Farmall · Letter Series series

Farmall A

Name: Farmall A
Brand: Farmall

Row-crop tractor · 1939–1947 · Gasoline

The Farmall A was International Harvester's smallest Letter Series tractor, introduced in 1939 as a one-plow row-crop machine for small farms and truck gardens. Its offset "Culti-Vision" design placed the engine, seat, and steering wheel to one side of the tractor's centerline, giving the operator a clear view of the row and front wheel for precise cultivation work. Over 117,000 were built through 1947, when it gave way to the improved Super A.

Compare this tractor All Farmall models

Photo: Acroterion. License: CC BY-SA 4.0.

belt power: 19.1 hp
Displacement: 113 ci (1.9 L)
Total built: 117,552

Overview
Type	Row-crop
Series	Letter Series
Production	1939–1947
Factory	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Total built	117,552

Engine
Make	International Harvester
Model	C-113
Fuel	Gasoline
Cylinders	4
Displacement	113 ci (1.9 L)
Cooling	liquid-cooled
Aspiration	Naturally aspirated

Power
Drawbar power	16.3 hp (12.2 kW)
Belt power	19.1 hp (14.2 kW)
Nebraska test	Nebraska Test 329

Transmission
Transmission	sliding-gear — 4 forward, 1 reverse
Chassis	4x2 2WD, offset single-row
Steering	manual
Brakes	mechanical

Hydraulics & hitch
Rear PTO	transmission
PTO speed	540 rpm

History

Unveiled alongside the H and M in 1939, the Farmall A rounded out IH's new streamlined Letter Series as the smallest and most affordable model, aimed at small-acreage farmers, market gardeners, and truck-crop growers who didn't need the size of the H or M. Its signature offset layout — dubbed Culti-Vision — shifted the engine and operator's seat to the left of the tractor's centerline, eliminating the need to straddle a row and giving the driver an unobstructed view of cultivator shovels and the crop ahead.

Designed like its siblings with input from industrial designer Raymond Loewy, the A shared the family's rounded grille and hood styling while running a smaller four-cylinder C-113 engine suited to one-plow work. IH built the A in Chicago through 1947, when it was succeeded by the Super A, which added the new Touch-Control hydraulic system. A high-clearance variant, the Farmall AV, and the closely related Farmall B extended the platform to cultivating specialty crops and wider row spacing.

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