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FLU419 SEE HMMH HME Owners group

Skidpad

Skidpad

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Yeah, I actually got my first valve from a local fleet repair dealer but as i take the thing back apart I'm going to try and get it all sorted to spec so I may be ordering from them directly if possible.

The student hand out is excellent and really begins to shed light on it all so thanks for making sure it got saved for everyone.
 
J

justacitizen

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I have been considering a unimog for use on my ranch. i now use a 100 hp New Holland tractor as a chore tractor to tote large round bales of hay,mow and spray pastures apply fertilizer etc. i wouldn't get rid of the tractor but would use the unimog to diversify its duty some. mainly need a high speed tractor that rides smoother over rough ground and undeveloped roads to move hay around,move dirt around water tanks dig out springs for water and probably pull a fertilizer applicator and pasture sprayer. the SEE looks like it would work for most of the duty i ask and to have a backhoe would be nice. i would consider removing the backhoe temporarily during some seasons to be replaced by a rear three point hitch so i can carry large round bales on the back also. from you owners could you advise me if i am barking up the wrong tree. Thanks
 
The FLU farm

The FLU farm

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I think a SEE could work well for what you have in mind.
I wouldn't exactly refer to one as "high speed", but they are faster than many tractors.

Smooth ride? Well, the suspension obviously helps a lot, but keep in mind that the tires are only about 40 inches tall, so they don't soak up bumps as well as your larger tractor's tires. With worn shocks, a SEE can ride somewhat like an older Buick, not at all like a tractor.

Barking up the wrong tree? Nah. You could debark much of it with the backhoe, or pull it down altogether with the rear pintle.
 
P

peakbagger

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I am not much of a three point hitch person but I think installing one is going to be make the backhoe unusable so its and either or choice. There is no rear pto shaft as its occupied by the rear hydraulic pump. I would not be surprised if some variant of a Unimog has a "quick" conversion from three point to backhoe but the SEE is not it. The older case unimogs did come with a three point accessory and if you go on Unimog Exchange there is nice one with the three point hitch. I expect the best use of SEE is as a loader backhoe or something you can drag a large trailer behind.

The trade off with a SEE is Mercedes took a chassis designed for lower weight and beefed it up to carry a very heavy backhoe. It does it but the combination of high axle loading and short wheelbase makes 35 MPH about it unless the road is flat and smooth.
 
J

justacitizen

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Thanks. as for speed, my tractor is good for 25 mph but without suspension on rough roads 15 mph is top speed at best and that requires a lot of shifting and pitching and rolling. if i could get 35 on smooth roads and 25 on regular dirt roads i would be pleased. what i mean buy rough ride is i would expect the SEE to absorb the major peaks and keep the unit stable at lets say 15 mph. now for the three point hitch it was my intention to remove the backhoe and use the existing brackets to mfg a hydraulic three point lift so i could attach a double bale spear to the rear and have the option to switch to the backhoe if i need it. i don't anticipate needing a PTO on the SEE cause the fertilizer spreaders are ground drive and if i did decide to put a 540 pto on the Three point adapter i could add a hydraulic PTO to that. does the SEE have a high flow hydraulic circuit?
 
Skidpad

Skidpad

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Interesting timing guys, since I'm at a related crossroads myself. I have my SEE in almost perfect running condition but am considering trading over to a U1450 or similar that has a PTOs and 3 point hitch that is also more road-worthy for longer distances. I hate to see the backhoe go because as rarely as it gets used it's invaluable when needed. Still, the wife would like to see less engines to feed. I know that they use Unimogs in Europe as primary farm vehicles so I'm not worried about the small tasks I have are more about property maintenance rather than full-bore farming.

I'd love you hear your 2 cents as well about this change in use, especially from you guys that have an SBU in addition to a SEE. I bet Tennmogger might have an opinion on this...

Justacitizen, I think the 406 that Peakbagger is referring to is just South of Nashville down in Columbia (it's a green 406 with stakebed sides if that's the same one). If you're interested in that I could run down there and take a look at it for you if you get serious.

Oh, to answer your question about the high-flow hydraulic circuit, I guess that depends on what your operational definition of 'high-flow' would be. The PTO driven pump for the backhoe certainly puts out some power. Maybe someone else here has the exact flow specs readily at hand.

Let me know if I can help!
 
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peakbagger

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The rear hydraulic pump is 26 GPM @2450 psi. The front pump is 8 GPM @2450 psi. Note the HMMH has lower rear pump rating (14 GPM at 2450 psi but at 1000 RPM throttle instead of 2000 rpm on the SEE) but given their rarity I expect you are sticking with the SEE.

I think the Case MB94 which the SEE was based on was bit more modular when it comes to swapping accessories. The problem with many MB94s were they were bought by municipalities and tend to be beat up. The 406 body used on the SEE is also rust prone. The SEEs were mostly parked and Mercedes did attempt to rust proof them so the bodies are in better shape (but I see some signs of future rust in the usual spots on mine and the others I have seen.

My usual warning is that when you buy a SEE, you become the chief mechanic. There is no local dealer if you get in trouble. The number of actual Unimog Specialists in the US are few. There are more dealers willing to sell you a government surplus unit than are interested in servicing them. Its a more complex vehicle than a tractor, the nice thing is no computers but the wiring and air systems are complex.

As long as you are going in realizing that the three point hitch is something you need to rig hen you may be of the right mind for SEE.

The newer series Square Cab SBUs (1000, 1200 and 1300) are a 30 year newer design and generally heavier duty, the big trade off is I haven't seen backhoes on that series although expect they were available. The MB Tracs are the ultimate farming Unimog farming vehicle but quite rare.
 
911joeblow

911joeblow

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In stock form you have forward hydraulic control in the cab only. That being said you can route hydraulic controls anywhere you want with enough time and money.

The transmission is a 4spd with two fwd speed ranges and one rear speed range so 8 fwd speeds and 4 rwd speeds. So like a tractor in that respect. But then you also have a splitter with hi/low so with that you have 16 and 8. I don’t think anybody uses the splitter except for high speed driving which is needed to keep up with traffic with the weight of these.

I am unique in this group in that I drive 50 MPH routinely with aired up tires.
 
J

justacitizen

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oklahoma
Thanks. do you happen to know what the speeds are for each gear in its range? does it have a forward reverse lever?




911joeblow said:
In stock form you have forward hydraulic control in the cab only. That being said you can route hydraulic controls anywhere you want with enough time and money.

The transmission is a 4spd with two fwd speed ranges and one rear speed range so 8 fwd speeds and 4 rwd speeds. So like a tractor in that respect. But then you also have a splitter with hi/low so with that you have 16 and 8. I don’t think anybody uses the splitter except for high speed driving which is needed to keep up with traffic with the weight of these.

I am unique in this group in that I drive 50 MPH routinely with aired up tires.
Click to expand...
 
M

MrSEE

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justacitizen said:
Thanks. do you happen to know what the speeds are for each gear in its range? does it have a forward reverse lever?
Click to expand...
I will go test this today or tomorrow if no one else beats me to it. Been rather curious about that myself. Forward to reverse and back is done by using the main range selector. When you get a hang of it you can get pretty quick at shuttling back and forth, just be careful with your transmission as they're a pain to swap out.

In regards to your first question, everyone else seems to have nailed it. I think you'll be pretty impressed with the speed (relative) and comfort (relative), but you'll have to familiarize yourself with the manuals and make sure that it gets used often enough to keep things "fresh." They don't seem to take as kindly as other surplus to sitting around for months at a time.

We've removed the backhoe and put the pintle hitch on the back of the frame (there is a hole already there for) on one machine. It works great pulling an M1061 trailer with a 1500 gallon water tank.
 
J

justacitizen

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oklahoma
in the winter months it would be used almost daily. in the summer probably twice a week on average. if it had a PTO i might be tempted to mow with it but i have a tractor for that. i would have to figure out how to control the rear three point from the cab,maybe a remote divert valve with remote control or linkage. oh i would also want a front quick attach for the loader probably bobcat style.


MrSEE said:
I will go test this today or tomorrow if no one else beats me to it. Been rather curious about that myself. Forward to reverse and back is done by using the main range selector. When you get a hang of it you can get pretty quick at shuttling back and forth, just be careful with your transmission as they're a pain to swap out.

In regards to your first question, everyone else seems to have nailed it. I think you'll be pretty impressed with the speed (relative) and comfort (relative), but you'll have to familiarize yourself with the manuals and make sure that it gets used often enough to keep things "fresh." They don't seem to take as kindly as other surplus to sitting around for months at a time.

We've removed the backhoe and put the pintle hitch on the back of the frame (there is a hole already there for) on one machine. It works great pulling an M1061 trailer with a 1500 gallon water tank.
Click to expand...
 
Brents347

Brents347

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Truckee, CA.
Justacitizen,

I too routinely drive my FLU around town, from my house to my property and hit top speeds of 45 on flat ground and 50 if downhill with the backhoe and loader attached. I live at 6,000' so I am really happy with those speeds.

As far as speeds in each gear, hear is what I can tell you about my machine. Because I live in the mountains I use the high-low split continually to maintain speed as I drive around. 45 is the top speed in 4th high. At 37 I downshift to 4th low. Top speed in 2nd gear high range is about 20. 3rd low is top speed about 26, and 3rd high is about 31.

hope that helps.
 
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