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skid steer controls

dave esterns

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Messages
597
Location
madison
is there anyone here who spent years of their lives running manual hand and foot controls/manual hand controls (wheeled skid steer) who has switched to electric joysticks and loves them?? because i have not been able to find anyone yet.
 

stuvecorp

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
307
Location
lake wissota, wisconsin
I started on an 1845C and have never been able to get the hang of the foot controls but either the Cat or Case style controls for me are fine. As for electric, not sure but there are still other options.

Get use to the Cat style would be my best advice.
 

frogfarmer

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
234
Location
South East Missouri
Because I am an owner operator as well as a service tech I have a two sided opinion. I do prefer most of the hands only controls when they work as they should. I will not buy a machine that has electric hand controls because they are a pain in the pocket book. Each machine is a little different and you have to get use to each one. When I was a novice I can remember blaming the equipment for my short comings but as an experienced operator I can make almost any ole piece of junk dance. If I were strictly an operator with no idea of cost or upkeep I would defenitely want the hand controls.
 

BDFT

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2010
Messages
265
Location
Northwest BC
I have been running Bobcats with foot controls for 8 years now. My 205 and 185 both have the optional hand controls. I've tried switching just for the Hell of it and I don't like hand controls at all. At least not Bobcat hand controls. Your feet aren't doing anything anyway.
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,338
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
I have been running Bobcats with foot controls for 8 years now. My 205 and 185 both have the optional hand controls. I've tried switching just for the Hell of it and I don't like hand controls at all. At least not Bobcat hand controls. Your feet aren't doing anything anyway.


Have you ever seen a surgeon operate with his feet? LOL!
 

Colorado Digger

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
1,169
Location
Carbondale,co
hand versus foot

i grew up on bobcats with foot control, had a couple new hollands with foot controls. then we bought our first s300 and i ordered the optional hand controls as well. never really ran them much. then we got a s250 same thing. i started running the hand controls and it has been over 6 or seven years. we do still have a few operaters that run the foot controls. i could never see going back. the bobcats are electric .. just like joysticks in a hoe.. awesome
 

dave esterns

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Messages
597
Location
madison
colorado digger. you machines have sjc and not ahc right? where there is no foot control option. which pattern do you run iso or h? it seems like iso just works better than h if u got electric joysticks.
 

dave esterns

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Messages
597
Location
madison
ah. em kay. still looking for someone to give me an enthusiastic YES! joysticks are the only way to go... but it still has to be someone who grew up on the old school stuff. i did see someone on another forum who said they were impressed with the new jcb controls; i have not driven one yet.
 

snocrete

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
64
Location
illinois
Occupation
concrete, light excavating, snow & ice management
I grew up running Bobcat hand/foot controls, and after about 15yrs, my last 2 machines have had the joysticks. Though I still like the hand/foot controls, and wouldnt turn a good deal down on a machine with them, I prefer the joysticks. After a 10 or 12 hr day, is when you really appreciate the joystick controls.
 

WV earth mover

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Messages
110
Location
WV
i started with foot controls ran them for about 5 yrs and always knew there had to be a better way especially for anything other than simply loading a truck thrn got a case 1845c and loved it much better for fine grade work and was a much operater in 1 week than 5 years on the bobcat then one day it broke down and had to borrow a cat 236b from a nother contractor on the job i hated it at first but my guys loved it .one guy who had no skidsteer exp was the first to master it had to be pulled off the dozer for the rest of the week probably because he wasnt used to anything .now we own one and a crazy as it sounds i bought a cat so my best operater can smoke and work easier it took me about a week of hell but i got and now think without a doubt its the best
 

Bumpsteer

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2009
Messages
1,348
Location
Front seat on the Struggle Bus
Occupation
Mechanical designer
I've ran Bobcats with hand-foot controls for almost 25 years now.....
Over the past 2 years I've ran a NH C185 a little. The controls operate well, but I still have to think about every move I make.
My biggest complaint with the NH is the foot controlled auxillary hydraulics, what idiot thought that up?

If you really want a challenge, go from a hand/foot Bobcat to a crawler loader with foot steering!

Ed
 

BLconst

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2008
Messages
68
Location
So Cal
Ah, like boxers or briefs. I learned on a cat, and only own cat, except bobcat mini ex. I am actually thinking about going to bobcat hand foot from joysticks. I have noticed that with bobcat controls, its eaiser to keep straight when cold planning, and the excellerate faster when trying to scoop that last bit of rubble off the asphalt. And i have a friend who doesnt own a grease gun or have an employee who cares about anything, and he had 12 bobcats and never had a mechanical issue. I told him to get with it an start buying cat, cat courted him and he bought a skid and mini ex. the skid had lost a motor at 500hrs and he ended up dumping both. Lastly, Cat parts are expensive and service expensive. Yet I still only use cat, i guess i wish i would have learned hand foot controls and stuck with them.
 

DrJim

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2011
Messages
172
Location
Oak Ridge TN
Occupation
General Dentist, including Implant Restorations
I don't get much of a chance to run anything with hand controls, unless we rent an excavator. I can run operate the heck out my Bobcat 773 with grapple bucket or 4 in 1, and I "like" the foot pedals because I'm used to 'em. But run the machine hard 6+ machine hours day after day. . . is a physical workout. There is no question that for those who run the machines hours at a time, day after day, the hand controls are by far easier on the operators physically. Which pattern? I'm not the one to say. . .

Yes, KSSS, when we do oral surgery or restore teeth, there is always at least one device that we control with a foot pedal at the same time we are using all three eyes and hands. All day long. Why Bobcat doesn't have a third lever baffles me.:beatsme
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,338
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
I don't get much of a chance to run anything with hand controls, unless we rent an excavator. I can run operate the heck out my Bobcat 773 with grapple bucket or 4 in 1, and I "like" the foot pedals because I'm used to 'em. But run the machine hard 6+ machine hours day after day. . . is a physical workout. There is no question that for those who run the machines hours at a time, day after day, the hand controls are by far easier on the operators physically. Which pattern? I'm not the one to say. . .

Yes, KSSS, when we do oral surgery or restore teeth, there is always at least one device that we control with a foot pedal at the same time we are using all three eyes and hands. All day long. Why Bobcat doesn't have a third lever baffles me.:beatsme


Well thats not the same Doc. I have had hand control machines with the aux. pedal on the floor which I liked fine but its not actuallly running the machine. I was refering to actually doing the work with your feet. If you start doing doing oral surgery with your feet, I think you had better start putting out more fliers for dirt work!
 

jwfarm

Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2011
Messages
15
Location
iowa
I grew up on hand feet, and then we switched to all hand contols on our mustangs. We are debating right now if we trade to go all jsc or servo t-bar. Our current 2076 has a combination, with jsc on bucket and t-bar on drive. We do notice that the joystick is not as responsive when it is cold out and the machine is not warmed up. Whatever we do it will be all hand control, less wear and tear on your body for sure. I personally would not consider a hand foot machine.
 

Blacksmoke07

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Messages
89
Location
PA
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Operator
Ive been runnin skid loaders scince i was old enough to climb in it myself, and learned on the foot controls and ran them that way for about 10-12 years till they came out with the hand controls. I like the "cat/bobcat" style hand contols, and think that them and the foot controls are about the same...atleast to me. The one ive hated scince i had to run one on a job for a couple months..."case"... dont understand why they set them up that way, mabye some of u like the controls but not me. I got used to them after a day or two, but just didnt feel like i was as effcient as i could be in one of the others... my .02
 

dave esterns

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Messages
597
Location
madison
hmm, it seems to me that people prefer the pilot controls, but not so much the e/h controls. i will prolly go with pilot controls, hopefully not regret it. it looks like the only guys making pilot any more is small frame cat, and jcb for one year yet. could prolly find a new pilot series 3 case still.
 

KSSS

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
4,338
Location
Idaho
Occupation
excavation
Ive been runnin skid loaders scince i was old enough to climb in it myself, and learned on the foot controls and ran them that way for about 10-12 years till they came out with the hand controls. I like the "cat/bobcat" style hand contols, and think that them and the foot controls are about the same...atleast to me. The one ive hated scince i had to run one on a job for a couple months..."case"... dont understand why they set them up that way, mabye some of u like the controls but not me. I got used to them after a day or two, but just didnt feel like i was as effcient as i could be in one of the others... my .02


Not sure what CASE you were running but pilots have been available since the last half of 06. They used the Rexroth control system. Same oem that CAT uses. The CASE meters flow better in my opinion but they are essentially the same.
 
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