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Page 38 • March 18, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT GUIDE Swamp Thing: IH TD24 Crawler Dug Up After 45 Years By Bryan McTaggart BANGSHIFT NEWS The following article is reprinted with permission. There’s a line attributed to EOD bomb technicians. Reportedly, when asked about whether or not they were stressed out when it came time to defusing a bomb, the answer was something to the effect of “I’m not. Either I’m right, or suddenly it isn’t my problem anymore.” Ah, gallows humor, you have to love it. And it’s not wrong, either. What a little bit of explosive material can do is eye-opening. What a lot of explosive material can do will re- write the human brain in all sorts of ways, and I don’t just mean on the battlefield, either. Apparently, there’s been a bit of a legend in western Minnesota. The story goes that in 1975, a snowmobile club wanted to cut some new trails and managed to borrow an Army sur- plus International Harvester TD24 bulldozer to make this task happen. At some point near Island Lake in Becker County, they encoun- tered a swamp. For whatever reason, even with permission to go around the swamp, the crew decided to press on and sure enough, the tracked dozer got stuck. Now … bear with me for a moment, but at what point do bad decisions start to pile up? This cartoon actually ran. The team decided that hey, if we “incen- tivize” the local National Guard unit, then maybe they can come out and get the stuck dozer out of the swamp. Now, I’m not going to call the car- toon wrong … if anything, that’s actually a pretty solid offer. But the National Guard was not impressed. In fact, they were pissed, seeing the car- toon as offensive, and told the crew to pound sand … or something along those lines. Bad idea #2: Fertilizer, diesel fuel and dynamite. I wish I was joking … at some point, someone thought that was a perfectly logical solution to freeing a twenty-ton bulldozer from a swamp. Here’s how this next part played out: someone lit a match; the large-scale bomb goes off; the entire- ty of the swamp in the nearby area liquifies; and the TD24 sinks like the Titanic approximately 20 feet down into the swamp before finding terra firma. And that’s where it lay up until a couple of days ago, when after years of slumber, the dozer was finally extricated from the sludge of the swamp. Crews recover an Army surplus International Harvester TD24 bulldozer, buried for 45 years near Island Lake in Becker County, Minn. Kanga Loaders Launches Compact Utility Loader Range Kanga Loaders, the company that invented the stand-on compact utility loader back in 1981 released its range of loaders in North America at the ARA show in February 2020. Originally designed in Australia as a motorized wheelbarrow in 1978, the concept developed into an earthmoving machine that has changed the face of the workplace for many industries. Designed and manufactured to be the toughest machine on the market, the Kanga is made entirely of steel and features no plastic components, ensuring its longevi- ty. The machine has been tried and tested on one of the world’s harsh- est continents for almost 40 years. While 100’s of Kanga machines have been exported into the United States over the past 30 years, Kanga Loaders has set up a facility in Iowa from which to grow its expansion into the North American market. Unlike other companies who produce a multitude of differ- ent products, Kanga Loaders’ only focus lies in the compact utility loader market and therefore has been able to develop a machine, which provides superior return on investment due to its reliability, durability and low-maintenance costs, according to the manufactur- er. The Kanga Utility Loader is ide- ally-suited to the rental market with safer operation, handling and operator protection at the core of its design. The soft touch control sys- tem ensures the operator is holding onto the machine at all times, maneuvering or operating attach- ments. The track-over-wheel system offers a gentle ride over rough ter- rain and won’t throw the operator around like a dedicated track sys- tem. Furthermore, the operator is encapsulated by the machines body, offering protection from crush injuries and vegetation. Coupled with an auxiliary cut-out system, which stops the operation of the attachment the moment the operator leaves the platform, ensures they cannot get entangled in any moving parts. Other features that make Kanga stand out from its competitors are the exceptional ground clearance with a bucket and the self-levelling bucket which makes the operation of a Kanga easy — even for the most inexperienced operator, according to the manufacturer. All Kanga Loaders units are compatible with a multitude of more than 60 different attachments — making them well suited to dig, carry, plant or build almost any- thing. Kanga Loaders is in the process of developing its North American dealer network. For more information, visit www.kanga- loaderusa.com/vendors. The Kanga utility loader is ideally-suited to the rental market with safer operation, handling and operator protection at the core of its design. Kanga loaders have enhanced ground clearance with a bucket and the self-levelling bucket, which makes the operation of a Kanga easy — even for the most inexperienced operator, according to the manufacturer.
Transcript of Page 38 • March 18, 2020 • ...archive.constructionequipmentguide.com/web_edit...plus...
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Page 38 • March 18, 2020 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT GUIDE
Swamp Thing: IH TD24 Crawler Dug Up After 45 YearsBy Bryan McTaggartBANGSHIFT NEWS
The following article is reprintedwith permission.There’s a line attributed to EOD
bomb technicians. Reportedly, whenasked about whether or not they werestressed out when it came time todefusing a bomb, the answer wassomething to the effect of “I’m not.Either I’m right, or suddenly it isn’tmy problem anymore.” Ah, gallows humor, you have to
love it. And it’s not wrong, either.What a little bit of explosive materialcan do is eye-opening. What a lot ofexplosive material can do will re-write the human brain in all sorts ofways, and I don’t just mean on thebattlefield, either.Apparently, there’s been a bit of a
legend in western Minnesota. Thestory goes that in 1975, a snowmobileclub wanted to cut some new trailsand managed to borrow an Army sur-plus International Harvester TD24 bulldozerto make this task happen. At some point nearIsland Lake in Becker County, they encoun-
tered a swamp. For whatever reason, evenwith permission to go around the swamp, thecrew decided to press on and sure enough,
the tracked dozer got stuck. Now … bearwith me for a moment, but at what point dobad decisions start to pile up?
This cartoon actually ran. Theteam decided that hey, if we “incen-tivize” the local National Guard unit,then maybe they can come out andget the stuck dozer out of the swamp.Now, I’m not going to call the car-toon wrong … if anything, that’sactually a pretty solid offer. But theNational Guard was not impressed. Infact, they were pissed, seeing the car-toon as offensive, and told the crew topound sand … or something alongthose lines.Bad idea #2: Fertilizer, diesel fuel
and dynamite. I wish I was joking …at some point, someone thought thatwas a perfectly logical solution tofreeing a twenty-ton bulldozer from aswamp. Here’s how this next partplayed out: someone lit a match; thelarge-scale bomb goes off; the entire-ty of the swamp in the nearby arealiquifies; and the TD24 sinks like theTitanic approximately 20 feet downinto the swamp before finding terrafirma. And that’s where it lay up until
a couple of days ago, when after years ofslumber, the dozer was finally extricatedfrom the sludge of the swamp.
Crews recover an Army surplus International Harvester TD24 bulldozer, buried for 45 yearsnear Island Lake in Becker County, Minn.
Kanga Loaders Launches Compact Utility Loader RangeKanga Loaders, the company
that invented the stand-on compactutility loader back in 1981 releasedits range of loaders in NorthAmerica at the ARA show inFebruary 2020. Originally designed in Australia
as a motorized wheelbarrow in1978, the concept developed intoan earthmoving machine that haschanged the face of the workplacefor many industries. Designed and manufactured to
be the toughest machine on themarket, the Kanga is made entirelyof steel and features no plasticcomponents, ensuring its longevi-ty. The machine has been tried andtested on one of the world’s harsh-est continents for almost 40 years. While 100’s of Kanga machines
have been exported into the UnitedStates over the past 30 years,Kanga Loaders has set up a facilityin Iowa from which to grow itsexpansion into the North Americanmarket. Unlike other companieswho produce a multitude of differ-ent products, Kanga Loaders’ onlyfocus lies in the compact utility
loader market and therefore hasbeen able to develop a machine,which provides superior return oninvestment due to its reliability,durability and low-maintenancecosts, according to the manufactur-er. The Kanga Utility Loader is ide-
ally-suited to the rental marketwith safer operation, handling andoperator protection at the core of its
design. The soft touch control sys-tem ensures the operator is holdingonto the machine at all times,maneuvering or operating attach-
ments. The track-over-wheel system
offers a gentle ride over rough ter-rain and won’t throw the operator
around like a dedicated track sys-tem. Furthermore, the operator isencapsulated by the machinesbody, offering protection fromcrush injuries and vegetation.Coupled with an auxiliary cut-outsystem, which stops the operationof the attachment the moment theoperator leaves the platform,ensures they cannot get entangledin any moving parts. Other features that make Kanga
stand out from its competitors arethe exceptional ground clearancewith a bucket and the self-levellingbucket which makes the operationof a Kanga easy — even for themost inexperienced operator,according to the manufacturer. All Kanga Loaders units are
compatible with a multitude ofmore than 60 different attachments— making them well suited to dig,carry, plant or build almost any-thing. Kanga Loaders is in the process
of developing its North Americandealer network. For more information, visit www.kanga-loaderusa.com/vendors.
The Kanga utility loader is ideally-suited to the rental market withsafer operation, handling and operator protection at the core ofits design.
Kanga loaders have enhancedground clearance with a bucketand the self-levelling bucket,which makes the operation of aKanga easy — even for themost inexperienced operator,according to the manufacturer.
