As of 2003 Irving Woodlands in Northern Maine had one in operation still. I spent hours watching it work site prep for tree planting as a forester up there. Absolutely incredible to watch. great video
Wow,I've wondered at the book photos of this machine for over 25 years as to what it actually looked like working,this answers it.Excellent stuff here!!
had the privilege of watching one of these demonstrated to military advisors for shipment to Viet Nam in 66 or 67. the final demonstration was they drove it into the Sabine River and floated it downstream. Have a picture somewhere of a 66 Mustang parked next to the front wheel(?).
I used to be the foreman for one in Northern Maine, back in 2004, owned by Irving Woodlands. Incredible machine. Then I went on to drive the lowbed that hauled it. Even more exciting. Many chains to tie it down. Diesel over electric. When it got stuck, we'd get our biggest excavators.
The tree crusher used in Viet Nam was called the Tactical Tree Crusher and had star shaped wheels. There is an early version of that Tree Crusher in this highlight movie, but look for the Tactical Tree crusher black and white movie on my channel here. That is the one your dad was talking about.
LeTourneau had a slogan to sell machines back in the day. The Job isn't too big, the machine isn't big enough. He was an earthmoving legend. Giant LeTourneau front end loaders still are made today. They stood the test of time.
I understand there was two of these machines used in Australia on contract to the Queensland government for development of the Brigalow Land Scheme in the 1950's. A far sighted scheme to create closer settlement and a increase in population in regional areas. Land with Brigalow trees growing on it is always very fertile soil. I was told they were 50 ton diesel/electric machines and that the contractor would connect the two machines together with a long ships anchor chain when the trees were wide spaced and could roll when the trees were big and more dense. They were the most powerful to use the chain pull technique which nowadays uses two big dozers and which has all but been outlawed. If anyone knows more about them or has film of them on the Brigalow Land Scheme it sure would add to UA-cam's historic record of the development of Australia.
The world's largest tree crusher is on display in Mackenzie, British Columbia. I've visited it and climbed on it (don't tell anyone) several times. It's an impressive machine, but from what I understand it was plagued with problems and was rather ineffectual in the rough terrain of central BC. In 1964 it was brought up by rail in pieces and assembled on site. The goal was to level the boreal forest in preparation for the creation of a large artificial lake and hydroelectric project. In the end, most of the work was done by more conventional means. Cool to see one in action though.
I used to play on that machine as a kid in the 70s. It was out at my grandpas logging camp outside of Mackenzie. After the logging company was sold in 1996 the crusher was moved and refinished for display in town. I think a few of the skidder weights giant steel balls are there too. I have great memories and lots of pictures of that giant.
We have the worlds largest tree crusher up here in Mackenzie BC.....it was used in the clearing of the finlay valley back in the early-mid 60's when the hydro company wanted to make BC's(and i think Canadas)largest man made resivour to power the majority of BC.They had two of the massive Machines.....Worlds Largest one is on display in the town and there is a smaller one still underwater.The worlds largest tree crusher only cleared about 19 spuare kilometers before being taken off the the job.
WOW!! Truly amazing video, I have heard of these before but had never seen one till now, there are lots of ways to clear land and when this was used I am sure it was the best and the fastest, it makes me wonder just how much those giant wheels weighed? Its obviously diesel over electric based on the controls. That had to be pretty darned new technology for equipment like thsi back in the 50s? Great video THANKS for sharing!
Wonder if James Cameron got the idea of the big giant yellow tree stumper machines in Avatar by watching Le Tourneau equipment smashing trees at a Peruvian jungle.
Apparently they tried out these in Vietnam but they had to many break downs and too expensive to run and opted out and used D7E with Rome plough blade and anchor chains between two dozers. Red from Clearing Vietnam by Terry T Brown great book and great insight to the vets from Vietnam. Leon ex sapper.
My name is Gary Smith I joined the Tree Crushers in October 1967 when they arrived at Camp Castle and the 93 rd Engrs.. I asked for a transfer the day I first saw them break through the jungle at Camp Castle. I helped clear the area around Camp Castle . I drove the lead of two crushers when we moved further into the Delta leading a group of Rome plows from the 9th Infantry at Bear Cat. We gave them a head start but soon lost track of where they went. The crushers were as exciting to operate as they were amazing to watch. While assigned to an area controlled by our allies The Royal Thailand Army, we were in ambushes, we had RPG's shot at us, we found VC encampments and we got slowed down in the wet areas. Some people might have called us stuck, but really we were only slowed down. Only one time either needed help to get out was when we had the land drums on the machines. Which were round and not the Star drums like in the video. I was operating the first machine to lose electrical power while we were moving the crushers down a large river in the Delta . Yes they floated but they were not very stable, very tippy. That's how water got into the electrical conduits in the main frame of the machines. both machines were sent back to the states in June of 1968. I wouldn't trade my memories of my experiences operating the tree crushers for anything.
I operated an LT articulated crane while in the Navy. It's nickname was Tilley. Huge powerful machine. Would pick up a 35 ton jet like a paper cup. USS JOHN F. KENNEDY CV-67
If it was made a little faster, and had an entirely enclosed cab it could be used as the perfect vehicle to be used to survive the zombie Apocalypse. Just saying.
If these things get stuck, what then? They would have had to build a Tree Crusher Removal Machine. It's 3 times bigger and required a special road to be built to transport it where needed. This is when it was decided that things have gotten "too big".
0:47 roti metalice , antiglont , tzepi din asfalt la iesiri din parcari , rezistent la foc , vandalism etc .. . La utilajele de azi trebuie cumparate mereu amvelope care costa cat o masina , uneori acoperite cu lanturi , care trebuie mereu inlocuite .. Oricum nu pot merge pe drumuri publice asemenea masini datorita gabaritului ..
ah, so this is why they made ferngully. i was wondering if the machine in that movie actually existed. i thought they were full of b.s. but i guess we don't really clear entire swaths of forest in the u.s. anymore, at least from what i can tell.
I'm NOT a "tree hugger" at all....but I just don't see why these resources weren't put to better use. Having said that I'd like to say: I truly wish people got as upset about all the innocent lives taken every day (abortion) as they do over a mistreated tree that feels no PAIN, isn't conscious, not able to bare one who may be capable of excellence, expressing emotions - "love"...really sad.
Sam you're comparing people to trees, really? Whats next, are we going to start comparing a fetuses to a cardboard box b/c it used to be tree and a fetus isn't human yet in your scientific opinion? LIFE began and ppl have no right to terminate it. You seem to have forgotten that it was a miracle to begin with. As this nation continues to spiral downward, you'll understand what not honoring lifes Creator does to a society.
Seems like a complete waste of resources. This is how we wiped out the Dodo and the Passenger Pigeon, by wasting resources and thinking that we will never run out.
I think it's horrible that the trees aren't being used for something other than mulch. I have a small sawmill and I spotted enough timber in this film to keep me busy sawing and reclaiming lumber until I die. That being said, I think the machines are fascinating and an engineering achievement. It would have been neat to operate one for a few days.
I'm guessing you guys live in a forest. I'm of the same mindframe as Ox. 1 of a couple things has to happen: we cut down trees so we can live somewhere, we live among the trees in tents, we pile on top of each other where there are no trees, or we stop exponentially multiplying.
As of 2003 Irving Woodlands in Northern Maine had one in operation still. I spent hours watching it work site prep for tree planting as a forester up there. Absolutely incredible to watch. great video
Hey! I know it's 10 years later but did you take pictures by any chance?
Man that would have been fun to watch
Such an irving thing to own.
@@spenserwilliams9167for site prep I get it. But clearing land, it makes more sense to get money for the product you are crushing in this video.
🤣@@spenserwilliams9167
Wow,I've wondered at the book photos of this machine for over 25 years as to what it actually looked like working,this answers it.Excellent stuff here!!
The things of Gretta’s nightmares
Modern problems require old Engineering solutions
F her
Yeah FUCK trees, can't wait until the whole planet is one big city!
Well unless it's a warm swamp or jungle.
RG spoke at our church when I was in my early teens. Was impressed by his nature and willingness to stop a talk to a young boy interested in machines.
Was it in Longview?
had the privilege of watching one of these demonstrated to military advisors for shipment to Viet Nam in 66 or 67. the final demonstration was they drove it into the Sabine River and floated it downstream. Have a picture somewhere of a 66 Mustang parked next to the front wheel(?).
I used to be the foreman for one in Northern Maine, back in 2004, owned by Irving Woodlands. Incredible machine. Then I went on to drive the lowbed that hauled it. Even more exciting. Many chains to tie it down. Diesel over electric. When it got stuck, we'd get our biggest excavators.
The tree crusher used in Viet Nam was called the Tactical Tree Crusher and had star shaped wheels. There is an early version of that Tree Crusher in this highlight movie, but look for the Tactical Tree crusher black and white movie on my channel here. That is the one your dad was talking about.
RG's life was one big hold my beer and watch this moment and im glad it happened
Love the off camber action starting at 4:05!
I always liked LeTourneau's very strightforward mechicanal designs. Just looking at them you had no doubt what their purpose was.
That was bloody amazing !!
This is amazing old footage! Fantastic ! At last Seeing this machine in action !
LeTourneau had a slogan to sell machines back in the day. The Job isn't too big, the machine isn't big enough. He was an earthmoving legend. Giant LeTourneau front end loaders still are made today. They stood the test of time.
This is some really awesome footage here!!! Thanks for posting this.
I understand there was two of these machines used in Australia on contract to the Queensland government for development of the Brigalow Land Scheme in the 1950's. A far sighted scheme to create closer settlement and a increase in population in regional areas. Land with Brigalow trees growing on it is always very fertile soil.
I was told they were 50 ton diesel/electric machines and that the contractor would connect the two machines together with a long ships anchor chain when the trees were wide spaced and could roll when the trees were big and more dense. They were the most powerful to use the chain pull technique which nowadays uses two big dozers and which has all but been outlawed.
If anyone knows more about them or has film of them on the Brigalow Land Scheme it sure would add to UA-cam's historic record of the development of Australia.
The world's largest tree crusher is on display in Mackenzie, British Columbia. I've visited it and climbed on it (don't tell anyone) several times. It's an impressive machine, but from what I understand it was plagued with problems and was rather ineffectual in the rough terrain of central BC. In 1964 it was brought up by rail in pieces and assembled on site. The goal was to level the boreal forest in preparation for the creation of a large artificial lake and hydroelectric project. In the end, most of the work was done by more conventional means. Cool to see one in action though.
I used to play on that machine as a kid in the 70s. It was out at my grandpas logging camp outside of Mackenzie. After the logging company was sold in 1996 the crusher was moved and refinished for display in town. I think a few of the skidder weights giant steel balls are there too. I have great memories and lots of pictures of that giant.
In the 1950s, when building Lake Murvaul near Carthage, Texas, LeTourneau had a bigger version of this machine to clear the forest for the new lake.
Straight up badass, I’m loving it.
That is the first time I saw one of those. That is so cool.
We have the worlds largest tree crusher up here in Mackenzie BC.....it was used in the clearing of the finlay valley back in the early-mid 60's when the hydro company wanted to make BC's(and i think Canadas)largest man made resivour to power the majority of BC.They had two of the massive Machines.....Worlds Largest one is on display in the town and there is a smaller one still underwater.The worlds largest tree crusher only cleared about 19 spuare kilometers before being taken off the the job.
19 square miles..think of the lost habitat
The BC landscape is very steep in places and very, VERY unforgiving on machines like these....BC has some of the toughest terrain in the world.
Its like "Rock Biters" bicycle. (if you were born in the 80's you'll understand)
Falcore!!! my littel dog looks like a luck dragon kinda. she's a long haired domeranian
Now that's a lot of damage.
Some kinda badass Mad Max vehicle almost lol. Very interesting.
Would make the "tree hugger's" have cannipsion fits now!
Whether they're hugging the tree or not, they're still going to get ran over
Cool video, very nice quality also. Ree that rainforest..
I worked on the tree crusher in the peace Pondage in the summer of 1965. Not the same as most of these but fond memories nonetheless.
Letourneau: the hard way or no way at all
Well said.
WOW!! Truly amazing video, I have heard of these before but had never seen one till now, there are lots of ways to clear land and when this was used I am sure it was the best and the fastest, it makes me wonder just how much those giant wheels weighed? Its obviously diesel over electric based on the controls. That had to be pretty darned new technology for equipment like thsi back in the 50s? Great video THANKS for sharing!
This is the #1 machine needed for a zombie apocalypse
Wonder if James Cameron got the idea of the big giant yellow tree stumper machines in Avatar by watching Le Tourneau equipment smashing trees at a Peruvian jungle.
Exactly what i was hoping to find. Thanks for the Video!
I saw a 57 or 58 Mercury on the highway so it is at least 1957 or 1958 that the film was made.
Nowadays need a giant tree planting machine.
Greta thunberg: i fear no man, but that thing, **letorneau g175** it scares me
Apparently they tried out these in Vietnam but they had to many break downs and too expensive to run
and opted out and used D7E with Rome plough blade and anchor chains between two dozers.
Red from Clearing Vietnam by Terry T Brown great book and great insight to the vets from Vietnam.
Leon ex sapper.
I though agent orange and napalm were the preferred methods
My name is Gary Smith I joined the Tree Crushers in October 1967 when they arrived at Camp Castle and the 93 rd Engrs.. I asked for a transfer the day I first saw them break through the jungle at Camp Castle. I helped clear the area around Camp Castle . I drove the lead of two crushers when we moved further into the Delta leading a group of Rome plows from the 9th Infantry at Bear Cat. We gave them a head start but soon lost track of where they went. The crushers were as exciting to operate as they were amazing to watch. While assigned to an area controlled by our allies The Royal Thailand Army, we were in ambushes, we had RPG's shot at us, we found VC encampments and we got slowed down in the wet areas. Some people might have called us stuck, but really we were only slowed down. Only one time either needed help to get out was when we had the land drums on the machines. Which were round and not the Star drums like in the video. I was operating the first machine to lose electrical power while we were moving the crushers down a large river in the Delta . Yes they floated but they were not very stable, very tippy. That's how water got into the electrical conduits in the main frame of the machines. both machines were sent back to the states in June of 1968. I wouldn't trade my memories of my experiences operating the tree crushers for anything.
This probably was recommended to me as I watched a simple history video .
Sub'd !! Amazing footage !!! 💪🏻
Awesome
I operated an LT articulated crane while in the Navy. It's nickname was Tilley. Huge powerful machine. Would pick up a 35 ton jet like a paper cup. USS JOHN F. KENNEDY CV-67
These would be goated in landfills compacting garbage
If it was made a little faster, and had an entirely enclosed cab it could be used as the perfect vehicle to be used to survive the zombie Apocalypse. Just saying.
Reminds me somehow of avatar, poor pandora.
But great engineering indeed.
Reddit brought me here. Great stuff!
Environmental impact you say? Yes. we impact the environment under wheels of steel.
Sign me up. I’ll take 1 of each. Seriously I would like to have one. If nothing else a really good conversation piece
" Garden State Construction"
Fantastic, thanks for the upload.
Back when real men built real machines that lasted a lifetime without breaking.
They broke all the time in Vietnam
Me:excited for them to add it in cc2
and these people never had road rage
What exactly was the purpose for it's use? I suppose land clearing on a big scale. Thus the huge machine.
Instant landing strip.
I like your idea blah.
Send one to the Congo to clear mines!!!!!!!!
These where used in the Vietnam war, I recently learnt.
Am I missing something but would it have been better to just log the area? What did they do with the trees once they were run over? Leave them?
Burn them to fertilize the soil with ash i gues.
If these things get stuck, what then? They would have had to build a Tree Crusher Removal Machine. It's 3 times bigger and required a special road to be built to transport it where needed. This is when it was decided that things have gotten "too big".
These really remind me of the Terrafirminator from Gnomeo & Juliet
Q pedazo. De máquina .. cuánto pesará alguien sabe!??!
❤️💚❤️
This didn't work well in vietnam.
tree crusher highlights
That guy sure hated trees lol
The piney woods of east Texas
I want one
0:47 roti metalice , antiglont , tzepi din asfalt la iesiri din parcari , rezistent la foc , vandalism etc ..
. La utilajele de azi trebuie cumparate mereu amvelope care costa cat o masina , uneori acoperite cu lanturi , care trebuie mereu inlocuite .. Oricum nu pot merge pe drumuri publice asemenea masini datorita gabaritului ..
ah, so this is why they made ferngully. i was wondering if the machine in that movie actually existed. i thought they were full of b.s. but i guess we don't really clear entire swaths of forest in the u.s. anymore, at least from what i can tell.
Indiscriminately mowing them down, too. We're nowhere near this stupid anymore.
@@dylanpeterson3490 not stupid when farmland is needed more than trees. only stupid when downed trees go to waste.
@@Billy_Darley I agree
I guess they have never heard of logging.
What a nightmare....
R.I.P. Trees
why wasn't this in Avatar? lol
Its funny to know that Military send these machines to Vietnam during war
Crablogger music
I'm NOT a "tree hugger" at all....but I just don't see why these resources weren't put to better use. Having said that I'd like to say: I truly wish people got as upset about all the innocent lives taken every day (abortion) as they do over a mistreated tree that feels no PAIN, isn't conscious, not able to bare one who may be capable of excellence, expressing emotions - "love"...really sad.
At the stage where abortions are performed, the fetus is completely non sentient. Also, far more trees are killed every day than fetuses.
Sam you're comparing people to trees, really? Whats next, are we going to start comparing a fetuses to a cardboard box b/c it used to be tree and a fetus isn't human yet in your scientific opinion? LIFE began and ppl have no right to terminate it. You seem to have forgotten that it was a miracle to begin with. As this nation continues to spiral downward, you'll understand what not honoring lifes Creator does to a society.
A tree is still a life form. Also, abortions frequently save the life of the sentient being, which is the mother.
Thank you for this sensible reply.
@@bacilluscereus1299 someone did it for you, you ungrateful nugget.
What a strange machine!,surely a bulldozer could do the same job and remove the stumps too!
greenpeace hell
Seems like a complete waste of resources. This is how we wiped out the Dodo and the Passenger Pigeon, by wasting resources and thinking that we will never run out.
What a waste of havestable lumber..
What a truly horrible machine!
I think it's horrible that the trees aren't being used for something other than mulch. I have a small sawmill and I spotted enough timber in this film to keep me busy sawing and reclaiming lumber until I die. That being said, I think the machines are fascinating and an engineering achievement. It would have been neat to operate one for a few days.
nope, its just horrible. Its like a mass murder.
I'm guessing you guys live in a forest.
I'm of the same mindframe as Ox.
1 of a couple things has to happen: we cut down trees so we can live somewhere, we live among the trees in tents, we pile on top of each other where there are no trees, or we stop exponentially multiplying.
MCLERA too bad there was no sound, probably could have heard those trees screams for miles lol
@@mclera389 well then how do you feel about abortion?
НАХУЯ????
Over engineering..I bet it's at the bottom of a quick sand pit now
came from simple history