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Story: Farm mechanisation

Crawler tractors

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Crawler tractors

These two Caterpillar crawler tractors are designed for different uses. Larger models, like the one on the left, were often fitted with blades and used for heavy earthmoving by contracting firms. Smaller ones, like the 1930s model on the right, were used by farmers for clearing scrub or digging drains, particularly on hilly or wet ground.

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by Ashley Curtis

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How to cite this page

James Watson, Farm mechanisation – Vehicles, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/18399/crawler-tractors (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by James Watson, published 1 March 2009.