The steering wheel has dominated vehicle cabs for well over a century, and that is a perfectly logical situation for they are intuitive to use and, if the connection to the wheels is properly engineered, can be quite precise and responsive.
Yet there is an alternative gaining favour in the world of construction plant and agriculture, and that is the joystick.
For applications such as combine harvesters they make a lot of sense for dispensing with the steering wheel and the associated console gives an unimpeded view of the elevator intake and reel.
Operators of loaders in quarries will benefit from needing just a simple wrist movement to steer rather than spinning a wheel back and forth, which can be tiring over a long day.
Fendt relieves fatigue
AGCO parts have now brought these benefits to the latest Fendt tractors with a joystick kit that can be fitted to Generation Six machines and later, which basically covers the majority of tractors produced since 2020.
Known as ErgoSteer, the kit is not available factory fitted but dealers can install it pre-delivery, or anytime thereafter, making it an option at time of sale or when in service.
It is fitted to the left arm rest with the cable harness running behind the seat and up into the rear right hand corner of the cab where it is plugged into the tractors own operating system.
Partnered with autosteer
Sales manager, Sean Gorman for Fendt in Ireland, believes that the greatest benefit will be enjoyed by those operators doing what he describes as linear work, loading a trailer from a heap for example.
However, Trever Richardson, manger of Atkins Birr, points to the first customer for the joystick who has been using it in field work this season and will not be going back to the steering wheel.
The farmer concerned uses it in conjunction with autosteer, finding that it spares a lot of effort turning the wheel at the headlands, in between turns, the tractor looks after itself traveling down the furrow making ploughing less tiring and long days easier to cope with.
Safety first
The joystick returns the wheels to centre when released and there is proportional resistance which duplicates the sensory feedback given by a steering wheel, ensuring that there is a sense of control at all times.
Yet despite these advantages, ErgoSteer cannot be used on the road for safety reasons, the steering wheel always has priority and the system cuts out altogether at 25kph, which is a legal requirement.
ErgoSteer is available through any AGCO parts dealer and costs in the region of €5,000 plus VAT.
