I had some one in the other day to do some work with a s250( one and a half years old )and he had some plastic bags on the joysticks on asking him why he had these on he said one set had already been replaced and unless he tried to keep out any moisture or dust i was likely he would have to replace them on a regular basis the warranty wouldnt do it again. Is this some design fault!,moisture or dust are they just to polish up and look at,Are modern machines getting soft and the people who design them to used to playing with there computers in nice air contioned offices!!
The whole joystick on a Bobcat concept is still hard for me to grasp. Skid steer always meant push and pull levers and pump pedals to me. However, if joysticks are used I would think they have to be water resistant. After all, the skid steer usually has a cab open to the elements. Sure doesn't seem like a bobcat or even an alley cat. Probably like a pampered show cat instead?
Cat has had joysticks on their skids from day one. The Bobcat attempts at controls other than yankem sticks have beeen very poor engineering in my experience. There are plenty of machines out there with joystick/pilot controls that have open cabs. Most of the whizzbang Bobcat plastic stuff and fancy controls in the cab suffers here in our dusty conditions. A mate of mine just picked up an S185 (2005 model) and most everything in the cab is coming apart.
hummm interesting.... You will find that bobcat's origional round base joysiticks are crap!!!!!!! (Even tho I have seen many of these still getting around with older machines and no problems) The square base joysticks have now had 2 upgrades and latest upgrade has been great!!!! The bobcat joystick gives the driver many more options then a std pilot sticks) and I understand that your loved cat is even using the same joysticks as an option on there new machines.
Well, I'm far from loving Cat...and I don't shop with them for excavators. But I'm on my third Cat skid and find them simple, robust..and most importantly, they don't let me down. I now have three close friends with Bobcats and when they get together they like to compare notes on whats broken or malfunctioning.:beatsme I think most of the control problems have been traced back to very fine dust. In particularly the AHC model had lots of problems. I haven't yet needed an upgrade on the pilot controls Whatever turns your crank really. We will see how all this new electronic stuff goes in the field. I like the new technology but I'm not one for racing out and buying a brand new model.
I don't know about the AHC having lots of problems. I own 5 Bobcats all equipped with AHC with the oldest being 10 years old and have yet had a single problem with AHC. I have tried bobcat with the joysticks and do not like the feel of the machine. Foot pedals hurt my knees especially when putting the long 10-15 hour days in them. I find the AHC gives the most precise controls over the machine and is less fatiguing.
we just replaced the steer control on our s185 we were having park brake problems and the bobcat mechanic said it threw a code and it was the joy stick,it was a simple replacement plugged right in,still have to slam the lap bar up and down to get it to move sometimes.
What I have never gotten used to in the AHC is the delay in movement and the feedback. The heaviness in the stick. If AHC goes for less fatiguing, than the CASE nonpilot controls meaning the servo controls are absolutely effortless. I think Bobcat needs to bring to their machines a new control system. The E/H is problematic to say the least. I think the AHC is a poor example of what could be done. Bring to market one system probably EH based, make it right, make it durable. Perhaps when BC gets around to releasing their new series we will see that.
I think where going to see a bunch of new things from bobcat once they release there new series. from what im hearing there new series is just around the corner. Many upgrades like air ride seat and a pressurized cab are a few.. ALso i was told there new cabs have unbelivable visibility.. I cant wait to see these machines
It will be interesting what the new machines are like. I know of problems with older machines running acs and doing actuators. The newer versions of programs I hear have changed that and also there has been upgrades of the systems. I guess at times it would be easier to stay where you are and stick with what you know... i.e. bobcat std controls. I guess to be market leader at time you need to take a chance and take the first big step.