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Cat® 242D with RemoteTask™ becomes YouTube star

Aaron Bidochka, creator of the RC Sparks Studio YouTube channel, shows off his Cat® 242D with RemoteTask™ on his ranch outside of Calgary.

Aaron Bidochka is obsessed with remote-control (RC) technology. His love for all things RC is obvious — just visit his YouTube channel, RC Sparks Studio, which boasts more than 1.75 million subscribers and one billion video views.

Bidochka has dedicated his life to RC technology and spends his work week filming YouTube videos on every piece of RC tech he can get his hands on. But his biggest RC purchase to-date turned out to be more practical and life-changing than he could have imagined.

After suffering a back-injury, Bidochka needed a way to tend to his ranch remotely — he had previously been operating from inside the cab of a loader. Bidochka’s 4.5-acre ranch, located just outside of Calgary, Alberta, contains a massive RC racing venue with a 1,000 foot long, 15-foot wide dirt track that requires regular shaping and leveling — all of which needed to be tended to.

His RC research led him to Finning, who suggested a Cat242D skid steer equipped with a TORC Robotics RemoteTask™ RC system. Bringing home that skid steer turned out to be a lifesaver for the YouTube star.

“After my injury, only a few minutes of operating my loader over bumpy terrain could result in a pinched nerve,” explained Bidochka. “In order to maintain my residence and livelihood, finding an alternative option was critical. Fortunately, as an RC enthusiast, I knew some machine manufacturers were beginning to offer remote-controlled operating systems. That’s when I found out about Cat’s RemoteTask system, and I reached out to Finning to see if I could demo one.”

Since bringing home his 242D, Bidochka has been able to easily maintain his property and race track. He’s also discovered some surprising benefits related to visibility while working.

“By operating the loader from outside the cab, I’ve been very impressed with the visibility,” said Bidochka. “I can see all four tires at all times, and I don’t have to worry about injuring anyone or damaging property.”

Bidochka says he’s also impressed with the minimal learning curve on the RemoteTask system. The controls are specifically designed to mimic the set-up within the machine cab and deliver the same response.

Machine serviceability is another stand-out feature for Bidochka. He recently replaced the robotics module under the cab of the machine, all the while filming his findings for YouTube. What he discovered was how easy it was to perform this maintenance — the machine was up and running in no time. Bidochka says Finning has been an important resource for everything from parts support to maintenance for his machine.

The 242D was not only an RC fanatic’s dream come true, it also turned out to be essential to Bidochka’s business. Since his purchase, he has worked to produce and publish several videos featuring the machine in action on his ranch. More than eight million views later, it’s safe to say his audience shares the same excitement and love for the machine as he does.