Immediate News Release:
Heartland Acres Agribition Center
2600 Swan Lake Blvd.
Independence, Iowa 50644
319 332-0123
Attn: Craig Johnson
Increase your Agriculture IQ #4
1938 Minneapolis-Moline UDLX Comfortractor
Paul and Kay Weiss stand by their historic and beautifully restored 1938 Minneapolis Moline UDLX on display at Heartland Acres in Independence, Iowa.
Heartland Acres Agribiton Center along with intern Jason Butz from the University of Northern Iowa, submit Article #4 in “Increase your Ag IQ” series.
The Minneapolis-Moline Tractor Company started in 1929. It was the product of a merger between Minneapolis Steel & Machinery, Minneapolis Threshing Company, and Moline Plow. Headquartered in Hopkins, Minnesota the company had plants in Minneapolis, Hopkins, and Moline, Illinois.
Minneapolis-Moline was a pioneer in developing the closed cab concept for farm tractors. Revolutionary design was the 1938 model UDLX Comfortractor. The UDLX design combined the best of both worlds for farmers. The UDLX was a working tractor for field during the week. When Friday night came just clean it up and take your best girl to the dance.
Features like a fully enclosed cab with passenger seat, electric start, full dash board and gauge cluster, heater, cigarette lighter, windshield wipers, even a radio made it popular for use on the weekends as a means of comfortable transportation. But even with all its innovations, its sales were poor. A UDLX was double the price of an Oliver or Farmall. Add in the Great Depression and it spelled the end of the UDLX. Only 150 units were built. Minneapolis-Moline continued producing a full line of other models for many years.
White Motor Company of Charles City Iowa purchased the company 1963. White produced its last Minneapolis-Moline tractor, model G-955 in 1974.
Today a perfectly restored 1938 Minneapolis-Moline UDLX, owned by Paul and Kay Weiss from Reinbeck, Iowa, is on display at Heartland Acres. It is one of approximately 40 known survivors. This, along with many other historic tractors, is part of the antique tractor display at Heartland Acres.
For more information about Heartland Acres please visit us at www.heartlandacresusa.com or call (319) 332.0123.
Heartland Acres Agribiton Center is a 501 (c) (3) non- profit organization.
