Operators familiar with traditional-style controls might find it more difficult to get used to joysticks and opt for the original control style. "That's why we build skid steers with both types of controls," Moore points out. "We have not abandoned the original style. We're just making joystick controls an added feature for those customers who want it."

The percentage of contractors opting for joystick controls is trending upward every year. They are especially gaining popularity in larger, higher-horsepower models. "The larger the machine, the more likely it is to have a joystick," says Moore. "In the smaller size machines, it doesn't seem to be as predominant."

In part, this is because joystick controls are typically an option that will add about $2,000 to $3,000 to the overall cost of the machine.

"The cost of our selectable joystick control is the same no matter what size machine you purchase," says Fitzgerald. "But it has less impact on the overall purchase price of a larger, more expensive machine compared to a smaller one. Also, on a more expensive machine, customers are more willing to spend the extra money because these machines tend to be used in more of a production-based environment. A contractor may get 8, 10, 12 hours of work done in a day. A smaller unit may be used as more of a utility machine, where workers only utilize the loader in between doing different tasks.

"Larger machines also have more weight and horsepower," he continues. "A machine equipped with joystick controls will be less fatiguing to an operator over a long period of time, and that operator is more comfortable."