Going Back a Few Years....New Idea Equipment

Just got off the phone with Glenn Bridges from Kentucky. Glenn writes about developing a toy model, he has built of Allis-Chalmers, and gives a brief history of the unit in each issue of the Upper Midwest A-C Club's newsletter.

Glenn and I were talking tonight and he brought up the subject of New Idea equipment and where did it go? You don't hear about New Idea much anymore. I was going to email this information to Glenn, personally, but I decided to share the same information with our forum friends.

So, here it goes:
New Idea was birthed in 1899 when Joseph Oppenheim created the first mechanical manure spreader in Maria Stein, Ohio, USA. He died shortly after the first few were built, and B.C. Oppenheim and his son-in-law, Henry Synck took over the leadership of the company. It was first known as Oppenheim's New Idea, and in 1904 changed its name to New Idea Spreader Company[1]

In 1912, all operations were moved to Coldwater, OH. The company was sold in 1945 to AVCO[2]

In 1984 the New Idea division was purchased by White Farm Equipment to form White-New Idea, a division of the Allied Products Corporation. In 1993, AGCO purchased White-New Idea. AGCO, and White before it, also manufactured tractors at the Coldwater, OH plant, but in 1999, AGCO closed the plant. Hay product manufacturing was moved to the Hesston plant in Hesston, KS.

The New Idea brand was dropped by AGCO around 2007.

Referenced from http://tractors.wikia.com/wiki/New_Idea

A year or two ago I bought a New Idea Model 100 (10') Fertilizer Spreader in Indiana. It had the optional Grass Seeder attachment on it. I haven't used it yet, and plan on repainting/restoring it first. On the way home we came right through Coldwater, OH where it was made. I stopped in a barber shop to ask where the factory was located. It happened to be just a few blocks away, so I drove by it with the spreader on the back of the truck. Got some looks from the folks sitting outside at a picnic table on a smoke break. Don't know if any of them realized the "Homecoming" or not. The factory is being used by various companies. The Barber told me there was a local man trying to get some sort of New Idea museum started there. Dad or Grandpa had one of these spreaders when I was a kid. It will look good behind the WD45 or CA when I'm done. Does anyone happen to have the paint code for the green and orange paints used on this 1950's vintage New Idea equipment?

I worked for AVCO in Nashville,TN. They built the New Idea implements there before I went to work there. The old timers had seen a lot from the P38s,C130s,C5As,Bell Helicopters,Boeing 757, Space shuttle and the B1B . Worked on all the government planes and projects. 27 acres under roof. Tracy

Randy,  Funny, this turned over a "rock" in my memory.  While we did not sell New Idea when we were selling Allis Chalmers Equipment - mid 30's to 1962 - New Idea was a known producer of agricultural equipment.  Always high quality.

Edited by Bill Long - 27 Nov 2016 at 9:38pm

My grandfather was allis chalmers and new idea dealer. That stinks agco dropped the name totally

We used to run nothing but new idea corn pickers and manure spreaders. Stood up real well. Had a new idea fertilizer spreader also.

New Idea was the only other equipment brand on our farm growing up ; manure spreader , hay conditioner , bale loader , corn picker . The local dealer was a Case dealer and close to our farm . My grandfather liked Allis but did not get along with local AC dealer so much .

We have a uni 704 with the 401 gmc v6 and other than it being 2wd we love it. Would really like to find a 709 with the 426 Allis or a 708 with the perkins in 4wd.

I bought a New Idea 5 wheel hay rake new in 1976 from Lehman Bros. They used to be a MM dealer west of Amity Oregon. They had a lot of MM. A bunch of the old MM Uni-farmers with all kind of equipment mounted. A Manure spreader, a baler, forage chopper and combines....James

Neighbors that bought our dairy had the big UNI with the A-C 426. Said it was great until they had to change head systems as suddenly both hired hands would call-in sick. Took two men all day to change it over as they fully serviced the unit front to back at the same time.
They put plenty of crops up with the old gal as big operation, three Harvestore and three concrete stave silos.
New Idea was known as top shelf back then.

Mrgoodwrench wrote: We have a uni 704 with the 401 gmc v6 and other than it being 2wd we love it. Would really like to find a 709 with the 426 Allis or a 708 with the perkins in 4wd.

NEVER green wrote: Mrgoodwrench wrote: We have a uni 704 with the 401 gmc v6 and other than it being 2wd we love it. Would really like to find a 709 with the 426 Allis or a 708 with the perkins in 4wd.   The 803 A has the 607I engine in it, has the heavier, better crank and rods in it.

I'm sure you are right but the last 803a I saw for sale was a kind near 30k....I see 708/709for 5-10k depending on equipment

AGCO catalog of cutting parts:


Catalog

That's nice that they carry all those mower parts but can't carry any allis mower parts.