Foot Pedals -- Pre-Set Speeds?

[Rick Wise]

Do they make foot pedals that have pre-set speeds rather than (or in addition to) the standard accelerator type mechanism?  I waste a lot of time trying to get my wheel spinning at just the right speed.  It tends to resist minor adjustments - over shooting or undershooting what I want.  I usually only need about 3 different speeds -- full out fast, slow, and a reasonable "throwing" speed.  I wish I could just "click" to some pre-sets.  Are such things available?

[Bill Kielb]

Hmm,

Some smaller wheels use a knob for hand control. Have you thought of adjusting your pedal so mechanically and electrically it responds better to your foot pressure?  Done right (fully adjusted smooth operating pedal) it is pretty easy to set the speed with your foot and back away from it.  Pedals that operate too loosely are hard to set with your foot. 

I guess It would be a fairly easy task to retrofit a three speed switch in place of the pedal but this seems like less and a move backward for current day wheels.

My issue has never been setting the speed once the pedal operates smoothly. To my preference  Unfortunately for me once set, placing significant load on the clay usually makes the controllers speed increase a  bit as they respond to the change in horsepower required. Still better than slowing excessively though.

[Denice]

When I bought my used wheel I had trouble with the  foot pedal,  I finally decided there must be something wrong with it.   I had a kick wheel for 40 years so I wasn't familiar with the problems electric wheels can have.  I looked up the symptoms on the internet and found out it needed adjusting and how to do it.   My husband found me in my studio taking it apart,  I showed him what I was doing.  He said go for it,  so I fixed it.   I try to fix things myself before I bother him with it,  he can fix or build anything but it is nice to fix some things myself.    Denice

[Hulk]

My used wheel's pedal (err, second hand wheel - I don't think it was used at all) is very smooth, from a barely audible creaking sound (come back after a while, yep, it moved) to a few revolutions per minute, and so on up to full speed. I do feather the speed, depending, which is becoming second nature.

My experience doesn't answer the op's questions, however. I've found the Brent and Skutt pedals to be very smooth, predictable, and easy to use. I see folks on You Tube throwing on wheels that have preset speeds (search Ingleton Pottery); I'd like to think the adjustment to variable speed would be easier than to fixed speeds - given a good pedal, of course.