Which One?

[frjeff]

Have been looking at a 1953 Farmall Super C: wide front, Fast Hitch and a couple garden implements and homemade front blade.

Now, just down the road, a 1947 Farmall M comes for sale. Stopped to look, but no one home. Does not have fast hitch. No implements.

My uses will be a small (3200 sq. ft.) garden, dragging trees, spreading dirt, some snow plow, etc.

Both same asking price,

Insofar as my needs, which is the better machine for me.

All input greatly appreciated.

[Jim Becker]

For dragging trees, bigger is better. Dragging trees (or any other heavy irregular object) is one of the most dangerous things you can do with a tractor. I hope you aren't planning to move any that are too large.

For most of your other uses, the M is simply too big. In fact, one could reasonably argue that a Super C is also too big for your garden and you should be looking for a single row tractor (Cub or Super A). The counter argument is that a Super C is very maneuverable and you will loose a minimum of garden area to tractor space. Will your garden end at a fence or will you have a grassy space at each end to use for headland?

[frjeff]

For dragging trees, bigger is better. Dragging trees (or any other heavy irregular object) is one of the most dangerous things you can do with a tractor. I hope you aren't planning to move any that are too large.

For most of your other uses, the M is simply too big. In fact, one could reasonably argue that a Super C is also too big for your garden and you should be looking for a single row tractor (Cub or Super A). The counter argument is that a Super C is very maneuverable and you will loose a minimum of garden area to tractor space. Will your garden end at a fence or will you have a grassy space at each end to use for headland?

I fence with deer fencing each year, but I remove the posts and re-install every spring. So for initial prep, I have plenty of turn around headland. Later in the growing season, I can cultivate with tiller or power cultivator.
On trees: we occasionally need to drop and drag an Ash (dying up here). But the max diameter at base is usually about 10".

[Eugene]

A Super C in work ready condition, no implements, sells for more than an M in work ready condition in central Missouri.

Spent part of this afternoon taking down misshaped, out of place, black walnut. Dropped, cut into firewood lengths. Largest was around 10" in diameter at the base. Pickup, no tractor needed.

36" diameter at base sycamore, perhaps 70 feet tall, was the largest tree I/we dropped to date. Once dropped and trimmed, skidded out the trunk with a WD Allis Chalmers, about the same size as an H/M Farmall.

Firewood. Son uses firewood. Any wood cleaned up on the acreage is cut into firewood. I don't have excess firewood, if I did, I could sell it or just give it away.

[Jim Becker]

I fence with deer fencing each year, but I remove the posts and re-install every spring. So for initial prep, I have plenty of turn around headland. Later in the growing season, I can cultivate with tiller or power cultivator.
On trees: we occasionally need to drop and drag an Ash (dying up here). But the max diameter at base is usually about 10".

Since you don't have to turn your tractor within the 3200 sf, you should get along fine with a Super C. Just needing to deal with an occasional dead tree, you can take your time and get along with a smaller tractor. I've handled pines well over 10 inches with a Cub. We cut the trunk to 8 foot lengths and cleaned the branches off before pulling the pieces. With a bigger tractor you can move bigger pieces. Just keep the load down to what the tractor can handle. Go slowly. A tree trunk snagging on something can kill you faster than your survivors will be able to believe.

[rexxon]

Super C

[Eugene]

Log arch. Look up log arch on the internet. Might be the ticket for moving large tree trunks.

[Matt Kirsch]

I agree the Super C will be much more useful right out of the box. With the M you will be searching out implements or manufacturing something for quite a while before you'll really be able to use it.

A true tractor collector's answer would be: BOTH!

[danovercash]

Here you go, right here on host!

http://photos.cubfest.com/displayimage.php?pos=-10702

http://photos.cubfest.com/displayimage.php?pos=-10704