Tool Review: 1941 Farmall A

Since the previous post last week we finished up several odds and ends but nothing major to report so we decided to do a tool review. One of the first tools that we purchased when we started working on Boothe Mountain Retreat was a 1941 Farmall A. It is a ~20 hp tractor primarily used in tobacco farms around the area. We picked it up in Creedmoor, about 40 miles from our building site. We purchased it for $1050 from a gentleman farmer who acquired from a teenager to cover a bad debt.


It is about as basic as you get for a tractor. It came stock with a 4 speed transmission, wide front end and a 540 RPM PTO. At some point a hydraulic set up was added which runs the front and rear lifts for bolt on attachments. It does not have 4WD or hydrostatic transmission like the new popular sub-compact tractors.

We have spent about $500 on the tractor in the last 2 years repairing and tuning it up. The first thing done was to get a 3 point hitch. It allows the attachment of modern implements. We found a relatively new box blade on our property along with a two stage winch. We also have a flail mower and a fork attachment for the back to lift pallets and skid logs.

There are a couple of areas where the Farmall is not ideal. It is easy to flip if you are up on the hillside and take a wrong turn. We have not flipped it yet but have come close. We have also gotten it stuck in the mud a few times. Now I know why a farm jack is so important.

When you are stuck in a deep rut it is important to just give up and jack up the dug in tire. Once it is out of the rut it is time to fill the hole with whatever it around (i.e., cord wood, slabs from the saw mill etc).

All in all it is a great tractor that is fun to work on and even more fun to drive.