[Farmall] Farmall M LP

[Mike Sloane]

LP as a fuel for tractors became popular in areas where the fuel was 
plentiful and cheap (primarily the deep south and southwest). It is no 
longer considered a low priced alternative to either gas or diesel, and 
is limited these days for use in fork lift trucks used inside factories 
and warehouses. Some LP advocates have tried to convince local 
governments to switch their cars and buses over in order to reduce air 
pollution, but the cost and inconvenience seem to work against the 
concept. Advantages also included elimination of problems associated 
with dirty gas, stale fuel, sticking floats, etc. The biggest 
disadvantage from an agricultural aspect is that LP doesn't have the 
thermal energy of gasoline, so the effective power of the engine is 
reduced. The other problems are pretty much obvious: delivery and 
handling of the fuel. You need a relatively expensive storage tank that 
has to be filled by the company truck, and if you run out of fuel while 
away from the barn, you have to deal with lugging a heavy bottle out to 
the tractor. On a personal note, I would not be thrilled by the idea of 
regularly dealing with that much pressurized flammable gas on a regular 
basis - even the smallest leak could be catastrophic. There is some 
added complexity of the regulator and related parts, but they tend to 
not need much attention. Parts availability isn't much different than 
for gas tractors.

Historically, the numbers of LP tractors built, compared to gas, were 
small but not few enough to be considered especially collectible or 
rare. I don't have the numbers at hand, but the prices I have seen for 
LP and gas tractors seem to be comparable. Having an LP M is 
interesting, and their appearance always attracts attention at a fair or 
parade, but otherwise there isn't much to recommend them over gas.

That is, of course, just my opinion, and probably worth exactly what you 
paid for it. :-)

Mike

Tommy wrote:
> Having no experience with an LP tractor, I need some help. I have an 
> opportunity to buy an M that is on LP fuel. What are your thoughts on LP 
> tractors versus gasoline? Advantages/disadvantages? How much more/less 
> would you be willing to spend on an LP and why? I can't remember seeing 
> any numbers on the amount of LP tractors that were built. Thanks.....TW
> 
> Tommy Wilson
> Hattiesburg, MS
> 1950 IH H
> 1951 JD B
> 1952 IH SC
> 
> 
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> 

-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
mikesloane at verizon.net
Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>

If it is committed in the name of God or country, there is no crime so
heinous that the public will not forgive it. -Tom Robbins, writer (1936-)


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