Rare tractor

There have been several modifications to Caterpillar for the purpose of lifting nursery stock.
Most of them are "raised" and use some sort of "slip plow".
This appears to be one of them.
cts

Looks like an RD4 with custom pads, raised fenders and relocated fuel tank. It doesn't really look to me like the rest of the machine is different.

Jordan

http://www.acmoc.org/bb/showthread.php?9285-Custom-High-Crop-Crawler/page2

Necessity is the mother of invention --

California Agriculture - changed many aspects of what today we consider normal. Adaptations have indeed changed our world, all born from the origins here based upon the special needs and demands.

The highly specialized needs of "lifting" nursery stock for replanting resulted in these Caterpillars modified to extreme high clearances, still providing for the flotation and traction needs to pull a "slip plow".

CTS

Here is one that IronAppraiser and OIH shared photos of awhile back.

Hey Juiceman if they ever had a mud bog at a tractor show that might come in handy for you lol hahaha

FatCat -- the "Juiceman" would just re-incarnate the blocks that were used for so many years in the rice fields.
Put 'em on a Sixty and go where rest would just be mired to the bitter ends.

Some off color high clearance.

Would the track extensions change his gear ratio? I wouldn’t think so, just change the speed around the idler and sprocket.

Length of the track would make no difference in the ground speed - that is determined by the speed (rpm from flywheel -transmission - rear end and the final drives) of the driving sprocket and the diameter of the sprocket.

Track is much different than tires where change in diameter changes the speeds.