Accelerator vs decelerator

[woodsman8]

So, there is a bit of a debate in the family about this. My Case 450B came from the Forest Service and was equipped with a decelerator configuration. This dozer has a backhoe on the rear (of course) and a 4 in 1 bucket up front. I live on heavily timbered land, nothing flat.

I will use the machine for digging holes, moving stumps, a little grading and some trail construction.

I just find it very challenging trying to rethink the control sticks as the machine is fairly new to me. Now, throw in the decelerator with this 62 year old mind that never used a decelerator, and I am mentally worn out after a short while.

I have had hoes and tractors on the farm, but nothing like this, and it just seems that an accelerator would make more sense. I looked at the linkage in the parts book, the verbiage in the operator's manual just talks about an accelerator. I talked to a coup,e of very experienced Case people and they said that from their information, it should have an accelerator.

Would like to know what some of you seasoned pros prefer, why, and what you would find most useful, if you were operating this in my circumstances.

 

[terex herder]

I hate suicide throttles.

 

[woodsman8]

Alright Terex, please define suicide throttle, new here to dozers.

 

[skyking1]

He is referring to the declerator. You set the hand throttle up and if you don't step on the pedal it can run off over or without you, hence suicide throttle.
I grew up on Cats with decelerators. It is what I am used to. When you get in a push you lift your foot and off you go, and you don't need to worry about pedal bounce that you get with an accelerator.
I think the Case could be made (pun intended) for an accelerator for a crawler loader like yours.

 

[1693TA]

Don't think I would like a decelerator on a loader myself. A dozer, yes, and mine has a decelerator pedal. Doesn't take much to get used to at all.

 

[woodsman8]

Thanks for the clarification and feedback, I can appreciate the suicide throttle term, absolutely. Funny thing is, the 2 Case dealers I talked to had no idea why mine had a decelerator, and they had no idea how to convert. In case anyone else is chasing down the same information, apparently there is no lever to flip or part to order. I ended up modifying mine buy cutting off the weld and reweldig at 180 degrees the throttle tab on the left side of the firewall cross rod, works perfect as an accelerator, and the the hand throttle works perfectly for the hoe operation.
Now it functions exactly like a backhoe, because that is basically its function around here, and I feel that since I am familiar with this orientation, it is safer for me.

 

[MG84]

Glad you got it sorted out. Most all 450/455 case dozers and track loaders came from the factory with an acclerator pedal. In the later years I believe there was a field installed option for a decelerator pedal. If so equipped the pedal is shaped differently, kind of like an upper case “I” instead of a rectangle. I have a late model Case 450c dozer and I too prefer the accelerator pedal on these smaller machines.

 

[woodsman8]

Thanks for that MG. I get a little redemption now with my father in law and son. FWIW, I dont think the pedal is different , I think the LH tab rotated 180 is the difference after studying parts diagrams at length, but I could be wrong. My pedal is rectangular "normal", but a pedal in the shape of an I or even a big C would have some wow factor! I am guessing that the government ordered it this way to satisfy their chief operators preferences...

I certainly hope this info helps others who have been searching with no results.

Cheers,

 

[MG84]

It may have only been the E series and later that you could get the field installed decelerator pedal kit.

In this video at about the 11:15 mark they talk about it:

 

[1693TA]

I test ran a 550G, (I think) back in the early 2000's and it had a decelerator pedal. First I'd seen on a tractor that small.