Interesting Facts about Caterpillar or CAT equipment

Caterpillar or CAT is a well-known and popular brand of both heavy and compact equipment for construction, mining, agriculture and other industries. For such a well-known company, it might be interesting to take a look at some facts about the Caterpillar company and its history that you might not know.  

Fact #1

Horsepower was always important to CAT

Caterpillar resulted from a 1925 merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company, founded by Benjamin Holt in Stockton, California in the late 1800s, and the C.L. Best Tractor Company. It's earliest roots can be traced back to Holt's first commercial success: an innovative approach to the horse-drawn combine, released in 1886.

The Caterpillar contribution to the combine was the use of link-belting and sprockets in place of gears. By 1899, CAT had also begun to manufacture a steam-powered tractor. Both machines soon became indispensable to farmers in California and across the United States. 

Fact #2

CAT acquired several influential heavy equipment brands through the years

As you already know, CAT didn't just stick to agricultural equipment. As part of their diversification, Caterpillar has purchased many other well-known brands through the years. These include Bucyrus, ASV (which they later sold to Terex), Lovat, Blount’s forestry division, and Traxson (later known as Traxcavator).  This allowed CAT to expand their product line to meet the needs of other industries such as mining and forestry.

Fact #3

The Caterpillar brand was inspired by ... a caterpillar

The tracked design evolved from a need for tractor to move across the rich, soft farmland in certain areas of California. Several solutions were attempted, but it was Holt's use of continuous tracks that proved to be the best.

A company photographer was observing it during testing one day, and commented to Holt that it crawled like a caterpillar (crawler tractor). Holt liked the name, and it eventually became the company's trademark, even for equipment that isn't tracked. The track drive would later become indispensable in WWI.

Fact #4

CAT helped to win World War I

Before World War I started, Holt had already shipped tractors to Europe for agricultural purposes, but they soon found themselves near the front lines hauling supplies and equipment. The ability of these tracked machines to handle terrain that normal vehicles would bog down in made them vital to the war effort. Before long, Holt was manufacturing gun tractors for carrying artillery. And, the Caterpillar is considered the inspiration for the British tank.

Fact #5

CAT also helped to win World War II

The Caterpillar brand became important in World War II, also. Caterpillar's contributions included air cooled radial diesel engines for US M4 tanks, final drives for tanks, and high-speed armored crawler tractors. Soon the CAT D7 bulldozer became the main product that the US military was wanting, and the traditional CAT yellow paint had to be replaced with classic olive drab. CAT became such a key part of the war effort that General Patton once said that given the choice between a tank and a bulldozer, he'd choose the tank every time.

Fact #6

Caterpillar has a wide range of compact equipment and heavy equipment.

Caterpillar manufactures a wide range of equipment. Included in their product line up are compact machines such as skid steer loaders, multi-terrain loaders, and compact excavators.

They also manufacture forklifts, backhoes, compactors, wheel loaders, crawler loaders, crawler tractors, loader backhoes, telehandlers, skiders and much, much more. Caterpillar equipment, and the brands that belong to them, can be found primarily in mining, construction, road maintenance, forestry, and military applications.

Team Tractor and Equipment - your Equipment Dealer and tractor supply headquarters. Parts and Service Center. Servicing -  Kubota, John Deere, Kioti, Yanmar, Mahindra, Case, New Holland, Massey Ferguson, Ford, Deutz, Case IH, Farmall, International Harvester, Branson Tractors, LS, Shibura, Claas Tractor, McCormick Tractors, Valtra, Solis, YTO, Montana, Nortrac, Escorts Tractor, Belarus, Sonalika, Jinma, Mahindra, TYM, Apollo, Bolens, Fendt, Cub Cadet, CAT, Lamborghini, Iseki, Oliver, Mitsubishi Tractors, Same, Foton, Fiat, AGCO, White and many other fine manufacturers.