[ratlover]

I hope you all apreciate my feed back and possibly Fisher might find this usefull too.

Well I dint really get to use it much....we got a pidly little storm a few days ago and I mostly smeared some slush around mostly because I wanted a chance to try out my new blade and also to make sure every thing was happy before I actually needed it.

I have used the Boss controller and figured this would take some getting use to but I dint think it would be bad once I got over the learning curve. I actually really like how the fishstick makes it easy to use it like a regular straight blade. Beings most of the time you are using it like a straight blade it make is prety slick and getting it into the scoop position is pretty easy wich is nice. I like how most of the time you just got to push one button to get it to do what you want to either get it to angle left or right or go from scoop to V. It is a reall PITA to get it into wing mode though. You have to hold the button down for a few seconds before you can get it into wing mode, this isnt a real big problem since you generaly dont need wing mode but there are a few times when it becomes a real PITA. When you start scooping some crumblies and want to cast them off for instance. You start in the scoop mode and then you have to change to the wing mode to get a wing to drop off so you can cast it to the side. This can be a problem since you really need to plan ahead, the couple of seconds it takes you to get into the wing mode(by having to hold the button for a few secs) and then get the blade to get to the position you want can really eat up some ground. A easy solution would be if you could switch to the sraight blade mode and have one wing trying to extend itself(even though it is already exended, cant be good for long term durability I would think) while the other droped back but the blade wont do this. Multiple mode buttons would be my personal choice. Its kinda neat how if you are in the partial scoop position and runing the blade dog leged you can controll both wings together and get it to angle as one left and right. If the Fishstick had a means to more rapidly change between any mode I would take the Fishstick hands down over the Boss....but I'm used to the Boss so now its kinda a toss up. I like the soft tough of the fishstick but I think I would like to have regular old push in type buttons(like the old radios were one goes in and the other pops out) for the modes so I could tell by feel what I'm in.

I'll have to post my opinion on the plow itself when I get to use it. :cash

 

[ratlover]

darn 3 minute edit time :headwall Chuck, you should know I cant read that fast

It should be that I like the soft touch buttons of the fishstick, not the soft tough

 

[Brian Simmons]

Thanks for the info. I will pass this info onto the product manager. We are always looking for improvments to our products. I want to clarify one thing. Are you saying what you would like is for the blade to automatically straighten itself when you hit the button for the straight mode?

 

[ratlover]

no, I just made mentoin that an easy fix to this particular problem would be if when you are in the scoop blade position if you switched straight mode that if you angled the blade to the left or the right one wing would drop back casting the snow off to what ever side. But the other wing would be fully extended to start with and keep trying to extend itself wich cant be good on anything I wouldnt think but I'm not a plow/hydralic engineer so I wouldnt know.

If you are in the scoop position and flaten your blade more than likely you will spill of to both sideds unless you do it as you are making a turn and it will just spill off to the side you are probably trying to cast it anyway.

Its not the end of the world, its just a slight inconvinence. Its easy enough to work around but its JMO that it would be easier if the controller was set up different. Even if the controller had 2 mode buttons to toggle between the 3 settings I think it would work better since you wouldnt have to hold the button for a few seconds for it to switch. Like I said most times you can work around it especially if you plan ahead but you can also travel a fair distance waiting for that light to start blinking.

So if you guys use my idea or some veriation will I get an new and improved fishstick free of charge? I'll even do some beta testing if you want, pleeeeease :greenange

 

[HerkFE]

Fishstick vs Joystick

I have a MM2 8' straight blade with a FStick. I have had this plow a year now and since new it has always kind of drifted when angling to the right (lh side fwd rh side aft, in case I screwed that up). Anyway, when I tried to position it slightly right with any snow load on it would continue to the stops. To stop it at the desired angle I would have to try to "catch" it by tapping the lh angle button. My dealer contacted Fisher and after several adjusments with no luck we changed the whole power unit. Thanks Fisher warranty. It seemed a little better, but it has never been as tight as when angling left. Well, this year the same problem is present. Took it back to the dealer and he suggested trying a joystick, saying that they have a much more abrupt stop. Being a skeptic, I said sure but didn't expect much because a solenoid is a solenoid right? Well, I was surprised to say that it is a much more firm stop both ways, but still when going to the right it is noticably softer. I haven't had the opportunity to plow with the joystick yet but I am curious to see what happens.

Plowtech, any suggestions or engineering explainations for what is happening?

Thanks!

Pete :usa

 

[BWhite]

This past weekend storm was my first with a Fishstick. I am still in the learning curve . I agree the joystick does stop the blade abruptly maybe leading to more accurate placement . The soft stop of the Fstick is probably easier on the equipment

 

[snonut12]

I got a chance to try out my new Fisher MM2 8' HD plow with Fish Stik last weekend in the storm. At first, I didn't think that I like it, but I remember that I need to give some time and practice to adjust from the solenoid stick controller to Fish Stik so I continue to use it. After my second plowing, I actually got pretty good and am becoming used to it. Now, I like the Fish Stik alot better than solenoid stick. I see alot of nice feature and benefits with it. One of them is that the blade angles left and right smoothly and coast to a stop instead of hard stop with a solenoid controller.

However I observed the exactly same thing that Pete (HerkFE) said. I thought that it was just me, but I guess I am not alone. I noticed that when I am plowing snow and as I am angling the plow to the right, the plow will continue to angle until it is fully angled to the right, unless I momentarily press the left angle button to stop it. It could be a little annoying at times, but I am starting to get in the habit to press the left button when that happen.

 

[BWinkel]

I too wasn't quite sure I liked the fishstick when I first started using it. It took alittle while to get used to the control and the soft stop. You almost have to let off the button a second before you're where you want to be. I don't even notice the soft stop anymore. I'd probably have a hard time going back to a joy stick. I also don't notice any difference between the right and left angle. It sounds like a sticky valve or motor relay if you have to hit the left button to stop it's movement to the right. Something is not right.

 

[nsmilligan]

I find my self plowing most of the time in the wing mode, after 7 years with this fihstik I came operate it with my eyes closed. It took a little time to get used to the press once for 1 direction and again for another, but it's second nature now. My Fish stik is mounted to the dash, and that's how I use it, I never plow with it in my hand or on the seat. Stacking only I use the scoop V mode, as you usually have to reset the scoop, because the wings will move back because of the pressure relief valve.

Bill

 

[urethane dino]

I too can echo exactly what Bill says regarding the fishstick/ cab commander. Johnny D has the boss v plow, and when he bought the western MVP plow last year, he is stil have a time getting used to the controller. It is second nature for me now, but can see how it will take time to get used to a new controller.
Dino

 

[Honest Mike]

I never used any other plow controller other than my joystick, solenoid control, so I cant comment on the handhelds. But I will say that I like the sudden stops of the joystick controller. I like that you can get it to stop exactly where you want, and if not, then just tap it a little and the plow will jerk to get it to go a half an inch more or so. I dont think I could ever deal with that soft stop, where it goes a little farther than you wanted it to. Im sure the soft stop *feels* good to the operator and the truck, but when I let go of something, I want it to stop exactly when I let go. Maybe I am just used to old technology and dont wanna try anything new. Also, the abrupt stops of the joystick help to shake off, or atleast try to shake off stuck snow to the plow. If you keep tapping the joystick repeatedly, you can actually watch some of the snow wiggle/fall off, from the top anyway, Im sure its falling off from the front too. So, in other words, I love the joystick, but have nothing else to compare it to. But I wouldnt want to have to get used to another controller when Im perfectly comfortable with the features of this one. That soft stop would be very hard for someone like me to get used to. Mike :argue

 

[Chief Plow]

Both my newer trucks have the fish stick... The only problem is, That I am so used to it, that I found i am doing to many things at once, and need to slow down. I would never go back to a joystick. Ever.... I can't think of any way to improve it.

 

[ratlover]

Hmmmm......I might try just using the wing mode for the most part

I did get a chance to play with everything this weekend :cash

I definatly like the blade.

I have wore down to close to the spring deals. Is this normal after 14 hours of plowing? I do commercial fairly at a fairly high speed.

Duramax+9'6" Fisher EZ-V= a snow moving MF :grinz

 

[HerkFE]

Well, I had an opportunity to plow with the joystick vs the fishstick I normally use. I found that my drift problem is now virtually unnoticed. The blade seems to hold its position much better when changing angles! The hard stop when going left is no big deal to me given that I don't have to try to "catch" the blade when agling right with a load on it.

The only thing I really don't like is that "instant float" as comapred to the FStick. I liked being able to drop it a little at a time on the highway, but it is not a big deal.

I will probably go back and forth between them until I make a final decision, but the blade staying put is pretty darn important!

Pete :usa