UDLX MM in Photo ads

Bruce from Can. · Dec 18, 2017

Only asking $80,000.00 .... well it is a interesting photo at least. I have , like many others , been some what taken by these tractors. Not only the idea and the style, but the refusal of the public to pay extra for comfort, or to even feel that they should be comfortable. Now you can hardly get anyone to ride a open tractor, let alone a tractor without air conditioning.

Bob Bancroft · Dec 18, 2017

I agree. Could they really not afford it, or were they just so much more frugal than us? With some of my physical challenges, I couldn't farm now if I didn't have climate controlled cabs on some major pieces of machinery.

moresmoke · Dec 18, 2017

Times have changed. Who even buys a base model car or pickup anymore? Ya, I know the crowd on here is a bunch of cheap ****, but who else buys them?

Butch(OH) · Dec 18, 2017

Well now I know what he wants for it. Over on Harry's site he didn't list a price.

johnlobb · Dec 18, 2017

At the time, I don't believe the depression was quite over when these appeared. Very few people had any money to buy anything extra.

coonie minnie · Dec 18, 2017

A few observations:

The Comforttractor seemed to be offered only in standard tread form... so that limited sale to someone who wanted to cultivate, etc. It seems to me the bulk of tractors sold in the late 30s were row crops- Farmall M and H, JD A and B, etc.

Visibility looks compromised compared to more modern cab tractors.

The machine was geared for 40 mph, but was still a tractor- with no suspension, tractor tires, and only two rear wheel brakes that left a little to be desired. No back seat for kids, just pile on that rear axle housing that was making plenty of noise.

The machine was a novel idea, but like some others of MM, seemed to lack that final bit to get it just right.Interestingly enough, a lot were sold to the Post Office in the northern plains (MN and I think Dakotas). Probably fit the bill, as they had one passenger, and had to go through rotten roads in all kinds of weather. Seems like a Jeep would have been a big advancement, though!

RBoots · Dec 18, 2017

Better than a Silver King, at least it has a cab! lol

rustyfarmall · Dec 18, 2017

(quoted from post at 05:14:42 12/18/17) Times have changed. Who even buys a base model car or pickup anymore? Ya, I know the crowd on here is a bunch of cheap ****, but who else buys them?

Base model? Is there even such a thing anymore? If there is, rest assured you will NOT find one on a dealers lot anywhere.

NY 986 · Dec 18, 2017

I agree with most of the thoughts expressed below. The Depression was not over and especially in farmers' minds it was not. I read that the 1930's were a time that the surviving farmers were picking up ground from those who did not make it so they no doubt were making payments on the new acquisition so less money to throw around on a tractor. More kids were still home or nearby in town to make what was there go. Also, the shifts were smaller when more family was around as opposed to today when it is up to the patriarch to run until the wheels fall off during the busy times.

Rich'sToys · Dec 18, 2017

I think in those times it was just plain too expensive for most people to be able to afford it.

rusty6 · Dec 18, 2017

(quoted from post at 07:47:18 12/18/17) I agree with most of the thoughts expressed below. The Depression was not over and especially in farmers' minds it was not. I read that the 1930's were a time that the surviving farmers were picking up ground from those who did not make it so they no doubt were making payments on the new acquisition so less money to throw around on a tractor.

The 30s was a time of survival here and most still farmed with horses. The huge investment of a tractor was a major step and that extra $600 or whatever it cost for a cab on the MM would have been viewed as an unnecessary luxury that we could get along without. And there were many other places to spend that extra money where is was more needed.
Even in the 1960s a cab was considered an unnecessary luxury here. Aftermarket companies were starting to offer them but things didn't really get going til the late sixties, early seventies.

Ronnie Budd · Dec 18, 2017

(quoted from post at 13:33:47 12/18/17)

The machine was a novel idea, but like some others of MM, seemed to lack that final bit to get it just right.Interestingly enough, a lot were sold to the Post Office in the northern plains (MN and I think Dakotas). Probably fit the bill, as they had one passenger, and had to go through rotten roads in all kinds of weather. Seems like a Jeep would have been a big advancement, though!

Minneapolis Moline got around to inventing the Jeep too, and presented it to the Army for testing. The Army wasn't interested enough to put it into production.

Then the BIG War came along and the Army wanted the vehicles built to their specifications. MM did not get the contract, but American Bantam, Willys, and Ford did. Willys trademarked the name. Minneapolis Moline sued and won a settlement, but Willys kept the trademark. The rest is history.

Look up Minneapolis Moline NTX.

Philip d · Dec 18, 2017

I love them too. In my opinion it wasn't much of a car and overkill fancy as a tractor.

Leroy · Dec 18, 2017

The R was made as a row crop but I don't think cultivators could be mounted. But it was a size that most farmers could use, the U series was way too big for most farmers. And at that time a lot of buggies yet as people did not even have cars and the buggys a lot were open so nothing was thought about a closed tractor. And MM dealers were very rare acording to IHC and Deere, even the Fordson that was the correct size for the average farm. If the moline would have been made the size of the Fordson or the McCormick 10-20 or even the Deere GP it might have sold more of them. At that time a 3 plow tractor was very rare and not needed or wanted by most farmers. Think of the Farmall F12 and how popular they were as an only tractor on the farm and then more than double the size and who would have use for something that big. Remember the average farm was only 40 acres with a big farm being 60 acres with the small farm being 20 acres. Nowe the big time operators have more acreage covered in buildings and machinery than the small farm had total.

1206SWMO · Dec 18, 2017

The UDLX was more suited to wheat country where the farms were much larger....Thats where most of
the 150 were sold...In 1934 my Grandpa in central Kansas passed away....At that time he had 400 acres of
crops and 1500 acres of pasture..His big tractor was a 1929 22-36 McCormick which pulled a 4 bottom
plow...In my area of Missouri in 1938 people were still farming with horses on 40 to 80 acres and up to
160 acres with 2 plow tractors..A UDLX MM wasnt needed here..

sourgum · Dec 18, 2017

These tractors are scarce as hen's teeth maybe that accounts for the sellers asking price. Someone said there may only be 50 or 60 units existing from original production. You could buy one without the cab if this picture is accurate and have better visibility to follow farm implements. From what I understand most units were made in 1938 but did not sell well so carryovers were available to farmers in 1939. They may have been a tractor made before the market or farmers were ready for them.

shinnery · Dec 19, 2017

The tractor in that last picture was called the UOPN, I believe.

1206SWMO · Dec 19, 2017

I have worked off and on since 1975 doing a UOPN--UDLX MM serial number registry....At the
current time there are (88) known serial numbers on this list...Several of these are parts only..I
feel that there are at least 10 more serial numbers out there...Sometime in the near future all
known serial numbers will be shown on here..No names or locations will be mentioned..

Heres a picture of the UDLX MM that is currently for sale at Hillsboro,North Dakota..

UDLX MM in Photo ads

Bruce from Can.

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Bob Bancroft

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moresmoke

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Butch(OH)

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johnlobb

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coonie minnie

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RBoots

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rustyfarmall

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NY 986

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Rich'sToys

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rusty6

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Ronnie Budd

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Philip d

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Leroy

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1206SWMO

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sourgum

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shinnery

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1206SWMO

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