Gradall had a pattern all their own, it had the swing and bucket on opposite sides, someone told me they used to have a 3 way switch for Cat, Deere and Gradall.

One of these days I will have to switch to Cat, but that's change for me, and I do not accept change, so I will inevitably die off like the dinosaurs before me as I cannot adapt to my new surroundings.

 

You and Ronald Dejong are the only weirdos that like Deere Control Pattern.

 

No one really has to learn a new pattern anymore. Don't you have a pattern changer Ron? Do they still make machines without one? I used to have to get into the father in laws Hitachi and move hoses before I could run it. It was a lot of work, so eventually I learned to run the Cat controls. But now if I have levers it has to be JD, and if it has joysticks it has to be Cat. And if I jump in a rubber tire with joysticks, I am just f***ed. I can't run it either way. My little brain can't cope.

 

I think for us in B.C. it will eventually come a Worksafe (WCB) regulation that the machine has to have a control pattern switch. I learned on Cat controls it is all I can use.

 

Gradall had a pattern all their own, it had the swing and bucket on opposite sides, someone told me they used to have a 3 way switch for Cat, Deere and Gradall.

One of these days I will have to switch to Cat, but that's change for me, and I do not accept change, so I will inevitably die off like the dinosaurs before me as I cannot adapt to my new surroundings.

I started on a JD Backhoe and then went to excavators. I hope to force myself to spend some money this year on a bigger excavator and the thought of having to relearn the controls is not appealing so I was also curious what larger excavators had switchable controls and if not who used Deere patterns.

 

I don't know how some guys can switch back and forth. I also grew up and spent probably 15 years on deere controls. The company I work for now has probably 30 excavators with cat controls, they simply told me if I wanted to work here I was going to have to learn, so there was a couple days or week of looking like a dumbass. I have since occassionaly hoped on a subcontractors backhoe with deere controls and I have a hell of a time hitting the ground even all those years running it.

AWJ most new excavators I've seen have a switch or value you can turn or if your going to be buying one they can have it set up with deere controls like you want.

 

I don't know how some guys can switch back and forth. I also grew up and spent probably 15 years on deere controls. The company I work for now has probably 30 excavators with cat controls, they simply told me if I wanted to work here I was going to have to learn, so there was a couple days or week of looking like a dumbass. I have since occassionaly hoped on a subcontractors backhoe with deere controls and I have a hell of a time hitting the ground even all those years running it.

AWJ most new excavators I've seen have a switch or value you can turn or if your going to be buying one they can have it set up with deere controls like you want.

Most of the machines I have been shopping in the 12-15 ton size are in the 90's. I was hoping I could have the hoses swapped if it did not have a control switch.

Thanks for the info guys!

 

No one really has to learn a new pattern anymore. Don't you have a pattern changer Ron? Do they still make machines without one? I used to have to get into the father in laws Hitachi and move hoses before I could run it. It was a lot of work, so eventually I learned to run the Cat controls. But now if I have levers it has to be JD, and if it has joysticks it has to be Cat. And if I jump in a rubber tire with joysticks, I am just f***ed. I can't run it either way. My little brain can't cope.

My brother's Cat hoes didn't have pattern changers, so he installed them when he started hiring people in 2006, Finning made good money off him, the 290B + C models had a changer and the Hitachi my Dad owns has built in pattern changers, but the old PC60's had them installed later on in 2007.

But I remember as a kid trying out new machines at the dealer's lots we had to call ahead so the shop could switch over the lines at the boom for us, then the valves came as an option and made tyring new machines easier with less grumbling from the grease monkeys.

 

I guess I'm the odd one. I can only run a excavator with Cat controls. Switch them and its fun to watch. I can run a backhoe fine with the deere patter but it must be on the wobble sticks. I can run a backhoe as well on cat controls but it must have the joysticks

 

When you are loading/unloading equipment onto barges like I do time to time you really have to watch what your doing when it comes to excavators. You don't know what control pattern it can be. Myself I always watch what I'am doing because I'am used to Cat controls so if I'am pulling back on the right hand joystick and I see the the boom isn't rising the stick is moving it Deere controls.

If you screw up you could be swimming with a 300 Excavator :laugh:

 

I like the Cat controls, Why?When I pick something and have to place with the boom, It's gotta be in the righ spot, and Im right handed lol.

 

You and Ronald Dejong are the only weirdos that like Deere Control Pattern.

Deere rules! (the Deere guys will love that):laugh: I am also stuck on the Dinosaur controls and there ain't no way I'm going to even attempt learning the other controls.

Most of the machines I have been shopping in the 12-15 ton size are in the 90's. I was hoping I could have the hoses swapped if it did not have a control switch.

Thanks for the info guys!

The Kobelco was switched to Deere controls, wasn't too big of a deal. I would think some machines might have the pattern changer?

 

1 of my friends changed my controls 1 day....put the bucket over the plate compactor....went home. I get in, and crush the thing!!!!! Should have I checked....or should have he told me?????

 

I learned on Cat pattern and can't run Deere very smoothly at first. After a few hours I start to get the feel for it but wouldn't plan on doing any truck loading the first day of making the switch.

 

Most older guys ie over 50 and have been in the excavating business for 30 years or more are mostly use Deere control.

I have tried getting used to Deere control pattern I just couldn't do it. Once your brain is programed to stroke the joysticks one way it is hard to change.

 

learned on deere pattern , but the last 6 years only really been running cat pattern, i have once and a while ran deere again takes about a hour or two to be smooth again , but to jump back on cat the same day screws me all up need to give it a day for the mind to reset to be smooth on cat again.........can do four stick like what was on the ford backhoes too but everything is joysticks now so

 

Most older guys ie over 50 and have been in the excavating business for 30 years or more are mostly use Deere control.

Where did that statistic come from?

 

Cat pattern all the way! Being able to jump turn is more than worth it.

 

You and Ronald Dejong are the only weirdos that like Deere Control Pattern.

Thats the only thing I can run..

Most older guys ie over 50 and have been in the excavating business for 30 years or more are mostly use Deere control.

I have tried getting used to Deere control pattern I just couldn't do it. Once your brain is programed to stroke the joysticks one way it is hard to change.

Thats all Dad can run.. Thats all he taught his guys cause his 1994 and 1995 331s didnt have pattern changers. You had to move hoses.. Thats what I learned on and I've tried to run CAT controls once. Talk about a major failure.

 

Cat pattern all the way! Being able to jump turn is more than worth it.

I can jump turn just fine with JD controls?

 

I can jump turn just fine with JD controls?

Thats what I was thinking too. I learned on jd controls and have a pattern chnger on my 334 but haven't even messed with trying it cause I know that would just be plain ugly although I can run the old case backhoes with 3 sticks and swing peddles with nor problem swithcing between the 2:hammerhead:

 

Cat controls for me, however I did run a 690DLC for a couple weeks and I did catch on.

 

Uh whats the difference between them and I will tell you what I run..LOL

 

Where did that statistic come from?

It is very common on the coastal B.C. because most older guys learned on backhoes and most excavators had Deere control pattern.

 

I am an SAE guy (refuse to say Deere guy, Sorry).