From the horse to the skidder, the skidder to the Full Tree team, to the advent of Cut to Length – logging equipment has come a long way. For John Deere, the tradition of logging equipment has been a constant mandate of improving productivity and uptime while keeping operating costs low.

Before mechanization in the forest, loggers used sharp axes and brute strength to fell trees, and loaded them on horse-drawn sleds to be hauled to the river. Skilled river drivers maneuvered the logs downstream at great risks to their limbs and lives.

Steam was the first form of mechanization to modernize the forests of North America. It came in the form of a small steam donkey. The donkey would consist of a steam boiler and a steam engine connected by a winch all mounted on a sled, called a donkey sled. The donkeys were moved by simply dragging themselves with the winch line. The process evolved rapidly, and the donkeys were used for both yarding and skidding.

More mechanized forest technologies were being developed in Europe – particularly Finland, where forestry remains a mainstay of the country to this day. In North America in 1947, Timberland machines was founded in Woodstock, Ontario, and began producing products for the logging industry. It was later to form Timberjack machines, which is now the John Deere forestry brand.

In the late 1950s, Timberjack introduced the Timber Skidder – a reasonably priced machine that sold well against its biggest competitor – the horse. Timberjack launched the world’s first articulated skidder – a major technological leap in mechanized logging.

The traditional orange gave way to a new green forest machine. Cut To Length logging gained a foothold in North American markets as Timberjack continued to widen its range of forest machines through the acquisition of companies and through continued product development. The 90s saw new skidders, feller bunchers, harvesters, and forwarders, as well as a new line of log loaders and delimbers.

Today, that legacy of innovation in the woods continues with John Deere forestry. Technology such as Advanced Harvesting Systems is getting more and more efficient, which not only means cost savings for the logger, but also better stewardship of the natural forest environment. New technology, like the 1490D Energy Harvester, continues to emerge, challenging past standards. John Deere is doing their part to help expand the future for loggers, and to keep productivity, uptime, and low daily operating costs a priority.

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