Minneapolis Moline as hobby tractor?

I am a tractor novice in the market for a first time hobby tractor. My price limit is pretty limited, so i've been browsing older tractors. I'm primarily going to use the tractor For brush hogging my 3 acres and eventually some light weight tilling for a hobby garden. Eventually I will be moving to a larger acreage, so overkill isn't a concern.

For some reason I am really drawn to Minneapolis Moline tractors. I'm a sucker for design and am really drawn to the MM's aesthetics. i found a Minneapolis Moline 4 Star Tractor that is in my price range and in good running order. i am considering getting it, but wanted some advice first.

i spoke with my cousin who is into newer tractors and he told me that i don't want a MM because i will never be able to find parts if it were to break. he suggested that i get a deere, massey ferguson or ford. however, i really like the Moline. so my question is.....is it unwise to buy a minneapolis moline for a hobby tractor? can i expect it to need parts frequently and will they be impossible to find? this will not be a heavy use tractor, just for summer mowing and the occasional garden job. thank you very much!

luke.

luke, the 4 stars are pretty good tractors, most all of the parts interchange with the different models mm made. the engine and driveline are the same as the jetstar series pretty much all the way back to the 445. I still can get a lot of parts from my agco dealer and used parts are pretty common for the engines. They were pretty tough tractors and don't require any more parts than the other color tractors do, they all break down sometime.

thanks for the reply, i appreciate it. sounds like some good info. so it wouldn't be incredibly naive of me to purchase a well running MM without expecting to spend a fortune on it? again, i'm no farmer and primarily plan on using this to brush hog.

this whole thing came about when i decided i needed a lawn mower. i was very close to pulling the trigger on a cub cadet 25hp v twin. i got to talking to a salseman at a tractor store and he informed me how even the higher end models still have decks made of weak gauge steel farmed out by MTD and how the mowers are basically built to last a couple years.

i decided that i could take the same money and buy a tractor that can possibly outlast me with proper maintenance. the MM just spoke to me. haha. i am a novice, but am mechanically inclined and willing to learn.

You can get almost sny part u want for them yet. I have one andthey are a very good tractor. Many different places to buy parts yet, Heck i even get parts for mine at napa yet.

I've got a 4 Star and it is a really fun tractor to run. Check the low side of Ampli-Torc (hi-lo shift). It is not uncommon to find one that does not work on low side. It will run on high only, or the low side can be fixed, but it's a bonus and added value if Lo side works.

Maintenance and parts needs are no different than any other 50 year old tractor. Depending on where you live, parts are not impossible to find. The 4 Star,445 and Jet Star series all use many common parts. You say it's in good running order so I assume you checked out the 3 point and PTO.

Two very positive points about the tractor are that it's a 4 Star and it's in your price range.

Bob

You can get parts to make it run what does he think the wheels will fall off. Normal stuff is easy to get. go for it

Luke,

Your rellie is partially correct, the easiest ones to find parts for are the N series Fords, the JDs, more recent Masseys, and the Farmalls. And I have Fords, Farmalls, and MMs. Something draws me to the MMs as well, but my focus has been the ZB and UB models from 1953. My UB is the "Special" with factory power steering, and some other neat features, but it is definitely tough to find parts for. I need a particular steering part that I have looked for 2 years and have not found one yet. The ZB has been much easier to find parts for, and it has not needed much. By comparison, the Fords and Farmalls are so common that there is a huge market for aftermarket parts. I could probably get anything I'd ever need in about 1 week or less.

But I still like my Molines. There are collector clubs for MMs, maybe one in your area. There are 2 big national clubs with both winter and summer conventions. This YT website has a MM forum that is visited by many very knowledgable people, and they are willing to help. (And the other brands have similar forums as well).

The 4 Star and the 445 MM are both well respected tractors, and very marketable if you should change your mind. So I invite you to "go for it", but maybe you want to read and ask a few questions over on the MM forum right here on the YT website first. You will be welcomed to participate.

Paul in MN

buy it, i had a jetstar 3 for several years, never had problems getting the small parts, the local carquest had all the filters, tune up stuff ect in stock, it never broke any big parts, reason i sold it was it had no pto and i had a deal going on a jd and didnt know just what it would take to make the mm non pto into a tractor with pto, otherwise i wished i still had it, it was fun to run and a great tractor

Luke, if you don't buy it, let us know were it is and how much, OK?