Tornado Cleanup with our Iron Mule!

[ironmule4501]

Here in northern Wisconsin, we were hit with a powerful wind storm back in July, called a "derecho" which produced several tornadoes and 100mph winds. It leveled the forests all around our small rural community. It was estimated $4 Billion dollars in woods damage. That isn't even counting all of the homes damaged (ours was damaged too). As loggers, this is both good and bad. Good, because we will always be busy! Bad is that it is extremely dangerous, and markets are becoming flooded. It will take at least 4 years to get most of it cleaned up.  Us being handcutters makes this even more dangerous! Below is a photo of our Iron Mule and John Deere 440a on the current blowdown cleanup job...

[barbender]

I view blowdown as, just bad. The landowner gets reduced stumpage, the market quickly gets flooded, and mostly- it sucks to cut! And that's in a cab- you guys be careful out on the ground! We've had strong windstorms the past few summers (not this one thankfully) and we've done a lot of blowdown. I can't imagine trying to cut that stuff with a saw👎

[livemusic]

I learned a new word -- derecho. I am sorry to hear about it, $4b and 4 yrs is unreal! I hate to see forests destroyed like that and, yes, it sure is dangerous work.

[thecfarm]

There is a place that I drive by,forgot how many acres,maybe 10? A microburst hit there,trees 18 across got up rooted. I don't think they ever cleaned it all up. Now it's all grown up,been 20 years? can't tell from the road how bad it is now.

[Riwaka]

If you have that much work, is it the right or the wrong time to get into some mechanical harvesting?

Are you limited to wheel only machines in the trees by the rules?
A long time ago, to improve safety in the windblow, the loggers on the flat terrain used rubber tire loaders to pull the wind blow log piles apart or to hold the leaning trees to make it safer for the chainsaw cutters.

If wheel only, is it feasible to find an old wheel machine with an old head/ without a head and put on a new small saw only felling grapple. Probably be safer than a chainsaw?

[ironmule4501]

If you have that much work, is it the right or the wrong time to get into some mechanical harvesting?

Are you limited to wheel only machines in the trees by the rules?
A long time ago, to improve safety in the windblow, the loggers on the flat terrain used rubber tire loaders to pull the wind blow log piles apart or to hold the leaning trees to make it safer for the chainsaw cutters.

If wheel only, is it feasible to find an old wheel machine with an old head/ without a head and put on a new small saw only felling grapple. Probably be safer than a chainsaw?

There are several reasons we have never and will never get into mechanical harvesting. The main issue is that my grandpa (who owns the business) is retiring in 5 years, and I am not taking the business due to there not being enough money in it anymore.  Second reason, is after this storm, market prices are dropping already. How would we pay for a new piece of equipment?  And the last reason, is because with alot of our jobs, people hire us because we are handcutter, alot of landowners don't want a processor on their land.

[mad murdock]

ironmule4501, be careful out there! Cleaning up blowdown is wicked work, full of widowmakers. Are you in Forest co? I used to log all over vilas, Oneida, and a little in Florence co back in the day.  My brother and I bought a new 4501 from Ison in Monico back when they were the biggest logging equipment dealer in the region  (Early 80’s).  Nice looking iron you guys are running.

[ironmule4501]

ironmule4501, be careful out there! Cleaning up blowdown is wicked work, full of widowmakers. Are you in Forest co? I used to log all over vilas, Oneida, and a little in Florence co back in the day.  My brother and I bought a new 4501 from Ison in Monico back when they were the biggest logging equipment dealer in the region  (Early 80’s).  Nice looking iron you guys are running.

Yes it definitely is dangerous work. We are in the far northeast corner of Langlade co, right near the Forest co border. Most of our jobs are in Forest County.