I got the opportunity to buy this 1943 one owner cat from my neighbor and couldn't pass it up.  Put fresh gas in the pony and it started on the third pull.  I even got all the original manuals for it, and the old boy wrote all the service records in it. Diesel engine starts and runs good too. Will be fun to play with.

Hi, deereskinner.
Looks good. Happy dozing.

Just my 0.02

Anybody have any idea who made this dozer blade, cant find any tags, a assume its manufactured and not homemade.

One other thing, is the canopy a cat original? I have observed in old photo arhives this same conopy with the wood around the top?

Awww, man! Some guys have all the luck. That has to be the cleanest 4R I have laid eyes on. Nice when a neighbor thinks of you too. Is this another one where you only have to road it 500 yards to get it home?
Top looks like the real deal from factory; it seems the top was recovered with the vinyl they use on the Upshaw style cabs from the PNW; the blade is very similar to a Swede or Holt blade, but the side braces for the angling look to be made from flame cutting plate steel, vs. the cast steel ones from new. Nice and not clobbered!
That dry air cleaner is a nice, clean modification too.
The only thing I see wrong with it is, that it isn't here in my stash of crawlers! LOL
You had better hide it, because I have to make a trip to WA and OR to round up some items and there is room on the trailer still! Enjoy your new toy. JM

Thanks so much for the info, This cat had been stored in an old retired shop building in the middle of a field, had to dig sod away from doors to slide them open, it was like opening a tomb. IT was kinda like entering a treasure room in a movie. I decided to road it home which was about five miles. Looks like the worst part of it are the sprockets, good rails, bushing have wear but not bad, ill never wear it out , just right for play time. I just like firing it up, it wants to be alive!

That was nice, unearthing it from its tomb and stretching its legs too! Nice way to test drive it, all the way home! Honestly, a good feeling when one starts one up from a long slumber.
I wonder when it was ran last? Its nice when they don't need a lot to wake up. JM

Nice looking 4R. Hard to find one that original that survived. Any guesses how long it had been setting?  Canopy does not appear to have been used in the woods and the blade looks to be in excellent condition as well. Farm dozer life is often pretty easy retirement for old crawler, occasional road maintenance and plow some snow ant signs of green paint under the yellow?  One of my JimmyPillars must have been war surplus tractor as it was originally olive drab.  Cool tractor, nice save. Mike

Been at least five years, old fuel but I bet it still has some sulfur in it like diesel should for lubricity. Meter shows 1512, my book has written in pencil: new liners, sleeves, and pistons at 9755. But no date, but I bet it was 50 years ago.

I do know for a fact this cat started out as a farm cat exclusively. Whenever it was retired and replaced the owner then put on the hardnose, blade, winch and bellypan and made it a permanent dozer tractor, I think it neat it was never turbocharged or altered.