32 March 2016 Farm CollectorAfter restoring his father’s tractor, Loren decided he’d like to
own tractors representing each of the three companies formed by Minneapolis-Moline in 1929. Loren’s 1920 Moline Univer-
sal D represents Moline Plow Co. His 1920 Twin City 12-20
represents Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Co. His 1928 Min-neapolis 17-30 represents Minneapolis Threshing Machine Co.
The allure of the Universal D
Loren has long been intrigued by the small Universal D. He
found the first of his five 1920 Universal D’s in western Nebras-ka. Because no records of Universal production exist, casting
dates are typically used to determine approximate manufactur-
ing dates. Loren’s Universal D’s appear to have been manufac-tured between 1918 and 1923.
“The 4-cylinder engine in the Universal D gave it 9 hp at the
drawbar and 18 at the belt,” Loren says. “There may be a num-ber of Universal D’s around, but you rarely see them on display
at shows and other events because they’re so hard to transport.
Ninety-eight percent of their weight is over the front wheels. When they’re loaded, they’re prone to tip forward.”
pounds less than other tractors of the era. The tractor’s for-The Universal D weighs about 3,380 pounds, at least 1,500
ward and reverse gears had a speed range of 1/2 to 3-1/2mph. A Bennett air cleaner helped reduce dust issues and
all control levers were within easy reach of the operator. Gasoline capacity was 15 gallons and standard equipment
included one 16-inch or 18-inch sulky, a 2-bottom 12- or
14-inch gang plow, or a 2-disc gang plow. Extra equipment included a rear-carrying truck and attachments such as disc
harrow, grain drill, planter, lister, cultivator, mower and
grain binder.
Supreme in the field
The “ample clearance” of the Universal D’s cultivator (29-
1/2 inches) was a major advertising point. The tractor and
2-row cultivator were said to “form a unit much easier to handle than four horses and a 2-row cultivator.”
Advertisements for the Universal D also highlighted the
tractor’s electrical starting and lighting system, electrical en-gine governor, “perfected” overhead-valve and lubrication of
the engine under 35 pounds pressure. The tractor’s 2-wheel
construction was said to be “the best for general farm use.”One of Loren’s Universals is an orchard tractor. “Its
smaller wheels were made to allow the tractor to fit under orchard trees,” he explains. “It’s one of the more rare
Universal models.”work of W. Candee and Robert K. Swan, Minneapolis-Moline Co. is rooted in the
who built fanning mills in Moline, Illinois,
as early as 1852. By 1865, Candee & Swan Co. began manufacturing plows,
relying on the expertise of Andrew Friberg, a former Deere & Co. employee who joined
Candee and Swan as a partner.
into an early competitor of John Deere in The change transformed Candee & Swan
plow manufacture. The two companies
struggled in court in 1867 over the right of each firm to call their product the Moline
Plow. Deere won in District court, but the ruling was overturned by the Illinois
Supreme Court in 1871, and Candee &
Swan soon named itself Moline Plow Co.With an infusion of investor capital,
Moline Plow Co. proceeded to double its business every five years, reaching
an estimated value of $15 million by- In 1915, Moline Plow purchased Universal Tractor Manufacturing Co.,
Columbus, Ohio, bringing the tractor
plant to Moline and experiencing record tractor sales as a result.
in The Universal tractor, says C.H. Wendel Oliver Hart-Parr, represented a radical
departure from the usual practice, in that
the drive-wheels were in the front, with the implement attached to the rear of the tractor.
This concept of an integral tractor and its implement was not new, but Moline developed
it to an extent previously unheard of. Despite
its brief popularity, the Moline Universal lasted only for a few years, after which Moline
Plow retreated to manufacturing implements,
never again entering the tractor business. –Loretta SorensenMOLINE PLOW CO. RISES FROM ASHES OF LEGAL BATTLE
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