John Deere skidders demonstrate their exceptional capability in extracting full-length trees, with a specific model available for each application.
John Deere Skidders-Image ©John Deere
John Deere skidders-stands out as a market leader with its extensive selection of forestry equipment, and few manufacturers can boast a history spanning nearly two centuries.
While they provide equipment suitable for nearly every timber harvesting operation, John Deere skidders remain a significant part of their forestry range.
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That’s a remarkable amount of work hours for a single machine, the Norcar 600 owned by Erkki Rinne is taken well care of, it even has the original Diesel engine.
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Kieran Anders is a forestry contractor working in the lake district. His work involves hand cutting and extracting timber using a skidder and tractor-trailer forwarder.
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It is not possible to eliminate chain shot, but there are simple steps that can be taken to reduce the risk.
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Arwel takes great pride in the fact that the mill has no waste whatsoever, “the peelings are used for children’s playgrounds, gardens and for farm animals in barns in the winter and the sawdust has multiple uses in gardens and farms as well.
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Timber hauliers need to encourage young blood in, and also look after the hauliers we have, we need make the sector a safe and positive place to work.
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A Brief History of John Deere Forestry
In 1837, John Deere founded the company, introducing a groundbreaking plough made from a repurposed sawmill blade. As the company expanded, by the late 1980s, it had developed various agricultural equipment and complete sawmilling solutions.
In 1937, John Deere advanced its technology by repurposing Model D tractors as logging winches. They removed the wheels and seat, attaching wooden skids at the front to allow the winch to operate using the stationary machine’s power. In 1949, John Deere introduced the “MC” Crawler, a game-changing logging machine. Loggers praised the “MC” for its exceptional performance in challenging conditions, including steep slopes and soft soil.
In 1957, the 440 Crawler was introduced, paving the way to transition to entirely yellow machines the next year. This model also included a user-friendly, inside-mounted hydraulic blade. The John Deere 440 Skidder revolutionised the industry upon its release in 1965. Before this model, wheeled skidders were primarily just engines within a frame—the 440 introduced operator comfort, enhancing safety and productivity.
In 1977, John Deere introduced the 743 Tree Harvester, which integrated rubber tires’ speed with a boom’s extended reach. This innovation enabled operators to harvest two trees per minute, setting the foundation for today’s advanced harvesters. In 1998, John Deere collaborated with Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. to produce specialised excavator-based logging machines. This partnership is known as Deere-Hitachi Speciality Products (DHSP), and it is situated in Langley, British Columbia.
John Deere purchased Timberjack in 2000, Timberjack was founded in Woodstock, Ontario, in the 1950s by Wes Magill and Robert Simmons, who designed an articulated four-wheel drive tractor with a winch at the back. They produced a prototype, and production took off from there. There were affiliations with King Trailer Industries and with Timberland Ellicott Corp. before Eaton Corporation purchased Timberjack and named it the Forestry Equipment Division. The traditional colour of all Timberjack products was a reddish orange. In 1992, the colour was changed to green with black and yellow trim. John Deere purchased Timberjack and continued the green, black and yellow paint scheme. Timberjack was owned by the Eaton Corporation in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. In 1984 Timberjack made a leveraged buyout from Eaton to become an independent company.
Timberjack was acquired by FMG (Forest Machine Group), owned by Finnish Rauma-Repola. After a brief period carrying the double-name FMG-Timberjack, in 1993 Timberjack became the brand name for the group. Other well-known forest machine brands, which have been incorporated into FMG-Timberjack, were Swedish Kockums, ÖSA and Bruun System, and Finnish LOKOMO. In December 2000, John Deere bought Timberjack from Metso Corporation (formerly Rauma-Repola) for $570 million, which also included the purchase of a separate company, Waratah, a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty harvester heads.
In June 2006, during the forestry fair “Florence Wood,” the Timberjack product line was phased out, making John Deere, its parent company, the largest individual brand in forestry equipment. Following the acquisition, it quickly secured a robust global market share in both cut-to-length and full tree equipment. John Deere continues to shine as a market leader in skidding equipment! Their L-II series cable and grapple skidders offer an impressive range of 6 different models, with power ranging from 218hp to 300hp.
John Deere Skidder Line Up
The 640L-II Is a cable skidder equipped with a 6.8L Tier III engine that produces 218hp and generates 943 Nm of torque. This model is recognised for its manoeuvrability and purpose-driven design.
648l-II Is a grapple skidder with a 6.8L Tier III engine that delivers 218 hp and generates 1025 N · m of torque. It comes standard with a 1.2 m³ grapple, with an optional larger grapple of 1.48m³ available. This skidder combines versatility and performance, making it a favoured option amongst operators.
748L-II The grapple skidder features a 6.8L Tier III engine, delivering 242 hp and 1050 Nm of torque. The standard grapple holds a capacity of 1.48 m³, with an available option of 1.63 m³. This skidder is seen as a reliable powerhouse capable of hauling heavy loads effortlessly.
768L-II Six Wheel Bogie Skidder This is their newest skidder, engineered to handle large loads on both soft and steep terrain. It is equipped with a 9.0L engine delivering 281hp and 1276Nm of torque. The skidder has a grapple capacity of 1.77m³, which can be upgraded to 2.07m³.
848L-II Featuring a 9.0L Tier III engine that generates 281hp and 1276Nm of torque, it has a capacity of 1.77m³, which can be upgraded to 2.07m³. This model is perfect for challenging tasks that demand high productivity.
948L-II Equipped with a 9.0L Tier III engine that produces 300hp and 1369Nm of torque, this skidder features a standard grapple capacity of to 2.07m³. It is built to be strong and stable, ideal for heavy-duty operations.
John Deere Skidders come with the latest innovative technology:
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
CVT combines the efficiency of direct drive transmissions with the smoothness of hydrostatic drives. This technology enhances fuel efficiency and minimises operator fatigue by providing seamless power delivery without requiring gear changes.
Core Intelligence
Your John Deere skidder is delivered from the factory with a robust integrated suite of technologies and functionalities. Each component is vital for maintaining the health and performance of your entire equipment fleet:
JDLink™ connectivity and the John Deere Operations Center™
Enable you to monitor your equipment, identify which machines are operational, and confirm that they are being utilized effectively for peak productivity and efficiency.
John Deere Connected Support
Utilises a range of dealer and factory tools to enhance uptime and productivity while reducing daily operating costs.
Remote Diagnostics and Programming Capability
Embedded within John Deere Connected Support, this feature allows your dealer to alert you to potential issues with your machine, often before you’re aware of them, and initiate corrective measures without the expense of a technician visiting your jobsite.
Our unique dual strategy for Machine Health integrates the insights of technology specialists at our dealerships with the expertise of data analysts at our central Machine Health Monitoring Centre (MHMC). Through John Deere Connected Support, data from thousands of connected machines is transmitted to the MHMC, enabling our specialists to pinpoint patterns and establish new, enhanced preventive maintenance and repair strategies.
Precision Forestry
Eliminate uncertainty in planning, executing, and overseeing your logging operations. Our production-planning and -tracking system enhances the standard core technology features available in every John Deere Forestry machine, unlocking a powerful new set of capabilities:
TimberMatic™ Maps
An innovative onboard software tool that allows you to reimagine your jobsites. Featuring real-time production insights, optimized routing, and wireless connections between machines, it simplifies elevating your forestry operation.
TimberManager™
A web-based application accessible on PCs, tablets, and smartphones for monitoring jobsite progress. When paired with TimberMatic Maps, this software offers complete visibility into your operations — from harvested land to individual machines — enabling improved communication, task analysis, and productivity enhancement:
Remote Monitoring
Allows you to monitor the health and performance of your fleet from any location.
Precise Progress Tracking
Let’s you set daily goals for your team to achieve.
Live Production View
Illustrates progress by showing tree count, harvested area, and estimated tonnage.
Simplified Mapping
Integrates machine data and GPS location tracking to provide accurate stem and log counts.
Real-Time Updates
Enables you to adjust or eliminate tasks as necessary to ensure a steady workflow.
Fleet Optimization
Extends beyond mere machine management to enhance the operational efficiency of your business
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Written by loggers for loggers and dedicated solely to the equipment used in forestry operations.
