Messages

Hi Erik

Here are photos from the two sales (courtesy of Aumann Auctions and Polk & McGrew) - could they be the same tractor??

All the best

David

Thanks Blake. Would you have any photos of H's with the cast "Cleveland" name that you could post?

All the best

David

David, there are some in the link I posted above. Here's one in particular - http://cletrac.org/media/pictures/W_mahoney.jpg . Please note that the caption says W, but it was mis-identified when it was first sent to me. It is really an H.

Blake

Hi Blake

That lettering looks painted on rather than cast in.

By the way, I found the following information on the differences between the H and W from "Motor Age" 1920:

The new model will be painted a dark grey. The size of the engine has been increased from 3Ã,¾ in. bore to 4 in. bore, the stroke remaining the same. The track supporting roller has been eliminated and the dust shield has been redesigned to afford the lower track wheels better protection from dust and mud. The company's water air-cleaner has been added as standard equipment. The seat has been redesigned with the idea of making it more comfortable and there are some changes in the footboard and the steering wheel. Some changes have been made in the transmission and the new model is using large size ball bearings on the pinion end of the drive shaft. Improvements also have been made looking to the dustproofing of the lower track and rear sprocket.

All the best

David

Thanks Blake. Would you have any photos of H's with the cast "Cleveland" name that you could post?

All the best

David

The Cletrac Model H in the Sparky Duroe auction was described in the listing as serial no. 8881. However, there is an identical looking Model H coming up for sale in the Eckhoff auction in Missouri with serial no. 6361. It is easy to see how these two numbers could have been confused when reading the ID plate.

Can anyone confirm the true serial no. of the Model H in the Duroe sale? And is this the same tractor that is being sold in Missouri?

Many thanks

David

Hi Erik

Thank you very much for all of your help with this! Just a couple of questions:

- Where did you find the information about the later H's having the radiator with the cast "Cletrac" name?

- I had never heard that the Model H had the Cletrac engine; I thought this was the later W's?

All the best

David

Thank you for your help. I don't know what to make of the chassis differences, but I notice that the one in the Duroe sale had the vertical rather than sloping chassis ends.

I think the "Cleveland" name was painted on the top tank rather than cast in, as quite a few H's in preservation have a bare tank now.

All the best

David

I was wondering if anyone can tell me the external differences between the H and W models? Is it possible to tell the two models apart from a photo?

Did all H's have the top track idler? Does the front of the chassis members slope on some H's and not others? Did some H's have the Cletrac name cast into the radiator top, or was this just a feature of the W's?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

David

Thanks Blake, I hadn't realised that about the tracks. I expect the sheet metal on the radiator is just a replacement as the old one probably rusted away.

All the best

David

Here are some photos of a genuine Cletrac in a museum in Japan:




I understand it is a Model H, serial no. 1076, with Weidely M engine #30141, which I guess would make it around 1917? However, I have not seen tracks like this on an H before, and they look more like those on the R, with the four-spoke front sprocket and top roller. Was a narrow version of the H offered with the same tracks as the R?

Many thanks

David

Thanks Blake, very interesting indeed - I checked in my French tractor encyclopaedia and ALMACOA = ALlied MAchinery COmpany.

All the best

David

Thanks Blake. I knew about the LIMO, but not the copy made in France. Do you have any more details on this? Was it built from scratch or just assembled there, or could it perhaps have been a regular Cletrac sold under a different name? A lot of American tractors seem to have been sold under different names in France, e.g. Hart-Parr 15-30 -> "Amanco", Allis-Chalmers 10-18 -> "Globe", etc.

Here is a picture of the possible Japanese Cletrac copy - it may have been just a prototype:

//http://www.interq.or.jp/sun/mm-kas/ichgon/hoku3l.jpg

At least one genuine Cletrac does survive in Japan too - a narrow version of a Model H from around 1917 as far as I can tell.

All the best

David

Does anyone have any information about copies of Cletrac crawlers built by the Kato company in Japan?

Many thanks

David