Everyone uses both Cat and JD patterns now. All of us guys in the yard except a few odd ducks /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif use Cat controls on our kubota excavators and JD excavators. Unfortunately for guys like me, kubota backhoes are JD patterns and I can't drive them at all. It's either Case or Cat controls for me. The newer G model JD backhoes (310 G's and SG's etc.) all have the two pattern seletion on their units now. Case as well has gone to that excavator style controls with the two pattern selection. What I mean by excavator style controls is, now the two sticks are not in front of you but off to your sides like an excavator, you have a nice comfortable arm rest on each side with the controls. Pretty nifty.
P.S. I think they're called pilot controls...here's an image.
Blake
WA