It’s on the tip of my thumb. That’s the concept behind Alö’s LCS ElectroDrive Professional, developed as an option for the Swedish firm’s Quicke and Trima front-end loaders. After a short test we reckon the control system offers plenty of advantages
Anyone who operates a front loader will soon appreciate that the usual cable-based controls haven’t progressed for decades. Alö intends to change that with its Loader Control System, a three-in-one pack that’s centred — at least from an operator’s standpoint — around a thumb-steered controller. Intimately linked to the new joystick/LCD unit is the real core of the system, a valve block specifically designed for loader control (something that Alö says is an industry first).
The third pack component is a new flat-face multi-coupler for the hydraulics. Alö reckons the LCS’s valve gives the same directly proportional operation whether the tractor’s hydraulics are open-centre or load-sensing. And because oil flow is made load-independent, it says that boom speeds are virtually unaffected by the weight in the bucket or on the pallet forks.
LCS controls are built into a hand-sized joystick, which communicates to the valve block by CANbus. Mounted on a swan neck that bolts to the tractor seat, the unit hosts a stubby controller, a 50mm x 30mm LCD screen and eight buttons.
Controller movement in any direction produces conventional responses from the loader, but with considerably less physical effort than normal spool controls. Buttons on the rear of the joystick look after third/fourth hydraulic services and float, which operates on the loader’s tip and crowd circuits. Float status is shown on the display.
Four buttons, lined up on the front of the LCS unit, provide for selection and activation of specific functions. Three navigate through the LCD’s on-screen menus, while the fourth — nearest the operator’s thumb — is a ‘quick select’ button that triggers a specific, user-assigned function: see the sidebar opposite for what it can switch. So what’s LCS like to work with? We really fell for Alö’s thumb-tip control.
After a little practice we could modulate and mix all loader operations very accurately, and found that the extra functions made good sense in a range of work. There are a couple of caveats, though. The first concerns attachments: for safety, a convoluted route has to be followed during attachment locking and release.
Before dropping off an attachment the operator must press two buttons simultaneously to ready the system for unlocking, then press another button and simultaneously move the joystick right to open the lock. Finally, he has to push a confirmation button. T
his is a rigmarole that operators are likely to forget if not using the loader every day. The second caution is on cost.
Upgrading a lever/cable-operated Quicke or Trima loader to full LCS ElectroDrive Pro spec will cost £1,795. This suggests that it’s probably best reserved for machinery that sees a lot of work. If you fancy joystick control but don’t need the full Pro works, then the EasyDrive LCS (£1,295) offers the same with fewer frills.
More detail: A single button shuts down the LCS unit. The current functions are memorised The LCD display needs to be better shielded against glare Although LCS components are linked by ISObus, the system cannot yet talk to tractor ISObus networks.
Summary
Made for Quicke and Trima loaders, Alö’s ElectroDrive Professional takes the physical work out of operation; it’s also the first system to let the user customise loader behaviour. Controlling the loader itself is easy and precise, although the hydraulic attachment locking procedure needs to be simplified. Full electronic control comes at a cost, but it’s one worth paying where a farm’s loader sees a lot of use.
For more up-to-date farming news and reviews click here and subscribe now to profi for just £3.99 an issue.
