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A Lesson in the Three R's of old Tractors:
Restoration and research add up to great results
By Gary Van Hoozer
Photographs by Gary Van Hoozer
The background on most antique machinery is usually easy enough to come by. Previous owners, experts and reference materials are good sources. But sometimes you have to be a bit of a sleuth.
That's been the case for Dean Weiss, owner of a Twin City tractor. Dean and his father-in-law, Jerry Chase, have restored the tractor to original running condition, but had no information on the model number.
Twin City tractors were mostly made prior to the Minneapolis-Moline line by the same Minneapolis-based firm. In that company's system, the first digit in the model number refers to drawbar horsepower, and the second digit to the belt pulley rating.
The 17-28's were manufactured from 1930-35, and a similar model, the KT, was made from 1929-34. Several other Twin City models were made at about the same time, and were identified by power rating or (more commonly) model letters.
Dean's Twin City is almost identical to a tractor featured in The Prairie Gold Rush, which focuses on M-M technology. But there's no model number mark on the engine block. The serial number - 23530 - was there, but it more nearly resembled a number for the 17-28 series than those used on KT's.
The pair's conclusion? Since it was bought in "like new" condition in 1930 (though it was two years old at the time), their best guess is that Dean's tractor is an early 17-28 test model made in 1928.
Dean uncovered two Twin City tractors in the Omaha area with 27000+ and 28000+ serial numbers and air cleaners. (His tractor, though, lacks a large cleaner.) The Omaha tractors are believed to be pre-1930 issue.
"With this tractor, the serial numbers on parts - like the carb, air cleaner and oil pump - were early ones, too," Jerry said.