skid steer controls

[DrJim]

Well thats not the same Doc. I have had hand control machines with the aux. pedal on the floor which I liked fine but it':usas not actuallly running the machine. I was refering to actually doing the work with your feet. . . . .

. . . OK, KSSS. You know I love that aux hyd control switch with my right thumb. I even ordered my JD 5425 ag tractor w/ the thumbswitch for the #3 mid-valve, so I can run my grapple, auger, or anything else w/ my thumb--had to argue w/my dealer, he didn't understand why I wanted that. I also pull that line and connect a hose running from the mid-valve to a quick coupler on the rear of the tractor, and use my thumb to raise/lower the height of my Woods BW180 batwing, too. The two levers control the R & L mower decks, the thumb the height. But no pedals to hunt for. :usa

 

[DrJim]

Like I've said, my 773G is perfect for my particular needs and budget. I wouldn't swap it and $ 500 to get hand controls or anything else. But if I were thinking of dropping $ 30-40k on a machine to use all-day, every day, hand foot would not even get a look. If buying a used machine for part-time use ( "side jobs") hand/foot would be fine--by the best machine you find with the lowest hours.

Regarding hand/foot operator fatigue, I think that a certain amount of that can be reduced by keeping the debris out of the mechanical linkage pivots, and keeping the bushings in the pivots working. My left pedal sticks--probably the center pivot bushing. I'm sure a PITA to get to.

As for who has the best hand controls, I'd be curious if anyone has run the new Bobcat M-series enough to comment?

 

[qball]

i put tons of hours on 1845c's. then, a bobcrap 864. i have run most brands of skiddys and really prefer the cat's joysticks.

 

[Blacksmoke07]

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.

Didnt know case had the pilot option, dont deal with case on a daily bases or usually ever but the case controls i was talking of were, the left and right hand sticks pushed foward = you travel foward, pull back = travel back, left hand side to side = bucket? (i think), right hand side to side = boom? (i think). Just dont like that set up, and took a little while to get used to. (I dont like JD backhoe controls either). All about preference.

 

[CRAFT]

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.

"O-K" ..... here is your deffinate "YES" ..... I started out with a hybrid JD/NH 8875 .... it had the foot controls/hand for travel & right wrist for the aux control

What a joke that was, especially when I had been an excavator guy for many years till then .......... BUT as anything you can/will get used to it, which I did ! ..... and got pretty damn efficient too ..... probably one of the best (patting myself on the back ...LOL) ..... had the finess down pat, as many contractors told me.

BUT if it hadn't been that the 8875 wasn't such a POS, and mechanical nightmare, best part was the motor f/JD, and that's where the buck stopped !
I probably would still own it. So, we traded it for the '07 BC A-300, Full meal deal, every trick in the book as an option on it.

"I TOTALLY LUV THAT MACHINE" with the electric hand controls, and variable foot throttle, and all of the electric joy stick buttons for all the aux controls as well.

But I will admit that it took exactly 51-hrs to get so I did not have to think about my actions, sort of as any real operator will tell you, it becomes second nature.
The hardest part coming from an excavator pilot hand control, where you can FEEL engagement to the electric controls was having to compensate for a very slight delay in resonding time to the ground. But after a while you will find that the delay only happens when you are just over idle speed, eg: when you are inching or for those that don't understand that phrase, creeping up to something. the higher the rpm the easier it gets, the drift dissapears, don't ask me why, it don't matter it just happens !

With this style of controls there is "ABSOLUTELY" no operator fatigue. This winter alone I put in quite a few 18-30 hrs straight in snow events, I think the longest was 38hrs ...... at the end of that my 50+ yr old body only lost eye balls and not hand/wrists, or legs n/feet .... trust me it happened in the hand/foot stuff in the old school machine, even in the excavator in long durations you'd have to stop cause parts of the body start to disapear, get out and go for a power walk and start all over again !

So, you got your quote of somebody that will never go back, staying where he's at !

Ps. ...... I am not saying that other machines with pilots are bad/good/better, its kinda like the other threads (excavators) of the age old pissing match " JD/ISO vs CAT/SAE " control paterns ..... which we're not going there now or again !

I know what works for me, same for other ...... stick with what makes you comfortable ............. Cheers ! :drinkup

 

[dave esterns]

i AM impressed someone likes especially the bobcat e h joysticks. heard a lot of people complain about those. my next machine will have joysticks. ideally i would go with one of these... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX02HXHzELg

but i dont think i could make it work on the operation as a replacement for a skid steer. but i hear thats what people are doing.

 

[FishOuttaWater]

I ran a Bobcat for the first couple years, and have since grown to strongly like the joysticks.

Especially after getting thrown back in one for a day because my regular machine (Takeuchi) was down with hydraulic issues.

SAE pattern FTW...

 

[FishOuttaWater]

I meant to add, the Bobcat was a foot-controlled bucket...

 

[dirthog28]

Just like everyone else I've got 25+ years on hand/foot controls, I do run the joystick controls from time to time and they are nice and for a rookie to think they are a bigtime operator and go out and buy a bobcat.

My main problem with the joystick controls is the lose of pushing power. With hand/foot I can control how much torque I put to each side, so when side loading one corner I can control that side of the wheels/tracks.

My other complaint is the extra cost of the joysticks and mainly the maintance of them I've heard alot people talking about dirt and dust getting in the controls and causing problems. I don't like the lag time of some of them and some seem more sensitive but thats all in the brand of the machine.

 

[Mighty Peace]

Hand/Foot controls vs. Hand controls

I grew up as a kid running Dad's old John Deere Skidsteer with the conventional hand foot controls and later ended up running the skid-steers extensively in my city for a local excavation company before going on my own. After spending nearly 7000 hours in their CAT skid steers I've grown very comfortable with the Cat ISO controls. Granted some of the old school guys still very much like the hand foot combo. I now have a 2010 2 speed S300 Bobcat with ISO and H controls electronic and the H controls barnone SUCK. The older machines up till then that ran like the Case controls where you still used your left and right bar for drive are far easier to control than the dinky electronic motion you get with the stationey joystick while in H control setting. Luckily I have the ISO feature on the machine; good controls to learn because they follow the same general controls as excavators when you move up in the world of equipment. So whether you're on here as an owner or operator or both I think most would agree with me that the ISO controls will not only make it easier for finess work, but will also give you an edge when you tackle some bigger equipment in particular excavators. My only reservation on the 300 is that it doesn't have a cup holder.

 

[Mighty Peace]

I've run one of those machines in 2007 Dave, they're an exellent machine if you use them for what they're designed for essentially, fork lifting. Otherwise they have quite a bit of get up and go as far as drive but the hydraulics are painfully slow in comparison to any skid steer you put it beside. This machine is ideal for very established outfits looking for a more versative fork lift working on hard surface. What are you hoping to use it for?

 

[dirty4fun]

I sarted with an International with hand and foot controls. Then to a Case with just hand controls, it took a long time to not be moving my feet. I am on my third Case and it has joysticks. The first time I ran it was loading it onto a gooseneck. Backing on it I thought this was the dumbest thing I ever bought, had to finally take the hand off the bucket control. When I was backing up that hand would be raising the bucket. Now after a couple years I wouldn't have one with the old controls. I plow snow and can drive with one hand, and have a drink in the other and can even plow snow while on the phone, if I forget my headset. I do find it easy to spin the wheels in soft dirt, as you don't feel the control pressure very easy. Oh it has a cup holder too!

 

[dave esterns]

well i called the jcb dealer to get a price on a skid steer. it seemed that they were really pushing this mini telehandler. the benefits would be the smooth ride, more lift capacity, more lift height, nicer cab than most skid steers, VERY low fuel consumption in most conditions, and significantly less tire wear. they said it is a ground engaging machine which i believe means u can dig in the dirt with it if u want. it did look like their hydraulics were slow especially in the video i posted for "stacking snow." yes maybe if thats all you have to do all day. as far as telescoping, you would clearly just operate the machine with the boom partially extended all the time. cuz who has time to telescope every scoop. one of those machines would never replace our skid steer but they probably would be nice to have around i would imagine. sounded like all loaded down they were around 50k. lift capacity i think of 4,000ish pounds maybe. sounded like the price on the jcb260 skid steer was around 43k with most options.

 

[bschill54]

I grew up with foot controls and never thought I could do hand controls. Now I sell John Deere and I have spent some time with the hand controls and think they are way nicer and easier on the shins. The controls are almost effortlessly and the I think the trick is to barely grab the controls, the lighter grip doesn't shake you as much as you hit bumps.

 

[brian08257]

any feedback on a new holland superboom any good?

 

[dave esterns]

compared to all other skid steers, i would say the new holland super boom is the weakest. it will be fine if you dont push it too hard.

 

[dave esterns]

as far as skid steer controls go. im the lone ranger in the farming community who wants something other than hand/foot. quote from the neighbor on a skid steer with joysticks..."what kind of african thing is this?" hahaha. bobcat has had success with their bogus controls because people are creatures of habit. ...and their controls are good, as long as you want to run them all day.

 

[1080 bobcat]

I got a 1080B with a tree shear on it it would be allrigth if the controls for loader was hand control instead of foot control a day of running it with your feet and hands it wear you out

 

[equip guy]

I ran joy sticks and foot controls for almost 20 yrs and then we just bought a new case 420ct track with joy sticks. I can honestly say the joy sticks save on your feet and knees after a long snow removal event, but it took some time to re learn loading trucks efficiently as the sensetivity on a joy stick drive is more jerky. You just can't counter rotate the same as stick controls though. I'm sticking with the new system now.

 

[Liebherr12]

I changed mine from foot pedals to hand ? Joystick control and really do get more work done and less fatigue.