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By 1904, these large steam-powered tractors had been. plowing California fields for 14 years, but often got bogged down in the soft, peaty California soil, especially after heavy rains. Once stuck, they were very difficult to pull free, even with teams of horses, due to their great weight, which typically rested on four metal wheels.
One solution had been a seemingly simple one ... just add bigger, wider wheels which unforrtunately added more weight and only led to the tractors sinking even deeper. Another was to lay a temporary plank road ahead of the steam tractor, but this was expensive and time-consuming. Holt had an idea: Why not carry the road with the traCtor? In November, 1904, he added wooden "block-linked treads around the idlers on Holt No.77,his test steam tractor. The results were i:rnpressive, and the modern 'tracklayer' tractor was born. Best then experimented with gas engines to replace the steam engines, developing his first gas powered tractor in 1896. He famously staged a tug of war between his steam engine and his new gas powered engine. The gas engine not only won, it pulled the steam engine right around the block! Daniel Best's son, C. L. Best, took over from his father and in April, 1925 his company C. L. Best Gas Traction Company of San Leandro, California, joined forces with Holt Manufacturing Company of Stockton, to form the Caterpillar Tractor Co: The name Caterpillar was coined when a commpany photographer was asked to capture the new tracklayer tractor, and when he approached the field where it was working he said, "Well if that doesn't look like a caterpillar I don't know what does!" The name Caterpillar was licensed the very next day and the rest is history. |
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Dan Greenberg | 29-Mar-2009 05:45 | |
Bill Taylor | 28-Jun-2008 02:16 | |