Caterpillar 30

The idlers and sprockets were wrapped with rags and bound with wire to keep the sand out. The motor was supposed to be running, but it had to be pushed onto the low-boy. Max claims to have six Cats, but I think it is more correct to say about 'four and forty three hundreds.' These parts tractors are about the only source of parts.

Max and Junior disassembled the tractor, replaced broken or bent parts including new rings, had valves ground and shimmed the bearings, rebuilt the idlers including the shafts. One of the track rails had to be replaced and one drive sprocket rebuilt, and they replaced the drawbar. One link was taken out of each track rail, making a 30 link rail instead of the standard 31 link rail. A new seat was fabricated by Jerry Gast of Wapello, Iowa. The machine work was done by Chester Gillen Jr. Machine Shop in Blakesburg, Iowa.

The cylinders were cracked and had to be welded. It appeared something had fallen on the platform, bending the clutch and steering levers. This made it necessary to make some new parts and straighten the levers. A little over fifty pounds of #6013 welding rod was used and this was by these two experienced welders. After all the repair work and the cleaning, it was given a few coats of paint. It took about $50.00 of primer and $200.00 worth of grey paint to make it look like a new tractor.

As Max or his twelve year old son Troy will drive this Cat Thirty in the parade at Midwest Old Threshers at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, September 2-6, 1993, Troy claims this Cat 30 is his tractor. I am sure it will be their pride and joy. It came from a basket case to a bright and shining tractor with its new grey paint.

Max is restoring a C. L. Best 30 with serial number#l 97, that has a two speed transmission. He hopes to have it ready for the 1994 Midwest Old Threshers.

Information was taken from C. H. Wendel's books: American Farm Tractors and Nebraska Tractor Tests.