Understanding an International Harvester (IH) tractor serial number table is essential for collectors, restorers, and owners to accurately determine a machine's production year and model specifications. Unlike modern automobiles that use standard 17-character VINs, vintage IH tractors use sequential serial numbers, often with unique factory prefixes and "Kind/Code" systems.
The IH tractor serial number table is divided into several sections, each representing a specific model or series. Here's a breakdown of the serial number format: International Harvester Tractor Serial Number Table-
| Model | Production Years | Starting Serial # | Ending Serial # | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | 1939-1954 | 501 | 398,693 | | Farmall M | 1939-1954 | 501 | 724,861 | | Farmall Cub | 1947-1964 | 501 | 235,382 | | Farmall A | 1939-1947 | 501 | 117,764 | | Farmall B | 1940-1947 | 501 | 89,043 | | Farmall Super H | 1952-1954 | 501 | 29,346 | | Farmall Super M | 1952-1954 | 501 | 44,038 | | Farmall 300 | 1954-1956 | 501 | 16,849 | | Farmall 400 | 1954-1956 | 501 | 20,091 | How to Use an IH Serial Number Table
Typically located on the transmission housing or seat support. Here's a breakdown of the serial number format:
Before we dive into the tables, it is important to understand why these numbers matter.