Minneapolis Moline Tractors

For those from Minnesota or Illinois, the Minneapolis Moline tractors are familiar, but for those outside the Midwest, it might not have been a name heard very often, especially in recent years. Back in 1929, they were a large tractor producer due to the merger of Minneapolis Steel and Machinery, Minneapolis Threshing Machine and Moline Plow.

The company is probably best known for the pioneering of the closed-cab farm tractor, due to the cold weather in the upper Midwest. Today, it is a common feature for the Northern climate farmers, especially in the upper Midwest. The U series, the M series and the G series have a number of different models of Minneapolis Moline tractors, but the last tractors that were sold under the Minneapolis Moline name were the G955 models in 1974, even though White tractors bought the company in 1963.

After White bought Minneapolis Moline, they also bought Oliver and sold a few models under the Oliver name. Some of these models were actually sold under the same model number series in the M series, and the Oliver models were known as G550, G750, G850 and G940, with various horsepower engines as their distinguishing factor. White even sold some diesel import models that were made by Fiat under the Minneapolis Moline name, which can confuse the true tractors from those of other companies, during the White ownership period from 1963 until they sold the company to AGCO in 1991.

Through the duration of ownerships and mergers, the closed cab was the feature they were most noted for. Farmers in the upper Midwest United States loved the windshield wipers, radios and conveniences that ordinary farm tractors didn't offer, especially during the chilly and long fall harvest seasons. It was this popular feature that made them a tractor that many farmers wanted, and a model design that other manufacturers would copy in combines, crop harvesters and other large industrial equipment.

For those that are antique tractor collectors, the original tractor models are the ones that are most sought after. This would basically include ones made before the White acquisition, when different tractor names became marketed under names that weren't true to their original heritage. For those seeking the real thing, it is the earlier models that are worth the most.

That's not to say that tractors manufactured after the White acquisition aren't also popular models, because they are unique in their heritage and rarer in their models, and the number that were sold, making them harder to find. Those that are interested in projects to restore might want to focus on those that are the original models of Minneapolis Moline tractors, however.

For many of the collectors in the antique tractor market, the main problem is finding them or locating where they are listed for sale. Our comprehensive listing of the private sellers and dealers, that have them available on the market on a nationwide basis, makes it easy to find the listings that are out there. We can save you a lot of time and effort when it comes to finding these unique brands and models, especially if you are a tractor aficionado.

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