uni-systems, anyone have one or used to?

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

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.

Edited by dave63 - 25 Nov 2011 at 6:12pm

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

ChuckLuedtkeSEWI wrote: 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.

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

There are several in use in Wisconsin yet.Still have a couple of dealers in the Fort Atkinson area.

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.

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.

oops-post below

Edited by Ben (MI) - 26 Nov 2011 at 6:22pm

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