What to look for, to buy 53 SM

Ad claims: "restored, new paint, runs great, fenders, 3 point, narrow front". Ser # 1336x J. Hope to go see later this week. How many $$. Looking for some specific things to check out. Thanks for any info. Jon

The first thing I would be looking for is an asking price. If it is over 50 miles away, I would need at least 10 good pictures. You need to know whether this iron (and rubber) is worth looking at before you invest any time and gas money on it.

If he says make an offer via email or telephone, don't offer any more than $500 minus your cost of shipping to a scrap yard and the round trip cost to his site.

Frontend wobble...common but can be kinda expensive and a pain if you need to replace the bushings, bearings and seals in the bolster.
Excessive play between the clutch pedal and shaft...common to have to have both turned and a bushing made cuz often they are so bad they swing out even beyond the floor plate/tranny cover.
The other issue that can be hard to spot because the disc brakes almost never seem to be working is the condition of the brake shafts, I have seen a few where the splines are so chipped and goughed that there is just no way the discs will slid back and forth; the just hit a gouge and tip.
Also feel around the back of the manifold real good, they get holes in the back.

Kind of a "loaded" question with not being able to be there and see it/run it.

But around here if it was just junk,(bad tires,bad sheet metal,NOT running)$500.00 to MAYBE $800.00

If it was a great condition tractor,(GREAT rear tires,GREAT sheet metal,3 point hitch,runs A1,and was a STAGE 2 (live hydraulics)$2500.00 to $3000.00

If it was a PREMIUM "show piece" (Stage 2,NEW,perfect paint,NEW tires,COMPLETELY rebuilt stem to stern,BETTER than factory looking.) I have seen these fetch $5000.00+ from the right person.(BTW,this kind of tractor is NOT my preference! I like the "worker tractors" best!

I guess I didnt FULLY answer everything?

Mechanical wise:

I would like to see a small sample of grease out of the drain plugs of the rear end and engine.

Other than some of the other things that have been already mentioned (Tires,sheet metal)How has the tractor been treated it's whole life??? (Sits outside all the time? Looks like it has been beaten with a hammer? Alot of torch marks on it,bailing wire tieing things together? Just abused,ECT!)

Does EVERYTHING work on it???? Hydraulics can be expensive if not working.

Also,I always made it a point to run it through ALL the gears and take them up the road in 5th gear wide open.if the owner refused this,I might question weather or not I would be buying this tractor???

You can also tell ALOT by just the way the seller conducts him self. I WILL NOT buy off of someone trying to push his "Problem child" off on me for an outragious price!!!!

When I bought mine off of the older fellow,he was kind,courtious,mechanically inclined,LIKES equipment,would tell me details about what has been done to it,let me test out anything,take it up the road FULL BORE,AND even delivered it to me for a SMALL destination charge!

He was one of the good ones! If I ever decide to sell it,I will call him back first.(He had shown interest in maybe owning it again one day.)

Serial # is a SM one and 52 model if gas. If I happen to be interested in a tractor for sale that says restored, new paint. First thing that pops in my mind is I have to look at this tractor in person and close before deciding anything. If fenders and hitch are good. Between those and junk price of the rest thats getting up around $1000. Go up from there depending on condition and workmanship. I always check to see if the major castings match but that doesn't matter if just a user tractor. Would be worth less to me if it happened to have like a M engine installed sometime both ways though.

Thanks everyone for the good ideas, I am making a list. What am I missing when I check the serial # on the left of this forum? It seems to be a 53? What range of block serial numbers should I look for to make sure it is a SM block? Thanks again for helping keep me out of trouble. Jon

Thanks everyone for the good ideas, I am making a list. What am I missing when I check the serial # on the left of this forum? It seems to be a 53? What range of block serial numbers should I look for to make sure it is a SM block? Thanks again for helping keep me out of trouble. Jon

Look for a CAST IN "C264" in the engine block near and above the oil filter on the right side of the tractor. The date MIGHT be om the block on the right side,right below the head deck,ABOVE the distributor cap.(If IH distributor laying on it's side/horizontal?)Date code probably NOT be EXACTLY the same month,but will be close.(UNLESS REPLACEMENT PARTS !!!! Block/head/whatever !)

If you see "C248" cast in at the oil filter location,chances are someone stuck a regular M block in it.


Problem is COULD be a replacement block/head ????? Happens ALOT,people buying short or long blocks dropping the whole deal in.From what I understand,alot of later replacement blocks were not marked????

An SM block will have the characters "C264" cast prominently in upper right side of the block above the oil filter canister. A regular M block will show nothing here.

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Another thing to look for if the tractor has live hydraulics: A failing camshaft drive gear.

To check, idle the engine and listen carefully for any rapping or clunking sounds coming from the right front of the engine. Now have an assistant deadhead the hydraulic pump (push or pull the remote hydraulic valve) while continuing listen. If the rapping sound changes or disappears, or if a rapping sound appears, suspect a failing cam drive gear.

Cam gear failures are not uncommon on live hydraulic-equipped Super M's. (I've replaced them on 3 different Super M/400's over the past several years.) Fortunately new cam gears are readily available and not terribly expensive - about $150. However replacement requires removing the entire front end of the tractor - several large, heavy parts.

You are just missing the rest of the story thats not there pertaining to serial numbers at left.
Serial # of the first regular type non diesel SM made in 1953 was 21074. Tractor in question serial number was made in august of 1952.