Some local farming heritage shows at the museum, with a few old and interesting pieces of farm equipment, this little Farmall Cub being one. The smallest tractor ever made by International Harvester, it remained in production for nearly 35 years, from 1947 to 1979. With a quarter million units sold, it became the most popular small tractor ever produced. Actually, three major series of the original Cub were built: the Farmall Cub until 1964, the International Cub until 1975, and the new International Cub until the end of production in 1979.
The cub was equipped with a 1.0 liter (59.5 ci) 4 cylinder gasoline engine producing a claimed 10 drawbar HP (9.87 hp tested) at 1600 RPM, transferred to the ground through a 3 speed transmission, yielding maximum speeds of 2.4, 3.2 and 7.3 MPH. Model FCUB, this unit bears serial number 7344, making it a really early Farmall Cub built in 1947, the first year of production. This could well be one of the earliest surviving Cubs.
The most interesting aspect of the Cub is that it was built asymmetrically, with the engine and transmission offset to the left and the operator's seat offset to the right. The purpose was to allow the operator to look directly down at the ground as he passed over it. This was not the only model built by International Harvester with this feature.
The Cub remains a popular tractor, still being used for many small chores on farms, acreages and even golf courses. A three point hitch attachment has been created for the Cub, making it even more versatile.
The Specs:
Air Cleaner: Donaldson, oil bath.
Battery: Auto-Lite (Special)
Brakes: Two; operated by foot pedal individually or locked together.
Carburetor: IHC, 3/4 inch
Clutch: Rockford or Atwood, single plate, dry disc, spring loaded.
Generator: Delco-Remy (Special)
Governor: IHC, centrifugal, variable speed.
Ignition: IHC, high tension magneto with automatic impulse coupling.
Oil Filter: Purolator, replaceable element.
Radiator: Modine core, fin and flat tube.
Radiator Cover: None
Spark Plugs: Champion 15-A, AC-85S com., Auto-Lite BT8 or Edison Z147, 18 mm.
Starter: Delco-Remy (Special)
Engine: IHC, 2-5/8 x 2-3/4, 1,600 rpm, 4-cylinders, vertical, L-head, cast en bloc; no removable sleeves, piston displacement 59.5 cu. in.
Pulley: 9x4-1/2, 1,322 rpm and 3,114 fpm at normal engine speed (special)
Speed: MPH forward 2, 3, 6-1/8 and 2-1/4 reverse, on 7-24 tires.
THE FARMALL CUB
The Farmall Cub was the smallest tractor manufactured by International Harvester (IH) under the Farmall, International, and McCormick-Deering names. Built 1947-1981 at Louisville KY, the first Cub was sold in June 1947, and cost $545. Cubs were also built for use in Europe at St. Dizier, France starting in 1955.
Farmall made 224,203 Cubs between 1947 and 1964; they became International Cubs in 1964. In total, over 245,000 Cubs were manufactured between 1947 and 1981. By units produced, it is the most popular small tractor in history.
The Cub was one of several IH models with the seat offset from the engine, allowing the operator to look directly at the ground under the tractor. Culti-Vision, as it was called, gave the farmer an excellent view of the row. The Cub was billed as the perfect machine for the small farmer, and a "chore boy" for the larger farmer. It had a 69-inch wheelbase, using a 4-cylinder gasoline engine. At 1600 RPM, it produced about 8 Horsepower at the drawbar, well above 1,200 pounds of drawbar pull.
From cqqi net