Caterpillar plans to offer a line of tillage tools for use with its track tractors. Although Krause will manufacture them, the new implements will be Cat's signature yellow and will be sold through the company's U.S. and Canadian dealer networks. The products include a family of disk rippers, in-line rippers and seedbed finishing tools and should be available by fall 2001.

The company reports that it made this move to expand opportunities for its dealers and to build on the advantages of its tractor equipment.