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• mustangtony saved to Advertising - 1919 Tractors and Farming Equipment

This is a 1919 newspaper advertisement for the Cletrac Tank-Type Farm Tractor made by the Cleveland Tractor Co., Cleveland, Ohio.
--- The Cleveland Motor Plow Company was incorporated in 1916. Founded by Rollin H. White, manufacturer of the White steam car, (also made White Sewing Machines, roller skates and bicycles) - the company began building a 10 drawbar horsepower crawler tractor, called the model R. This tractor used a four cylinder Buda engine. In 1917, the company's name was changed to the Cleveland Tractor Company. This year's model was called the H. It was rated at 12/20 horsepower and used a four cylinder Weidley engine. Cletrac was devised as a trade mark in 1918. In 1919, the model W was introduced. It was basically the same as the H, but with some improvements. The W was produced until 1932. During this time, Rollin also built an automobile called the Rollin Motor Car. Sales were not very good, and the car was eventually discontinued. There were however, many surplus engines remaining. To use up these engines, Rollin built an unusual little crawler called the F., This tractor had stamped out steel tracks, running around a track frame, with a chain of rollers riding between the track and the track frame. A sprocket, high up at the rear of the track frame, drove the tracks. If you've seen one of these tractors, you'll know where Caterpillar got the idea for their new models. Most of the early Cletracs had steering wheels. Later, levers were used. This gave better steering control. The Cleveland Tractor Company built at least 58 different models, from 1916 to 1946, when it was merged with the Oliver Farm Equipment Company, to form the Oliver Corporation.