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Cleveland Tractor Co.

| History of our Cletrac K-20 | Photos of our Cletrac | History of Cletrac tractors | Most Cletrac tractor models between 1916 and 1936 and serial number sheet | Some technical data of our Cletrac | Links concerning old tractors |

History of our Cletrac K-20

Our Cletrac was used as pulling machine in farming. Later my grandfather gave it to his daughter (my mother). It was very rusty, but I was charmed with this little old tractor! The bearing of connecting rod was broken and that is actually the reason, why the tractor was abandoned to the near forest at 60's or 70's. I started to repair and restore it in 1988. It took many summers to restore and repair it, but it was fun and worth it. Nowadays the tractor is working. If you own a Cletrac or have technical data or any kind of information about Cletracs, please email me!

Our Cletrac is Model K-20, known also as 20K, K, and 20-27 tractor. Here you can see another picture of same-looking Cletrac (the air cleaner is different). And here you can see Dave's Cletrac. I am not sure, if it is Model K, because there are some differences compared to our Cletrac (missing slits of the hood and a wheel instead of crank. And here is one photo more of Cletrac Model K. Its fuel tank has been modified, but otherwise it looks the same as our Cletrac. Here is one photo more about Cletrac K, and also about Model 15-25. Tzafrir Margalit from Israel sent me this photo of Cletrac K-20.

Photos of our Cletrac at the beginning of restoring 1988 ->

Newer photos of Cletrac (click for big size)

History of Cletrac tractors

The first Cletracs were advertised as "Geared to the ground" to emphasize their superior traction over conventional wheeled machines. In the 1920s, Crawler tractors (equipped with continuous roller belts over cogged wheels) were gaining in popularity, especially Cletracs. Cletracs were excellent tractors, sold well, and remained a popular make until the end of the Cletrac Company in the 1940s. Cletrac, with one exception (the GG General), made only crawlers.

Cletrac Model W,12-20 was manufactured between 1919-1932 about 17000 units. Here's photo of Cletrac catalog cover, the tractor seems to be Model W. In Kauhajoki, Finland, there is Mr. Mäenpää's Cletrac (Model W??). In Gårdskulla museum Siuntio, Finland, there is this Cletrac W. And still one photo of Cletrac (W?) at the field.

Autumn Mahoney Quick kindly sent me photos of Cletrac (model W, I suppose) . Her grandfather was Gerald J. Mahoney (1893-1941) and he was a dealer in Evansville in 1920. These photos were taken when they advertised at a fair.

In 1920 Cletrac introduced four versions of Model F, including small "Hi-Drive Model F 9-16", which was suitable for small farms. Here's another photo of Model F, Glenn's Cletrac. It was manufactured until 1922. This model was driven by a floating roller chain that traveled between the drive gears and the tracks. The entire track assembly runs without lubrication. Model F was designed especially for use with cultivator and other front-mounted implements.

Model 30A (30-45) Cletracs were built between 1926 and 1928. This was followed in 1929 and 1930 with the 30B tractor. Production of both was rather limited.

Our Cletrac is made in 1928. It is Model K-20. Early Model K Cletracs were equipped with the water air clarifier (a box outside the hood), but the latter (as ours K-20) were equipped with air clarifier which used oil and was installed inside the hood. According to some sources, it had 20 horsepower on the draw bar and 27 horsepower on the belt pulley, but Cletrac manual says that horsepowers are 15/25. K-20 was manufactured 1925-1932 about 10000 units. Some new engineering refinements advertised on this tractor were redesigned track, an instantaneous oiling system where the entire track could be oiled by pushing a plunger, and simplified track layout. Only models W,F and 20K had had Clectracs own engine, the other Cletracs used engine of some else manufacturer (Buda, Weidley, Wisconsin, Hercules, Continental, or Cummins).

Furthermore, here is a photo of Cletrac E, 1934. And a photo of 1933 Cletrac brochure. Model 35 is in the picture. It was manufactured in 1932-1936. And here are photos of Cletrac AG, AD, BG and BD, photos of DG and DD, and FD.

The majority of the tractors built 1920-1930 used kerosene fuel, because it was cheapier than gasoline. Gasoline was used for starting. Cleveland Tractor Company introduced their first diesel-powered Crawler (Cletrac Diesel 80 or Cletrac 60-80) in 1933. It used six-cylinder Hercules engine with about 90 hp. Cletrac used electric start on their diesels and indeed from about 1930 offered them on all their crawlers. This, combined with the controllod differential steering using band brakes that allowed both tracks to be driven whilst turning, helped Cletracs to become a popular tractor among farmers and industrial users.

In 1944 or 1945 Oliver purchased Cletrac and Oliver's Cletrac crawlers were produced in White's old Cletrac factory. The Oliver Cletracs remained substantially the same since Oliver took them over. Here's a photo of 1952 Oliver HG. Oliver's HG crawler was a continuation of the Cletrac tracklayer lineage, which had been bought by Oliver in 1944. The HG had controlled differential steering that gave full-power turns. Ironically, later in 1960, White Motors Corporation (same White family) purchased Oliver, reaquiring Cletrac, which then moved to the former Hart-Parr works in Charles city, Iowa, until its own crawler line was dropped in 1963. Changes in the crawler market, competition and Oliver's sale to White Motor in 1960 finished the Cletrac crawlers completely in 1965. White Farm Equipment (WFE) Company was created in 1973, a division of the White Motors Corporation. In 1991 White Tractor Division was bought by AGCO.

Most Cletrac tractor models between 1916 and 1944 and serial number sheet

Some technical data of our Cletrac

• Weight: 2194 kg (4838 pounds), another source says 1991 kg (4390 pounds), third says 2170kg (4775 lb)
• Length 267 cm (105")
• Width 123 cm (48,5")
• Heigth 137 cm (54")
• Fuel: Kerosene/Gasoline.
• 4 cylinders, bore 100 mm (4"), stroke 138 mm (5,5") and cylinder capacity altogether about 4306 cm3.
• R.p.m. 1375
• Power: drawbar 20 h.p. (15 kW) and belt/brake 27 h.p. (20 kW) (another source says 28.4 hp)
• Carburator diameter about 30 mm.
• Ignition by magneto.
• Starting using crank handle.
• Water-cooled.
• Meters: only oil-pressure.
• Steering: using steering wheel, when turning left, the left track brakes, and vice versa.
• Gears: 2 forward, 1 reverse, and neutral.
• Speed at 1. gear 3.2 km/h (2.0 mph), 2. gear 7.2 km/h (4,5 mph) and reverse 2.8 km/h (1.75 mph).

Links concerning old tractors