Molines

[Leroy]

I am not a Moline person except I liked the looks of the older tractors. I did have a single block U for a time and I know it had a low seat position. Question is were all the Z series low seat models or was there a certain time that some were a higher seat position like the ZB had or was it a conversion kit to raise the seat? On the R were they all low seat or did some have the high seat and on the R I have seen some with 15 inch front wheels and others with 16 inch front wheels. Years made of same basic model or different models or years? At show sat there was a ZA with a high seat position that looked way more comfortable than the low seat like my U had and if my U would of had that seating position I might have kept it instead of trading it off. And tractor data doesn't help me any. Next door neighbor had a U that just seeing it being used if what made me buy that U that turned out to have too many major problems the reason I got rid of it. The drawbar was so high could not hook the baler up and could find no way to lower it. Tractor left in the late 60's so cannot look at it to see if I could find a way to change drawbar settings, Retired now for several years and I will turn 80 this next week. Just some things that was wondering about over the years.

 

[NY 986]

Going by pictures the ZA steering wheel appears higher than that of the Z(TU) so I would imagine the seat is higher as well. Neither are like the ZB in terms of platform. Probably not difficult to modify a ZA so maybe back in the day somebody grafted some ZB parts onto a ZA.

 

[IaLeo]

Was the Z the one that had the distributor at the front of the engine behind the fan and radiator. Grandpa had one the radiator leaked, wetting the distributor and its wires, causing shorting, misfiring..

 

[J. Schwiebert]

What day is the big day>

 

[coonie minnie]

Can't say about the Z, but the U has the distributor there.

 

[T.R.K.]

There is a whole forum down below on Molines.

To answer your question about the Z(A) and ZB molines. (For the Z(A) The decal says Z but has a flat grille and is really what I would call a ZA) There was a kit to raise the operator platform on the ZA. I don't know of MM offered it or if it was aftermarket. I am thinking it had pedal extensions and also a platform that mounted about 8 or 10 above the original platform. Not common here in NC, but I am sure I have seen one somewhere.

The ZB was purpose built my MM to have the raised operator platform,seat on top of the platform, a foot clutch and all the pedals and levers are conveniently located. (Except maybe the pto lever, it is between your feet.) The UB had a similar platform to the ZB but the platform was even larger.

In my opinion, the ZB was the best of the Z series tractors. But that is probably because I grew up with one.

 

[Leroy]

I wondered if it was a conversion or if newer models were that way from factory.

 

[Leroy]

September 11