Caterpillar Twenty-Two: the 1934 tractor

The Caterpillar Twenty-Two is a tractor that Caterpillar first manufactured in 1934 as the replacement for the Caterpillar Twenty. It is one of the small crawler tractors of the 1930s, and surviving machines are still shown at events such as the one in the photographs here.

Caterpillar Twenty-Two at a glance

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Twenty-Two is a short description and gives no engine or performance figures.

History of the Caterpillar Twenty-Two

The replacement for the Twenty

The Caterpillar Twenty-Two was first manufactured in 1934 to replace the Caterpillar Twenty. The “Twenty-Two” of the name matches the fuel tank: the tractor had a capacity of 22 US gallons (83 litres, or 18 imperial gallons). The model came in two series, marked 2F and 1J.

Survivors

Machines of the type have outlasted their working lives and appear at shows and museums, where they are started and driven for visitors; the examples photographed here are on display in the United States and in Israel. The film below shows a 1936 Caterpillar 22 being started and ridden.

Design and features

• Built from 1934: the successor to the Caterpillar Twenty.
• 22-gallon tank: 22 US gallons, or 83 litres of fuel.
• Two series: the 2F and the 1J.
• Surviving examples: preserved tractors still run at shows.

Caterpillar Twenty-Two versions

• Twenty-Two 2F: the first of the two model series.
• Twenty-Two 1J: the second series.
• Preserved machines: examples such as the 1936 tractor in the film below.

The Twenty-Two is the small tractor of the 1930s, earlier than the Caterpillar D2 and a smaller relative of the Caterpillar Sixty; more machines are in the Caterpillar collection.

Video: 1936 Caterpillar 22

Video by 1bad55chev on YouTube.

Sources

• Caterpillar Twenty-Two, English Wikipedia: introduction year, predecessor, fuel capacity, model series