Just completed a large tank hole in Sandstone rock with a brand new Cat 312c. It's a really nice machine, and suprised me by handling some concrete rings of 2800kg that were far in excess of what it should be lifting quite easily. However my main point is the trend towards contol buttons on Joysticks and the pain they can cause. I had to operate the hammer for long periods using the button on top of the right hand lever, and this caused my hand to go numb on several occasions. On most older machines controls were operated via an auxiliary pedal, and no problems have ever been experienced using them. The other point i have is the lack of control that can be experienced when using joystick buttons. How many times have you had to correct a tilt or rotate by dabbing the buttons, and still miss the sweet spot you actually wanted? I know they make controls simpler to operate, but do you actually think buttons are better. I spent a while getting used to tilting a bucket using a forward and back foot pedal and it certainly took time, but when mastered the control it gave was far superior. I know in the UK that most two piece booms are operated by a foot pedal, and these can be feathered into your movements with real precision. How do you guys operate those hydraulic thumbs that we don't get here Foot pedal or buttons? It's the same for me with track pedals as i very rarely use the levers at all, and certainly wouldn't miss them. The only joystick buttons i've ever wanted to add to a machine would be to steer a Rubber Duck when you are too busy trying do do everything else and the only thing left would be a very clever ****!!
I prefer a foot pedal for operating the auxillary hydraulics on an excavator.
I like the buttons the best. We have thumbs on all 4 of our excavators and they are all operated using the buttons on the joysticks. I hate foot pedals for auxillary hydraulics, just somehting else to take up floor space.
I like buttons. But it would be nice if the buttons were kind of like pedals/joysticks so if you half pressed it it would go half speed and such. But that is just me.
foot pedal I Think the foot pedal works the best i got it on my sany excavator when breaking rock all day it helps
For breakers I used to put in handles with rocker switches. I never got a complaint. Now days I like the rollers they put on the newer Cat mini excavators. They have the feel you are used to on the pedal. They work well for thumbs and rotate circuits. Most of the grey market machines that made use of the auxiliary circuit had pedals from the factory. Most of our operators complained of hip and knee pain when running a thumb with the pedal all day. I took out or disabled at least a have a dozen pedals over a few years. The biggest reason I know of for not using pedals anymore is cost. You can buy a solenoid valve and handle and install it for less than a couple of thousand dollars. The pedal by itself was more than a thousand and you had to buy shuttle valves on top of that to make it work with the rest of the system. Then you had to cut a hole in the floor of the cab. I never found an easy of clean way of doing that.
I like buttons for the thumb. It feels easier to match what you are doing with the bucket when both controls are in the same hand.
Foot pedal for hammer. My thumb gets tired on a joystick running a hammer all day.
I can almost understand the hammer. But the last thing i need on the floor is another pedal. I prefer buttons when it comes to thumbs and shears. I can pick stuff on the the go. With a foot pedal i would have to stop. The thing i hate is the handles on the travel pedals. I find no need for them.
Just found out how to highlight the response
not enough feet I would rather have buttons when there are this many functions. I don't think there would be enough room on the floor. :beatsme
Me too. I took them off of our 312... you can get in and out through the front also.
The picture I tried to post before.. would make for too many foot pedals
Hands I like Sure Grips
I like the button on the joy sticks For hyd. implements, but like the floor switch for a hammer.The 340 doosan I'm running is set up on the stick, a stiff button the size of a pencil eraser, after two 16 hour days breaking a 250' bridge deck, my thumb was numb for another 3 days
split decision so far! Pleased to see I,m not alone with my numb thumb syndrome. I think we are all quite split in our responses so far, but I think the hammer on a floor pedal seems the prefered option. I still think it is manufacturers trying to make things easier for operators, and more appealing to the next generation. They are even taking the foot steering out of the latest Tracked shovels, and that was certainly one of the best features for me. Nothing like a good day on an old Cat 941 to make you feel at one with a machine again! That last joystick was for a flight simulator i'm sure! Just another one to ponder, was Cat out in front with the old travel pedals and centre stick to steer controls on the 215 etc. I always thought it a really handy set up especially when laying pipes. Finally Atlas Rob I'd heard Cat have done the steering thing first on their Ducks, only trouble is they should of spent the money on closing down production of them!!
Foot pedal for the hammer all the way.. Would prefer to have a button for the thumb, tilt bucket... etc...
Hands! If your hand is getting sore from pushing the button, you need to look at either a new joystick or button setup. Plus I'm spoiled and have the 3rd travel pedal in my machine for both tracks at the same time =D
Spoiled Rotten Brat you are. :cool2
I have ran a lot of hoes with a 3rd travel pedal and I don't think I have ever used it.
Nice feature if your doing pipe work. Get the machine online, and your all set to go. I also got a good bit of use out of it when dargging concrete with an i beam. Maybe its just me
Or if you are going down a road that is straight. :cool2
Or walking any distance. After about 5 minutes on the regular pedals your calves start to turn to jello. Third pedal is super easy to push =)
95% of the time I use my feet for track levers. As far as attachments, I dont care for a hammer. A thumb or grading bucket I prefer a switch. I dont like thumbs either way.
I think that joystick must have been from a heel boom or a feller buncher, something with alot of functions.
3rd track pedal is ****!!!!!!! im kind of ocd, so when running a machine without the 3rd pedal, my track lines in a distance begin to resemble zig zags:cool2
~ :bash