Unique Caterpillar D4

High tracks, high clearance, special steel track shoes, 3 point hitch, all these make for an unusual D4 to say the least.

[frontagulus]

For those asking, the 3-pt hitch is not factory. Cat did not offer that on the J or U series D4s. This is most likely farmer-built.

[refiii]

Wow what an interesting 3 point hitch on that ole girl! I wonder if that’s a factory installed hitch? And the old tomato tracks! Those were used because the long shoots and leaves of the tomatoes sticking in the lanes would get pinched or caught in the tracks and pull half the plant even the entire plant out. With these the shoot and leaves would deflect off the track and not get eaten up. My great grandfather and then my grandfather had these on their d4’s.

[tireballastserviceofflorid]

Its a thing in a lof of areas especially years ago to irrigate through trenches. This would make an irrigation trench bed while pulling a hiller would be my guess. Packing the bed and forming it. Just a guess.

[gregorycross]

The original High Drive! Very interesting. 🤠👍

[shawnfox]

Wow high trac rubber pads 3point hitch definitely road worthy.

[bishopcorva]

Not gonna lie, this one made me have to stop and watch it a few times and read the comments to see what if anyone else knew. plus it was only 4 comment so, easy and quick read.

The higher stance ells me at east it's a row crop unit because it's a commonality among row crop units that they are mounted higher than normal tractors and seem, spindly as a result to the raised stance.

The track pads though, hose were the thing that really made m wonder. So sitting here thinking about the most stand out things and I remembered seeing a few tractor videos of Europe and seeing there. High stance skinny wheel tractors. But not just skinny when, skinny V shape wheels to track right at the bottom of the spaces between rows of crops. here by cutting the risk of compressing the soil used for growing the crop to a minimum.

But what kind of crops? Usually it root/tuber/bulb type crops, maybe legume. Plant those in raised rows instead of having to dig deeper into the ground, if there is a water table issue or ground that stays dam, maybe you want to have soft 'aerated' soil. Not saying that it wouldn't have been for tomatoes, since the estimated age of the machine means the tomato plants at the time it was new could have been standing a bit higher or even more laboriously tied off to low support wires.

At any rate, it's a far out neato machine.

[TimKincaid-kiuv]

Bit by the DEGO bug, and working on them royalty's

[guiltyspark]

The Hitch is normal in germany still used today

[williambryant]

Did Caterpillar offer those tracks or are they after market or homemade?

[stephenmarston]

I'm wondering what the vintage of the tractor is, when you think of all the nonsense that Deere had to navigate to have 3 point hitch. My guess is that the hitch is post 1953, I have a JD model 40 and because of the patents you can not have the front master shield on the pto and use the top link of the 3 point.

[deere]

3ph on a Cat definitely ag use. Didn't Harry Ferguson of England come up with the 3ph or maybe perfected it in let's 40's or 50's

[JoeAroner-SIWAYTV]

I find it interesting everyone is enamored with the high track, but I’m wondering if the three point hitch was factory or a third party add on. I’ve seen literature from Wilcox and Rome, but have never actually seen one til this video.

[ronniewilliz]

Dang i didnt k kw they made high tracks bacl then... thats awesome.

[baldotcom]

Plenty of ground clearance. Rice farm modification?