1938 Minneapolis-Moline UDLX: The Edsel Of Tractors - A Glorious Failure
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- Опубліковано 19 тра 2022
- The 1938 Minneapolis-Moline UDLX was a tractor developed on the suggestions of farmers. It was built off of market research and at the time, was the most advanced tractor ever built. Launched to huge fanfare in 1938, the first ever enclosed cab machine was capable of being a car and a tractor, with a 40mph top speed on the road. It was promoted in a wild blitz by MM and every indication was that it would change the world of farming for the better.
Except that it was a horrible failure.
150 were made, 100 were sold in two years and the rest of them were brought back to the factory and completely stripped of their extra equipment to be sold for half the price as "regular" tractors.
Why did it fail? How did it fail? What the heck happened?
In this video, the history of the machine, its development, its unique features, and yes, its failure are all explored. Enjoy!
They had good intentions but in the end, not well executed. A friend of the family told me of his father's time with MM from 1930 to 1970. He was a block man covering Kansas, and southern Nebraska. He was given one of these to drive from dealer to dealer. He didn't have enough room for his luggage, props, breifcase, etc. It rode harshly and was hot and especially in Dust Bowl Kansas, was a bust. Who could afford anything like this in the 30s? He grew tired of it and made someone a good deal. Too good it seems as he was told not to sell one that cheap again, even though sales were horrible. He had tons of memorabilia, sales literature, toys, banners, apparel, manuals, Dealer clocks. There was some Twin City manuals and brochures as MM along with any other manufacturer would not waste anything or major money to rebadge existing inventory as several companies were become consolidated at that time. I would have loved to have heard stories from the man himself but his son was along in the summers for lots of first hand accounts. Sadly, he is gone as well.
They really should have just stopped at adding a simple cab and heater to the existing model, they went way too fancy with the fenders and styling
Worth noting that in 1938 four-wheel brakes were still a pretty new development. GM cars didn't have them until 1923 and hydraulic brakes (instead of manual) weren't common until 1935. So rear-only drums would have been old-fashioned but not as ludicrous a concept as they seem now.
My smile grew to hear you can shift it on the go.
It tried to be the Rolls Royce of tractors, instead it became the Edsel of tractors.
Squatch253 tells a story of that prototype in his X231 rebuild feb 2023 playlist in the video he describes how he ended up with 2 prototypes
This guy has never driven a tractor with an old cab, without air conditioning. Anyone who has actually used a tractor can look at the UDLX and tell you why it failed: it’s hot, it’s noisy, and visibility of the implement is poor. Cabs became popular after the John Deere SoundGard showed that cabs could be cool and quiet, and give good visibility. You have to be able to see what you’re doing.
Compared to all tractors, and even most cars of the 30's, the brakes were plenty. The suspension was an issue, but people rode tractors into town for decades, and most unloaded trucks were basically devoid of suspension without the weight to bend the springs. If the tractor was easier to get into, I think the other issues could be overlooked. But if you have ever used a tractor for actual work, you know youre getting in and out a LOT.
Of all of the reasons you gave, 99% of the failure in sales was the COST!
Back around 2010 I picked up a barn find UDLX that no one knew existed until they were going through buildings to prepare for an auction after the farmer passed away in Grenora ND. Someone did a resto on it many years earlier, but was in really nice shape yet. I delivered it to a buyer/restorer in Lake Mills Wi. I have never talked as much on the CB as I did with that tractor on the trailer. Everyone wanted to know what it was or had a story about some old tractor they had or their dad/ grandpa had. It was a very memerible trip. I often wonder where that tractor wound up.
My friend Sheldon Knutson had two of those in his collection. Sold at auction before he passed away. It was amazing for me to even sit in one.
A local guy got hired to redo the restoration on UDLX #2 after someone else had tried and failed to get it done. It sold for $120k a few years before the $200k one.
A breath after the depression.
I have admired one for over 30 years still siting in this mans driveway in Rochester ma.. Looks as good today as the first time I saw it 30 years ago.
Great story, I worked on a Minnie MO about 20 years ago, was a fun project for a local man who still used it daily. Was common to see him driving it into town.. I don't remember which model it was.
my neighbors dad had one and i remember him using it on the field back in the 60's. At the estate auction sale in the early 2000's it sold for $60,000, in need of a full restoration.
They missed key operator requirements. (1) good visibility forward and backwards close to the wheels. (2) easy ingress and egress to the operating position. These are also key to operator comfort. In most tractors today, this is from in front of the operators seat and not from behind it. The tractor did not need to look like a car, it just needed to have an operator enclosure that protected the operator from the weather. In fact most tractor (and mining equipment) cabs did not start sophisticated development until ROPS became legally mandated, and then cabs were made integral to that.
Thanks for this,video, Brian! I pulled with a MM U for a while (665 cubes on propane...it was a beast)...but, I can't imagine trying to stop at 40 mph! The brakes on my would occasionally kick back at half that speed!
Coolest tractor ever. I would’ve bought one. I’ve seen the one at the MM museum in Hopkins where the factory used to be. So much smaller than you think they’d be.
Can't believe this tractor is this rare,I grew up farming back I the early 80s,an we were big international people, but off to the side as a back up was one of these tractors,it was that very color, don't know what happened to it,84 I was 12 years old