Abstract: In a hydraulic control device having at least one distributing valve (2m, ) connected upstream of a consuming point (35), a more effective energy utilization is achieved by means of a pressure step (D) provided for the input pressure of a second throttling point (15), which can be switched in stroke-dependent fashion by means of a control element (17, 17') of the distributing valve (2, 2') so that the maximum difference in pressure between the pump line pressure P.sub.(4) and the consumer pressure P.sub.(3) is only controlled shortly before the need of a high conveying amount. Before this the difference in pressure is kept smaller.