What controls should I have my kids learn?

[Canadian_digger]

I have a 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son. Once and a while I let them run the controls on the backhoe and excavator. Do you think it matters if I have it on deere or cat? I learnt JD and that's all I ran. At the time none of our equipment had pattern selectors . Now they all have them except for one small kubota b26 tbl, is set up on deere. Seems 90% of equipment has pattern selectors now. I feel like I would be better teaching Deere as it what I am comfortable with, but Cat seems to be more popular. What would you guys do?

 

[Welder Dave]

Doesn't matter, they are thrilled just to be at the controls.

 

[AzIron]

i learned both when i train people i teach both cause sometimes you dont get the option. that said i cant run an excavator on jd my brain just wont do it. i was your kids age when i started learning it really doesnt matter they will learn whatever there is no advantage to one over the other but when they sit in your lap run what you know once they get old enough to know the difference and have an interest teach them the other

 

[DMiller]

Is kind of like working a excavator then stepping on a TLB or slipping into a CTL ALL are different, even when the controls are similar the reaction time is generally different just have to re-acclimate as jump seat to seat.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Teach them on old Ford and/or foot swing with worn out sloppy linkages, then they will learn to appreciate what we have today. Or better yet get a friction shovel and make them learn that first.

 

[DIYDAVE]

Self control is the best thing to teach 'em...

 

[Vetech63]

All of them!

 

[DMiller]

Want to throw them a real curve as birken noted slip them into an old foot and hand mechanical unit. Old Case or Deere then slip seat them into a real antique with friction set up followed by a later model electro-hyd unit.

 

[Kevin Walsh]

At that age they will learn any controls that you put in front of them

 

[Bumpsteer]

At that age they will learn any controls that you put in front of them

And they will do it so damn fast it'll make your head hurt.

Friends kid learned on Deere.....dad had a Cat brought out to demo, took the kid 5 minutes to adjust. Salesman had to have the lines switched for dad....

Ed

 

[Jakebreak]

I learned in case controls with foot swing then Deere I could never get the hang of ford controls then I learned cat controls and I haven't ran anything else since I love them over the Deere controls I could go back to them it would just take me a minute when my son comes with me and sits in the equipment I teach him cat cause that's what I know best all in all it's fun cause your getting to spend time with your kids making me memories and teaching them that's why I take my son with me as much as I can

 

[Jumbo]

[QUOTE="Birken Vogt, Or better yet get a friction shovel and make them learn that first.[/QUOTE]

That is where I was leaning, an old 22B or a little Unit. When they get to a modern machine in their teens, the ability to think ahead will be ingrained.
Kind of like driving, if you can teach a kid to drive on an old 72 Ford with a 4 speed, they will learn to plan ahead and think about what they are doing. Learn on an automatic and they just become throttle mashers. Same with a non-power steering 62 KW mated with a 5X4 vs. an Allison or whatever they use today. Thinking ahead is becoming a lost art with machinery of any kind.
Now I will put my soapbox away and fade into the night.

 

[td25c]

Insley control pattern ......

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/k-12-insley.11692/page-9#post-174978

Like Welder Dave mentioned at that age they are happy to be on top in the seat .... Until the bicycle falls over & the Old Man has to come to the rescue

At least I'm still appreciated on some level .....

 

[DMiller]

First Friction I ever dealt with was a American Dragline converted to yard crane. Was a handful, always trying to out-think myself on where hands and feet should be!!

 

[Mother Deuce]

I learned in case controls with foot swing then Deere I could never get the hang of ford controls then I learned cat controls and I haven't ran anything else since I love them over the Deere controls I could go back to them it would just take me a minute when my son comes with me and sits in the equipment I teach him cat cause that's what I know best all in all it's fun cause your getting to spend time with your kids making me memories and teaching them that's why I take my son with me as much as I can

LOL! Wait till they have bigger hands for the 4 stick Ford! Swinging right and dumping the bucket took an extended thumb and two fingers to make it fly for me as an adult!

 

[Birken Vogt]

LOL! Wait till they have bigger hands for the 4 stick Ford! Swinging right and dumping the bucket took an extended thumb and two fingers to make it fly for me as an adult!

Especially when the sloppy linkage means you have 3 or 4 inches of dead play in the sticks, have to use your feet or something.

 

[Catpower]

I never had to learn JD controls, it just came naturally. So I had to reprogram the brain to run Cat. Many years prior I had heard about Cat controls but never was able to get in the seat.

 

[Mark Williams]

As a marine contractor-we work around the water all of the time and tipping over into the water is a concern weather it's an overload or a bank giving way- we set our controls so that when the sticks are pushed forward- the boom/stick goes to the ground- natural instinct if you are falling is to put your hands out to catch yourself and this replicates natural instinct- it has come in handy many times

 

[blucllrplt]

Both. As children they will be able to easily transition from one to the other similar to kids coming from a home where a foreign language is spoken there and they have to speak English in school. They transition from one language to the next without even thinking. Learning multiple patterns now will help them accomplish the same thing.