Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/726012
September 2016 | EquipmentWorld.com 24 back as pilot controls, much like the discussion when the transition was made from mechanical controls to pilot controls.With so many modes at their disposal, do operators actually use them? "Operators fall into two camps," says Adam Woods, product marketing specialist at Link-Belt, "those who are in complete compliance with the use of various modes, and those who just want full power all the time." Matt Hendry, product consultant with John Deere and Hitachi, suggests supervisors tell operators which mode to use for a particular job and then use telemat- ics to confi rm compliance. In their new Discovery Series, Gradall took a differ- ent approach to the mode conundrum: they did away with modes. "Operators don't read manuals," says Mike Popovich, vice president of sales for Gradall, "and at some point, they'll put the machine in 'Grade' mode and then complain about its lack of perfor- mance and cite the dreaded 'drive-by-wire' technol- ogy." Popovich says Discovery Series machines have sophisticated performance algorithms that adapt to conditions without relying on modes. machine matters | continued The LiuGong 922E has six work modes: Power, Economy, Fine, Lifting, Breaker, and Attachment. IPC (Intelligent Power Control) matches engine and hydraulic output for improved performance and effi ciency. Factory-fi tted auxiliary piping on the Volvo EC220 E make it easier to use a wide variety of attachments, from mow- ers, to tilt rotators, to hammers. Flow and pressure can be memorized for up to 20 attachments.