A UNIMOG!

[oldtech]

One of these popped up for sale near me.  I had forgotten all about them but do remember seeing them advertised.  A very strange tractor/truck.  Ive never seen one in person.

[Lazy WP]

Brother has one. Sorta good for a lot of things. Really good at NOTHING!

[U-C]

those came on the market I believe in the early 1950s, also was used in the army not sure though

Mercedes Benz still manufactures them, in the 1970s or 80s they made a 4wd tractor using the unimog frame they called it the MB Trac 

[Illini986]

Friend of mine is a bit of a car nut and used to run the IT department at a high end import dealer (Porsche, M-B, BMW, etc.) and he said they had all of the shop and service manuals for Unimogs but no one there could ever remember seeing one either sold or come in for service. 

Anybody on here seen or have one of the Case Unimogs? 

[Tad Wicks]

When I was a kid about 1970, I went to the Tulare CA AG Show and there was a Unimog  in the Case Pavilion set up just about like the one pictured, front and rear 3 point PTO and even a skip loader, snow blower, broom, hair dryer, can opener, scissors the werks. The thing I remember the most is what it cost, the bare model was $35K,  I was floored, if you remember back an average pick up of the day was between $2000 and $3000 and now that a well outfitted pick up can cost $75000 and up, that is probably the equivalent of a new Unimog costing $500K. I don't know much about them but I understand that they were a complete nightmare to fix anything, you know German engineering and all, the only people that can take a well functioning machine of 7 crudely made cast pieces, reengineer it to a beautifully machined masterpiece of awe inspiring perfection consisting of 37 pieces of unbelievably perfect components, down to the nanometer,             to do the same function.😀

[yellowrosefarm]

2 hours ago, Illini986 said:

Friend of mine is a bit of a car nut and used to run the IT department at a high end import dealer (Porsche, M-B, BMW, etc.) and he said they had all of the shop and service manuals for Unimogs but no one there could ever remember seeing one either sold or come in for service. 

Anybody on here seen or have one of the Case Unimogs? 

Pretty sure that's what this one is. CASE sold them through the dealerships in the 80's, and with the paint color and hitch, this certainly looks like one of those.

[Illini986]

4 minutes ago, yellowrosefarm said:

Pretty sure that's what this one is. CASE sold them through the dealerships in the 80's, and with the paint color and hitch, this certainly looks like one of those.

Based on the color, I wondered if this was one of them. Just wasn't sure since it doesn't have the Case decals. 

[oldtech]

15 minutes ago, Tad Wicks said:

When I was a kid about 1970, I went to the Tulare CA AG Show and there was a Unimog  in the Case Pavilion set up just about like the one pictured, front and rear 3 point PTO and even a skip loader, snow blower, broom, hair dryer, can opener, scissors the werks. The thing I remember the most is what it cost, the bare model was $35K,  I was floored, if you remember back an average pick up of the day was between $2000 and $3000 and now that a well outfitted pick up can cost $75000 and up, that is probably the equivalent of a new Unimog costing $500K. I don't know much about them but I understand that they were a complete nightmare to fix anything, you know German engineering and all, the only people that can take a well functioning machine of 7 crudely made cast pieces, reengineer it to a beautifully machined masterpiece of awe inspiring perfection consisting of 37 pieces of unbelievably perfect components, down to the nanometer,             to do the same function.😀

Yes in that same era I bought a 966 Hydro with a 5 bottom 720 plow for $10,500 including trace of a Super W6.  (wish I had that one today!)

 

[yellowrosefarm]

Just now, Illini986 said:

Based on the color, I wondered if this was one of them. Just wasn't sure since it doesn't have the Case decals. 

They sold a bunch of them with a CASE backhoe on the back. My first job in parts was at a CASE dealership right after the merger with IH.

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

There have been a few new Unimogs at the Freightliner dealer in Kansas City over the years. I have no idea where they were headed. I assume they were already sold. 

[New Englander]

A guy I used to fly with was from South Africa and had friends he corresponded with who traveled the world in a Unimog with a camper body. It would be shipped to wherever they wanted to explore and they set off overland. He showed me some of the pictures they sent of their explorations. There was one at a car show last summer - big beast.  

[red2thebone sr]

I had a Matchbox Unimog as a kid. Does that count?

[KY2674]

44 minutes ago, red2thebone sr said:

I had a Matchbox Unimog as a kid. Does that count?

I've never seen one of those. That actually interests me more than the real thing. 🙃

[ray54]

A German immigrant that lived near here had a number of used ones he imported. Some had been miliary with a enclosed box bed and some fire service with a tank and pump. I don't remember seeing any 3 pt or PTO drives. A mechanic I had fixing something had me deliver parts to him as he worked on the Unimog's.  So I was close but never really looked for that stuff on them.

[stronger800]

I worked within sight of a military base, 25 years ago.  They had one with a backhoe on the back of it, and I believe, an enclosed cab for operating the hoe.  I can’t recall if it had a front loader or not too. The  had a dyna-hoe like this too.  Were they IH related? 

[mmi]

2 hours ago, KY2674 said:

I've never seen one of those. That actually interests me more than the real thing. 🙃

Has been in 100 of colors/series.

matchbox unimog

[ryangpayne]

They are neat little machines, I have the military version, the FLU-419. Kind of awkward to drive and just moderately useful for several different things, but very well built and rugged.  

[oldtech]

This got my attention back in the 70s because of their multi-functions.  But when I saw the price tag I forgot about them.  My attention turned to the Versitile bi-directional loader tractors.  My idea was that I could minimize the  number of tractors that I had on my 65 cow operation but there werent any Versitile dealers near me.  Later Ford bought them but by then I was on the way out.  Of course today the trend is for monster tractors and tracked skid steers.  Still I appreciate the innovation.

 

[hardtail]

10 hours ago, oldtech said:

This got my attention back in the 70s because of their multi-functions.  But when I saw the price tag I forgot about them.  My attention turned to the Versitile bi-directional loader tractors.  My idea was that I could minimize the  number of tractors that I had on my 65 cow operation but there werent any Versitile dealers near me.  Later Ford bought them but by then I was on the way out.  Of course today the trend is for monster tractors and tracked skid steers.  Still I appreciate the innovation.

 

My neighbor has had a Ford bi directional for years and seems to like it for certain jobs, he has over 20 tractors

[Lazy WP]

I LOVE the older Bi-Di tractors, but they can get you into a bad situation, or make a bad situation worse, if you don’t maintain the brakes, which you never use except to park!