Hey there! I bought a new cat 216 skid steer and need help. I can't figure out how to get float mode to work on this thing. You guys helped me before on my scat trak when I couldnt find float mode... and here I am again. The manual says push the joy stick forward firmly but thats not working. There's a mechanism in the way. Or maybe the float mode isn't working. I don't know. I've attached a picture of the joy stick.
a new Cat 216? there is no detent in these valves as far as i know it a electro magnet that holds the lever
haha. New to me anyways. Its a 2003 I think. An electro magnet would explain part of it. Manual says there's a detent and there's no switch to turn on the magnet that I see. Huh!
Its been awhile But maybe the detent is stiffer than you think? Just push harder? Or I ran a machine where you pushed a button on the joystick while simultaneously pushing the stick forward then had to continue holding the button. I dunno for sure.
there is no switch if it running and in operation the electro magnet should be powered if I remember correctly the photo you attached shows the electro magnet
Stourpaine's got it. It is indeed held with an electromagnet. I had to clean the top of the magnet and then quickly push the joystick forward for it to engage and lock in place. Float mode is up and running, thank you! Amazing!
There must be something else going on there? Otherwise every time you push the joy stick forward for normal function it would go into float
nothing going on ! thats how they work! you have to push it and hold it believe me 20 yrs agri mechanic 20yrs cat mechanic
Oh ok. Well out of curiosity, if pushing the stick forward automatically latches the float function, what do you do if you don’t want it to go into float mode?
Its a bit scary, yeah. There's enough travel of the joystick that when you're lowering the boom its okay. If you aren't careful and jerk it forward fast all the way that bucket will drop quick! You have to do it fast. Slow won't do it.
you don't really notice it when your used to it ,its just the last bit of the boom down operation and you have to pause it there for a second it feels completely different to a old school mechanical detent valve which feels much more positive
I had an older skid steer with foot pedals and partially catapulted my head into the top of the roll bar because it went into float a little too easily. Thankfully the bucket was only about 18" off the ground so I only needed a bandaid. My newer skid steer is also foot pedals but it's a little too hard to put in float. It's hard to pop it in float with the bucket up. I usually have to have the bucket on the ground and then pop it into float. It's not as productive having to do this. I'd like something in between. A push button float would be real nice.
the foot peddle controls for the boom float I've always found can be harsh when the machine gets a bit older usually corrosion after all the pedals are in a spot where whatever's on you feet is going down there. I've had people bring me a machine complaining of poor boom/bucket operation and they were full of debris level to the top of the pedals!!
I clean out around the foot pedals fairly regularly. I think it's important to pop the pedal into float on a regular basis as well even if you don't use float much. The spool gets corroded or jammed up from not being used enough.