1929 Caterpillar Thirty

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[@Pamudder]

Absolutely astonishing. I hope you can contact the owner. What vintage is the BG hydraulic equipment?

[@squatch253]

I know the owner well, he helped me a lot with Cat parts for #5J1113 and I’ve helped him when I’ve had things that he’s needed. He showed me a lot of the details in this video before I did any recording, and I made sure I had clear permission to show and do all of the things seen in this walkaround. I should stress the importance to ALWAYS get permission from the owner before messing with anything on their machines, and ALWAYS leave things just as you found them 👍 The Be-Ge unit is relatively the same vintage as this tractor, but still likely about a decade newer.

[@Pamudder]

@@squatch253 I had wondered if the owner had more knowledge of its history. With this machine dating from right before the Great Depression, it’s possible that before this machine had many hours on it the owner hid it in a neighbor’s barn to keep it from being repossessed, and it then may have just been forgotten- the classic “barn find.” But if the hydraulic unit is 10 years newer, then the tractor must have been “put away” without many hours on it at least twice. If these machines could only talk. . .

[@squatch253]

@@Pamudder - All I know about it is that it came out of Indiana and was a former municipality/city owned piece of equipment, hence the low hours it had put on it plus the work that it did, was mostly easy jobs 👍

[@tonywatson987]

WOW! Museum quality, no rust, very little wear, and intact leather after 90+ years - amazing! Thank you so much, Toby - really appreciate these vintage walkarounds.

[@tractorhyatt7044]

Thank you Toby! Always appreciate the walk around videos and your passion and knowledge of these vintage machinery. 🚜 👍

[@geraldschrader8511]

Excellent walk-around! What an amazing piece of history that tractor is.

[@lordcaptainvonthrust3rd]

Thanks Squatch Not only do I enjoy your walk arounds on these old classics I also love hearing you share your knowledge 👍

[@dougkubash8673]

Thanks for sharing Squatch!! Absolutely amazing!!

[@Cinder2008]

I so enjoy your walk around! Your passion for the old iron is infectious. Too often I click on a walk around (other channels) only to hear a manufacturer name and year. And that’s all. Good job!

[@bcbloc02]

Awesome it has made it so many years! It must have been sitting inside a shed since the 40s

[@JH-qi7fz]

Great walk around! I cant imagine we'll get lucky enough to have a walk around that Allis crawler in the background.

[@jamesthompson8008]

VERY COOL old Cat! Thank you for sharing this one, it obviously led a charmed life!

[@rickyjessome4359]

Fantastic video Toby! Thank you for taking us all for a walk around of that beautiful old machine. Like you said I wouldn't change a thing about it either. Cheers

[@D8PETE]

What a gem of a tractor! Thank you for sharing this video.👍

[@plainnpretty]

Very nice tractor Thanks for showing her

[@AndrewHCann]

Excellent video Squatch 253 :) I remember my late Grandfather Harold had back years ago and he talk about he pulled Massey Harris Number 7 Mauner Spreader had rubber wheels on triangle speaer steel ones & then went to Rubber Triangle ones and gear box to run was no PTO for it! Funny part like mint condition his older brother my uncle Arnold restoration in 1988 with new wood plus part from John Deere type one ! In 1990 my Grandfather Harold sold for $700.00 to my Automotive Mechanics & Welding Shop classes teacher Larry in High School was hobby farmer too ! He lived not far away from High School and plus my Grandfather Harold farm to! Yes I like old things to and so fun seeing too!

[@johna7661]

Thanks, I appreciate these museum pieces out in the wild, especially with a knowledgeable walk around.

[@d00dEEE]

This is the proverbial "only driven to church on Sundays" tractor. The condition of that thing is simply amazing.

[@matty2helpfull]

Thats absolutely amazing tractor i wouldn't change a thing on it either ❤❤❤

[@ron827]

VERY thorough and educational walk around from a guy who knows his Cats. It was fun to see you and Senior at the show and am looking forward to the swapfest in April.

[@aserta]

I'm absolutely stunned at the condition of this piece of history. Un-real. Thank you so much for filming this for us. Unreal.

[@RobertBrothersJr-dc7nr]

Fantastic video Toby. An all original tractor wow definitely a one of a kind. I wouldn’t change a thing either. Thanks for the great walk around.

[@kylechrist]

If that Kyle Christ guy is getting blamed, we are going to be taking a lot more off than the spark plug cover 😂

[@kenhawkins1033]

Hey! I just commented on what a prince you must be for providing such a service! Now.... maybe I should reconsider.

[@terrystewart2070]

OMG thanks for the best walk around in a while......I would love to own this gem! It's truly hard to imagine how this 30 was used so little almost 100 years! Incredible.

[@squatch253]

The only history on it that I know is that it recently came out of Indiana and spent most of its life being a municipality/city owned machine, so it seldom saw any work and the work that it did do was fairly light 👍

[@EdStrong929]

A true time capsule. Thank you for sharing with us. Always love your walk around!

[@CarCatCol2023]

Jon always finds some awesome stuff!

[@clydeschwartz]

Excellent video that is a really nice looking Caterpillar tractor for its age it's in Extremely good condition and the fact that it gets drove around makes it that much nicer

[@robertpeters9438]

Reminds me of how my grandpa took care of tools. All cleaned, dried and oiled after each use. No trace of rust after a lifetime of use...and sharp.

[@ronzezulka6646]

Hey Toby. Now that is a cool old tractor. Amazing the technology they had even then.

[@brushbros]

I share your enthusiasm. Great video. I shall subscribe. If it was mine, I would apply a stabilizing coating of linseed diluted at least 3 times with thinner. It will go where the rain goes now, but will seal and preserve it.

[@corpnut2906]

that's so neat to see. All the little things you showed you just don't see anymore on newer cats. I loved the seat hardware as it looked like a park bench from the side and the way they used the big tacks to hold the leather to the frame. I should send you some pics of a Best tractor I found in washington a few years ago.

[@daved7024]

Absolutely a beautiful machine. Nice find. 😊👍

[@geneguenther4325]

Wow! Thanks for the walk around Toby! What a great original piece of equipment! Very impressive

[@justjoe7313]

Beautiful machine! Thank you for guiding us through the history! Would love to see/hear it run!

[@squatch253]

I know the owner well, so there’s still a chance that I’ll get the opportunity to record this one in operation someday. I was hoping to hear it run at the show, but the ground stayed too wet for them to need that dump wagon so it stayed parked.

[@BigAmp]

Beautiful original machine. Must be the ultimate survivor, thank you for sharing.

[@waltermattson5566]

Thanks to you and Kyle!

[@Thomasgarrick113]

All the neat stuff generator ,air filter, carburator but the compression release valves into lower part of cylinders is most interesting I guess it still had enough compression to run until you could close them very neat

[@squatch253]

Yep, these were rather difficult to crank-start by hand without opening those release petcocks, and they’d still run OK until you managed to get them closed back up 👍

[@Dsaletzki]

I love seeing old equipment like this that's all original. I work for Caterpillar at the Peoria Proving Grounds its the research and development facility and the things we do to todays equipment for testing, I could only imagine what they could come up with back then. It would have been one wild ride for sure.

[@edwh164]

Thanks for the video Squatch, I’ve seen these tractors on other videos and a few in person. Please educate me on what they were used for. Were they used to drag logs in a logging outfit or pulling plows on a farm? Also, why are they so small? What would the horsepower be and how big of a log or plow? Could they pull?. Thanks again for all your videos, found you a few months ago and have been enjoying your video series on all of the different equipment. Thank you.

[@Satellite-Man_521]

I love unrestored, no guilt about operating it, getting it a bit dirty. Just enjoying the item

[@jeffsnider3588]

Would be great to have a video of the starting procedure.

[@GrandsonofKong]

A true survivor! From the Bay Area and I know San Leandro but never knew a Cat Factory was there.

[@billandkathihensel3087]

Very nice machine, I have never seen any machine that old that is so original

[@budwalker333]

That’s awesome thanks for the walk around

[@Fatamus]

🤗 That would be setting in the middle of my living room. Absolutely art work.

[@leecrump4614]

Thank You. That was fascinating.

[@Jimbo65203]

That's the one I have a photo of that CAT on an infinity photo cube block CAT gave its employees for the 75 anniversary. It is one of several gifts they gave us that year, plus a coffee table display picture book, of the company's history.

[@jamesburns8247]

absolutely fantastic

[@TonyLoechte]

Very nice ❤

[@ericsargent4551]

Great video!!! Thank you for sharing!!!!

[@johngibson3837]

Hey up mate that would look good in the new shed , so original and done no work by the looks , top vidio thanks

[@Taxpayeroftherepublic]

Great walk around thank you Toby. Let’s check out that Ford pick up in the background. Is that orange or red and white looks nice.

[@dave.shakawe]

In my farming days, in the1960/70, I had one with a LaPlant/ Chooat blade. After selling the farm,I sold it to a collector.

[@googleuser1036]

Wouldn't that look good in the new shop? How nice!

[@SuperMAZ007]

I'm not gonna lie the headlights on the front reminds me of the I974 Killdozer from the movie. In all honesty finding a machine this old and not being buggered up with welds or hack mechanic works is just amazing on it's own. I do suspect this machine has had some refurbishments in the past however that dose not explain how well this has preserved.

[@arthurirwin8235]

Beautiful peace of equipment!

[@davidkimmel5153]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@KyleKAP]

Loved the video, but couldn't help drooling on the high boy in the background!

[@999torino]

Where was that stored that there were no mice to eat the seat? Thats crazy.

[@michaelbaumgardner2530]

Man that thing is a time capsule,unbelievable.

[@jacilynns6330]

Nice you should get one and restore it to look like that.

[@juhalepisto9845]

Beauty❤

[@larrydavidson3402]

What a survivor this one is.

[@kristinkaufmann9258]

Hey, love your channel and all the Cat Videos. Need a little help. Time to sell Dad's D-2. Probably one of the nicest shop finds in the Pacific Northwest. Also have a set of Rails that came off it when we put the brand new ones on. They rough measure at 2.75". Don't know what percent of wear this puts them at. I need to value the tractor and the pair of rails so we can get them sold. Any Ideas or help, greatly appreciated. Can send pics and more info. Thanks.

[@cmh1984]

I'd change one thing for sure. Whose shed it lives in... to mine.

[@seniorelectrician6831]

I agree very interesting in deed.

[@briansaxton8973]

I figured you were going to say the only thing you’d want to change is ownership. lol I thought you would say you wanted it in your stable. 😊

[@sleepingdogs8939]

Unbelievable condition for a 1929 crawler.

[@edbarnes2364]

Please what is the fabric on the seat if you think it's original? Love the old tractor.

[@brycewiborg8095]

I was there Saturday. From what I saw i think a better turnout than last year. Takk.

[@alwaysbearded1]

San Leandro, just one city south of me. Good to see a survivor out your way.Wonder what the history is?

[@squatch253]

All I know is that it very recently came out of Indiana and spent most of its life being a municipality/city owned machine, so it seldom saw any work and the work that it did do was fairly light 👍

[@rawbsworld6604]

I too, like the crawling caterpillar 🤗 But hind site is 20/20 in this case a cataract 😆 at the time they knew their market and why they went away from it. A few minor iterations still going strong with the block ‘C’ 🤷‍♂️ to each their own these days you can get whatever branding style you like on you hat or T-short 🤭 ✌️🤙

[@deanehill9730]

Would be an interesting story as to how that has survived in absolute original condition. Once in a lifetime discovery. Thanks for the video.

[@squatch253]

The only history I have on this one is that it recently came out of Indiana and spent almost all its life being owned by a municipality/city, so what little work it did see was fairly light 👍

[@jamesthompson8008]

@squatch253 NOT that it's the answer, but a likelihood. I'd bet that, like you said, it got used little; then, most likely, it probably got replaced(in purpose) by another piece of equipment. Also, it probably got stuffed in the corner or back of the shop/shed, & anyone who knew how to start/operate it moved/passed on. I'd be willing to bet it was a case where no one could get it operating, so it stayed put until decades later, when some administrator said drag it out, we'll just sell it.

[@jacobbuckley8232]

Man the thing should be in a museum lol

[@davidapp3730]

That was a great walk-around. How does a machine like that survive in such good condition for 95 years. Barn find?

[@squatch253]

All I know is that it recently came out of Indiana and spent almost all its life being a municipality/city owned machine, so it didn’t see work very often and what little work it did do was fairly light 👍

[@TM-hk3ic]

Buy it Toby!

[@ralf00001]

WHAT, no start? I was so much looking forward to watching you start it.

[@squatch253]

The ground conditions stayed too wet for them to use the dump wagon, so the Thirty stayed parked all weekend. But I know the owner well so I may get a chance in the future to record it in operation 👍

[@kenhawkins1033]

That was awfully nice of Kyle to allow you to take liberties with such a fine example of history. He must be a swell guy!

[@johnnymorrow63]

A true time capsule!

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

Goodness... need to see that in action!!

[@squatch253]

Unfortunately the ground stayed too wet to use the dump wagon so the Thirty stayed parked all weekend - but I know the owner quite well so I may get another chance in the future to capture this tractor in operation 👍

[@antiochman8222]

A museum quality survivor.

[@93Martin]

That leather!

[@thinman8621]

Approaching one hundred years old and still looks like it could do a day's work. How did it stay so nice?

[@squatch253]

All I know is that it recently came out of Indiana and spent most of its life being owned by a municipality/city so it seldom saw any use 👍

[@jakenatashafigylutz4646]

So that precleaner is just like the Turbo II precleaner on my 4020.

[@JeffPeickert]

I could hear in your voice you want that Cat 30 . Lol

[@wagon9082]

Good video

[@maidenrulz73]

Amazing

[@johngibson3837]

Hey up mate do you not fancy this for the new shed would seem quite fitting but then again it would need a use in my lingo

[@wayneb2490]

WOW!!!!

[@RumbleRoverTV]

Nice show

[@TawDrago]

That is pretty cool.

[@patreilly1458]

Where do you find something like this? The furry little destroyers have never bee near it and it must have been stored in a heated sealed building to be this nice. Outstanding Piece of history.

[@squatch253]

All I know about its past is that it recently came out of Indiana and spent most of its life being a municipality/city owned machine so it saw seldom use.

[@mkegadgets4380]

Very interesting video your care and knowledge is surpassed by no one. Why is the generator shiftable in and out?

[@squatch253]

The only reason I can think of would be to reduce the overall wear on the generator by not having it spinning when the lights weren’t needed. If the operators were diligent about keeping it disengaged, that would greatly extend its service life 👍

[@mkegadgets4380]

@@squatch253 that’s what I was thinking, but that just seemed too easy of an answer. Love your walkabout. Look forward to your next video as always.

[@kmatch1]

“Shifting the generator”… Call it what it is. It’s a light switch! It’s how you turn the lights on/off.

[@SkinnyBiker]

Very cool 😎

[@fowletm1992]

Any history on where it came from to be in such food condition and low hours?

[@squatch253]

All I know is that it very recently came out of Indiana and spent the bulk of its life being a municipality/city owned machine - so it seldom saw any work and the work that it did do was fairly light 👍

[@fowletm1992]

I figure it had to be government, someone that can afford to never use it and never recoupe any costs from it, amd it had to be the back uo for the backup for the backup Shire gear seems to go only 2 ways, either it's lucky enough to end up in a collectors hands because the right person is there at the right time, or some beurocrat comes in for a yard clean up and sends it all to scrap because they don't know what they're looking at and they're just doing what they're told, clean up It's a very nice machine

[@larrylawson5172]

Caterpillar must be just dripping drool to put it on permanent display.

[@JeffsFreedomGarage]

@Squatch253 - So, the only thing missing is the hood and dash panel, or did that year not have a hood or dash? Edit, cold weather package option comes with a 50/50 split center hood, dash panel, gauges, cab, rear mount fuel tank, relocated lights, removable bolt-on snow pads and can include a snow pusher blade. Edit, 50/50 split center hood and dash panel with gauges can be an add option without the cold weather package.

[@hughezzell10000]

what you didn't show was the barn this baby has been stored in for over 100 years

[@paullewis5045]

That walk around sure added appreciation to the condition of that survivor. On the 1.2.4.3 firing order: are the outside and then inside cylinders effectively firing simultaneously or is it truly a ripple fire? Maybe a less ignorant question would be---why is that particular firing order employed?

[@justjoe7313]

It's a four stroke machine with four cilinders, no two cilinders are firing simultaneously. This firing order was used in early times, now practicaly all four cilinder engines use 1-3-4-2. It's two nearby cilinders followed by a jump over.

[@robertgoth5570]

Allis Chalmers wd45 wd wc b c etc also used the 1243 firing order! Easy for me to remember because it is also my birth month and year!

[@paullewis5045]

@@justjoe7313 Thanks! P

[@ImpHalla66]

Restored tractors are cool, but patina like that should be left alone.

[@squatch253]

100% agree 👍😎

[@reelroller]

I like tractors in there working clothes too

[@petebrooks6539]

I disagree, patina is nothing more than faded paint and rusting metal. As crisp and pristine are the wear points on this unit, it cries out for a full restoration paint job like the day it was built because this is a show tractor and should be displayed in it's original state.

[@johngibson3837]

​@@petebrooks6539it is in its original state mate

[@petebrooks6539]

@@johngibson3837 It didn't look anything like that when it came off the assembly line, don't try to fool yourself. In it's current "Patina" it will continue to rust until it's part of mother earth again. Enjoy it while you can.

[@KG-yn9qi]

Nice!