Our Sources & Methodology
Why we built it this way
Minneapolis-Moline serial and production data is scattered across factory ledgers, club registries, print references, and online databases — and those sources don’t always agree. Rather than flatten that into one confident answer, we store each claim with its source, its confidence, and its status.
The serial-number lookup
Our serial lookup tells you which model(s) and model year a documented range includes — and which source and record system that answer comes from. Important context for this audience:
- MM serial numbers were not unique across models, so a number alone often matches more than one tractor. We show every documented match rather than pretending there’s one answer.
- We distinguish a tractor (plate) number from an engine number — they are not interchangeable.
- Numbers were restamped, swapped, and re-rated over the years. The lookup is a guide, not a guarantee; always confirm against your own plate and parts book.
What you’ll see on each answer
Each documented range shows the model year, the serial range, the number type, where that number is found on the tractor, the record system it comes from (for example, factory historical-society ledgers), the cited source, and a confidence level. See Editorial & Verification Standards for how those tiers and statuses are assigned.
Help expand the record
If you hold documented serial or production data we haven’t captured, send it our way with its source.