Minneapolis-Moline RTU vs RTS: Row-Crop vs Standard-Tread R
The RTU and RTS share the R-series chassis, years, and serial system — the difference is configuration. TractorData calls the RTU the universal row-crop (tricycle-front) version of the R series, and the RTS the standard-tread version.
| Model | Years | Configuration | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTU | 1939–1954 | Row-crop, tricycle-front (universal) | Gasoline |
| RTS | 1939–1954 | Standard-tread | Gasoline |
How to tell them apart
- Front end: RTU is a tricycle-front row-crop; RTS is a standard-tread tractor.
- Shared serials: the R series shared a serial system, so a number can match both — our serial lookup returns both RTU and RTS for a shared serial. Confirm by configuration.
- Years: both ran 1939–1954, so era won’t separate them — the front end does.
The surest check is the tractor’s own serial number and configuration: decode your serial, then confirm the front-end and fuel system against the model’s factory literature and parts book.
Sources & Verification Notes
Identification by configuration; specs are not asserted here. Production years and configurations are from TractorData; serial-number ranges on the linked model pages are cross-checked against multiple references. MM built variants and made running changes — always verify against your specific tractor.