5 Star Minneapolis

fastfarmall · Sep 22, 2015

Did any of you read the article in Antique Power Sept/Oct 2015 Short Life,Long Shadow? It was well written ,awesome pictures, but he left out a few important facts, but what he put in there was for the most part is accurate.In the summer of 1957 my dad signed a order of a 5 star gas, i got to drive it breaking a poor crop of alfalfa i cant remember if i had the 3/16 or the 4-14 plow, but it definitaly handled it.In the summer of 57 i was 11 yrs old, i can remember most of it like it was yesterday . Any of you know why the rear ends didn't stand up ?

gtractorfan · Sep 22, 2015

Didn't read the article but I remember when they came out. Heard them advertised on the barn radio while milking, the jingle went "Moline mighty mo, Moline rearin to go, Moline machines have more power, do more work every hour" and then they'd tell about the new 5 Star. I could only dream about dad buying one (he did however buy a new M 670 in '65). I'm surprised the 5 Star rear ends didn't hold up. Got a friend who bought a well used UB that was upped to 80 h.p. and used that way for many years, then he did more to get it up to 110 h.p. on a dynamometer and pulled in tractor pulls.

Heath72 · Sep 22, 2015

I've been told it was the early ones that cracked the rear housings. They used the wrong cast iron or did not treat it properly or something to that effect(maybe someone can help me out on the details). We still have my grandfather's 1957 5 Star that he bought new. It is #227 made and has done a lot of hard work in it's lifetime, both tillage and loader work, and it has never caused any trouble. Some complain about the hydraulics on them too, but ours always worked good, even with the loader.

01gentdc · Sep 22, 2015

Uncle Gus had a brand new 5 star ,,it pulled a 4 bottom plow easily in ky black soil ,, always thought it was a diesel , Gus passed away around 1991, and the 5 star went to a neighbor and is now lost .. . funny you mention the radio ad for molenes ,, I recall massey ferguson tractor and combine ads ,, and gleaner jingles, and ford .. too

Alan K · Sep 23, 2015

I cant remember exactly when they changed them but I had heard from an MM guy from the company that it was something with the differential housing or ring gear. I have a note in my parts book on it. Will have to look tomorrow. Yes the wrong iron was used. They were updated / corrected with the proper iron and were the same ones that were used in the M5s later on.

Kevin Moschenrose · Sep 23, 2015

Yes That is correct on the wrong type of cast iron was used on them. They would bust the housings out on them. They poured them with a cast iron iron that wouldn't hold the stress.

F-MM · Sep 23, 2015

Yes I too remember that jingle only in about 1959 to 61 advertising the Big New G-VI tractor, it went on to say that you would feel like you were piloting a locomotive when behind the wheel. I was probably in the 8th grade then.

Alan K · Sep 23, 2015

I looked in my parts book. I have a note that it was the differential cage that would crack and or break. They were later updated to a good one which was carried over into the M5s from what I understand. I have a 1957 model Im hoping to fix up so I will have to check mine out.

5 Star Minneapolis

fastfarmall

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gtractorfan

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Heath72

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01gentdc

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Alan K

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Kevin Moschenrose

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F-MM

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Alan K

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