uni-systems, anyone have one or used to?
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Topic: uni-systems, anyone have one or used to?
Posted By: jb from md
Subject: uni-systems, anyone have one or used to?
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 5:51pm
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A man down the road was out today picking corn with his uni-system. does any one else still use one ? my neighbor used to have two and one burnt to the ground. i hear that was common for them. he said it was a good idea but needed some extra engineering. he had a few attatchments ,the combine a mower,chopper and picker he has since sold it all he said his was powered with an a-c 426. i used to see them here and there but not any more. his were orange and i think i saw one once that was silver...tell me what you know thanks...Jb ------------- 8050 FWA, 190XT, 185, Styled wc, Unstyled wc, (2)C, (2)WD45NF, WD45WF, WD,416h, 716h, 312h, 8070 pedal. |
Replies:
Posted By: Orange Blood
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 5:54pm
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I don't know a lot about them, but at one time they were owned by New Idea. A dealer used to operate just up the road from us, I never saw any of them in the field, but he had used ones, so someone bought a few at one time. I don't know about all of them, but the ones I have seen were smaller engine than the 426, at best a 301 size, but never looked close enough to see if they were AC or not ------------- Still in use: HD7 WC C CA WD 2-WD45 WD45LP WD45D D14 3-D17 D17LP 2-D19D D19LP 190XTD 190XTLP 720 D21 220 7020 7030 7040 7045 3-7060 Projects: 3-U UC 2-G 2-B 2-C CA 7-WC RC WDLP WF D14 D21 210 7045 N7 |
Posted By: jb from md
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 5:59pm
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did they make different sizes or were there only one model?? i think they are kind of interesting how the attatchments fit on the power unit...Jb ------------- 8050 FWA, 190XT, 185, Styled wc, Unstyled wc, (2)C, (2)WD45NF, WD45WF, WD,416h, 716h, 312h, 8070 pedal. |
Posted By: dave63
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 6:09pm
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JB, Dad sold a bunch of them in the day. They were very versital but they had limits. They came out in the early 60's some had chevy engines then they used a V6 GMC engine. in the mid 70's the 708 power unit came out with a perkins and was 2WD. The 709 came out in late 70's with rear wheel assist and was powered by the 426 Allis engine followed by the 800,801 and 802. Built by New Idea and were orange until White bought them. AGCO got them when they bought White.
I don't know what year they were discontinued but i think they went to a Cummins engine after Allis ended.
They had a picker, Chopper, and Combine attachments.
CJ Miller has an 802 that they built a big bale mulcher for.
------------- The universal answer to all questions is yes, how much do you want to spend? |
Posted By: jb from md
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 6:15pm
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Dave, i got the snowblower on and running i picked up for the 416 the last time i was over. im going to try to get over soon i need some parts...Jb ------------- 8050 FWA, 190XT, 185, Styled wc, Unstyled wc, (2)C, (2)WD45NF, WD45WF, WD,416h, 716h, 312h, 8070 pedal. |
Posted By: dave63
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 6:16pm
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If you would have come to Wertz's to get your paint this morning instead of sending your Dad you could have asked my dad all about them. LOL ------------- The universal answer to all questions is yes, how much do you want to spend? |
Posted By: dave63
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 6:18pm
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Cool looks like were pounding the keys at the same time. ------------- The universal answer to all questions is yes, how much do you want to spend? |
Posted By: 427435
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 7:01pm
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The Uni-System actually started at Minneapolis-Moline in the early 50's and was painted in their colors. The problems included: 1. That it cost as much to buy the power unit and 3 attachments as buying 3 self-propelled units. 2. It was not an easy job switching between units. 3. Each attachment usually had some functional compromises to adapt to the power unit. I've always felt that the time and money that MM spent on the Uni was the beginning of the end for them. That money would have been much better spent on upgrading their tractor line and SP combine line. They sold the drawings and patents to New Idea in the 60's. ------------- Mark B10 Allis, 917 Allis, 7116 Simplicity, 7790 Simplicity Diesel, GTH-L Simplicity Ignorance is curable-----stupidity is not. |
Posted By: powertech84
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 7:09pm
| There used to be a uni dealer here in town. I know at least two farmers close by that still use one, one of which burnt his up this fall, and has since bought another. My dad told me when they were selling them locally they marketed them as being gentler on the corn and made a cleaner sample. There's also a vegtable canning company up the road a bit that has quite a few of them, mostly for sweet corn i think. |
Posted By: D-allis Iowa
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 7:35pm
| I had a uni years ago to pick corn with. I had a 4 row 1144 Massey head on it and a 737 husking bed. Man could we pick corn with that. Not sure of model uni but had gmc diesel. |
Posted By: jeffrey
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 7:40pm
They also made a baler and manure preader
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Posted By: NickT(Ky)
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 7:42pm
| My neighbor has still got one. He used to chop our silage on trade (we helped him). Opened our corn fields with it when we picked on the ear. |
Posted By: wheatbreeder
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 7:44pm
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I don't know what was used in the US, Here in SW Ontario Essex County the were popular in the early 70's - mid 80's for seed corn production ------------- Farm stuff 8050,6690,175,F2,5050,WD |
Posted By: CTuckerNWIL
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 7:50pm
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The current president of our club has at least 3 MinnMoe Uni's One has a corn picker, one has combine with 2 row corn head and one has a platform with the combine. I have seen a baler that mounted on the Minnie Uni. There was one for sale on ytmag a few years ago. My brother in law had a New Idea Uni several years ago. It had a 292 chebby engine in it. He had the local Massey guy come out to try and get it running when it died on him and they sparked a fire and burned the engine up. Their insurance paid more than what the outfit cost him a couple years earlier at an auction and he had the rest to scrap out. I got the steer wheel weights off it. Farm Show Magazine had one that a guy mounted a snow blower on. I always thought that would be nice. Heated cab and always driving forward. ------------- http://www.ae-ta.com" rel="nofollow - http://www.ae-ta.com Lena 1935 WC12xxx, Willie 1951 CA6xx Dad bought new, 1954WD45 PS, 1960 D17 NF |
Posted By: Pat the Plumber CIL
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 9:26pm
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I worked for an older farmer in 1986-1987 that used all MM to farm with.He picked corn with a Uni-Harvestor and he had several attatchments for it (corn sheller,silage chopper and combine for beans/wheat I beleive). I only saw corn picker on it and the attatchments all sat out in the Timber.He said it was way too hard to change.He only had the extras because they came with it when he purchased.
It caught on fire while picking and insurance replaced it with another used one.We had to take picker unit off and put on new one.Yah it's a pain to change. Sounds like a lot of them were lost to fire.Old man I worked for believed a bleach jug full of water was a proper fire extinguisher. ------------- You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails 1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF. |
Posted By: Dave in il
Date Posted: 25 Nov 2011 at 9:35pm
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I've seen them with planters mounted on a toolbar on the front, and with spray booms on the front and the tank mounted on the side where the harvest unit would normally be. McLean County IL uses one with a ditch bank mower mounted on it, they use it to mow across guard rails and to trim trees back next to the road. And I've seen several with snow blowers mounted on them. The Uni combines just didn't have capacity of competing brands and thay cost to much. Where they really shined was picking corn. As harvesting ear corn all but stopped on the farm the Uni came into it's own harvesting seed corn and sweet corn. |
Posted By: Bob D. (La)
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 4:51am
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We had one of the earlier units we bought in late 50's. (minneapolis Moline) Had 2 row picker, 10 ft grain head, and baler. We always got along quite well with it. Never had any fires either. I actually never thought changing units was that difficult. Of course, They really weren't changed that often either. In that day and time, soybeans were always done before corn was ready so the only time there was any extra changing was from baler to combine and back to baler. ------------- When you find yourself in a hole,PUT DOWN THE SHOVEL!!! |
Posted By: ChuckLuedtkeSEWI
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 7:17am
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A local corn seed company Lemke Seed has some just up the road from me for picking their seed corn. Is that the way all seed corn is picked, while it's still on the cob? Anyways they have a couple of them still in use. A local used farm equipment jockey has one with a snowblower mounted on it and uses it to clean out his yard. Talked to one of his guys at the gas station the one day as he drove it down there to fill it up. Guy says it blows snow like an sob and works great as he can sit up high and see everything vs a tractor with a three point model and always turning around. ------------- 1955 WD45 diesel 203322 was my dad's tractor, 1966 D15 23530, 1961 HD3 Crawler 1918, 1966 D17 IV 83495, 1937 WC 41255, 1962 D19 6221 |
Posted By: Jack(Ky)
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 7:26am
| I know a guy that has one with a 4 row picker on it. He used it this year. There are some videos on utube about them. It shows a guy picking 4 rows and you talk about a bunch of ears coming out.JP |
Posted By: Pat the Plumber CIL
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 8:28am
Yes most seed companies will pick sweet corn.They can get it out of the field sooner, dry it and shell it in controlled enviroment.Seed company I worked for back in the day was very particular about handling seed.Rubber belting is easier on the seed and the sheller they used was a very high dollar unit.Modern combines are built for speed ,not for being gentle on the kernels.Germination is everything for a seed dealer.The more gentle you handle seed the higher the germination rate ------------- You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails 1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF. |
ChuckLuedtkeSEWI wrote:Posted By: Eric[IL]
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 9:31am
| Back in the 60s, 70s, & early 80s, most farms in the community had livestock. 30-50 head of cows & their feeder calves was very common. One of our neighboring dairy operations had a New-Idea Uni system 3 row x 30" corn chopper powered by the AC 426 diesel with a straight exhaust pipe. It was very loud & smoked black. They offered a custom silage chopping service to most neighbors. When we would be shuttling silage wagons from the silo to the field, you could always hear or see the exhaust smoke (mini-black tornado) where the chopper was running in the corn field. Now that I think about it, that AC 426 was probably turned up to the limit on its hp. 3 rows of corn would have been a big load for that machine to eat. It did a great job though!! |
Posted By: KenBWisc
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 9:37am
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There are several in use in Wisconsin yet.Still have a couple of dealers in the Fort Atkinson area.
------------- '34 WC #629, '49 G, '49 B, '49 WD, '62 D-19, '38 All Crop 60 and still hunting! |
Posted By: HagerAC
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 10:03am
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Used to be tons of them in our area, the dealer that dad works at sold a lot of them when they had the NI line, and dad worked on many back then. Seemed to be a good machine in their day. Still a few of them around here with pickers on them. Uncle has got a 701 with a picker on it. 709 had the 426, and the 801A also had the 426. 801C was the cummins version of the 801. ------------- 30+ A-Cs ranging from a 1928 20-35, to a 1984 8070FWA, Gleaner R52 |
Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 11:49am
| One down the road with 4row head for ear corn.Doesn't have big acerage and don't know if he still has hogs or not.Fed ear corn to hogs. He got caught in it a few years ago clearing head.Spent the night(single guy) before someone caught on.Serious limb damage but still breathing. |
Posted By: DougS
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 12:04pm
| We would grind the corn, cob and all. The cows woofed it down anyway. |
Posted By: Dave (Mid-MI)
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 12:39pm
| My neighbors pick about 80 acres of popcorn every year with a Uni with a four row head. Don't know what theirs has for power. |
Posted By: GARY(OH/IN)
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 5:15pm
| New Idea getting the designs from MM got me a job there in August 1965 when I just turned 18 that lasted for nearly 20 years. Made good money there even though I was on a lower paying job. Laid off alot too and was able to do lots of stuff on the side. Always said there were probally more millionares working there than any other factory as most everyone had their own thing going that made them far more than the NI check and insurance. Avco also owned John Hancock Insurance and it was said New Idea was always a tax write off from the insurance and other profitable holdings. I do know the old Chevy engine was under powered and would easily overheat. And of course then would catch fire. |
Posted By: Ben (MI)
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 6:07pm
| oops-post below |
Posted By: Ben (MI)
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 6:21pm
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On the seed corn question-I grew up on a seed corn farm here in Constantine, MI the self proclaimed " Seed Corn Capitol of the World." There were 3 Uni Systems used to harvest the seed corn when I first became involved on the farm in about 1983 thru stepfamily. The first ones I remember were orange then they were traded for grey Unis. The farm only had the husking units for them, 6 row corn heads were used. For at least the last 10-15 years the seed corn here, I am involved with Pioneed but Monsanto (Dekalb/Asgrow) are big here too, is harvested husk on with harvesters like the Oxbo below. Really like the MM ad in an earlier reply above.  |
Posted By: jb from md
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 9:28pm
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Around what model did they start showing the avco name along with the new idea. my uncle has a loader on a 504 international and it has metal emblems that say avco new idea,didnt it come and go like new holland then sperry -new holland, sperryrand ,ford new holland now back to just new holland?? ....Jb ------------- 8050 FWA, 190XT, 185, Styled wc, Unstyled wc, (2)C, (2)WD45NF, WD45WF, WD,416h, 716h, 312h, 8070 pedal. |
Posted By: m16ty
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2011 at 9:42pm
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There are a few of the New Idea models around here. Most just have it set up for one thing and leave it there. They are just about like anything else. You can get a machine to do a lot of different things but it won't do any of them as well as a purpose built machine. |
Posted By: Stateliner1
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2011 at 12:06am
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I have 3 Uni's.
A MM brown mule L uni-tractor with 2 row picker (around a '62 model), a 1965 NI 701 (lot #2-this was the first batch year that NI produced after buying the concept from MM) with a 727 husking bed and a 3-30" 725 corn head,and has a Continental engine, and a 1968 701 with 292 GM engine, 737 husking bed and 3-30" 735 corn head. I pick corn for cattle feed normally with one of the NI units each year. Here is a picture of the '65 701. 
I am about 35 miles from where the old New Idea factory is at Coldwater, Ohio. Here is a old NI Uni ad from about 1966, with my friend Carl B. in it. He had several Uni's tested at his place, as his farm was about 2 miles south of the factory, and it helped that his brother worked in the Field Service Department. NI tested a lot of equipment on local farms. 
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Posted By: JohnCO
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2011 at 12:07am
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There was a dealer just west of Greeley, Co that sold them until the '80's. I bought a Perkins 6-354 engine at their going out of business sale, was going to put it in my New Holland 1049 bale wagon but still haven't gotten around to it. Was talking to a woman from central Ill, who was visiting a mutual friend here. They had just lost their Uni system combine in a fire this fall. I believe she said they had found a replacement but not sure. She said they liked the clean sample it produced. ------------- "If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer" Allis Express participant |
Posted By: GARY(OH/IN)
Date Posted: 27 Nov 2011 at 3:51pm
| I am reasonably sure Avco bought New Idea in 1947. That the same Avco as Avco Broadcasting that owned 700 WLW radio 50,000 watt in Cincinnatti and lots of other stuff. Avco sold NI to Allied in 1984 and I worked for them 1 day, froze my retirement and never looked back. Allied sold to Agco sometime later but I was gone by that time. |