Throttle Up, Throttle Down?

[flwiii]

SailorBob:
You are correct. Somehow I was thinking in reverse on my 2305. I know the Grey Markets are exactly backwards of the U.S. models.
I stand corrected after taking a look again at my throttle lever. It pulls down for less RPM and forward for more RPM. The Grey Markets are down for more RPM and forward for less. Must have killed too many brain cells this week.

 

[flusher]

My Kubota B7510HST has down on the hand throttle (clockwise rotation) to increase engine RPM, up to reduce. Seemed odd to me at first, but now it seems normal.

Don't know if it has to do with design of the throttle linkage, or whether ergonomics is involved. Is it easier for a right handed person to control using a clockwise rotation of the wrist? Don't know (I'm a southpaw who had to get used to the right handed controls).

 

[slowrev]

My 1968 IH is pull to throttle up.

Ben

 

[jimainiac]

Well, I'm starting to see a pattern here, and that is there's no rhyme or reason to hand throttle position. The funny part is, my only experiance is with the two tractors that we have, and if they both had the throttle going the same way I never would have thought to ask this. My gut feeling was that up for increase made more sense, and some of the replies echo this, especially when you think of a tree branch catching it. I really appreciate it when a lever or a switch operates in a manner that is intuitive, guess that's called ergonomics. Seems like some companies do a better job of it. For example, we had an '86 Chevy pickup with a gas tank on either side, with a rocker switch to control them, but instead of rocking side to side it was mounted up and down. You always had to think about which side was up and which was down. I happened to look at the dash of a Suburban of the same vintage, and it had the same switch to control the back window up and down, but the switch was mounted sideways!

 

[jimmysisson]

The old Farmall A had everything in plain sight. You pushed the throttle lever forward, it pivoted on a bolt so the lower part of the lever went rearward, the long bent-up piece of 1/4" rod went back too and pulled open the throttle. It made lots of sense, except the little sawteeth on the detents were worn out so the throttle tended to slack off while you were working. Yep, MF 135 down, Ford 2120 up. I kind of like the up for more 'cause you can bunt it forward easier than back, and that's what I usually need to do in a pinch.
Jim

 

[73jeep]

From my experience if the throttle was mounted sideways like a turn-signal is usually positioned, then PULL back to accelerate. If the throttle was mounted where the handle points vertical and you push/pull it straight fowards or backwards, then you PUSH lever foward to accelerate.

 

[Theowegian]

The old 1959 Allis Chalmers D14 I owned, throttle was on the right side, pull back to increase RPMs.

My kubota L3130 is exactly the same as that old allis.

dwight

edit: obtw. the old Ford Model T cars were the same- right quadrant, lever down to increase speed. My Model T is a 1926 year. My guess is that the convention of the throttle action (lower to inc speed) has been around a long time and came from the auto industry.

 

[Bob_Young]

I've been on a few of those tree limb rides too, SailorBob. They're not fun. Bushhogging along at a good clip in 4th on the Ford 4000 at 1400 RPM and then, while pulling a tree limb out of your hair, the old girl snorts and bolts at 2000RPM. Throttle forward for more RPM would reduce the thrill factor.

I think the concern about hitting something while the operator's hand is on the throttle is what gave us the 'back for more' convention.
Bob

 

[Marlowe]

I've never given it much thought, but mine is advanced when pulled towards me. It all seemed just fine and proper until this conversation. Now I'm wondering.

When I get in my boat, and want to go faster, I push the throttle. I don't know why I never made the connection before. On land, pull it, on water, push it. I'm way too tired to get into the controls for the FEL compared to trim tabs on a boat.

 

[jimainiac]

Marlowe, you're getting into new territory here, with the comparison of the FEL controls to the boat. Which reminds me, last year we had a big snow year, so after plowing our parking lot with the truck I would dig out the snowbanks with the tractor. A couple times I found myself pushing down on the plow control in the truck to raise the blade, after running the FEL.