The Minneapolis-Moline Company was formed by the 1929 merger of the Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company, the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company, and the Moline Plow Company. You will find tractors in our museum built by all three of these companies prior to the merger, including a Moline Universal Model D.
Moline Plow Company of Moline, IL purchased the Universal Tractor Company of Columbus, OH in 1915. Prior to that, the MPC had been building plows which were designed for and sold with the Universal 10-12 motor cultivator. MPC produced models B & C, which used a two-cylinder opposed engine. The model D featured a 4-cylinder engine with pressure lubrication and electric start and had one headlight and one implement light. A number of implements from sickle mowers to plows and discs could be mounted directly on the tractor, or other implements could be towed behind the tractor using the carrying cart and hitch. Universal tractors had the engine in the front powering the front wheels.
The D did not have rear wheels of its own, but relied on the implement or carrying cart to provide the rear wheels. Steering was done by an articulating pivot point behind the engine & front wheel section. The tractor had a long wheel base, resulting in a large turning radius. The transmission had one forward and one reverse gear.
This video has more information on the Moline Universal Tractors
