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Crawlers I photo'd recently.

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
25,129
Location
WWW.
Minneapolis Moline Model R--has a unique engine design--the rockers are about 12" long
and operate on a pivot to horizontal intake/exhaust valves. The rockers run directly off
camshaft. Engine was a Duesenberg design. A video to explain better.
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43247509661_24c00eeb5d_b.jpg
 

Baxsie

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2025
Messages
183
Location
Eastern Washington
We had a MM R. My favorite little tractor. (my M F-65 is still the best). Pulling the hay trailer, turning hay, pulling the pipe trailer. Hand clutch, ineffective brakes, no live PTO. But it was always reliable and dependable.

The day of our senior prom (~1982) , Kip and I loaded up 40 bags of grain on the back of our 2-wheel trailer. Dad was seeding in the north 40. Then we took off down the big hill. I was driving, Kip was riding on the trailer -- standing up of course.

The imbalanced load had me fishtailing in no time. Soon it caught rim. I was tossed into the gravel on the side of the road, Kip surfed the trailer until it came to a stop.

The poor old R was 180° upside down, still running, lots of blue smoke as it finally coughed and died.

The seed grain bags were everywhere on the road.

I have no idea how I didn't end up dead squished on the pavement under the tractor.

I was a budding mechanic, so dad found another R. It was not running, but had all the accessories (radiator, fuel tank, hood, fenders etc). I moved all those accessories onto the original tractor and it continued to serve us well.
 
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Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
17,919
Location
Canada
I know some guys on a farm that bought a similar looking MM at auction for cheap. It ran great but the wheels were rusted bad and they never really used it. There was a scrapper nearby at the time and they took it and bunch of other old junk there cleaning up the yard. I'd thought someone might be interested in the engine for a restoration since it ran really good.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
19,237
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
25-55hp decent sized, my old Allis Is 74 rated and a taste Bigger more awkward as a 4020 Deere is. Step further and go to 100+ hp lines, big tractors.
 

Willie B

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
4,965
Location
Mount Tabor VT
Occupation
Electrician
By chance & preference I have mostly International. The dealer was 1/2 mile away, and since the 1930s local farmers have had IH unless they bought something at an auction. Fords were also somewhat common.
1965 I wanted a go kart, dad didn't think that was a great idea, bought me a 1950 Farmall Cub.
1987 me & Mrs. bought land, I needed to bush hog, I needed a cheap tractor. Bought an International B275 for $1100. It did not prove to be cheap when the crankshaft broke. Rebuilt engine, it's still used for wood splitter.
Now have two Farmall M, a 385, JD lawn tractor & a Mitsubici 4X4 compact diesel.
 

Welder Dave

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2014
Messages
17,919
Location
Canada
The Advanced Ferguson system on the 100 series was the best. Brilliant engineering! Only problem is the 3pt. creeps down. This isn't a flaw and Massey didn't think it was too big of a problem. It's annoying if you have a loader ran off the 3pt. hydraulics and have an implement on the back. You have to occassionally switch the hydraulics to raise the 3pt. The fully adjustable draft control was superior to other systems. A lot of tractors just have lift and lower. Pulling a plow, cultivator or even a heavy drag beam with teeth really makes a difference with draft control.
 

Baxsie

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2025
Messages
183
Location
Eastern Washington
My PTO pump was pretty old and I think I ruined it by having an intake filter (causing cavitation) instead of a return filter with bypass. Plus having it always occupying the PTO was a pain.

The front pump was less than $300 - but all the other stuff did add up.
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
19,237
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
Allis was a major innovator on 3pt. Live hydraulics off the engine as a accessory drive not nose or transmission mounts, as well as the Torque Tube Power Director that was installed on the C, D series and improved on the 100 series. Another innovator was Oliver where the 3pt was Power Down as well up, IH produced models with that as well. Implements did ot tend to Float but could be maintained at depth.
 

Truck Shop

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Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
25,129
Location
WWW.
I guess the only mildly intriguing part about farm machinery for me is what baling wire
design is the engine configured from in early days of john barleycorn-ery.
Friend started his 6622 combine for demolition derby next month, he won last year.
Need to have tractor demo derby's-s.
 

Truck Shop

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Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
25,129
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