Serial Numbers or “Tractor Numbers” for Best Model Tractors have the following “Letter” at the beginning or end of the serial number.
If the number on the tractor does not include the right “letter” for the model of tractor then it is the Royalty number.
The serial number and royalty number may or may not have the same number of digits, in most cases the serial number will be a lower number than the royalty number.
The royalty number is located on the brass tag with the patent numbers listed, the tag is sometimes mounted on the fenders.
The serial number is located on a tag that reads “Tractor Number”, which is located in the following locations:
1889 Serial No. 3 Towle Bros, Texas Hill, CA, USA Wrecked machine with parts missing
1894 Serial No. uk Nickname “Old Dinah” Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley, CA, USA Un-restored, Non-operational
1894 Serial No. uk Las Vegas, NV, USA Un-restored, Non-operational
1903-1906 Serial No. uk Angles Camp Museum, Angles Camp, CA, USA Un-restored, Non-operational
1905 Serial No. uk Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve, Alaska, USA Un-restored, Non-operational
1906 Serial No. 175 Joe Heidrick Sr. Foundation, Woodland, CA, USA Restored Operational
1906 Serial No. 185 Roots of Motive Power, Willits, CA, USA Restored non-operational
1906 Serial No. 188 Ken Eder, Carthage, NC, USA Restored Operational
1909 Serial No. uk Holt Caterpillar, Houston, TX, USA Un-restored Operational
1910 Serial No. 242 Smith Park, Rexburg, ID, USA Un-restored, Non-operational
1910 Serial No. uk Phillips Brothers Mill, Oak Run, CA, USA Un-restored Operational
1911 Serial No. 295 Phillips Bros. Mill, Oak Run, CA, USA Un-restored, Non-operational
The list below has been generated from information we have received from machinery owners and from different publications
1-RW to 105-RW
1910-1916 Manufactured in San Leandro, CA, USA
1911 75hp Shank Family, Pioneers Museum, Imperial, CA, USA
1-B to 300-B
1918-1920 Manufactured in San Leandro, CA, USA
1919 Serial No. unk Tom Madden, Paso Robles, CA, USA
1919 353B Carson Wiley, Arroyo Grande, CA, USA
1919 165 Bill Santos, CA, USA
1919 199 CA, USA
1920 213 Spegel Family, Portland, OR, USA
Yr. unk 389 Bright's Pioneer Museum, Le Garnd, CA, USA
Yr. unk, 1794 Heidrick Ag. Center, Woodland, CA, USA
Yr. unk, 1872 CA, USA
Yr. unk Tyler Family, Moore, MT, USA
1921 S1001-S1279
1016 Traynham Ranches, Arbuckle, CA, USA Restored
1922 S1280-S1648
S 1298 Bob Curry, Duncansville, PA, USA Canopy
S 1424 Christenbury Caterpillar Collection, Liberty, NC, USA Tail seat
S 1446 Rangiora, NZ, USA
S 1514 Josh Stephenson, Temecula, CA, USA(former Doug Veerkamp) Orchard Restored
S 1553 Jack Wallace, Woodland, CA, USA
S 1581 CA, USA
S 1645 Traynham Ranches, Arbuckle, CA, USA Trans. Only
1923 S1649-S2147
S 1691 Traynham Ranches, Arbuckle, CA, USA Restored
S 1694 CA, USA
S 1782 Jack Alexander, Gilroy, CA, USA
S 1868 Rick Hawksworth Awahnee, CA, USA
S 1969 Jon-Mark Horta, Atwater, CA, USA
S 2040 Bill Santos, Newcastle, CA, USA
S 2072 Tom Madden, Paso Robles, CA. (former Kenneth Avery, Qualer Hill, CT, USA) Top Seat Snow Crusier
S 2103 CA, USA
1924 S2148-S3101
S 2401 Chris Brummett Carthage MO, USA
S 2685 Moulding Collection Ogden UT, USA
S 2702 NC, USA Top Seat
S 2832 Larry Frey NY, USA Factory Top Seat with Cab Restored
S 2886 Heidrick Museum Restored orchard
1925 S 3102-S4115
S 3115 Jon-Mark Horta, Atwater, CA, USA
S 3138 Frank Portera, Morgan Hill, CA, USA
S 3140 CA, USA
S 3306 Scott Moulding, Ogden, UT, USA Top seat, pto, canopy
S 3432 CA, USA
S 3507 Traynham Ranches, Arbuckle, CA, USA Restored
S 3568 Billy Saunders, VA, USA
S 3568 is last offical Best 30
Best UK UC Davis, Davis, CA, USA Best
Best UK UC Davis, Davis, CA, USA
Best UK UC Davis, Davis, CA, USA Orchard
Best UK Antique Farm Eq. Museum, Tulare, CA, USA
Best UK Bright’s Pioneer Museum, Le Grand, CA, USA
Best UK Heidrick Ag. Museum, Woodland, CA, USA
Best UK Vista Museum, CA, USA
Best UK Peter Holt, TX, USA
Best UK National Ag. Research Center, Japan
102-D-844-D Mfg. 1917
868-D-899-D Mfg. 1918
923-D-924-D Mfg. 1919
Mfg. 1911-1920 in San Leandro, CA, USA
378 D CA, USA
1917 538D Carson Wiley, Arroyo Grande, CA, USA
1918 668D Paul Skirvin, Philomath, OR, USA
Serial No. unk Marciel Family, Altaville, CA, USA
Serial No. unk Heidrick Ag. Museum, Woodland, CA, USA
Yr. unk, 1084 CA, USA
Best Sixty Manual
Nebraska Test No. 76
1919 101A-352A
101 A Tom Madden, Paso Robles, CA, USA Canopy
102 A Enyeart Family, Laramie, WY, USA
103 A Fred Heidrick, Woodland, CA, USA
150 A
345 A
1920 353A-993A
372 A Doug Veerkamp, Placerville, CA, USA Tailseat
507 A
858 A Ed Claessen, Waverly, MN, USA
1921-994A-1056A
1922 1057A-1248A
1078 A Jack Alexander, Gilroy, CA, USA
1159 A Doug Veerkamp, Placerville, CA, USA
1923 1249A-1684A
1366 A Jason Payne, Long Island, NY, USA (Former Caleb Carpenter, Piedmont, OK, USA)
1432 Holt Cat Inc., San Antoino, TX, USA
1587 Traynham Ranches, Arbuckle, CA, USA
1588 Moulding Collection, Ogden, UT, USA
1592 A Rick Hawksworth
1924 1685A-2235A
1833 Russell Turner, McArthur, CA, USA
1866 Russell Turner, McArthur, CA, USA Logging Special Been in family since new!
1947A Enyeart Family, Larmie, WY, USA (Former Dan Voght Tractor, Hartford City, IN, USA)
1990A Tom Madden, Paso Robles, CA, USA
2072A Scott Moulding, Ogden, UT, USA Top Seat, Canopy
2125 Jon-Mark Horta, Atwater, CA, USA
2157A Christenbury Caterpillar Collection, Liberty, NC, USA
2167A Jack Alexander, Gilroy CA, USA
2363A Russell Turner, Orangeville, CA, USA
2371 Traynham Ranches, Arbuckle, CA, USA
2472A Dan Voght, Hartford City, IN, USA
2489A Fred Lowry, Salida, CA, USA
2501A Ken Eder, Carthage, NC, USA
1925 Changed to Caterpillar after 2547A
uk Bright’s Pioneer Museum, Le Grand, CA, USA Tail Seat
uk UC Davis, Davis, CA, USA Top Seat
1921 uk MN, USA
1923 uk England
1924 uk Bob Hill, Miami, MB, USA
uk Peter Holt, TX, USA
201-C thru 969-C
979-C
1911-1919 Mfg. in San Leandro, CA, USA
351 Heidrick Ag. Museum Woodland CA, USA
617 Tom Madden Paso Robles CA, USA
727 Bright’s Pioneer Museum Le Grand CA, USA
880 Wallace Ranch Woodland CA, USA
963 Dave Marcial Herald CA, USA
