Identifying Your Tractor

You may have purchased a farm with the tractor already on it, or maybe you inherited your "new" tractor from a relative. Maybe you bought it from a friend who didn't know what kind of tractor it was, or perhaps (and this is every tractor fanatics dream) you stumbled across it in an abandoned field covered with weeds but intact. In any case, you have no idea what the make and/or model is. For awhile perhaps it doesn't really matter. Especially if it runs! But pretty soon you'll probably need to tinker with it a bit and maybe buy a part or too. Having a manual is nice. But how does one go about determining what make and model the tractor is so you can purchase the items you need?

The first logical step would be to ask a friend or a neighbor who is knowledgeable about tractors. They could stop by, take a look and hopefully solve the mystery. But if none of your friends or neighbors have a clue, then the second logical step would be to take yourself to the local or regional library. You have a picture of your tractor clearly in your mind (or perhaps in your wallet) so go compare that picture to the pictures you find in tractor books or publications at the library.

If you already know the make of the tractor ("Farmall", or "Ford" or "Massey-Harris", etc) but you just don't know the model ("Farmall Model A", "Ford 8N", "Massey-Harris Pony", etc) then you may want to purchase a book covering your particular manufacturer. If you have no idea who even made the tractor, there are more general books available such as "The Encyclopedia of American Farm Tractors" by C.H. Wendel. This books covers hundreds of tractor makes and models and has many pictures. We have quite a few tractor books available at our on-line bookstore, so you may want to take a look there.

If none of these ideas help you, then Yesterday's Tractors would be happy to assist you in figuring out what tractor you have. Here is a plan to get things going:

Good luck identifying your tractor!