John Deere debuts New TimberMatic Maps auto pickup feature for skidder line-up

John Deere has released a new feature for its skidder machines: the introduction of auto pickup within John Deere TimberMatic Maps. This tool allows operators to easily collect production information while enhancing their ability to monitor job progress. Before auto pickup, operators had to manually interact with the display to show the production completed during the job. This time-saving feature simplifies operations and requires less engagement from the operator.

"This brand-new feature was developed to help meet our customer needs and boost efficiency and awareness in the woods, and we are confident that auto pickup will improve job sites and operator performance upon first use," says Matt Flood, product marketing manager for John Deere. "The technology will automatically collect critical job site data, taking the guesswork out of the collection process."

The auto pickup feature can be activated at the beginning of a shift by simply tapping an icon on the TimberMatic Maps display. Once engaged, the auto pickup feature stays on between key cycles unless manually deactivated. Therefore, the operator does not need to frequently turn the feature back on, allowing them to concentrate on the job. 

The operator can easily select the correct landing spot for placing loads. Using machine intelligence, auto pickup constantly monitors the machine's functions to ensure that a bunch is being picked up correctly. As the operator picks up a bunch, auto pickup automatically identifies it. After a preset amount of time, which can be adjusted, the bunch is added to the chosen landing. This new feature simplifies the collection process and allows for a hands-free operation, requiring less involvement from the operator.

While using auto pickup, skidder operators no longer need to pause and track their production, helping to ensure that production information and inventory moved to the loader is up-to-date in real-time, instead of calculated hours after collection. As the job progresses, production data and logging routes are updated in real time on TimberMatic Maps, displaying the actual status of the job site. This feature helps minimize guesswork for owners, supervisors, and forepeople.

This provides full visibility of a job site from any remote location, minimizing the need to be present on the logging site to monitor operations. Auto pickup is now available on existing machines where TimberMatic Maps is installed.