bought mine 7? years ago, with bald tires... been running it ever since more or less without traction issues, still haven't managed to change the tires.
Man that brings back memories!! I run one for my Dad 72-79. We were salvage and pole loggers. I decked up many a landing. When I wasn’t skidding, I was driving log truck. Northern California.
Wow that brings me back to my childhood. Growing up in northern Maine I’m 54 now and I remember pulling the cable on them when I was young. Them skidders will make a man out of you lol
For a machine to be 51 years old to run that good and to be in that good shape, says a lot of the owner that takes pride in his equipment. Have a great weekend.
I grew up running a 440B for my grandpa when I was in middle school and high school. Now I work for deere in tractor design. One of these days I want to work on forestry stuff for them.
I've had the CT3 orange shirt for a few years and it has out lasted my Carhartt coat. They make a great gift any time of the year. I was VERY pleased with the quality of Tim's merchandise. You will not be disappointed with any of the CT3 merch.
Between 60 until 80, In Norway and Sweden there were 3 rivals in the skidding market. There was timberjack, John Deere and kockum. Kockum was a Swedish brand that made skidders on licens from Garret. The timberjack was the most stable sideways in hills, but it was the lowest one so it got hung up on rocks and stumps a lot. The John Deere was the most comfortable to drive and the most fancy one. But that had the highest center of gravity making it wanting to tip over. The kockum was the skidder with the least comfort. But it was the skidder that had the best off-road capabilities. The oldtimers used to say “goes further then you dare to sit on” Sorry for the English, not my mother tongue.
Great video Tim. What a trip down memory lane. I was 16 or 17 working for a friend of my dad's culling dead snags for the forest service in Washington and Idaho. I did most of the work because he was about 68 yrs old, but still going strong. After 3 runs into the forest he asked if I could haul a trailer which of course I answered yes. The trailer I picked up with a 68' 2 1/2 ton International dump was loaded with a 440 Deere (no cages). It had an extra large spool with about 1750 ft of cable and a three pulley drag-link end on it. When you started talking about the choker cables it made me laugh about the crazy stuff that old logger would have me do. Haha. Definitely no OSHA stuff on that operation. Lol. The only rule was a light footprint, so we skylined the three pulleys and ran chokers at each end of the bundle of trees to pull them up out of the deep canyons. The first time I saw him run that 440, he was going about 25/30 mph and just drove off the road down the side of the mountain. That was my welcome to logging. Lol
This was one of the best videos I've seen in a long time. This goes to show, if you buy good equipment it will last a long time if you take care of it.
Mr Tim I believe you and you dad with my dad and great uncle could tell each other some good story’s. My great uncle and dad logged here in Alabama from around the 70s to late 90s
I ran a 1965 jd straight 440 skidder with a GAS motor for years in the adirondack mts of ny sold it few years ago for 7500 just saw it on cgaigs list guy wants 10000!! loved that skidder!
That skidder is in great shape for how old it is i am surprised how little rust it has on it the metal on it still has full integrity still goes into gear just as smooth very nice machine. Great video Cotontop!
Glad you pointed back to this one (in your next vid), as I had overlooked it. Good stuff! Not surprised he let you drive / operate it! I’m kinda the same way ... not just anyone operates my equipment.
It’s like the old 3020s and 4020s with the hydraulic disconnect. The dash and steering column are identical to that series too. Pretty awesome old machine. You are also correct about the steering wheel center cap.
The Deere logo changed in the earlier 2000's making the Deere itself to look like he's jumping in the air versus looking stationary like the older one's,another great video! Thanks Cotontop 3,watching from southeast ga
There’s been 8 John Deere logo changes. And they all have featured a jumping Deer. However the change in 2000 was making it look like he’s jumping up, rather than landing.
Excellent video keep up the great videos 👍👍👍👍I have the exact same John Deere skidder I think mine is a 1970 but looks identical me and my dad bought it used in 1992 it had came from Tennessee or Kentucky what the dealer said. I am from northern Minnesota we have used it hard for over 20 years and only put a clutch and hydraulic hoses and winch bands never touched the engine other then injector pump and injectors. It's a pulling animal I don't have the wheel weights and only have fluid in the rear tires. I have pulled thousands of cords of all species of trees from swamps to hills and flat land. A couple of years ago I did a custom cutting and skidding job cutting white pine trees I could only cut the ones that were 35 inches and bigger out of woods the guy that hired me wondered how can I move them trees tree length and only limbed and topped at 6 inches I told to stay out of way. It drug them big trees out one at time with not much issues on the frozen ground and 8 inches of snow and no tire chains. When I got done he figured that me the machine must have a understanding that we worked so good together. I run 6 chokers cutting pulp wood and I have my main line with a choker slide so essentially I have a 70 foot long choker when you have a knob on the main line end. It will run all day on 5 gallons of fuel in flat land. The John Deere with wet brakes and parking brake and steering wheel is light years ahead of the other skidder manufacturer .The 4 legged dear was the industrial machinery trademark. I wore out the splines on the steering wheel once and bought a new wheel and emblem if I remember right that emblem cost almost as much as the steering wheel. I had plowed many acres clear of snow too. We paid 6000 dollars for it used. I still see them listed for sale for 15000 to 25000 dollars in this area here.
My father had one when I was a kid along with 2 Tree Farmer C4's. On my mothers side of the family, everyone worked in the woods, a lot of them fell trees with power saws. I had one uncle that had an International S8A, another had a Clark Ranger 665. As well as other relatives that had Clark Ranger's 664B & C's. By far the most popular cable skidders were Timberjack and Clark Ranger and I'd give the edge to Clark in popularity back then. Even had an uncle that worked in the woods with his team of draft horses. My father was a mill owner, many pulp trucks (mostly International's, Fleetstar's and S-lines) had a Pettibone Super 20 for handling wood.
Very cool !!! An the history behind the logo is an awsum read. I never realized that the deer went from a nine point with four legs to a ten point with four legs . Then back to a four point with only two legs . An in 2000 it went to a four point jumping upwards instead of jumping forward over a log. Very cool to learn something new . Thanks cotton
The 51 year old J D Skidder was one of the best videos you've posted🙂 I didn't think it would crank All that quickly. "Old Iron" is a good deal all way 'round.
I know all about that joy of putting choker chains around logs. I got to run a JD 540G2 powershift in May. I had a logger next to us cutting over 2,000,000 board feet of timber off of 300 acres. Then we had them cut off the back side of the mountain. I got to run it for a day. That 540G2 can pull on the steep mountain. I was amazed by it. They also had a bulldozer dozer with winch and a tigercat 610E on the job.
That is so awesome. That takes me back to when I was a young boy in the woods with my grandfather in Arkansas. I still have a love for John Deere skidders Love it. I would love to own that skidder
Put it this way Tim. A new skidder now is 300,000.00 and give it 10 yrs. It is Worth only a quarter of that. My skidder is worth more now than new one was. Built to last !!!
My dad/grandfather had a 67 Timberjack they bought used in 69. First skidder in the area. Dad said people came from all over to see it run. My dad was just working on Deere like this a couple of years ago to fix up the blade when a younger fellow hit a stump at high speed.
Neat old skidder. That thing was built the year I graduated from High school. Those old Deers are hard to kill. You can see that I might be a little biased by my thumbnail. Even as old as it is that's sticker pecking out stuff right there!
There is a family sawmill near me in south central Pennsylvania that these Deere sliders is all that they run won’t buy anything newer these machines are absolute TANKS
Makes you think back to where we started from to what we have now. Remember seeing JD advertisements of the 340 skidder in old issues of Timber Harvesting magazine, with no blade on them. Those beanies are the best & warmest ones I've ever worn.Even the smell of pine and diesel fuel I customized them with make them that much better.
Can of "Instant Motor" gets everything going in the morning! LOL Same dashboard, steering wheel, throttle lever, pedals as my old 4020 when I was growing up.
@@jdatwood7086 our 4020 had the PowerShift transmission... but this skidder definitely has something different than the PowerShift. It looks different than the "hunt and find" (quad-range?) transmission.
My dad has a 68 can car c5 with a 353 detroit that he put in it over 30 years ago. Never had a breath of starting fluid. Always heated it up with hoses. I have a 79 c5d grapple with a 353 detroit.
The company I work for we have a old 70s or 80s mountain logger with the big V6 detroit in it and man we have snapped the main line on the just from winching. But it will pull amazing weight. That is one cool John deer skidder😀
We still run a cable skidder everyday thankfully it’s a John Deere 540 G2. The saw mill we haul to has a 1966 440 first skidder around this area. He said everyone said they wouldn’t pull on the steep hills verses a crawler and John Deere and tree farmer both brought one to try out and bought the John Deere little did John Deere know it was the only skidder they bought just rebuilt the motor and transmission as needed. We still use it when we are in a bind.
I have the same skidder not in as good as shape as yours but we are punched out to 100 h.p. and the winch was totally rebuilt but I need tires and can't find any here . Nice machine and great video
Awesome...nice Man. I am trying to find one. 440 c up in New Hampshire dealership has a bunch of them. Hard to find transmission parts on these. Otherwise excellent We need one for hills in Asheville NC very steep for private land hardwoods etc work not commercial logging.
I know a local logger that retired 2 years ago that just bought a used 440 to help his son with his firewood business and he said it cost more than any of the ones they had in the early 70’s!
very dependable skidder. i've dropped thousands of drags for 440's,the cowboy's would always break axel's & birdnest the winch cable. excellent video i might add.
I've run a '68 540 for almost 30 years. John Deere made their machines quiet, fuel efficient and user friendly (good steering, brakes etc.) They probably couldn't take abuse as well as a Timberjack but if you used rather than abused them they worked forever. It is interesting those 440s are going for $10-15k so close to double the price of a new one in 1969.
I always laughed when you call it cold.. in winter we need to hook the skidders up to our trucks with coolant hoses to warm them up, because there is no way it will start at -20 or colder..
Great video. Operated one for several years when I was young. Enjoyed it very much. They were great machines in their time. I am 70 years old now.
440A JOHN DEERE WAS WHAT I GREW UP RUNNING!!!!!! MAN THIS BRINGS BACK MEMORIES!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am 64 and that sure brings old days back thank u
That machine is immaculate to be 51 yrs old it has been used but not abused and that's the life of a machine
That’s what happens when the guy who owns it also operates it!
That’s the first 440 I have ever seen with good tires on it!
it has better tires than mine thats for sure
How much are the caps and shirts
bought mine 7? years ago, with bald tires... been running it ever since more or less without traction issues, still haven't managed to change the tires.
Man that brings back memories!! I run one for my Dad 72-79. We were salvage and pole loggers. I decked up many a landing. When I wasn’t skidding, I was driving log truck. Northern California.
In 1969 a man could still work hard and build a future. Great story.
Very cool, both the skidder and the man. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Wow that brings me back to my childhood. Growing up in northern Maine I’m 54 now and I remember pulling the cable on them when I was young. Them skidders will make a man out of you lol
I remember being on those with my dad on Saturdays in the 70's.What memories!!
For a machine to be 51 years old to run that good and to be in that good shape, says a lot of the owner that takes pride in his equipment. Have a great weekend.
I grew up running a 440B for my grandpa when I was in middle school and high school. Now I work for deere in tractor design. One of these days I want to work on forestry stuff for them.
Top show my friend. I was grinning from ear to ear watching and listening to the stories and what a wonderful machine!!!
I've had the CT3 orange shirt for a few years and it has out lasted my Carhartt coat. They make a great gift any time of the year. I was VERY pleased with the quality of Tim's merchandise. You will not be disappointed with any of the CT3 merch.
Good afternoon Tim, I run one of them back in the 70s .loved it to, rarely ever broke down. Brought old memories back. Thank you for sharing
Between 60 until 80, In Norway and Sweden there were 3 rivals in the skidding market. There was timberjack, John Deere and kockum.
Kockum was a Swedish brand that made skidders on licens from Garret.
The timberjack was the most stable sideways in hills, but it was the lowest one so it got hung up on rocks and stumps a lot.
The John Deere was the most comfortable to drive and the most fancy one. But that had the highest center of gravity making it wanting to tip over.
The kockum was the skidder with the least comfort. But it was the skidder that had the best off-road capabilities. The oldtimers used to say “goes further then you dare to sit on”
Sorry for the English, not my mother tongue.
Sweden makes awesome quality equipment.
Wish they sold it here more.
Great video Tim. What a trip down memory lane. I was 16 or 17 working for a friend of my dad's culling dead snags for the forest service in Washington and Idaho. I did most of the work because he was about 68 yrs old, but still going strong. After 3 runs into the forest he asked if I could haul a trailer which of course I answered yes. The trailer I picked up with a 68' 2 1/2 ton International dump was loaded with a 440 Deere (no cages). It had an extra large spool with about 1750 ft of cable and a three pulley drag-link end on it. When you started talking about the choker cables it made me laugh about the crazy stuff that old logger would have me do. Haha. Definitely no OSHA stuff on that operation. Lol. The only rule was a light footprint, so we skylined the three pulleys and ran chokers at each end of the bundle of trees to pull them up out of the deep canyons. The first time I saw him run that 440, he was going about 25/30 mph and just drove off the road down the side of the mountain. That was my welcome to logging. Lol
This video gets an A+. This was very cool for an equipment nerd. Also, I'm in that 10% that have hooked up some chokers to a logs through the years.
I’ve still got an old 440C. Nothing like the old machines!
This was one of the best videos I've seen in a long time. This goes to show, if you buy good equipment it will last a long time if you take care of it.
Great video. The old John Deere brings back some memories
Fantastic stories and great to see a machine that's worked hard and long but been cared for. Low operator count machines always live the best life.
Mr Tim I believe you and you dad with my dad and great uncle could tell each other some good story’s. My great uncle and dad logged here in Alabama from around the 70s to late 90s
All the commentary and insight you have on logging is really interesting.
Lots of knowledge from some good people thank goodness for TH-cam
That's one fine example of logging/John Deere history
Wow! Thats a testament to what good maintenance does to your equipment. Fix it right one time, put the guards back in place EVERY time.
Love seeing you do these videos on the old machines thank you sir god bless
I ran a 1965 jd straight 440 skidder with a GAS motor for years in the adirondack mts of ny sold it few years ago for 7500 just saw it on cgaigs list guy wants 10000!! loved that skidder!
That skidder is in great shape for how old it is i am surprised how little rust it has on it the metal on it still has full integrity still goes into gear just as smooth very nice machine. Great video Cotontop!
Love your videos. This 440 memory
I enjoy this guy talking about his skidder. Some good history and facts. Good stuff 🙂
Glad you pointed back to this one (in your next vid), as I had overlooked it. Good stuff! Not surprised he let you drive / operate it! I’m kinda the same way ... not just anyone operates my equipment.
What a cool guy and a cool old skidder!
It’s like the old 3020s and 4020s with the hydraulic disconnect. The dash and steering column are identical to that series too. Pretty awesome old machine. You are also correct about the steering wheel center cap.
Love the old iron. Mr. Larry is a Hoss. Progress is more expensive equipment, more labor, and not more income.
This right here is proof that if you take care of you're equipment it will last you forever great video cotontop
The Deere logo changed in the earlier 2000's making the Deere itself to look like he's jumping in the air versus looking stationary like the older one's,another great video! Thanks Cotontop 3,watching from southeast ga
There’s been 8 John Deere logo changes. And they all have featured a jumping Deer. However the change in 2000 was making it look like he’s jumping up, rather than landing.
Excellent video keep up the great videos 👍👍👍👍I have the exact same John Deere skidder I think mine is a 1970 but looks identical me and my dad bought it used in 1992 it had came from Tennessee or Kentucky what the dealer said. I am from northern Minnesota we have used it hard for over 20 years and only put a clutch and hydraulic hoses and winch bands never touched the engine other then injector pump and injectors. It's a pulling animal I don't have the wheel weights and only have fluid in the rear tires. I have pulled thousands of cords of all species of trees from swamps to hills and flat land. A couple of years ago I did a custom cutting and skidding job cutting white pine trees I could only cut the ones that were 35 inches and bigger out of woods the guy that hired me wondered how can I move them trees tree length and only limbed and topped at 6 inches I told to stay out of way. It drug them big trees out one at time with not much issues on the frozen ground and 8 inches of snow and no tire chains. When I got done he figured that me the machine must have a understanding that we worked so good together. I run 6 chokers cutting pulp wood and I have my main line with a choker slide so essentially I have a 70 foot long choker when you have a knob on the main line end. It will run all day on 5 gallons of fuel in flat land. The John Deere with wet brakes and parking brake and steering wheel is light years ahead of the other skidder manufacturer .The 4 legged dear was the industrial machinery trademark. I wore out the splines on the steering wheel once and bought a new wheel and emblem if I remember right that emblem cost almost as much as the steering wheel. I had plowed many acres clear of snow too. We paid 6000 dollars for it used. I still see them listed for sale for 15000 to 25000 dollars in this area here.
That's a beautiful machine. Imagine using that machine for what you guys do. Amazing how the technology has changed
My father had one when I was a kid along with 2 Tree Farmer C4's. On my mothers side of the family, everyone worked in the woods, a lot of them fell trees with power saws. I had one uncle that had an International S8A, another had a Clark Ranger 665. As well as other relatives that had Clark Ranger's 664B & C's. By far the most popular cable skidders were Timberjack and Clark Ranger and I'd give the edge to Clark in popularity back then. Even had an uncle that worked in the woods with his team of draft horses. My father was a mill owner, many pulp trucks (mostly International's, Fleetstar's and S-lines) had a Pettibone Super 20 for handling wood.
Very cool !!! An the history behind the logo is an awsum read. I never realized that the deer went from a nine point with four legs to a ten point with four legs . Then back to a four point with only two legs . An in 2000 it went to a four point jumping upwards instead of jumping forward over a log. Very cool to learn something new . Thanks cotton
Great video and piece of history.
Thank you larry! Thank you mr tim
Nice old piece of equipment that looks to be in great shape. Enjoyed the video thank you for sharing hope you have a great weekend
The 51 year old J D Skidder was one of the best videos you've posted🙂 I didn't think it would crank
All that quickly. "Old Iron" is a good deal all way 'round.
Love to see that old iron running thanks for the video 👍👍👍
I know all about that joy of putting choker chains around logs. I got to run a JD 540G2 powershift in May. I had a logger next to us cutting over 2,000,000 board feet of timber off of 300 acres. Then we had them cut off the back side of the mountain. I got to run it for a day. That 540G2 can pull on the steep mountain. I was amazed by it. They also had a bulldozer dozer with winch and a tigercat 610E on the job.
Man that's one nice 440 Deere. I hadn't seen a 440 or 540 Deere Skidder that good of shape in years. Great video Tim.
Tim thank you for this great content...love seeing the old iron. Especially one that’s been taken care of this way. Just awesome.
Now I really like this video Tim.
Old stuff is good stuff
What a GREAT video. Larry is a hoot and I love the old iron.....
A good looking machine love these old sliders just beautiful
That skidder looks amazing for being 51years old
One of my favorite videos You've made.
Good to see old iron is great condition.
We had an old timberjack when I was a lot younger. The sound of that Detroit motor give me diesel fever 🤒 🎶 🎵
Love the classic equipment videos!
Wish I had a Dollar for every tree i pulled with one of those. My uncle bought his in 1964. Still Runs Good!!!
That is so awesome. That takes me back to when I was a young boy in the woods with my grandfather in Arkansas. I still have a love for John Deere skidders Love it. I would love to own that skidder
Love those 440A good little machine
Tim So enjoyed the video. I have to say it brought tears to my eyes. Where have the years gone. Thomas Vojta Long Island
Put it this way Tim. A new skidder now is 300,000.00 and give it 10 yrs. It is Worth only a quarter of that. My skidder is worth more now than new one was. Built to last !!!
I ran one of those in the late 70s and early 80s in North West and Central Arkansas. My buddy still has it and it still runs good.
LOVE THE OLD IRON SHOWS HOW IT WAS DONE IN THE EARLY DAYS
Really enjoyed the walk around! Thanks so much!
Awesome video. Thank you brings back great memories.
My dad/grandfather had a 67 Timberjack they bought used in 69. First skidder in the area. Dad said people came from all over to see it run. My dad was just working on Deere like this a couple of years ago to fix up the blade when a younger fellow hit a stump at high speed.
Awesome video Thanks for sharing this with us
Neat old skidder. That thing was built the year I graduated from High school. Those old Deers are hard to kill. You can see that I might be a little biased by my thumbnail. Even as old as it is that's sticker pecking out stuff right there!
There is a family sawmill near me in south central Pennsylvania that these Deere sliders is all that they run won’t buy anything newer these machines are absolute TANKS
Makes you think back to where we started from to what we have now. Remember seeing JD advertisements of the 340 skidder in old issues of Timber Harvesting magazine, with no blade on them. Those beanies are the best & warmest ones I've ever worn.Even the smell of pine and diesel fuel I customized them with make them that much better.
Can of "Instant Motor" gets everything going in the morning! LOL
Same dashboard, steering wheel, throttle lever, pedals as my old 4020 when I was growing up.
I was thinking the same thing on the similarity to the 4020 era tractors. Even looks like tractor axles.
Same transmission I believe as well
@@jdatwood7086 our 4020 had the PowerShift transmission... but this skidder definitely has something different than the PowerShift. It looks different than the "hunt and find" (quad-range?) transmission.
Have'nt met a Larry I didn't like. Great video. Thanks Tim.
Beautiful!!!! and that's coming from a Timberjack lover!
My dad had the exact same one years ago! Worked great here in Wisconsin.
My dad has a 68 can car c5 with a 353 detroit that he put in it over 30 years ago. Never had a breath of starting fluid. Always heated it up with hoses. I have a 79 c5d grapple with a 353 detroit.
That is awesome. They used those in the Pascagoula river swamp when I was a kid to get the logs out. That was the cat's meow back then.
I learned how to skid on the same skidder!!!!!! KILLER SKIDDER
What a cool story! That would be so neat to have that.
Awesome video, thanks for the hard work.
Great machine + great stories!
The company I work for we have a old 70s or 80s mountain logger with the big V6 detroit in it and man we have snapped the main line on the just from winching. But it will pull amazing weight. That is one cool John deer skidder😀
We still run a cable skidder everyday thankfully it’s a John Deere 540 G2. The saw mill we haul to has a 1966 440 first skidder around this area. He said everyone said they wouldn’t pull on the steep hills verses a crawler and John Deere and tree farmer both brought one to try out and bought the John Deere little did John Deere know it was the only skidder they bought just rebuilt the motor and transmission as needed. We still use it when we are in a bind.
I have the same skidder not in as good as shape as yours but we are punched out to 100 h.p. and the winch was totally rebuilt but I need tires and can't find any here . Nice machine and great video
Had one just like it ! A lot better then a Army 4/4 ! In 69 they were the best !
Awesome video Tim.
Awesome...nice Man.
I am trying to find one.
440 c up in New Hampshire dealership has a bunch of them.
Hard to find transmission parts on these.
Otherwise excellent
We need one for hills in Asheville NC very steep for private land hardwoods etc work not commercial logging.
I know a local logger that retired 2 years ago that just bought a used 440 to help his son with his firewood business and he said it cost more than any of the ones they had in the early 70’s!
very dependable skidder. i've dropped thousands of drags for 440's,the cowboy's would always break axel's & birdnest the winch cable. excellent video i might add.
Yep great vid I rather enjoyed listening about the skidder and about the old times that was very cool great vid bud .godbless and stay safe
My grandfather had a 1941 john deere farm tractor. It had a hand operated clutch, a 2 speed forward transmission and 2 foot brakes one for each wheel!
I’ve always had a soft spot for 440’s. They were real popular here in the hills of north Georgia.
Good stuff Men, a cool bit of history threre, Thankyou Mr. Larry:):)
like a tank..... them old 1s are Beasts of the woods
Like stepping out of a time capsule. Great share !
I've run a '68 540 for almost 30 years. John Deere made their machines quiet, fuel efficient and user friendly (good steering, brakes etc.) They probably couldn't take abuse as well as a Timberjack but if you used rather than abused them they worked forever. It is interesting those 440s are going for $10-15k so close to double the price of a new one in 1969.
Funny , I have a 1967 440A . It's the heart and soul of my opinion. Well with my 1970 132xl Franklin forwarder roof mounted loader
Wonderful vid Tim 👍
These old 440s were tough. If they would have been taken care of and run sensibly they would all be still working.
I always laughed when you call it cold.. in winter we need to hook the skidders up to our trucks with coolant hoses to warm them up, because there is no way it will start at -20 or colder..
That's awesome, your a kid in a candy store. Keep up the good work