Best

Founded in 1871 by Daniel Best, The Best Manufacturing Company originated with a groundbreaking portable grain cleaner. Best soon expanded his inventive efforts, focusing on the creation of the combine harvester. By 1890, he had secured the rights to the Remington steam engine, initiating production of both steam tractors and combines powered by steam. A significant legal resolution in 1910 resulted in Holt acquiring Best’s firm, though Daniel’s son, C.L. Best, retained a portion of ownership. Dissatisfied with his position within the Holt organization, C.L. Best independently established a new enterprise in 1910, dedicated to the production of gasoline tractors. Best strategically obtained patents for the Lombard Log Hauler, a pioneering tracked crawler, leading to the development of “tracklayer” tractors. The intensely competitive pricing strategies employed by Henry Ford and his Fordson tractor created a challenging economic climate for all tractor manufacturers in the early 1920s. Ultimately, in 1925, Best and Holt merged to form the Caterpillar Tractor Company.