Foot, hand or dual controls

[mlou]

Is there even such a thing as a skid steer with just foot controls? Aren't they joystick/pilot (hand) or dual controls?

 

[CM1995]

Sure there are skids with foot controls. Bobcat and Cat make them. I have a T250 and a '15 Cat 279 with foot controls. Neither one is dual.

Oh yeah - Welcome to the Forums!

 

[Bumpsteer]

Is there even such a thing as a skid steer with just foot controls? Aren't they joystick/pilot (hand) or dual controls?

Hand/foot yes, foot only? Thank god no, please don't give them any ideas.....

Ed

 

[Bill Smith]

I had an s70 bobcat with foot controls . I hated that thing . Bought a s450 bobcat joystick , way better control .

 

[Rob Gunn]

I think what mlou is asking is are there skid steer machines that have ONLY foot controls with NO hand control. As far as I know all units have at least hand control for unit movement (forward, reverse, left turn, right turn). Foot controls on some machines for the bucket movement (arm up, arms down, bucket up, bucket down). I have run both types (full hand control vs. combination hand and foot) and still like the old foot controls but thats only because thats what I learned on, cant retrain my brain i guess...

 

[Welder Dave]

I think that's all it is, what you're used to. Case used to claim their hand controls were 20% more productive than hand and foot controls. I will say that your legs can ache a bit after using foot pedals all day, in hard digging, and for some applications you have better feathering control with your hands (like spreading sand lightly by shaking the bucket) but as far as production goes doesn't make a difference. I ran an early Cat machine with joysticks and didn't like the drive joystick. There was a good reason the Cat had a foot throttle. You couldn't be really smooth when close to obstacles you didn't want to damage and had to throttle down. I like having 2 independent hand controls for steering. I could pick up a carton of eggs at full throttle with my machine and not break any. In the Cat I ran, not a chance.

 

[crewchief888]

bobcat has several options
STD foot control hydraulics with lever control steering
ACS selectable hand/foot hydraulics, lever controlled steering
SJC electric over hyd controls for both hyd's and steering, in both ISO and H pattern
Remote Control operator is not inside the cab, operates via radio control.

extended large frame M series loaders can have foot controlled hydraulics, but joystick drive controls..

 

[Bumpsteer]

Always thought the Case controls were the most jacked up thing ever invented.....doing 2 different functions with each hand doesn't seem natural.

Guess if it's what you run everyday you get used to it.

I'm a hand/foot guy, no problem with joysticks, just need to think a little when getting started.

Ed

 

[Bill Smith]

Look at it this way . I ran a hoe with 3 lever and foot control swing . Got on to a new machine with 2 sticks or joy stick what ever you want to call it with a foot control extenda boom. I could out bail any body with there 3 lever all day long . Can you write your name with your feet . Now this was many years ago . No brag just fact

 

[dave esterns]

hand and foot is the only way to go. that is laughable claim case made. there is no advantage whatsoever to joystick units, with exception of less fatigue and better body posture. if your an old guy trying to learn hand foot that is one thing. but for us guys who grew up driving hand foot machines since childhood, there is no substitute.

 

[KSSS]

There is no advantage except less fatigue and better body posture? I would say that is a significant advantage. I have run CASE controls for 25 years and always will. Once can argue ISO verse H and it really is just whatever you are more comfortable with. However running a machine with your feet, makes zero sense to me, but to each his own. The machines that are dedicated hand/foot are going to be harder to get out of, if you rotate your machines fairly frequently.

 

[suladas]

I don't know how anyone can actually like foot controls, they are absolutely awful, the machines look so archaic. Case controls are the best by leaps and bounds. As far as having 2 controls on one joystick, that's pretty common on other pieces of equipment, so it's not abnormal to most. I don't like using my feet for any controls, my new hoe has aux hydraulics foot control and i'm not even a fan, it's so much better on the joystick. Your hands are so much more sensitive then feet. Not to mention, hands are a lot closer in size then feet, having big feet they hardly fit in those stupid foot control things.

 

[dave esterns]

i find that all skid steers are archaic, with exception of some cats and jcbs. whats with the loud non modular cab on all other machines? 72 decibels should be max in any cab. my farm tractors are 64-66 db. probably quieter than some pickups. I'm guessing most skid steers are floating somewhere between 82-100 db still. unacceptable. new bobcat loaded down with all the ridiculous foam sound material is still way too loud. need radio on volume 25 to hear it. jcb was volume 11 to hear radio. same radio. i find my arms develop problems after long hours of sjc operation; so then i hop back in hand foot machine. hand foot is the only way to go if your looking to get stuff done fast, and for max capability; especially in adverse conditions. joysticks are great if your getting paid by the hour. u loose some capability with iso controls that is a fact; by definition that pattern can't do everything 2 sticks can. if u drive nothing but joysticks eventually u won't realize the lost efficiency in operation. but if you have both u realize it constantly. around here if you got a joystick machine u will take a hit in resale. out of the 60 skid steers sitting on local lots, 59-60 of them are hand foot; its almost impossible to find a joystick machine. i always hop in the hand foot machine over the joystick machine when i have a choice.

i actually tried getting into a case back in the day. drove my buddies i believe 90xt and thought it was sweet. but alas, i could not bring myself to acquire the sub par cab of the 440 unit. seems to me the alpha series was massive step in wrong direction. seems to me they no longer offer the sweet case controls. i was cruising an sr200 with servo controls, but it was set up like the old 1845c which seemed archaic to me, and hard on the wrists. drove the sv185 for 30 hrs; shoulda drove it right to the garbage dump as far as that goes. there is actually quite a few guys running the gehl t bar setup. talk about non ergonomic.

 

[mountainlake]

I'll take Case hand controls any day of the week and I've run all of them. Steve