Moline/BF Avery

Just picked up this tractor for a couple hunderd bucks, it runs great, and the hydrolics are working fine. I posted earlier in the week trying to get some info on a model and year, so thanks to all of you who responded. I found the serial number 5V-742 located on the right frame rail near the bell housing. I was wondering though if anyone could tell me a production year, and whether this is a BF Avery tractor or M.Moline?? The origional paint color under the rusted red is a color that resembles PG2 from M.Moline tractors; however the rear end is stamped BF Avery. Im looking to do a good bit or restoration to the tractor so im hoping to find out as much info about it as possible, outside of the internet research I have already done. Thanks in advance for any info!

Thomas Hudson
Belvoir, North Carolina

look in the left column under Research & info. Look under BF/Avery, Model V. It's there

What's the big hopper on there for?

what you have the is a Model"V". If the original color is reed then it would have been an Avery/ If it is the yellow, then it is the Moline version. The Moline company continued using the Avery name for a while and there were some of each color till it all worked out of the system.

I'd paint it like a MM.Lots of little red tractors around but for some reason MM colors on that size Tractor always grabs my attention. Could be from my youth when the neighbor would hire me to drag his corn with a MM R or rake hay with it or a number of other Tractor driving jobs the little R could handle. This neighbor was AC inclined with a U,a UC, 2 WD45's and a B. Why he had a MM I never found out the reason.

All of B.F. Avery's factory records were destroyed when the plant closed in 1955. However there is a serial number chart available that is widely accepted.

According to that chart your 5V-742 was built some time in 1950 (the s/n range for that year was 5V501-6V206.) The merger/acquisition of Avery and M/M took place in March 1951. After that date, all tractors produced were painted M/M's Prairie Gold. In doing the research for my book, I was told that all of the tractors at the factory that were in its inventory and those at many dealerships that were red were repainted Prairie Gold.
If your tractor has red under the yellow paint that would explain it. The cast "B.F. Avery" on many cast parts continued for a long time after the merger.

There are "V" models that have the oval emblem on the grille with "Minneapolis Moline V" although many of them do not have any emblem.

There are a lot less of the yellow M/M "V" models around than of the red BFA "V" models. Given its serial number, you could legitimately call it either an Avery or a Moline and paint it appropriately. I'd probably paint it Prairie Gold like the other poster suggested.

Luther D. Thomas
author of B.F. Avery & Sons, Pioneer Plowmakers of America
Marietta, GA