[METRICMOG]

Up for sale is my Schmidt snowblower (rear deck mounted motor included), plow and chains. This unit was designed for CASE Unimogs but may be altered to fit others. Please visit our website for a complete description. Unimog | Mercedes Unimog | Schmidt Snowblower

 

[MiniMan]

No offense intended mate, but your price seems quite steep relative to the 2-3 complete snowblower 406's that are currently for sale (with the Unimog itself) for up to $8,000 less than what you're trying to sell just your snowblower setup alone for.

There has actually been one fellow in Eastern Canada trying to sell a mint, very low hour 406 with the complete snowblower setup for mid $30's (only a few thousand more than your snowblower package) and he's been stuck with it for a year and I'd figure he will continue to own it until he drops his price into a more realistic ball park. I'd be surprised if your package sold in the next year for half of what you're asking for it, IMHO.

Not trying to harm your sale, as I doubt there's a single chap on here willing to drop $30k USD on a snowblower package, but instead just trying to save you the time and frustration of having it sit for sale while it whithers away.

Best of luck,

Corey

 

[coachconverter]

My two cents here...

I agree that on the surface, the price seems too high, and the fact that others are priced lower, with the truck, would hurt this price.

BUT, something that I think Ralph's advertisement could convey better, is that the blower package is likely in better than new condition.

Ralph and his son are true Unimog aficionados and yes, obsessed with Unimogs. They disassemble every bolt of anything they work on.

So yes, the price seems high compared to other units, but to anyone that wants to really work a setup like this, it's worth the extra money given it's condition.

Ok, I'm done.

Todd

 

[METRICMOG]

Miniman, well put.
Now let me explain this machine. The Unimog was originally purchased by an Airport in the Midwest (I am the second owner). The Airport special ordered this package which included the truck, snowblower, plow and chains. The truck options included a heated windshield, Eberspacher diesel cab heater, extra cab insulation, steering wheel indicator, strobes/lights, FOPS (falling object protection system), spare tire w/rim, and spare parts that could fill the cab.
As for the Schmidt snowblower unit, the rear mounted OM352A (turbo motor) was fitted with a hydrostatic drive mechanism to run the front blower. One might say, “No big deal”. I am saying it is a big deal because I have personally seen three snowblower unimogs with the spur style (drop down chain drive) gear boxes that utilize a clutch, that have cracked bell housings. This is due to that fact that there is no pressure relief in the system unlike the hydrostatic drive. This system offers a smooth and seamless engagement. The truck was also fitted with three 2” hydraulic lines that run from the back of the rear mounted pump to the front of the truck, as an option to do away with the driveshaft that run the blower.
From the Turbo motor back, which includes the hydraulic pump, lines and hydrostatic drive were manufactured in the US by Sundstrand Industries which is still in business today. I called them up to price out a replacement pump and was informed that a new one would cost about 10K, and that I shouldn’t need one because that unit is, and I quote, “Bulletproof.”
The truck only has 2,489 miles and 542 hours, so I can only imagine how much use is on the equipment, not to mention the fact that the truck was stored in a heated facility for 30 years and utilized in a no salt environment (ABSOLUTELY NO RUST). I have looked over the truck with a fine tooth comb and could not fine one grease fitting and fluid that was NOT greased or changed, which leads me back to the fact that it was maintained by an airport.
The plow is no ordinary Fisher. This is a 12’ wide Schmidt plow that was designed to work as perfect mate to the Unimog. There just so happens to be a local Schmidt dealer less than an hour from me which sells this type of plow. The salesman informed me that to buy this model of plow today would cost between 17K.
The tire chains are RUD, which I am sure you already know are the best. I priced out a new set of them too. $2,450.
As for my credibility, this is my fifth year owning Unimogs as well as my fifth CASE 406. I currently have this truck as well as the Lake Placid Olympic version. The other three trucks that I’ve sold have gone for top dollar because of the quality of work and professionalism that I offer. I have been a vender on the Rockymountain Moggers
website since then, and a supplier to numerous moggers for Metric hardware (BelMetric - Metric Fasteners, TIME-SERT®, Nuts, Bolts, Screws, Licence Plate Hardware established over 35 years). I have visited a handful of active members, all of whom I consider to be gentlemen.
I was informed by the airport director that this truck had been purchased for 280K in 1980, and that the truck was cared for as if it were a personal vehicle. Little sidenote: the truck was parked behind an F-16 not a Cessna.
I appreciate your input, be well, Ralph

P.S. Todd, thank you very much for your support (a gentlemen).

 

[MiniMan]

Ralph, it certainly is a unique piece of hardware with the hydrostatic drive and it's great to have someone as reputable as Todd vouch for the anal retentiveness you express with the finer details of restoration (and I do mean that as a compliment).

Have you considered tossing the package on eBay, by chance? It may be worthwhile to place it on there just to see what people are willing to pay. Even if you don't get what you're looking to, it will help gain some exposure for the sale and give you a good ballpark range of what you can realistically hope to achieve going forward (say 10-20% higher than the auction's ending price). Something to consider if you still haven't received any reasonable offers in the coming months, anyway.

Once again, no offence intended with my pricing commentary Ralph, I sincerely do wish you all the best with the sale. Although I do hope that you're either willing to wait the sale out or adjust your price as time passes.

Cheers,

Corey

 

[rostige]

Nice looking unit Ralph. My first mog was an airport unit and it is a great place to buy a mog from (usually).
With the hydrostatic drive could you not go directly to the blower head and eliminate the driveshaft? Maybe there is a reason I cannot see.

rostige

 

[esde]

Nice looking unit Ralph. My first mog was an airport unit and it is a great place to buy a mog from (usually).
With the hydrostatic drive could you not go directly to the blower head and eliminate the driveshaft? Maybe there is a reason I cannot see.

rostige

Rostige, the hydraulic drive eliminates the driveshaft. Nice system I think.

 

[tkv000]

What are you doing with the truck itself?

 

[rostige]

Rostige, the hydraulic drive eliminates the driveshaft. Nice system I think.

Seth, one of the videos on his link shows a driveshaft; I think the hydro portion drops it down at rear eliminating chains/ gears and then a shaft transmits to front via hanger.

rostige

 

[METRICMOG]

tkv000, I plan to keep the truck for now because I know of only one other Unimog (CASE 406) in this condition.

Here are a few more pics of the mog. Towards the right side of the truck you can see the Jet. The other pics are of the blower control unit which electronically controls a hydraulic valve body to operate the throttle controls, blower head angles and turbine speed. Thanks...Ralph

 

[esde]

So it looks like the hydraulic drive is in the rear and still needs the driveshaft to power the front mounted blower, right? Was the bellhousing/ rear drop chain case a weak link as mentioned? Sweet setup, someone that wants a turn key unit will bite regardless of the price. Most unimog blowers of that vintage have been SITTING and are in need of a lot of work, from what I have seen lately. BTW, did you do the repaint or is that all original?

 

[Mogasaurus]

FWIW, the only blower equipped 406 I've seen recently that appeared to be in this good shape was also a ex-airport unit. If I remember right, it sold on E-Bay for more then $40K USD and was probably worth that. Beautiful condition and 100% in order (I drove it around the field prior to it's sale). It DID NOT have the auxiliary power unit - only the high speed PTO driven pump.

As far as I know, the units currently for sale much cheaper are all surplus DOT trucks and probably flogged to death, as well as being rust buckets. All the DOT trucks I've ever seen have been...

Ralph, your blower rocks ! Hopefully you'll get top dollar. Keep pushing those fasteners :thumbsup:

 

[MB4/94]

Ralph is a Unimog perfectionist. I talked at length with Ralph about this snow blower unit and I'd be willing to bet it's the nicest one left on the face of the earth. It's almost a shame to split this rare version up , but I know how Ralph is about owning a perfect rust free Mog.
This was a great find for Ralph and I know how he will "baby" it. AT the same time it will now put a great snow blower on the market for someone that can really use it.
Congrats to Ralph on the "new" Mog. We'll have to get the Mogs together for a picture sometime.

 

[bwswede]

Ralph, Great truck and blower. Good luck with your sale.

For those who have a similar setup with all the gauges etc. mounted on the doghouse, how do you casually check the engine oil? Has the dipstick been modified or relocated?

Best,
BWSwede

 

[jasoncouch01]

Hey isn't this the unit that was on Ebay a while back that was at $15,000 and then dissapeared ? I'm assuming that it was bought for $15k.
I was watching it closely.
Obviously a good score,but some of us in the buisiness are definitely providing a service to all Unimog enthusiasts and not marking things up too high. This just provokes mistrust amongst the Unimog community,but to be honest I would have tried to sell the whole unit for about double the $15k, if that is what it went for.
Again good score and good luck!

 

[Mogasaurus]

Obviously a good score,but some of us in the buisiness are definitely providing a service to all Unimog enthusiasts and not marking things up too high.

Well, good on you....you and Scott from EI should do a group hug

Ralph is not "in the business", unless the business is fasteners. I'm sure he's very competitive there...

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

The price sounds high but for 27k you get the 3 section 12' plow, the set of chains, the blower and the power unit with hydrostatic drive. Is each piece worth 9000 if purchased as a lot? At that point the chains are the in box premium. If it's all straight and clean and running well, you can make money just as soon as it snows.

Using a rough figure of 2000 ton per hour clearance on just the blower, and acre of parking lot -43560^2 foot- and 2 feet of wet snow -30lb/foot^3- I come up with 1306.8 ton per acre which comes to be about 40 minutes per acre. How many acres of parking lot do you need to clear to make it back?

You can make a case for $200 per acre as you have superior snow removal equipment, not some 3/4 ton dodge with an 8 foot blade and we're talking about 2 feet of snow. At 200 an acre you need 135 acres of clearance to buy back the equipment. At 40 minutes an acre you're in for 90 hours of work.

 

[jasoncouch01]

I'd love to give Scott a hug,but I don't think he's the touchy- feely type.

I guess I should be ok with marking up some of my really good deals up 150% or more???
That's probably why I am still stuck w/ calling a TV dinner fine dining!!! I'm a slow learner...

 

[jasoncouch01]

I wish the calc. #'s where that easy. There are a lot of #'s not taken into account there.
I have big blowers, big plows,big Mogs and have had the contracts. It' is not that easy,but the Mogs are very impressive at this work none the less.

 

[myunimog]

Clearing parking lots is not the likely use for a blower unless you have a crew set up with a large dump truck or two to shoot the snow into so you can dump it in a pile somewhere else. Snow blowers are really designed to clear non urban roads where you can blow the snow somewhere where it doesn't interfere with anything where they get a lot of snow. I guess if you had a field next to a large lot you could windrow the snow over to one side with a plow then blow it into the field. Come to think of it that would work pretty well. But the situation has to be just right and is not common place.