R.R. 1, Ryder, ND 58779
According to Clifford Caron in the January-February 1976
Engineers & Engines, page 7, the Twin City 21-32 was built
beginning in 1926. This first year the tractor had a two-speed
transmission of 2.2 and 2.9 miles per hour. This model may have
used the same rear end as the 17-28 model which has the TY casting
or parts numbers beginning with those two letters. Does anyone have
a 21-32 Twin City with just a two speed transmission?
When tested in Nebraska in 1926, tractor number 150026 was used
in the test. The four cylinder engine of 4-inch bore and 6-inch
stroke ran at 1000 RPMs. This was the FE engine with two cylinder
blocks with two valves for each cylinder. It was equipped with a
Robert Bosch model FU4 magneto, a Stromberg model M3 carburetor and
a Donaldson air cleaner.
The steering worm on this model is inside the tractor
transmission housing instead of on the outside. The belt pulley, 16
inches by 1 inches running at 650 RPMs, is on the right side. The
rear steel drive wheels are 50 inches in diameter with 12-inch
width having 16 spokes. The front steel wheels are 34 inches in
diameter with 5-inch face or width. One source shows the rear steel
wheel has 34 lugs; a catalog pictures it with 32 lugs, while the
Nebraska test report states the wheels had 36 lugs on each one.
This model was rated 21-32 horsepower and used the letter
designation FT until 1935 when the model was called the FTA. Also
at this time the larger GE engine w as used. In 1936 the Nebraska
test 270, the FTA tractor has a bore of 4% which is an eighth of an
inch increase over the first model. The cubic inch displacement
increased from 382 to 403. The engine RPM was also increased from
1000 to 1075.
A March 1930 The American Thresherman pictures the
21-32 from both sides. The advertisement calls the model a surplus
powered medium-sized tractor introduced in January 1929, after four
years of field tests. The 21-32 remained on the market until 1938.
It was replaced by the GT Minneapolis Moline which came out
beginning in 1938.
The test weight in 1926 was 6189 pounds, the maximum pound pull
was 5092.5 at 2.28 miles per hour. The test weight in 1928 was 6463
pounds; the maximum pounds pull was 4716 at 2.32 miles per hour.
The test weight in 1936 was 6920 pounds; the maximum pounds pull
was 4724 at 2.63 miles per hour. The fuel used in the 1926 test was
kerosene. In the 1928 test, gasoline was used and in 1936
distillate was the fuel used in the Nebraska test. The horsepower
hours per gallon in 1926 was 6.51 on the rated load drawbar test;
6.56 in 1928 and 7.96 in 1936.
The FTA 21-32 Twin City I have here in the Makoti Threshing show
is tractor number 154515, a 1935 model. It has the GE engine number
900237 with the 45/8‘ bore. The FT 21-32
Twin City I have is tractor number 152125, a 1930 model. This one
has the FE engine number 102372.
The 21-32 Twin City was built by the Minneapolis Steel and
Machinery Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The manufacturer’s
plate which includes the tractor serial number has this name on it.
Sometime in 1930 the company name on this plate was changed to
Minneapolis Moline Power Implement Company. The largest serial
number I know of is 152364 on a 21-32 Twin City that still has the
name Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company on the
manufacturer’s plate. From the serial number listing on this
model, it appears that around 7229 tractors were built.
The oldest 21-32 Twin City tractor I have is number 150875. Does
anyone have an earlier tractor? The last FTA built in 1938 was
number 157229. Does anyone have a tractor with a higher number?
