EQUIPMENT: Total Control

Andy Novelli could be considered a bit “old school.”

When it comes to operating skid-steers, Novelli prefers the old mechanical stick controls and foot pedals when tooling around a job site, transporting materials and prepping surfaces for finishing work.
 
“It’s what I’m most efficient at operating,” says the owner of Four Seasons Landscape Management and Design based in Washington, Pa. “I have used the joystick controls in the past on machines that we have rented and I really do like them, it’s just the learning curve that gets in the way. In a tight spot, I would much rather have the old-style controls for peace-of-mind.”
 
With many contractors the type of skid-steer controls they choose comes down to a matter of preference. However, contractors should be aware of the comfort advantages newer styles of skid-steer controls offer that can actually improve operator performance.

HANDS ON. The greatest advantages the newer joystick-style pilot controls offer contractors is the reduced effort it takes to perform skid-steer tasks, says Jim Hughes, brand market manager for skid-steers and compact track loaders at Case Construction Equipment in Racine, Wis. “Twenty five years ago you threw an operator into a machine and said, ‘Get to it,’” he says. “The effort was really high and if you had a guy working in the machine all day long he came out pretty tired at day’s end.”
 
The manual effort required the operator to muscle through the mechanical controls to move the machine around a job site. “With mechanical controls you’re using your shoulders to do the work,” Hughes says. “With low-effort servo controls, you’re really only using your arms, which is a lot less fatiguing for the operator, which makes him a lot more productive during the day.”
 
Many contractors swear by the manual stick and pedal controls because they feel they receive more feedback from the skid-steer, says Bryan Zent, marketing manager for Bobcat in West Fargo, N.D. “Some guys like having to put some muscle and effort into operating the machine because they believe they can feel when the machine is straining,” he says.
 
As a young landscape contractor Chris Haddock cut his teeth using skid-steers with manual controls. He became a convert, though, five years ago when he rented a newer model machine. “I just loved it,” says the owner of Laconia, N.H.-based CBH Landscape Contractors. “This thing is like operating a video game. The controls are 10-times easier to operate than the older controls.”
 
Newer skid-steer operators tend to gravitate toward the joystick controls, Zent says, because they most resemble popular video game controls.
 
“The younger generation of guys have grown up playing video games,” he says. “So they’re comfortable with the feel of a joystick and they’re more comfortable with the way that controls the skid-steer. It reduces the learning curve for a new operator.”
 
But it’s more than fun and games. Many skid-steer manufacturers are able to incorporate other skid-steer functions into the joystick control. For example, an attachment may require a boost in hydraulic flow to manage a more taxing job. The operator can deliver that boost via a button located on the joystick.
 
In addition, a number of skid-steer models equipped with joystick pilot controls allow the operator to program different control settings. The makes the skid-steer favorable to a number of workers with varying preferences, thus catering to more people who can comfortably utilize the machine.
 
However, Haddock most appreciates the agility and finesse the high-tech controls offer him when he’s maneuvering through a tight workspace or a crowded job site. “The fingertip controls are just so much more fluid and simple,” he says. “I use the skid-steer for lawn installation applications and I don’t like to over compact the soil before I seed it. Now I’m able to do what I need to do quickly and nicely.”
 
The added dexterity in pilot controls stems from the ease in the execution of what the operator wants to do with the machine, Hughes says. “It’s very low effort and an extremely short throw to get the machine to function,” Hughes says. “And it’s very intuitive, especially with the younger guys.”

WHAT WORKS. Choosing the correct controls depends on skill, comfort level and personal preference.
 
“For some guys that means directing the skid-steer with your hands and operating the bucket with your feet, and they’re really good at that,” Zent says. “And for some of the younger guys, the joystick controls give them the ability to do more with the machine on the job site. The truth is, with a bit of practice time you can teach yourself the different cues to operate a skid-steer with both manual stick controls and joystick controls.”
 
Hughes recommends contractors demo skid-steers equipped with varying controls to experience the differences in the effort required to run the machine.
 
Landscape contractor Aaron Smith prefers the manual controls, but he has used the other, more modern controls and sees the advantages they offer. Really, though, it comes down to comfort and adaptability, he adds.
 
“I like to be able to operate anything that comes my way so I don’t favor one over the other,” says the owner of S&D Lawn Service in Essex Junction, Vt. “But I am a better operator with my hands and feet since I have the most hours there.” LL