Best

The Best Manufacturing Company was established in 1871 by Daniel Best, who initially focused on creating a portable grain cleaner before shifting his efforts to developing a combine harvester. In 1890, he acquired the rights to the Remington steam engine, enabling the production of both steam tractors and steam-powered combines. A legal dispute in 1910 led to rival company Holt acquiring Best's enterprise, although Daniel's son, C.L. Best, retained a stake in the company. Unsatisfied with his position within Holt, C.L. Best founded his own business in 1910, specializing in gasoline tractors. He later obtained patents for the Lombard Log Hauler, an early tracked crawler, and began manufacturing "tracklayer" tractors. However, the early 1920s were challenging for all tractor manufacturers due to Henry Ford's price competition with the Fordson tractor. In 1925, Best and Holt merged to form the Caterpillar Tractor Company.