2008 John Deere Forestry Press Releases

MOLINE, Illinois (October 15, 2008) — John Deere, the world leader in forestry equipment and innovations, has upgraded its skidder product line with a new lock-up torque converter option for the 640H and 648H Skidders and a standard brake declutch on all direct drive skidders.

Lock-up Torque Converter

"With the lock-up torque converter, skidder operators will get a significant increase in productivity in the woods vs. a standard torque converter," said Elizabeth Quinn, skidder product marketing manager at John Deere. "The more a skidder operates in lock-up mode, the more work it will get done – the lock-up torque converter increases the power that reaches the ground."

Deere's lock-up torque converter stays locked during shifting and through a wider range of ground speeds than competitor units. This keeps machine momentum through shifts and helps ensure a smoother ride.

In a productivity comparison, a 648H Skidder with the lock-up option moved 24.4 percent more tons/hr under maximum load than a unit equipped with a standard torque converter.

"That's an additional three truckloads of logs going to the landing each day, assuming a usual 14 truckloads per day," Quinn said.

The 648H with lock-up torque converter achieves its productivity boost without an increase in horsepower. It continues to be rated at 184 hp with six forward and three reverse gears, but more available power is now delivered to the ground, particularly in lower gears.

Brake Declutch

The brake declutch feature, previously standard on all John Deere torque converter and lock-up torque converter skidders, is now standard on direct drive skidder models 540G-III, 548G-III, 640H, 648H and 748H.

"With a flip of the brake declutch switch, operators no longer have to work the clutch pedal or the Forward-Neutral-Reverse shifter when using the grapple," Quinn said. "This makes the skidder easier to operate, improving productivity."

The clutch pedal is retained to provide machine control when needed, particularly for inching during forward and reverse in more precise operations.

Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is the world's leading provider of advanced products and services for agricultural and forestry and a major provider of advanced products and services for construction, lawn and turf care, landscaping and irrigation. John Deere also provides financial services worldwide and manufactures and markets engines used in heavy equipment. Since it was founded in 1837, the company has extended its heritage of integrity, quality, commitment and innovation around the globe. John Deere Construction & Forestry produces more than 120 machine models and distributes its construction, forestry and worksite products.