1976 IH Hydro 100 prototype tractor

[jvolgarino]

I'm a writer for Antique Power magazine and researching the IH Hydro 100 prototype that was built around 1976 at a dealership in New Ulm, MN. The tractor still exists even though it was built as a prototype and is owned by a collector in Illinois. The story is Brown County Implement in New Ulm had six stripped down Hydro 100s shipped to its dealership and they were worked on to make changes by two IH engineers to create a front loader/backhoe version, something IH didn't have in its line up of construction machinery.

I'm trying to find out what happened to the dealership (it appears to have been out of business by 1982), who owned it and if anyone has any direct knowledge about this project. It's all a mystery, but that one prototype still exists and actually has been working since it was discovered in the back lot of a Milroe Cub dealership and was sold at auction. Help anyone?

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Sorry, no clue.... but don't forget to ask over on the Red Power forum as well.

And good luck! Sounds like an interesting tale.

Mike

 

[DoubleO7]

a front loader/backhoe version,

So the prototype was for the above.?

 

[Jim Becker]

It seems improbable that IH would send engineers to a General Line (Ag} dealer to modify a tractor for an industrial use. Then throw in the fact that IH had been building integral loader tractors since some time in the 1960s and some were built since at least 1974 with hydros, there wouldn't seem to be much point to it. (I didn't bother to check when the first hydro loader-tractor was built. The 2500B and 3400A were available as hydros in '74.)

 

[jvolgarino]

It seems improbable that IH would send engineers to a General Line (Ag} dealer to modify a tractor for an industrial use. Then throw in the fact that IH had been building integral loader tractors since some time in the 1960s and some were built since at least 1974 with hydros, there wouldn't seem to be much point to it. (I didn't bother to check when the first hydro loader-tractor was built. The 2500B and 3400A were available as hydros in '74.)

Yes, it seems improbable which is why the story needs confirmation. The machine was found with about 40 hours on the clock. It is a front drive hydro 100 and has the front bucket and rear end loader.
I'm hoping someone can fill in the blanks and answer these improbable questions. The machine exists. It appears to be the only one. There's an explanation out there somewhere.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

I would hardly consider a tractor in its last year of production, a prototype. Don't care what you bolt on to it. Modified yes, prototype no.

Is this the machine you're talking about? There are many detailed pictures of it, 47 in fact, and a video, here:
https://www.bigiron.com/Lots/1976In...AIndustrialPrototypeMFWDTractorBackhoewLoader

"There's an explanation out there somewhere." Not necessarily. It's going on 50 years since this was originally built, and it's likely that most of the people involved in its creation have passed on. Detailed records were not kept for everything that ever existed.

Really I have no idea what whoever built this monstrosity was hoping to accomplish. There were already purpose-designed machines with the same capabilities, and tracked hydraulic excavators were coming on the scene.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

I would hardly consider a tractor in its last year of production, a prototype. Don't care what you bolt on to it. Modified yes, prototype no.

Is this the machine you're talking about? There are many detailed pictures of it, 47 in fact, and a video, here:
https://www.bigiron.com/Lots/1976In...AIndustrialPrototypeMFWDTractorBackhoewLoader
View attachment 90642

"There's an explanation out there somewhere." Not necessarily. It's going on 50 years since this was originally built, and it's likely that most of the people involved in its creation have passed on. Detailed records were not kept for everything that ever existed.

Really I have no idea what whoever built this monstrosity was hoping to accomplish. There were already purpose-designed machines with the same capabilities, and tracked hydraulic excavators were coming on the scene.

It's what you get after a polka weekend & too many Hamm's.

And....

Why would anyone mount that loader so low?

Mike

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

It's what you get after a polka weekend & too many Hamm's.

And....

Why would anyone mount that loader so low?

Mike

Maybe it was intended for pushing, not loading?

I found another picture of it on Pinterest with 32" rubber. It's the same tractor based on the wear patterns in the paint, and the dent in the muffler. On the pinterest page, there's a comment saying that it's their Dad's tractor. Unfortunately it's from 2011, when the Red Power Roundup was held in Albert Lea MN, and it appears "Artie+Gilda" who made the comment, is no longer active.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Maybe it was intended for pushing, not loading?

I found another picture of it on Pinterest with 32" rubber. It's the same tractor based on the wear patterns in the paint, and the dent in the muffler. On the pinterest page, there's a comment saying that it's their Dad's tractor. Unfortunately it's from 2011, when the Red Power Roundup was held in Albert Lea MN, and it appears "Artie+Gilda" who made the comment, is no longer active.
View attachment 90670

It would be good for backfilling & grading, now that you mention it.

It will be interesting to hear if there's any more info on it.

Mike

 

[jvolgarino]

I would hardly consider a tractor in its last year of production, a prototype. Don't care what you bolt on to it. Modified yes, prototype no.

Is this the machine you're talking about? There are many detailed pictures of it, 47 in fact, and a video, here:
https://www.bigiron.com/Lots/1976In...AIndustrialPrototypeMFWDTractorBackhoewLoader
View attachment 90642

"There's an explanation out there somewhere." Not necessarily. It's going on 50 years since this was originally built, and it's likely that most of the people involved in its creation have passed on. Detailed records were not kept for everything that ever existed.

Really I have no idea what whoever built this monstrosity was hoping to accomplish. There were already purpose-designed machines with the same capabilities, and tracked hydraulic excavators were coming on the scene.

I appreciate all the feedback and if nothing else is accomplished it would be to confirm the story, monstrosity or not.

I recall one of my journalism professors telling the class it will behoove all of us to be curious as much of what we write about will involve stories that appear very untrue or are so outlandish that they deserve exploration.

So that's what I'm doing. Exploring. Several years ago I researched a story about John Deere wanting to build rotary engines, going so far as to setting up a secret "skunk works" in my hometown, Waterloo, Iowa.

The company pulled together a staff of engineers and designers who for eight years did nothing but build improbable versions of engines that could be brought into the ag and construction machinery market.

Some 25 million dollars later the decision was made to kill the project and sell off the rights to the rotary engine technology.

There was no publicity about the project and no one outside of the development group knew anything about it.

Sometimes these strange stories have no perfect explanation. But wouldn't it be interesting to know if they are true and why?

 

[Fritz Maurer]

Auger backfillers were popular back when that tractor was built. That would explain the additional hydraulic lines on the boom.

The idea was that the auger pulverized the backfill material which reduced huge clods rolling down the bank and knocking the pipe out of alignment and/or crushing it. Pulverized material compacts better, which is important in a housing development with its myriad of sewer laterals.

But they had their limitations, they probably didn't work in the snow and muck in the dead of winter; so the dozer had to take over backfill duties ... so why keep an additional machine around.

 

[wore out]

I appreciate all the feedback and if nothing else is accomplished it would be to confirm the story, monstrosity or not.

I recall one of my journalism professors telling the class it will behoove all of us to be curious as much of what we write about will involve stories that appear very untrue or are so outlandish that they deserve exploration.

So that's what I'm doing. Exploring. Several years ago I researched a story about John Deere wanting to build rotary engines, going so far as to setting up a secret "skunk works" in my hometown, Waterloo, Iowa.

The company pulled together a staff of engineers and designers who for eight years did nothing but build improbable versions of engines that could be brought into the ag and construction machinery market.

Some 25 million dollars later the decision was made to kill the project and sell off the rights to the rotary engine technology.

There was no publicity about the project and no one outside of the development group knew anything about it.

Sometimes these strange stories have no perfect explanation. But wouldn't it be interesting to know if they are true and why?

"There was no publicity about the project and no one outside of the development group knew anything about it."

That's B.S., GOOGLE "Deere Wankel Rights" for all sorts of info on DEERE rotary engine development.

I remember reading articles about it while it was going on, NOTHING "secret" about it, at all.

 

[Bermuda Ken]

It seems improbable that IH would send engineers to a General Line (Ag} dealer to modify a tractor for an industrial use. Then throw in the fact that IH had been building integral loader tractors since some time in the 1960s and some were built since at least 1974 with hydros, there wouldn't seem to be much point to it. (I didn't bother to check when the first hydro loader-tractor was built. The 2500B and 3400A were available as hydros in '74.)

Agree...IH would NEVER build a new prototype at a local dealership. Secrecy was utmost in new machine development and keeping it away from prying public eyes was paramount. This was probably a local job shop idea or dealer modification. There would be no reason for IH to compromise its security protocals for this machine.

I say its a local modified machine that is getting a tall tale of its origin attached to it.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

It seems improbable that IH would send engineers to a General Line (Ag} dealer to modify a tractor for an industrial use

The 3414 had to come from somewhere... I always guessed it was the B414

 

[jvolgarino]

"There was no publicity about the project and no one outside of the development group knew anything about it."

That's B.S., GOOGLE "Deere Wankel Rights" for all sorts of info on DEERE rotary engine development.

I remember reading articles about it while it was going on, NOTHING "secret" about it, at all.

I would like to see those articles while that project was going on (mid 1980s to early 1990s) Deere released nothing about that project during that time.

Interesting how people like to pick a fight. This will be my last post. I'm interested in conversation, not arguments.

 

[Jim Becker]

Auger backfillers were popular back when that tractor was built. That would explain the additional hydraulic lines on the boom.

I didn't see the extra hydraulic lines. But the backfiller idea makes a lot of sense. That boom doesn't go high enough for a loader. Look at the second picture from BE. It is raised almost as far as it goes.

 

[Jim Becker]

The 3414 had to come from somewhere... I always guessed it was the B414

I didn't say they didn't use Ag tractors for starting points of industrial tractors. I said their Industrial Division wouldn't send a crew out to do prototype work at an Ag dealer.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

I didn't see the extra hydraulic lines. But the backfiller idea makes a lot of sense. That boom doesn't go high enough for a loader. Look at the second picture from BE. It is raised almost as far as it goes.

Wish someone could get close to it and see if any of those pieces was built by IH .
I'm wondering if it isn't some device that was built by a different company to be used on a half-built tractor.