Cost

Welcome to the club! Interesting question, one I’ve never considered. I’ve not seen a price list for the D2 specifically, in fact the only price list in the Technical Library that I can see is a C.L. Best list for the 75 and 90 horse “tracklayers” as they were called. Interesting list though, worth a browse as most parts are in there, just a shame the prices aren’t valid today.. I’ll see what I can find with regard to your original question.. another rabbit hole to explore, cheers!

Tony

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In August of 1956, a D2 50" gauge tail seat tractor was $5585, in today's dollars that would be $54,453. The average price of a car was about $2000, in 1956, in today's dollars $19,500.

My grandfather bought a D2 5U new in the fifties. It was in NZ so it would have been that 5585 plus the exchange rate plus the cost of shipping to NZ. Can't imagine he got a lot of change out of 7-8k but no sales docket unfortunately. And he was just a poor farmer although he liked the shiny stuff! : )

In the early sixties I worked on a ranch where they had a '49 D2 with the 2S dozer which they had bought new. I think they said they had paid $3200 for it.

Here is one example... [attachment=65578]Caterpillar D2 price list.jpg[/attachment]

Here is an example of pricing for a D4 from [attachment=65579]D4%20Invoice.jpg[/attachment] around the same time...

This subject was discussed a few years ago. A friend had bought a Fiat/New Holland crawler tractor for his vineyard work. The modern tractor is the widest model with wide track shoes,3pt hitch, 3 hydatic valves, and pto with 80 hp rating. I do not remember the real numbers, but using a inflation adjustment the D 2 was very comparable priced with the current tractor with more features, but less longevity.

He was a IH guy because he like wrenching and IH's where cheap. He would still rather run his TD6 than the Fiat. I have not kept track but know at 5 to 8 years he has had undercarriage problem and other things.

If things from the old board are still around I had real numbers at the time.