▁tra ctors . ▁More ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁pat ents ▁were ▁issued ▁for ▁various ▁craw ler ▁designs . ▁Hol t ▁began ▁manufact uring ▁horse - dra wn ▁combine ▁har vest ers ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁and ▁converted ▁to ▁steam - power ▁types ▁around ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁years , ▁Benjamin ▁Hol t ▁designed ▁and ▁manufact ured ▁the ▁first ▁successful ▁craw ler - type ▁tra ctor ▁and ▁designed ▁a ▁gas oline ▁engine ▁( see ▁T ractor ▁design , ▁below .) ▁ ▁In ▁California , ▁the ▁Best ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company ▁of ▁San ▁Le andro ▁and ▁the ▁Hol t ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company ▁were ▁compet itors . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁they ▁resolved ▁a ▁pat ent ▁in fr ing ement ▁law suit ▁when ▁Daniel ▁Best ▁retired ▁and ▁gave ▁one - third ▁of ▁Best ▁Man ufact uring ▁Company ▁to ▁his ▁son , ▁Clar ence ▁Leo ▁(" C .   L .") ▁Best . ▁He ▁sold ▁the ▁remaining ▁two - third s ▁to ▁Benjamin ▁Hol t ▁for ▁US $ 3 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁( rough ly ▁equivalent ▁to ▁$ ▁today ). ▁C .   L .   Best ▁was ▁made ▁plant ▁manager ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁concern , ▁but ▁Hol t ▁retained ▁effective ▁control . ▁C .   L . ▁did ▁not ▁stay ▁long , ▁and ▁left ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁C .   L .   Best ▁Gas ▁Tra ction ▁Company ▁to ▁replace