Well Dave since about every OEM offers it either as an option or standard equipment, I would say the majority of operators prefer it not just CASE guys. They don't put them in because no wants it. I am not sure what you mean by "you have to use it almost exclusively to make it really work out". I will assume that you prefer to stick it at WOT and leave it there. That certainly is a method and so having a foot throttle would be rather pointless.
on a volvo, you definitely have more foot/leg room by removing the foot throttle. the foot throttle is right where i want to rest my foot.
bobcat has always been the major player in the skid steer market, and bobcats until recently never had a foot throttle, so i would argue that the majority of skid steer operators do not use a foot throttle.
unless you constantly want to be adjusting the hand throttle, you need to use the foot throttle exclusively. unless you are operating your machine 3/4 throttle all the time.
the majority of the time i run the j c b at 1/3 throttle. it is very capable at that level.
so i found if i wanted to save fuel and i normally run at 1/3 throttle, it had to be idling. and since i normally need 1/3 throttle, i was using the foot throttle nearly exclusively.
you can't argue that a decelerator pedal would not make sense. i believe cat offers this on the new ones… could be wrong.