Backhoe controls are divided into two types: SAE and ISO. Both have two levers for rotation and curl, but differ in vertical arm movement. Foot pedals control machine tracks. Some older models use a three-lever system.
There are two main types of backhoe controls in common use; the following are the layouts as specified by the Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAE) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The control dynamics of each system are virtually identical, with the only difference being that the controls for actuating the boom arm and stick are mirror images. In very general terms, backhoe loaders used in the US most commonly use the SAE set of controls, while excavators used elsewhere in the world operate with the ISO layout. Many excavators and backhoe loaders offer control systems that can be switched between SAE and ISO layouts, leaving the decision up to operator preference.
Both types of backhoe controls have two levers, one for each operator hand. Common to both control systems, the left and right movement of the left lever controls the rotation, or rotation, of the camera body. Likewise in both systems, moving the right lever left and right controls the vertical rotation, or curl, of the bucket or attached accessory.
It is in the forward and reverse movement of the hand levers that the two control systems differ. Using the SAE layout, moving the left lever back and forth controls vertical arm movement, while the right lever controls vertical arm movement. Under the ISO style of backhoe controls, these operations are reversed. As an example of this method of control, moving both hand levers forward causes the forearm arm to rise and the boom arm to lower; this action has the effect of straightening the entire excavator arm in front of the machine.
In addition to the hand lever backhoe controls, there are two foot pedals directly in front of the operator, which are used to operate the machine tracks independently. Attached to the pedals are usually two long control levers that allow you to manually operate the tracks if desired. Moving both pedals away from the operator causes both tracks to move forward; similarly, moving both pedals towards the operator produces the opposite result.
To rotate the machine, the operator can move one pedal towards himself and the other pedal away to move around the center point of the machine, while moving only one of the pedals forward or backward rotates the machine around the static track position . For example, moving the left pedal towards the operator and the right pedal away, will cause the left track to move rearward and the right track to move forward, rotating the machine around its center axis counterclockwise. These controls allow the car to be much easier to maneuver than many people would expect.
Some early versions of backhoes employ an obsolete three-lever system, where the levers move only in a forward-reverse direction and separately control the stick arm, boom arm, and bucket angle movement . These backhoe controls are most commonly seen on backhoe attachments where digging is not the primary function of the machine and on non-rotating excavators. Backhoe operation training courses generally focus on the SAE and ISO variations described above.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
