Minneapolis Moline U302

Hello....I am looking at a MM U302. My elderly Dad wants something to plow a small plot with and generally put around with. Potentially we may add a snowblower to the back of it. I don't know a whole lot about tractors. Dad is concerned about running unleaded fuel in it. I have seen the debates online about additives.......my question is specific to the MM U302. I know that tractor was offered as a propane tractor. The tractor we are looking at is a gas tractor. I assume the propane powered tractor had hardened seats....though I dont know that for certain. If it does have hardened seats, I am wondering if the gas powered engine does as well????

It most likely will have hard seats.

Regardless, it will last a long time on unleaded. Valve seat damage from unleaded
is mostly limited to engines that are worked hard for long hours.

Additives are really not practical or beneficial except to the seller.

If it runs now and has been running on 10% ethanol, it will run for a long long time. Between lead free fuel, and way better
engine oil, we have made great strides in engine life. Enjoy. Jim

I have U302 LP. Very good Tractor

I would not worry about the unleaded, but more about the ethanol, especially if the tractor will sit for long periods of time between uses. I decided to start using non-ethanol premium in all my gas engines except the newer (1995) JD lawn tractor. Also put Stabil in the tank when I put the one tractor away for the winter, the other plows snow and get used year round.

I do occasionally put a bit of 2 cycle oil in the tank, just to maybe cover any valve seat issues.

But I have been running that tractor now for 30+ years and no issues with the engine on unleaded.

Tim

modern gas wonthurt your engine. Ive run regular gas inall my machines for years with no additives and no issues. A propane tractor usually has higher compression heads.

It has been running on unleaded fuel for close to 40 years.

The "perils" of unleaded fuel are largely overblown. Truth is it takes a long time to erode non-hardened seats, and many manufacturers were shipping their engines with hardened valve seats long before it was "necessary."

Further, "lead additives" are snake oil. They contain no lead, and whatever goop is in them does not replace the lead's function.

Finally, products like StaBil also do not work as advertised. I personally have noticed zero difference between leaving my good truck all winter full of untreated non-ethanol fuel, and putting a ton of StaBil in the same non-ethanol fuel. The truck starts right up the next spring, runs like a top, and gets great fuel economy on the high octane fuel. To support my experience, Taryl Fixes All did an 18-month study on 7 different fuel preservatives, and none of them lasted any longer than straight pump gas.

Jerry welcome to YT! The key things you said about his
use of the tractor.. plow a ..small.. plot and generally ..putt
around.. Back is the day when it came time for a farmer to
do his heavy tillage, say plowing it was not uncommon for
him to start his tractor early in the morning and run it 8, 10,
12 hours straight at 80 percent load or more and do that
multiple days in a row, maybe even a week or two. I do not
think your description of your fathers use will come close
to tasking the tractor as I described. So point being the
valves will be fine. M & M tractors are known to be built
tough, a farmer we farmed with back in the 70s - 80s had a
couple propane burning units which served him well. One
was a M-670 Super which is very similar to the U302 but
about 80hp. I am not sure if the Ampli-torque is optional,
but if your tractor has one just be aware that in the low ratio
side the tractor will not have engine braking. Meaning
going down a slope the torque one-way clutch will over run
or free-wheel. This is an inherent part of the design. Early
Farmalls with Torque Amplifiers have this same attribute. I
am attaching a previous YT post that discusses lubricant
for the Ampli-Torque. I think SWMolines replies at the end
address the actual concerns.
Previous YT Ampli Torque post

Thanks for the responses. I will update
with a pic if Dad decides this is the
ticket for him.

He pulled the trigger. Very happy. Will
have a friend with the right equipment
pick it up next week.

Nice looking tractor! Even got a full set of weights. Its a yellow belly I believe that makes it a 1967 or newer. I would love to have one like it some day![/url]