The Minneapolis-Moline Z Series: ZTU, ZTS, ZA & ZB Generations
Minneapolis-Moline’s Visionlined Z series spanned the late 1930s through 1955 across four main generations. This overview maps them; deeper comparisons are linked below.
| Model | Years | Configuration | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZTU | 1936–1948 | Row-crop, tricycle-front | Gasoline |
| ZTS | 1937–1947 | Standard-tread | Gasoline |
| ZA / ZAS / ZASI | 1949–1953 | Row-crop | Gasoline |
| ZB | 1953–1955 | Row-crop (ZBU/ZBN/ZBE fronts) | Gasoline |
How the generations line up
- First Z (ZTU/ZTS), 1936–1948: the original Visionlined Z in row-crop and standard-tread forms.
- ZA, 1949–1953: the second-generation row-crop Z.
- ZB, 1953–1955: the final, updated Z — tricycle (ZBU), single-front (ZBN), and wide-front (ZBE).
For side-by-side help see ZTU vs ZTS and ZA vs ZB, and decode a serial number.
Sources & Verification Notes
Production years and configurations are from TractorData; serial ranges on the linked model pages are cross-checked against multiple references. MM made running changes — verify against your tractor.