The Minneapolis-Moline G1000 was one of the six-cylinder G series, the largest and most powerful tractors the company built. The line began production in 1959 with the G-VI and ended with the G-955 of 1973–1974, the last tractor to carry the Minneapolis-Moline name.
Minneapolis-Moline G1000 at a glance
| Maker | Minneapolis-Moline Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Series | G, six-cylinder, the company’s largest and most powerful |
| Series origin | 1954, when a six-cylinder power-plant engine was adapted to a G tractor |
| Production start | 1959, with the G-VI |
| G series models | G-704 (1962), G-705, G-706, G-707, G-708, G-1000, G-900, G-1000 Vista, G-950, G-1050, G-1350 |
| G-1350 (1969) | 141 hp six-cylinder diesel, ten speeds forward and two reverse, also sold as the Oliver 2155 |
| G-1355 (1972) | 142 PTO hp, the most powerful Minneapolis-Moline tractor |
| Last model | G-955, built 1973–1974 |
| Brand retired | 1974, by White Motor Company |
The source lists the G-1000 within the six-cylinder G series but gives no separate figures for it; the outputs quoted are those recorded for the G-1350 and G-1355.
History of the Minneapolis-Moline G1000
Minneapolis-Moline was formed in 1929 by the merger of Minneapolis Steel & Machinery, the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company and the Moline Implement Company. It built tractors on Lake Street at Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis, in Hopkins, Minnesota, and in Moline, Illinois, and made its name before the war with the U series and the closed-cab UDLX Comfortractor of 1938.
The six-cylinder G series began in 1954, when Moline took the engine block of its six-cylinder gas power-plant engine, turned it into a diesel and installed it in a G series tractor in place of the four-cylinder unit. In 1955 the engine bearings and final drive were enlarged and the model GB Diesel was introduced. After that the G series became the company’s biggest and most powerful line.
Production of the later six-cylinder range started in 1959 with the G-VI, followed by the G-704 in 1962 and then the G-705, G-706, G-707, G-708, G-1000, G-900, G-1000 Vista, G-950, G-1050 and G-1350. The G-1350 of 1969 produced 141 hp from a six-cylinder diesel and drove a transmission with ten forward and two reverse gears; it was also sold as the Oliver 2155 and lasted two years before the G-1355 replaced it in 1972 with 142 PTO hp, the highest output of any Minneapolis-Moline tractor. The G-955 of 1973–1974 was the last tractor built under the company name.
White also rebranded four Oliver models as Minneapolis-Moline in the early 1970s, the Oliver 1555, 1655, 1755 and 1855 becoming the G-550, G-750, G-850 and G-940 with 53, 70, 86 and 92 PTO hp. In 1971 two Italian-built Fiat diesel imports joined the range as the three-cylinder G-350 of 41 PTO hp and the four-cylinder G-450 of 54 PTO hp. White dropped the Minneapolis-Moline name in 1974.
Design and features
- Six-cylinder power: the G series was built around a six-cylinder diesel derived from the company’s power-plant engine.
- Largest in the range: G series tractors were the biggest and most powerful Minneapolis-Moline machines.
- Cross-brand sales: the G-1350 was also sold as the Oliver 2155, and the G-350 and G-450 were rebadged Fiat imports.
- End of the line: the G-955 of 1973–1974 was the last tractor to wear the Minneapolis-Moline name.
Minneapolis-Moline G1000 versions
- GB Diesel (1955): the early six-cylinder version with enlarged bearings and final drive.
- G-704 (1962) and G-705, G-706, G-707, G-708: the models that followed the G-VI of 1959.
- G-1000 and G-1000 Vista: the models described on this page, part of the six-cylinder range.
- G-900, G-950, G-1050: further six-cylinder models of the 1960s.
- G-1350 (1969) and G-1355 (1972): 141 hp and 142 PTO hp respectively, the most powerful of the line.
- G-550, G-750, G-850 and G-940: rebadged Oliver 1555, 1655, 1755 and 1855 of the early 1970s.
The earlier four-cylinder range is described on the Z and ZB page, and the company’s first landmark on the U series page. More tractors are in the Minneapolis-Moline collection.
Video: Minneapolis Moline G1000 Diesel
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Minneapolis-Moline, English Wikipedia: G series history, models, outputs, White-era rebadging
