Asplundh Tree Service Unimog

[byrdman1312]

I though I had posted this thread before, but couldn't find it in the threads search. So, maybe I didn't.
Back in the 70's I had a friend that worked for Asplundh Tree service. His job was spraying powerline right of ways for TVA. His sprayer was a Unimog with big tires and big winch on the front. I thought it was one of the coolest vehicles I'd ever seen. Does anyone know what model it might have been, or even better, have a picture of THAT mog. I'd love to find a mog like that. Thanks!

 

[msgjd]

His job was spraying powerline right of ways for TVA. His sprayer was a Unimog with big tires and big winch on the front. I thought it was one of the coolest vehicles I'd ever seen.

I enjoy seeing tactical vehicles outfitted for utility or other special civ jobs as well .. That mog sounds cool.

In the mid-1980's I recall an area tree company with a jimmy M211 (hydramatic deuce) carrying a custom boom with interchangeable attachments (cherrypicker, manbucket, and hyd saw) .. Everything had quick-pins and hyd quick-couplers...
It was the first time i had seen something that slick..

The manbucket attachment for it did not have controls up top.. The entire rig including the remote saw was run from the operator's seat down below via manual hyd valve levers... No electrics.. The speed of the saw and boom movements had individual dial-control knobs.. .. I don't recall the name of the manufacturer and never saw another one like it...

They also had a jimmy M215 dump with a shopvan-looking homemade cover mounted to box-steel stakes set in the pockets of the original bed.. The cover was rather tall thus the front was boxed in above the headache rack... It towed a chipper which could dispense into the M215's dump bed or directly over the bank ..

No camera on me at the time, but hoped i would catch them again some day.. Didn't happen ..

The first 5-ton I tried to purchase was a M52 gasser (tractor), 1955 IHC.. Priced unreasonable for its condition and unsuccessful in getting it below $9k.. That was in 1985 or 86.. So it sat there for years until it disappeared.. Anyway, a power high-line maint company used it to haul power poles in a log-bunk trailer off-road ... They had taken the front winch and mounted it behind the cab like a M123 .. They said the trailer had sheaves at different heights at the front of the trailer for "skidding" old poles up onto it without needing help from a dozer or whatever... It was a cool setup for a 5T.. I have a pic of it somewhere.

Good luck in your search !!

 

[byrdman1312]

It didn't look like a former MV, but I'd never seen a Unimog before. The company could have rebuilt and painted it to look like new, and it did. He said there were places that the row was so steep he would have to winch the vehicle to the top, spraying all the way. As I said before I know very little about them , but the 404 kinda looks right. This was in the mid 70s. Don't know what models were around then. I've looked at the company website to see if I could find a picture of one, you know they must have had more than one.

 

[byrdman1312]

After looking at dozens of pictures and checking the timeline of manufacture of different models, I believe that unimog was a 406 model.

 

[peakbagger]

Either a 406 or a 406 descendent Case MB-94 . The MB-94s were rebadged 406 distributed and supported by Case in the US and were popular with municipal and government agencies. I think the pricing or leasing must have been attractive as a lot were sold or leased to municipalities. They were marketed as a universal utility vehicle and could be ordered with all sorts of options (mostly from European suppliers). Case was a sponsor of the Lake Placid Olympics in 1980 and MB-94s sold that year came with a Lake Placid sticker on the door. Its a 406 front end but the rear flat bed is Case.

Unfortunately along with the reputation of ruggedness of a Mercedes was the tendency for them to rot away if exposed to road salt. That issue and the issue that they were "different" from standard American vehicles meant that a typical municipal mechanic did not have the tools or the training to work on them.

A local municipality had one in inventory, and it suffered both issues, they ended up letting the local high school shop class students work on it. It was the first Unimog I had seen and looked like a life size Tonka Truck.

My bet is it was a MB-94. Here is link to old Bring A trailer Auction 2900 Miles: 1984 MB4/94 Case Unimog | Bring a Trailer

BTW, Case ended up bidding on and winning a US Army bid to build a backhoe/loader that could keep up with troops in a ground war in Europe against the Soviet Union. The MB-94 was beefed up and beat to death in US Army trials, further beefed up and eventually became the FLU 419 SEE. Mercedes owned Freightliner at the time, so it was called a Freightliner but had a Case backhoe out back, in order for it to sound American.

 

[byrdman1312]

THAT"S IT! The Case mog is the one I remember. Of course it was painted with the Asplundh company colors and logo on the doors. So you say the 406 is the same vehicle as the SEE and HMMH vehicles, I didn't know that. As Sheriff I had one of each. Great vehicles! The only problem I could see (feel would be more appropriate}, they were carrying so much weight they felt a little top heavy. At higher speeds, say above 40 mph, they could get down right "squirrely". Thanks peakbagger, you are my newest hero!

 

[peakbagger]

Glad I could help. I think the roll hoop really differentiated the Case. At some point I talked on the phone with a retired former CASE tech rep/mechanic. He did training on them all over the US to other techs and worked with the Army in training SEE mechanics on major systems. He was around and the Case rep for the US Army trials of the Case MB-94. Case supplied 5 of them to the Army and the army beat them up to the point where they all had to be hauled off. The result was Mercedes added lots of thick plates and reinforcements to the frames to make them more rigid which is problem as the frame was designed to flex. The steel plate over the cab was added in the US (ROPs) and a beefier roll hoop. Add in a Case backhoe and the FEL and its a very heavy package well over the original design that needed stiffer springs. Then add in tall Michelin tires with floppy sidewalls good for mud but they are decidedly squirrely on the road. Its a short wheelbase with a lot weight on the front end hanging far ahead of the axles. Before switching to Pirellis, mine was very scary much over 35 MPH. Hit a bump going across the road it would start rocking front to back and get on a crowned road and it could start rocking side to side. The Pirellis help a bit but its still squirrely. Reportedly if the backhoe and FEL is removed, they are a lot more road worthy but its good that it runs out of gear and power much over 50 MPH. My guess is if someone wanted to do that permanently, they should buy "softer" springs but its still not going to be as good as older version due to all that welded in stiffening.

The 406 series was designed in the mid 60s and slowly upgraded to various versions until the SEE came out. About the same time the US was looking at buying 419s the German government went out for proposals for a replacement with a higher load rating and easier to maintain. That was the 1300L but it used many parts from the SEE and 406 series like the engine and axles. The big change was the engine was mounted higher and farther forward so they could be maintained easier and improve cab access. The transmission was kept roughly where it was in the center of the vehicle and low with a high speed axle connecting the two. A 1300 clutch reportedly can be done in half a day with the engine left in place while the 406 series means a major effort. I own one of each and I regard the 1300L as a truck I could drive on a trip (albeit at around 60 MPH max) while the SEE is tractor with a cab. I do 15 mile trips on occassion and it takes a while to recover from one. While Mercedes was building the US Army 419s in one factory, they were building 1300Ls for the German defense forces. I think once the Army 419s were delivered, Mercedes shut down the 406 series for good. Unlike most Unimogs that are made to order, this was probably one of the bigger Mercedes orders on one configuration. I do not know if the extremely rare trencher and the rare HMMH verisons were added in the US or Germany but guess it was in the US. FLU farm may be able to answer that mystery.

 

[byrdman1312]

I appreciate your knowledge and input. I would love to have a Case MB-94, and so would one of my grandsons, he is a diesel mechanic at a Case IH dealership. That vehicle is wayyy before his time, but I bet some if the older mechanics might remember it. I promised him everything on the place with a diesel engine after I'm gone (2 trucks, 2 tractors, and couple of small engines, one truck is a gamagoat). I still have access to the SEE if I want to tinker, and to the HMMH if I need to look at something. I didn't realize the HMMH was so rare, however I've only seen the one.
Thanks again!

 

[The FLU farm]

The only problem I could see (feel would be more appropriate}, they were carrying so much weight they felt a little top heavy. At higher speeds, say above 40 mph, they could get down right "squirrely".

To me, the HMMH is a sports car compared to the SEE.