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Volvo Demo

Cat287B

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Nov 29, 2007
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222
Location
Osceola Co Fla
They dropped off a 98 hp volvo ctl last night. Will try it out today.

There is no foot pedal/throttle on this machine only dial on the dash for throttle control.

Can anyone tell me of any advantage of no foot throttle?
 

watglen

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Apr 3, 2009
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Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
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Farmer, drainage and excavating contractor, Farm d
They dropped off a 98 hp volvo ctl last night. Will try it out today.

There is no foot pedal/throttle on this machine only dial on the dash for throttle control.

Can anyone tell me of any advantage of no foot throttle?


:popcorn
 

Cat287B

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Nov 29, 2007
Messages
222
Location
Osceola Co Fla
CIMG6183.JPG
Never ran a skid with one window on the side. Fun watching the reflections in it. That wont last after it gets all scratched.
 

KSSS

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Not excited about no screen, also the precleaner bolted to the side just looks bad. As to no foot throttle, I don't know why they would not have one. Great way to reduce fuel useage.
 

dave esterns

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Oct 23, 2010
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madison
with no foot throttle you have more leg/foot room. i have removed many foot throttles from various machines for this reason. i never use foot throttles and wish my car had a hand throttle instead of a foot throttle that would be handy...
 

ValleyFirewood

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Aug 17, 2013
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311
Location
Palmer, AK
I don't understand how you'd really use a ft throttle on a skid steer. I guess I'd have to sit in one.

I'm used to "normal" style machines with hand and foot controls.

I do like the side door on that machine. It would allow a person to get in and out of the machine with the boom in the air a bit. Would be VERY handy for me actually.

I use my S250 for loading logs on a wood processor. I pull a log or two off a pile, then I have to get out to cut it down or trim and branches off. If I could leave the log off the ground a ft or two it would work much better!
 

KSSS

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If your used to a hand/foot machine you likely would not have any experience with a foot throttle. Its a great idea in a skid steer and it does not reduce the room for your feet in the cab. You don't always need to run the machine at constant RPM depending on what your doing with it. The foot throttle allows you to modulate the throttle which reduces noise, and fuel usage. It also allows the operator to slow down instantly for precision movements, rather than have to reach for the hand throttle.
 

dave esterns

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I don't understand how you'd really use a ft throttle on a skid steer. I guess I'd have to sit in one.

I'm used to "normal" style machines with hand and foot controls.

I do like the side door on that machine. It would allow a person to get in and out of the machine with the boom in the air a bit. Would be VERY handy for me actually.

I use my S250 for loading logs on a wood processor. I pull a log or two off a pile, then I have to get out to cut it down or trim and branches off. If I could leave the log off the ground a ft or two it would work much better!

once you have the side entry you would never go back. it is very convenient mainly for that reason where you can get out at any time. it seems that case people are the ones who take much pride in their skid steer foot throttles. i had the foot throttle in the j c b for 500 hours and finally took it out. i find that the foot throttle is just too much hassle because you have to use it almost exclusively to make it really work out.

on the other hand, it makes VERY much sense to have a DEcelerator petal! the articulated farm tractors have these and it makes more sense to me than a regular foot throttle. i need the rpms most of the time on the skid steer but there are times when it would be nice to hit the petal if your waiting for cows to move out of your way or something.

most people either love or hate foot throttles i have found. my buddy bought a new 200k farm tractor and first thing he did was cut out the foot throttle because it was right where he wanted to rest his foot.
 

KSSS

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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.
 

dave esterns

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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.
 

Fastdirt

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Sep 16, 2010
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GA
it makes VERY much sense to have a DEcelerator petal!

Totally agree!! I rented one of those JCB looking Volvos and have ran all the Cat skid steers and the throttle pedal was a bad idea in my opinion. I mean if your machines starts to bog and then you throttle it, it's lugging the motor and fighting to get RPM's back up. The throttle just didn't flow with the movement. A decal pedal would be great like a dozer...or course hydrostatic and a varying throttle just don't jive in my opinion.
 
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Steve Frazier

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I've run both type machines, with and without a foot accelerator and I much prefer an accelerator pedal. I agree with KSSS's assessment. In my machine the hand throttle lever rubs my leg uncomfortably and I only use it when running a hydraulic powered rotary attachment. In other cases the foot throttle allows a lot more finesse in operating the machine in making both minor grade adjustments with the bucket and precise placement of the machine. Wheel spin is also a lot easier to control.

Everyone has their preferences, it doesn't make another's wrong. Or could it be that a foot throttle requires a little more coordination than some are capable of?? :wink2
 

StumpyWally

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I use the accelerator pedal virtually all the time on my NH L220...it has EH joysticks & no other pedals. I don't find that the accelerator pedal is in a bothersome location...it's somewhat recessed in the floor.

But I can see where a decelerator switch, like I have on my excavator, would be a useful addition, for those times when I'm running at a more constant speed.
 

KSSS

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A decal pedal could be a good thing as well, I have never run one on a skid steer. However for those that think the foot throttle is in the way of your feet, where would you put the decal pedal? It would seem you would have the same issue as far as room issues go. I don't find the throttle pedal in the way at all, but to each his own. I like to set the hand throttle at a certain rpm range and than make increases with the foot pedal. I have had a foot throttle since 1999 I believe, so I adjusted my operating style to take advantage of the pedal along time ago. I would not run without one now.

As to the machines not responding to the throttle increase, I think that is machine specific. Machines with more hp and torque respond near instantly to the throttle increase at least that's my experience.
 

barklee

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Aug 4, 2009
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ohio
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.

It seems really crazy you would have removed the foot pedal??? Last three machines i've had have the foot pedal and theres no way i would ever go back to just the hand control. I didnt know there was a manufacturer that didnt offer one? Im thinking that the last Bobcat 773 i had which was a 2001 model had a foot pedal but i could be mistaken...... If so that was 12 years ago so its not a new idea to Bobcat. Literally the only time i do not use the pedal is when running a hammer or other constant rpm type attachments. The decel pedal would be a good idea but i like to float the throttle too much when loading/ spreading so the accelerator works better for me.
I have not looked over a Volvo machine and im assuming this one pictured is bare but it looks pretty "basic" to me? Does it seem so to anyone else?
 

CM1995

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Not excited about no screen, also the precleaner bolted to the side just looks bad.

I agree, I don't like the design at all. No screens on the side of the cab looks like a safety issue, nothing to stop debris from coming in on the sides. The air cleaner is just asking to be ripped off.

Can't comment on the foot throttle. I have been running Bobcats for 25 years, never had one and didn't know I needed one.:beatsme

Currently have a '08 T250 and a '07 S250 and no foot throttle on either. However I would like to have a decelerator pedal on a skid like my D5 has, I could see where that would be handy.
 

ValleyFirewood

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Aug 17, 2013
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Palmer, AK
I guess I don't really understand why on a hydro drive setup you would need to vary the throttle to the point of needing a foot pedal?

Are you guys running the drive controls full bore and using a throttle pedal to adjust speed?

I set the throttle to about where I need it and generally leave it there. Finesse with bucket movement, machine movement, etc is done by the controls.
 
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