Minneapolis-Moline 4 Star
VerifiedThe Minneapolis-Moline 4 Star (1959–1963) was a light tractor in the Star family.
Identification & configuration
The 4 Star sits in MM’s Star line; see the Star-series overview.
Factory paint
Per the MMCI paint records, the 4 Star’s trim tracked the era’s transition: 1959–1961 used PG3 (last Prairie Gold) with a Bronz Metallic powertrain; 1962 moved to Dyna Brown; and 1963 went to Industrial Yellow with a silver grille — a clear year-dating sequence. See the full paint reference.
What to verify
- Year: the paint sequence (Bronz Metallic → Dyna Brown → Yellow) closely tracks 1959→1963; confirm with the serial (ranges below).
- Don’t confuse the 4 Star with the larger 5 Star.
Sources & Verification Notes
Years per TractorData; the year-by-year paint sequence per the MMCI Paint Committee; serial ranges per Jensales as cited below. No horsepower or production-count figures are asserted beyond what the cited sources state.
Serial Number Ranges
| Year | Serial range | Number type | Source confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | 16600001 – 16600890 | tractor plate | Verified Medium |
| 1960 | 16600891 – 16601685 | tractor plate | Verified Medium |
| 1961 | 16601686 – 16601860 | tractor plate | Verified Medium |
| 1962 | 16601861 – 16602407 | tractor plate | Verified Medium |
| 1963 | 16602408 – 16602408 | tractor plate | Verified Medium |
Specifications
| Nebraska Test | No. 789 (1961) |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Regular gasoline |
| Engine | Minneapolis-Moline Gasoline, 4-cylinder vertical |
| Bore × Stroke | 3-5/8" × 5" (206.5 cu in) |
| Compression Ratio | 7.2 to 1 |
| Rated RPM | 1750 |
| Carburetor | Size 1" |
| Ignition | Battery, 12 volt |
| Max PTO Horsepower | 44.57 hp at 1750 rpm |
| Rated PTO Horsepower | 41.25 hp at 1524 rpm (540 PTO speed) |
| Max Drawbar Horsepower | 39.55 hp at 1754 rpm (2nd gear, with ballast) |
| Rated Drawbar Horsepower | 38.58 hp at 1753 rpm, 3013 lb pull (max available, with ballast) |
| Speeds (mph) | 3.2 / 4.9 / 6.1 / 7.5 / 17.8; reverse 4.9 |
| Total Weight as Tested | 8495 lb (with ballast and operator) |
| Tested fuel economy | 10.75 hp·hr/gal |
| Test remark | Four new spark plugs were installed before starting PTO runs. |
Specifications per the cited source below. Manufacturer-advertised figures can differ from tested values — confirm restoration-critical specs against factory literature.
Nebraska Tractor Test Results
Official, independently measured performance from the University of Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory (public-domain reports). Figures are as-tested on a specific fuel/transmission variant — your tractor may differ. Look up the full report by test number.
| Test No. | Fuel | Year | Drawbar hp (max) | PTO/Belt hp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 789 | Gasoline | 1961 | 38.58 hp | 44.57 hp (PTO) |
Factory Paint Colors
Body, wheel, and powertrain colors documented for this model's era by the MMCI Paint Committee. The exact part-by-part configuration, year breaks, and footnotes are in the full paint reference. Individual tractors vary — special orders and regional exceptions were common, so confirm against your own machine.
- Prairie Gold (body)
- Dyna Brown (powertrain)
- Bronz Metallic (powertrain)
Manuals & Literature
Factory publications cataloged for this model (MMCI / Floyd County Museum). We catalog the publication and its coverage — not its contents. Obtain copies from the museum or a reproduction seller.
Operator's Manuals
Finding Parts
We don't publish part numbers we can't verify against factory literature. The authority for this model's part numbers is its factory parts catalog; interchange is serial- and configuration-dependent, so always confirm against the parts book before buying.
Documented parts
Cataloged Minneapolis-Moline part numbers documented for this model. Applications vary by serial, year, and configuration — confirm against your parts book before ordering.
Bearing
- 10A6373 — Cone bearing
Carburetor
- TSX-713 — Marvel-Schebler carburetor (MM# 10A11452)
Clutch
- 10A20476 — 11" clutch, 13-spline, organic + dampener springs
Gasket
- 10A6009 — Adapter-to-cylinder-head gasket
- 10A6020 — Front seal / oil gasket
- 10A5929 — Manifold gasket
- 10A2213 — Manifold-to-carb gasket
- 10A20853 — Manifold-to-head gasket
- 10A6015 — Oil supply pipe gasket / seal
- 10A21319 — Rear bearing housing gasket
- 10A6418 — Rear seal retainer gasket
- 10A9835 — Side-cover gasket, 206 OHV (veg-fiber)
- 10A9132 — Tach-drive gasket
- 10A6005 — Valve-cover / pan gasket
O Ring
- 10A4969 — O-ring for injector pump
Oil Filter
- 10A14373 — Oil filter (spin-on)
Piston
- 60P36462360 — 3.625"+0.020 aluminum piston w/ pin, rings, retainers
- 60P36862360 — 3.625"+0.040" aluminum piston
- 60P38002363 — 3.8" bore 700-gram forged racing piston & HP pin
- 2-10R795 — Four sets of 0.040" over-rings for 10R792 piston
- 60R3686 — Ring set (3.625"+0.040")
- 60R3646 — Ring set for 60P36462360 piston
- 10R792 — Set of four pistons (+0.040) with pins & retainers
Steering Wheel
- Steering wheel — Steering-wheel cap with ‘O’ ring — Steering-wheel cap with 'O' ring
Valve Train
- 10A22769 — Valve spring
Surviving Examples (collector-reported census)
Owner-submitted survivors, reviewed before publishing. Collector-reported — these corroborate, but do not establish, the documented serial ranges above.
- 3 known survivors
- Serials observed: 16,600,605–16,601,754
Service Bulletins
Factory dealer service bulletins — supplements, field conversions, and fixes for this model. See the full reference.
- D 350 4 Star Mounting Cultivators& Planters
- D 336B 4 Star Series Operating, adjusting & Servicing Tel-O-Flo Lifts
- D 350 4 Star Super Mounting Cultivators& Planters
Sources & Verification Notes
Status: Verified
Primary source: TractorData — Minneapolis-Moline model listings tier 4
Last checked: 2026-06-01
Where this model fits in the Minneapolis-Moline history & timeline →
Videos
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Owner Notes & Questions
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