Ever since the first skid-steer loaders rolled off production lines nearly 50 years ago, operators have used hand levers and foot pedals to drive the machines and operate the loader arms and attachments.

These controls are linked to the swash plate of hydrostatic pumps that manage the hydraulic power for the drive wheels and to control valves for loader functions. How-ever, since being introduced on skid-steer loaders and compact track loaders several years ago, much easier-to-operate joystick controls have caught on quickly.

These controls replace the shoulder, arm and elbow or toe and heel movements required to operate the longer-throw mechanical controls for much shorter and more comfortable hand and wrist movements. At the same time, joystick controls replace mechanical linkages with simpler, more durable hydraulic lines or electrical wires to operate the machine’s hydrostatic system.

Worth the price

Joystick controls add about $2,000 to the cost of a typical skid-steer or compact track loader. But manufacturers say the improved comfort and ease of operation more than pay for the extra cost by reducing operator fatigue, raising productivity and minimizing any adjustments or repairs to lower maintenance costs.

Gehl Company introduced joystick control on its larger skid-steer and compact track loader models around four years ago. “Since then, demand has definitely increased, and we now offer it on smaller models, too,” reports Kelly Moore, product manager of skid-steer and compact track loaders.

Gregg Zupancic, John Deere product marketing, observes, “Joystick control is definitely a growth marker for the industry. I can see the day when manufacturers will offer joystick control exclusively.”

In fact, some manufacturers, like Caterpillar, Gehl and Takeuchi, offer only joystick pilot controls on their compact track load­ers. For most manufacturers, joysticks are one of several options.

Using hands and feet

Mechanical controls are still the most popular choice for skid-steer loaders. Whether you’re operating a hand lever or foot pedal, the farther you move the control, the faster the machine operates. Release the controls and the functions return to neutral.

The original hand-foot skid-steer controls, invented by Bobcat, have two hand levers, one for the right drive wheels and one for the left drive wheels, for forward and reverse drive and for turning. Two foot pedals control the lift arms and bucket. Pushing the left pedal with the heel raises the arm, and pushing with the toe lowers the lift arm. On the right pedal, toe pressure tilts the bucket forward, and heel pressure tilts it back.

Case introduced the first hand levers to control both drive and loader functions. The left lever controls the drive motor for the left wheels and raises and lowers the loader arms. The right lever operates the right wheels and the bucket curl and dump.

To accommodate operators with different control pattern preferences, most manufacturers offer both systems. Gehl skid-steers, for example, come standard with T-bar controls for all-hand operation. A hand-foot system is also available. Meanwhile, hand and foot controls are standard on John Deere skid-steers, but the company also offers a factory-installed hands-only control.

Bobcat’s optional Advanced Control System lets you choose between standard hand-foot controls or all-hand control mode at the flip of a switch on the dashboard. In the all-hand mode, the left hand controls left-side drive and lift functions and the right hand controls right-side drive and tilt functions and auxiliary hydraulics.

Joystick systems

Many operators choose standard controls because that’s what they’re used to, Moore notes. “However, unless you’re really sold on hand and/or foot controls, the joystick just makes more sense in the long run because of its advantages,” he says.

Most manufacturers offer one of two types of joystick controls. Takeuchi compact track loaders have hydraulic-over-hydraulic control. “This system uses a joystick to operate a low-pressure hydraulic system that moves valves and spools for directing hydraulic flow to the hydrostatic drive system and to the loader arm, bucket and auxiliary hydraulics,” says David Steger, national product manager. “It’s simple to operate and requires no periodic adjustment.”

Electro-hydraulic pilot controls, like those used with Bobcat and John Deere skid-steers and compact track loaders, have an electronic board that senses movements of the joystick and transmits signals over electrical wires to a control unit that regulates opening and closing of the various valves and spools in the hydrostatic drive system and loader hydraulic systems.

Depending on the manufacturer, skid-steer and compact track loaders are available with ISO control pattern (drive functions in the left hand and loader arm/bucket functions in the right hand), H-pattern (left hand drives the left wheels and raises and lowers the loader arms, and the right hand controls right wheels and curls or dumps the bucket) or both.

Multiple functions

Electro-hydraulic control allows manufacturers to incorporate a number of hydraulic functions into the joysticks’ control handles.

For example, the left joystick of John Deere’s electro-hydraulic Total Machine Control (TMC) includes a button for the horn; a button to turn hydraulically operated attachments, like an auger or four-in-one bucket, on or off; two auxiliary hydraulic control buttons to shift attachments right or left, to angle them up or down or to raise or lower them; and a trigger to turn the two-speed transmission on or off.

The right joystick has a roller switch to vary the auxiliary hydraulic flow for attachments and a trigger switch to operate the bucket in the float position for fine grading. The system also includes a foot throttle to provide power boost when needed.

The speed management features of Bobcat Selectable Joystick Controls allow you to control travel speed independently of engine speed for optimum attachment performance and more precise control of machine movements in tight areas.

With mechanical controls, pushing forces are transmitted back to the operator through the levers. This helps you adjust throttle settings and loader functions to prevent the engine from stalling when pushing into piles of dirt or lifting loads. Joystick controls lack this feel for the machine. To compensate for that, joystick controls are designed to automatically adjust hydraulic flows in response to engine speed.

Less wear and tear

The multiple linkages of mechanical controls systems provide various points of wear. Over time, they can require lubrication and mechanical adjustments to prevent the drive or loader functions from creeping when controls are in neutral or from veering to the right or left when the drive wheels on one side are turning faster than the other.

Joystick control systems require little if any maintenance, manufacturers report. “Our electro-hydraulic system is sealed to keep out dirt and moisture,” says Zupancic. “And, you can adjust tracking of the machine using the cab’s computer monitor.”

Steger adds, “If you keep the hydraulic oil clean, hydraulic pilot controls can last the life of the machine. If required, most repairs can be made without removing the unit from the machine to save time and money.”

Greg Northcutt is a freelance writer based in Port Orchard, Wash. He can be reached by e-mailing this publication at editor@onsiteinstaller.com.