A man named John Deere started a company with a revolutionary plow fashioned from a broken sawmill blade. This humble start would go on to help America—and the rest of the world—grow for nearly two centuries.
An 1883 catalog featured a complete sawmill, a familiar sight at many self-reliant family farms of the era.
The blacksmith Jonas Östberg set up a shop in Alfta, Sweden, and it later grew into Ösa, i.e. Östbergs Smidesfabrik Alfta, M&G Östberg. This would later grow into Timberjack.
John Deere Model D tractors were pushed into service as logging winches. The wheels and seat were removed and wooden skids attached to the front, enabling the winch to be powered from the stationary machine.
Timberland machines was founded in Woodstock, Ontario, and began producing products for the logging industry.
John Deere released the machine that would take the logging world by storm: the “MC” Crawler. The “MC” earned high marks from loggers due to its prowess in tough terrain such as steep slopes and soft soil.
John Deere introduced the 440 Crawler, a precursor to the changeover to all yellow machines the following year. The 440 also featured an easy-to-operate, inside-mounted hydraulic blade.
Timberland Machines released the Timberjack 200 Series Skidder. Available with a 61-horsepower Ford gasoline engine, the first articulated skidder to bear the Timberjack name had a suggested list price of $8925.
The John Deere 440 Skidder changed the game when it was released in 1965. Before its arrival, wheeled skidders were little more than an engine in a frame. The 440 brought operator comfort into the equation to increase safety and productivity.
John Deere unveils the 743 Tree Harvester, which combined the speed of rubber tires with the reach of a boom, allowing operators to harvest two trees a minute as it paved the way for today's modern harvesters.
Rauma-Repola Forest Machine Group was established in Finland under Rauma-Repola Oy Lokomo-industries. The Forest Machine Group was negotiating the purchase of Timberjack, Valmet and Kockums forest machine operations.
Rauma-Repola Forest Machine Group was negotiating with Caterpillar about cooperation and acquired 60 % of the French Cemet-Agrip and entered into a cooperation with Timberjack.
Rauma-Repola purchased 100 % of Timberjack.
The group was renamed FMG Timberjack.
Rauma-Repola merged with a Finnish company United Paper Mills and FMG Timberjack was attached to Rauma-group.
FMG Timberjack was renamed Timberjack-group.
Customer and dealer feedback was brought into the design process through the formation of dealer and customer advocacy groups, known as DAGs and CAGs. This user-centric approach to design was another John Deere first.
John Deere partnered with Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. to manufacture purpose-built, excavator-based logging machines. Deere-Hitachi Specialty Products (DHSP) is located in Langley, British Columbia.
John Deere purchased both Timberjack and Waratah. In addition to bringing exciting new technology and R&D assets to the brand, this purchase solidified John Deere as the clear worldwide leader in forestry.
Timberjack Oy was renamed John Deere Forestry Oy and the new machinery was trademarked John Deere.
John Deere celebrates 50 years of skidders with the release of the new game-changing L-Series machines.