I responded to an ad today looking for dozer and trackhoe operators and was turned down again. True I have not had hardly any seat time in the last 10 years, but feel confident that I could knock the rust off and re-sharpen my operational skills if given the chance. Employer told me today that the biggest problem they had with older operators ( I am 51 ) was that they just couldn't seem to get the hang of the finger tip style controls found on most of the newer equipment. Is it that hard to get used to ? I have yet to be able to run anything I get on but I know it's always a first time for everything. Since I haven't done much in the last 10 yrs I want to think it would not be that big of a change, developing a feel for the controls. What do ya'll think ?
Bull crap! I'm 51 years old and I'll go up against anyone when it comes to learning new things. Finger controls, elbow controls ..whatever. Geeez I hate when someone implies that just because you're older you are incapable of learning new things. Tell them to stick the job up their butt.
last year I had a truck driver ask if he could load his dump truck one time with our 2004 volvo 210 excavator, he said the last machine he had operated was a cat 215style machine. Man you should have seen him smile when he saw just how easy it was to get used too. Almost had a hard time getting him out of the machine and back into his truck!
Sounds like ageism to me. The 'fingertip' on dozers has been around a while. I could be mistaken but I think if your good on an older machine, the newer ones are easier to use. Ten years is a long time, the dirt never changed but the iron got a lot more cushy is my guess. Hmmmm D8H,D8T.
I love them! Easy to use, quick response and you can go the full range keeping your arm on the rest. I agree with the comment on where to stick it, if they won't let you prove yourself they are a waste of time.
At the time that I got back into operating equipmentI was 32 I think. Anyhow I was away from it for about 15 years. I had a guy give me a job on a 637D I think I was making a pretty smooth cut by the end of the day,and could hang with anyone on the job by the end of the week. So I say, yes you can learn it. You just have to find someone to give you a little seat time. I actually had this conversation with a guy at work this morning.I took a job as a underground coal miner. Thisguy had been out of the mine about 20 years and is worried that he is going to have to run a continuos miner that runs on remote control. I told him the same thing that I am telling you. Good luck!!!!!
Yeah well they would'nt want me either, I grew up yanking on a cable control instead of playing computer games. I do appreciate the pilot controls on my older equipment though. Never ran a fly by wire, probably never will.
I'm glad to see I'm thinking along the same lines as ya'll are. Now all I have to do is get back in the saddle and prove myself. Thanks guys for all the replies.
I know for a fact that you needed to be a better operator to run the older dozers. Having a clutch, steering pedals / levers, foot brakes, an actual gear shift, a decelerator, and multi lever blade controlls keeps you busy. If you can hack that, a hydrostatic machine should be a piece of cake. Only thing I can think of is that the new machines may have a faster response time that would take so getting adjusted to. But other than that, ups up and downs down. Tell them that you wanna got sit in seat and show them that just because your not 22 and fresh out of a training school doesn't mean you can't move dirt.
The only fingertip operated dozer that I ever spent a significant amount of time on was a D5M and I didn't ever get the confidence with it that I am accustomed to when doing closeup work like grading close to a foundation or curb.I just didn't feel like I could feather the steering to my satisfaction.We also had a D5XL with the conventional steering levers and that was just fine with me. We also had some John Deeres with the new fangled transmissions that steer with one lever in the left hand and I felt that the 450 was kind of jerky although the 650 was about as nice of a dozer as I ever ran. We also had a D8N with the associated steering that comes with it and it had a mind of its own.It moved when it wanted to and nobody was able to fix it,at least the Cat dealer that worked on it anyway.It didn't fail often but was frustrating when it did,I found it happening mostly first thing in the morning.Ron G
Assuming the person you talked to said things the way you wrote, that the problem was with older operators (not just operators without recent experience), that was likely illegal age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.
wow,they should at least gave you a try out,sounds like not worth working for anyway.i wonder if the guy you were talking to had even sat in a piece of equipment?
hey guys i thought i would throw my two cents in on the topic. I have the exact oppisite problem haha i cant run the older equipment! I am only 22 so most of the stuff i have run is newer not more than a few years old. I run a 980 cat loader with the finger tip controls and love it but the other day they brought over a way older 980 with the big stick controls its a biotch haha cuz i got used to using two fingers at the same time and its a peace of cake but i got on the older cat and u cant do that at least i cant my hands are to small to use them at the same time and i kept hitting the trucks and stuff and the drivers werent to happy so i went back to the new one but i can kinda see where it would be hard to learn them but they should at least give guys the chance to learn but thats all i got