_superb_right_front.jpg>

The listing states: "Original Farmall Super B-TA. Only one known to exist. 5 speed transmission, with TA lever, 540 PTO, 38 inch rear wheels, Big block engine, standard drawbar. NOT FOR SALE".

 

[Steven f/AZ]

Even calling that a fabricated B-TA is ridiculous. It in no way, shape, or form resembles anything close to a B!

No drop housings for the rear final drives, operator platform is NOT offset, wrong type of seat for B, wrong throttle control, wrong steering system, frame rails would be incorrect for a B, wrong clutch and brake pedals, etc.

That has got to be the absolute worst attempt possible! At least the people making SHTA's put some effort into making them appear correct!

 

[Brainerd Dave]

Dodge was the only one who made a Super Bee. It was a hopped up Coronet. With a 426 Hemi, it could move.

 

[mkirsch]

The closest thing to a "Super" B has got to be the FRAMEall (yes, FRAME, not FARM) B prototypes that somehow escaped IH's scrapyard. There are three of them out there somewhere as I recall.

Not much known about them, other than one picture in a RedPower magazine issue last year. The Frameall concept was either scrapped in favor of, or evolved into, the Touch Control system that came on the Super A and (regular) C in 1948.

A true "Super B" would have live hydraulics and a Touch Control like the Super A of 1948. Perhaps even a wide front end option.

However, IH, in one of its wisest moves EVER, discontinued the B because it was the most useless, pointless tractor they ever made. What good is a "two row" cultivator tractor where you can only see one row?

 

[Anonymous-0]

yes there was a super-b made, and it was tested on a farm near west salem, oh, the article was in Red Power along w/picure, belive it was experimental and most likely scrapped

 

[Steven f/AZ]

(quoted from post at 12:49:32 04/11/08)However, IH, in one of its wisest moves EVER, discontinued the B because it was the most useless, pointless tractor they ever made. What good is a "two row" cultivator tractor where you can only see one row?

Generally, the rows would be straight, so that if you are cultivating one row correctly, the other row should be working out just fine... I know that I only pay attention to one row.

 

[NDS]

I like to see both sides have seen people lose a foot off of center steer tractor and run half a day before they miss it and run down half mile row with foot tripped and holding section out of ground.

 

[CNKS]

I have cultivated with a B and could see all rows. It was a good cultivating tractor. A lot of them in S Texas and elsewhere in the 40's before the C came out. If you have never driven one in the era for which it was designed (the 40's), then don't knock it.

 

[Andy Motteberg]

IH never made a Farmall Super B, but the B tractors look like Super nice tractors.

Andy.

 

[Anonymous-0]

They built one and it was used on a dealers farm in OHIO then destroyed. Now i have a copy of that someone built the block says SAMPLE in raised letters on the block in front of the filter has hyds rockshaft ect. It had a disc plow from a SA mounted under neath when i bought it person i bought the tractor from didnt know anything about it except his father gave it to him and he couldnt get it to start or run gave up and advertised it on e-bay when i purchased it. Engine has the hi-altitude pistons and runs well. Not a dent anyplace on the sheetmetal. Gets attention whenever i show it.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Plain to see you have never used a B FARMALL to mow hay,rake hay,haul corn from the picker oats from the combine haul water to the livestock run a grain-o-vator grind feed and yes you can see the "other" row without a doubt the handiest second tractor on a farm that was ever built for getting on and off didnt even have to get off to unhook a wagon and the list goes on and on. Several in our area on an 80A farm that was the only tractor they had. Why do you think i seel them restored to a retired farmer that once had one and now needs one for parade and the list goes on and on.

 

[Nat 2]

Yes gene, but what, other than cultivate two rows, can a B do that an A can't? Same drivetrain, same HP, same operator's platform.

An A is just as handy around the farm as a B for a second tractor.

 

[Jim Becker]

(quoted from post at 12:49:32 04/11/08)However, IH, in one of its wisest moves EVER, discontinued the B because it was the most useless, pointless tractor they ever made. What good is a "two row" cultivator tractor where you can only see one row?

put in many hours cultivating 2 rows with a B. IMO, it has to be the best 2-row cultivating tractor ever built.