Steel Soldiers MV of the month 2023 - January VOTE HERE!

[Migginsbros]

Bump.......

We will be back, soon.

 

[Guyfang]

OK! Voted. Wish I could vote 2-3 more times. Grand Kids helped me a bit.

 

[Migginsbros]

The FLU 419 SEE is equipped with a hydraulic system to operate hydraulic hand tools. The Chain Saw, Hammer Drill and a Conctete Breaker are part of the equipment of the SEE. The Impact Wrench belongs to the HMMH. We added him to the SEE because this tool is very usefull and the most used of all.

Those Stanley hydraulic tools are not so common in our area . Only the Breaker comes with the SEE, the Hammer Drill we found in Germany .He was used to drill underwater blast holes. Yes, you can use these tools underwater. As we wanted to complete the equipment we got the Saw in Florida and the Impact Wrench in Arizona. Thank´s the www.

 

[Migginsbros]

We have a race.

 

[Migginsbros]

Think our FLU419 SEE find his way to the USA by ship. But what kind of way he came back? She´s LAPES certified by C-130 Windshield protected and the spare tire placed in the loader for better couter balance adjustment.

 

[BDGR]

Migginsbro really does have a nice truck and some nice photos.

I'm scratching my head about what else I have to share, but I do have handmade TMs for my truck. Due to the limited hard copies for these trucks, I have been going through the PDFs, sorting everything into categories, and making books on each grouping. I even made a condensed color-coded wiring packet to hand to friends helping with the truck. I am still collecting parts for the wiring so sadly not making fast progress. I got my packard connectors, almost a 1000ft of wiring, crimpers on the way, more on the shopping list.

If nothing else, she will comeback with a stronger campaign next time!

 

[Robo McDuff]

Voted. That XM757 sure is a special beast; please keep us posted on the restoration process.

 

[Migginsbros]

Bump..... and don´t forget to have a look at Steel Soldiers Calendar 2023.

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/threads/steel-soldiers-2023-calendar.213096/#post-2495127

..........and this is not the piston of the 5,7 l straight 6 Mercedes direct injected engine of the FLU 419 SEE.

 

[Migginsbros]

In the year 2013 we opened a thread at SS named FLU419 SEE HMMH HME Owners group.
And this is a spontaneous copied quotation from our SS member tennmogger.

"The SEE excavators aren't "an absolute orphan red headed step child begging to be kicked out of the orphanage onto the cold street!", and I know you know that However, there are people who will try to convince us of that. Any one job might be easier with a dedicated machine, but the SEE is rather versatile for many different jobs, like a Swiss Army knife.

You will also have people tell you how hard it is to service the Unimog. That's just not true. I admit though that there is a lot of service required. There are many grease fittings and lube reservoirs on these vehicles. If maintenance is not done, as was NOT done on many of these vehicles, then they develop problems after 20 or 30 years (duh!). Repairs can be complicated on such a compact and unique machine. Once the machine is brought back to operating condition, maintenance is not bad at all.

The loader and hoe functions of the SEE (and of the MB-4/94 for which I have experience) do have some limitations. For the loader, the worst deficit is the sprung front end. As you push the loader into the load the springs will compress. It's just about impossible to level anything while pushing forward with the loader blade. It does work very well to move any loose material that is on top of a solid surface. That might be gravel dumped in a driveway or in a field, loading spoil from a trench to replace into the trench or load into a truck, or moving stuff like fire wood. I use mine often for such jobs. The MB-4/94's had available a suspension lockout device to eliminate the spring action, greatly improving front loader operation. The early SEE prototypes had hydraulic shocks that could be locked to achieve spring bypass but the SEE's do not have that, do they?

The backhoe on the SEE is a heavy duty full sized backhoe. It works well. Keep engine RPM up if you want speed. I seldom worry about hoe speed because my jobs are small. The down side of using the SEE for a backhoe is the inconvenience of moving the truck. You have to get up from the backhoe controls and climb into the cab. With a little practice, you can drag the SEE around with the backhoe, especially if you leave the loader bucket flat on the ground so it does not dig in. The hoe will lift the rear of the Unimog and swing it sideways. Once the backhoe is up on the stabilizers it will really dig. On a project like a trench you can dig continuously and shove the truck along with the boom.

Have you any of the hydraulic tools? A hydraulic chain saw is a pleasure to use. You don't need earplugs and can actually hear the teeth cut the log, a pleasant sound to me. No refueling, no chain oil (uses hydraulic oil), and no noise. It's easy to clear trees without disturbing the neighbors. Hydraulic tools used here are the chain saw, a circular cutter on a 10 ft boom (think super weedeater), and hydraulic drill/impact tool.

Here in the country I drive my MB-4/94 to the neighbors farms for projects. I remove trees, bury cows (lots of beef growers around here), prep driveways, remove stumps, etc. I don't charge them but you could. If they call anyone else to come do the job they have to pay a setup charge or transportation charge, plus hourly fee. If they rent a backhoe, the closest rental place is 10 miles away and no rental company wants their backhoe driven on the highway so they require trailering, but the SEE is made to drive on the highway! Speed limits around here range from 35 to 45 and the 406 (and SEE) will do that.

Both the front bucket and hoe are good crane substitutes. Loading trailers, moving engines, swinging logs onto a trailer are all easy. I welded chain hooks on my buckets but the SEE may already have those.

If you are a fabricator, adding a thumb to the backhoe would be a handy addition. I don't have that but sure want one eventually.

Hope this had given you some ideas.

Bob "

Thank you Bob, you nailed it.

The sound in the background made by these Tampers (self ignited)

This pic is not OSHA confirm, it´s a sample.

 

[Guyfang]

Those tampers are old. I used one in 1993, and it was old then.

 

[Migginsbros]

Bump.........only a few hours to cast your vote.

Vote for the left one. The Migginsbros FLU419 SEE

We saved one off 2086 . Many of them still searching a new home.

 

[BDGR]

Come on, vote for the nuke truck. He saved one of just over 2000. I'm saving two of just 175.

and her sister, that will be saved too someday by resto-modding, if I live long enough.

My office assistant helps prove that flat faced things are just the greatest. While the unimog is snub nosed, it's not flat enough.

I do have a build thread started, but again, not much progress so far. The main lesson I've learned so far is to document progress better so hopefully I can help anyone in the future with theirs. I personally don't want to sacrifice any remaining trucks so my comprimise is to use the white ones original parts to help save the camo truck and then save the white one by using M35A3 parts to resurrect it. Some have called this idea my folly. OH WELL.
BDGR's XM757 Rebuild Thread | SteelSoldiers

 

[Migginsbros]

The front loader and the case backhoe are detachable. It´s discribed in the TM and it works.

 

[Migginsbros]

We lost our shed parking for ou MV´s after 20 years. So we dicided to build up a "not expensive big tent" . All family members , young and old also guys from the the neightborhood build it up with us a hot 01. Aug. 2020 to give them ( the steel soldiers ) a place to be.

 

[Migginsbros]

A big Thank you to all those voters and participants for the MV of the month Jan. 2023

Hope we have many events like this in the future. Most of us never met in person, but we are a good group of MV enthusiasts who may help each other and ..... have some fun.

 

[M813rc]

Settled by only one vote! Well done to Migginbros and to BDGR on a good race.

And to the others, try again, they are all nice.

Cheers

 

[Tracer]

Chris congrats and well done.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Congratulations, Migginsbros!

Another photo-finish down to the wire race.




Carry on.



.

 

[patracy]

Congrats @Migginsbros !