Got a chance to use the loader on some snow last week, and found the way this is rigged, with hoses from the remote valves, is awkward at best. This one has the remote control levers right and left of the seat. Trying to work the raise and lower and tilt at the same time is kinda like patting yourself on the head and rubbing your belly at the same time. Hard for some to do. Me included. I have personally found a joystick or duel levers on a fender mounted manifold to be 10X easier to use.
So looking at ways to install a joystick. Have discussed it with local Ford shop and a local outfit that is Mr. Fixit for Ford and AC stuff, and both gave me the same story. They say there is a plate that mounts on top of the hydraulic control under the seat to enable powering the joystick direct, but it can't be used with this particular tractor. This seems odd for a utility tractor that is almost 100% certain to have a loader on it at some point, but that is they way it is. I'm told the only solution for a joystick is to power it from one of the remotes left on all the time.
OK.....so next question......does anyone know if there is a ready made bracket to mount a joystick on a Westendorf 26 loader? Either from Westendorf of aftermarket?
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So looking at ways to install a joystick. Have discussed it with local Ford shop and a local outfit that is Mr. Fixit for Ford and AC stuff, and both gave me the same story. They say there is a plate that mounts on top of the hydraulic control under the seat to enable powering the joystick direct, but it can't be used with this particular tractor. This seems odd for a utility tractor that is almost 100% certain to have a loader on it at some point, but that is they way it is. I'm told the only solution for a joystick is to power it from one of the remotes left on all the time.
OK.....so next question......does anyone know if there is a ready made bracket to mount a joystick on a Westendorf 26 loader? Either from Westendorf of aftermarket?
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