For All You SkidSteer Masters Out There...

[Dairydeere]

So, my dad grew up in the seat of a skidsteer in Minnesota, and I have a fair bit of experience in skidsteers as well. I am now getting some experience in Farm Sim skidsteer operation, and I wanted to ask you fellow simmers: What is your experience with skidsteers, RL or FS, and what is your opinion on their operation capabilities? (redglasses, I want some input here )

In my personal opinion, Giants should have a different setup for steering skidsteers. In every single skid loader I’ve driven, they have a stick for each hand. The left one (forward and backward) controls the left set of wheels, the right controls the right set. Moving in and out, left controls the boom height, right controls the attachment tilt. I am perfectly happy with how the boom controls are, but I feel like having the single left and right key for steering leads to some over-corrected turns and slightly unnecessary wheelies. Great for a parade, but that is also the main reason I’m not too keen for them. Nothing against them, but I would love to see a change make to them. Let me know what your opinions are.

[Illinois Farmer]

Our skid steer has arms to push forward to go forward, pull back to go back, and alternate one or the other to turn. We have foot pedals to control the bucket. I prefer foot pedals over the little handles.

Edit: I do put a skid loader on every fs farm, but I drive one irl a lot more.

[Dairydeere]

What model skidsteer? We have always run Case (Deere isn’t a popular skidsteer brand where I’m at), my dad ran an old Gehl, also Case 435, and now we run a SR210

[FSarndrone]

I have a friend in real life who has a bobcat and I used to have one of the newhollands
in the game

[Illinois Farmer]

Jd 326e has a door on it, so it is heated and has air conditioning.

[redglasses]

Lots of old bobcats have foot controls. But new ones have the option for hand controls or the option that allows you to switch between them.

[Bryan83]

One time for a home repair project I rented a JD 317. Fun little toy to play with. I also rented a Kubota U35 mini excavator.

[NSfarmer]

A lot of new or newer skid steers have ISO controls. Left stick is for forward and reverse and steering, right controls the boom and bucket.

[Mwal]

ISO controls are the only controls once you get use to them. Cat makes the best skid steer hands down a cat 299 will push dump belly dumps. As far as how I use them I’m a construction worker, I run equipment for a living and usually every job we do has one on site. I have done everything from build dikes in residential neighborhoods during a flood fight to put them into tanks with a excavator and use it to clean the tank. They have all but replaced small dozers and loaders and ease of moving is another plus. Farming we also have one pick rocks move seed pallets clean brush up cleaning barn and the list could go on and on.

[Dairydeere]

Our Case SR210 is for the calf guys mainly, pushed feed in there, cleans bedding, also moves salt block pallets in the pens, and then it will get the occasional use of helping a downed cow or roughing the walkways. It’s a mechanical start, and after the electric start SR200, my dad doesn’t want to go back

[dapals51]

Thing is, that different brands have different control options, either foot or a hand. Case has hand controls and that's my personal preference.

[Mwal]

True, but I think most brands are conforming to iso style, the type where a one hand steers and the other runs bucket and boom. The last three brands we have tried out didn’t even have foot peddles come so you could change and only one had the option to do the other style of hand controls. Everything is starting to head that way loaders have to be special ordered to get two joysticks cat blades no longer have a steering wheel either.

[Procobator]

My old mustang has hand controlled steering, twist throttle on the stick ( motorcycle type) and foot controls for the hydraulics. She’s a real joy to run.

[Dairydeere]

My dad showed me the old Gehl he drove when he was young, looks very interesting to drive with no cab in a manure pit

[dapals51]

True, but I think most brands are conforming to iso style, the type where a one hand steers and the other runs bucket and boom. The last three brands we have tried out didn’t even have foot peddles come so you could change and only one had the option to do the other style of hand controls. Everything is starting to head that way loaders have to be special ordered to get two joysticks cat blades no longer have a steering wheel either.

Was looking at few new ones and Dealer told me they you could choose which hand style you want. Just flip a switch. I believe that was bobcat