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Here is a thought to ponder...foot control sovy


Burntime

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Anyone take the foot control out of the newer machines and make a sovereign foot controlled hydro? May be a neat project this summer... I may dink with it and give it a try...

regent foot control small.jpg

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The whole key to success with such an endeavor is getting a spring return system to bring it back to neutral form both directions when you take your foot off.

Had a 716 here once that previous owner had tried to make a setup on, but the thing wouldn't reliably come back to neutral.

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Guess I am just weird, but I like the hand control much better. I have driven both types and I just like the older Simplicities with hand control and a foot clutch that kills everything. Guess I am just old-school, but the old ones work better in the work I do with them.

When I worked at the farm during October, I had to drive a JD hydro with foot control when running the barrel train. I found that setup to be very tiring after several hours of operation. Especially since you need to hold the pedal at a point somewhere between not touching it and having it fully on the floorboard to control the speed. Very hard to do while trying to look backward and watch the little kids in the individual barrels. You could not run the hydro wide open when hauling a group of very small children. If you need to stop quickly, you can't do it smoothly, since it is difficult to release the forward pedal very smoothly is a short period of time. To me they are just a PIA to drive.

At least with an older Simplicity setup you would be able to move your feet around some and your right leg wouldn't get so tired. I like being able to set the speed at a specific point and go. If I need to stop suddenly, then I hit the brake/clutch pedal.

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I would be all for it! It just needs to be practical and work safely. Do-able, but likely a lot of engineering and work. I have thought about it a little, but just not worth the time it would likely take me. My dirty little secret - I love driving a Deere from the 1990's on up with the Twin-Touch hydro. Not having to take a hand off the wheel to adjust speed is great.

The biggest hurdles are the way our frames don't just go straight back, and the direction our hydro swashplate control shaft faces.

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Oh man...foot control is a dream when using attachments especially since the implement lift is hand controlled. The cruise control on late models acts like a hand hydro and holds the hydro control static to eliminate foot fatigue or trouble maintaining speed.

The only thing better than foot hydro, is foot hydro AND foot implement control! (Now if only I could control the FEL with my MIND!)

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quote:Originally posted by Talntedmrgreen

Oh man...foot control is a dream when using attachments especially since the implement lift is hand controlled. The cruise control on late models acts like a hand hydro and holds the hydro control static to eliminate foot fatigue or trouble maintaining speed.The only thing better than foot hydro, is foot hydro AND foot implement control! (Now if only I could control the FEL with my MIND!)id="red">


id="quote">
id="quote">You get that far you can just sit in the living room window with a beer and do everything from there :D:D
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I was always all for sovereigns. I still like them for tilling and pulling. For grass cutting and snowthrowing there is nothing better than the foot control in my opinion. Smoother, and you don't feel like your playing a shell game with lift, turn the spout, change speed, and driving. It frees up a hand for coffee!:D As far as rod liking the pedal to disenguage, that is all the same. Its just a change of hand control to foot control. I would thing a detent and heavy spring in each direction would self center. I may just give it a whirl when I pick up the ps sovy.

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I would take a foot control over a hand control any day for things like using a loader, etc. the only time I don't really mind hand control is if I'm just mowing. Even then, foot hydro with cruise control is my preference.

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Im seriously considering tring to build a foot control for my 3314, I cant steer work the hydro lever and raise the plow to move snow effectively with only two hands, I often use my knee to push the hydro control forward and then let go of the wheel as a raise the plow up over the snow bank to come back to neutral so as not to spin the tires to much and risk breaking something.... its a pain.

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about 5 years ago i had a agco allis (sunstar) with a frontend loader on it, i bought it off the original owner. he bought it from our agco allis dealer new and the dealer rigged up a foot pedal on it, it worked very good wished i had a better pic of it.

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Loader work is where foot control really shines...

If you think hand controls on the hydro are challenging, try using a loader on a standard 3-speed tractor...

But, foot controls can be overly sensitive when mowing at higher speeds on rough yards. So, I can see both sides of the issue.

I like the foot controls on the Power Trac -- it is a long "treadle or rocker" that runs from one footwell to the other, underneath the hump in the center, where the control cable and hoses run to the rear. Left foot is reverse, right foot is forward, and both sides are close enough to the floorboard that you can rest your heels and use them, similar to using the accelerator pedal in a car. You typically drive it with each foot on the treadle. So, you're using the opposite foot as the "dampener" that prevents sudden unwanted, uncontrolled movements. The opposite pedal also serves as your brake, so you get quite good and smooth at applying tiny movements to each side, such as what's required to hold your position when on a slope.

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There are two ways foot control pedals work on most other garden tractors 1)1 spring that is at the top of the travel and pushing the pedal in either direction stretches the spring so it comes back to center,this is kinda tricky to fabricate. 2)Is two springs pulling in either direction so if you have them hooked to something like adjustable eye bolts they are pretty easy to center up so the pedal comes back to neutral.

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I have a foot operated hydro that is not factory and it operates like acfarmer suggests

But was just thinking what would happen if the hydro lever and the hydro lift lever were on same side of tractor

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