"The Thumb" on bucket or forks?

[houser52]

I've got some kind of a grapple on my mind and I've searched and read a ton of comments on grapples over the last week. "The Thumb" looks like a good bang-for-the-buck grapple to those of us that can't justify spending the money on a full grapple.

I have both a bucket and pallet forks but don't know which would benefit the most from adding the thumb. I know that I can add a mount to both and just swap the thumb back and forth as I need to but which one do you use most use, grapple/bucket or grapple/forks?

I'd even thought about building a dedicated brush mover, using The Thumb on a Bob-Tach frame and welding tines across the bottom.

I would mostly use the grapple for moving brush and blown over trees. Not many rocks or stumps on my land.

Also, post your pics and videos if you will. I'd like some good ideas.

 

[JackIL]

The length of The Thumb is an important consideration. They are available in several sizes. A shorter one might be best on a bucket. A longer one might be best on a set of pallet forks. You might luck out and find that one size will serve both. I use my pallet forks with a long Thumb to move brush piles and bigger logs and a bucket with a shorter grapple to move loose materials like wood mulch.

 

[Sodo]

I think my needs are similar to yours. I don't usually need to CRUSH stuff, just need to hold onto it just enough to drive to the burnpile. The everything attachments stuff looks awesome but I'd want it to be quickly removable leaving the bucket normal (and restore normal lift capacity (which isn't much). I'd make it to work in the bucket, or extended to work with brush forks, but thats all custom work.

The thumb looks like a good unit. Appx $350 for thumb & $150 for the mounting hinge, plus whatever hydraulic control valves you need to add.

Here's the thumb website. Shop Online

 

[4570Man]

I'd put it on the pallet forks. The forks work pretty good for moving brush and logs even without the thumb. The bucket not so much. I can't think of any reason why I would rather have it on the bucket. The bucket might work better on small logs, but has a serious loss of lift capacity on large logs. A mount on both would obviously be better, but I wouldn't ever change it back and forth because I'm lazy.

 

[k0ua]

It is mostly brush, I would put it on the forks. If mostly logs, one log at a time, then on the bucket. But get mounts for both and swap as needed.

 

[aeblank]

I'd put it on the pallet forks.

I agree. You could even pick up an extra fork(s) at a later date to make it more grapple-like/fill in the gaps.

 

[George2615]

I bought the 32" thumb with 2 base plates. Mounted one base on the bucket and one on the forks.
I use the forks more than the bucket but its nice to have the option to switch.

 

[nybirdman]

I think I have the best of both worlds;The Thumb and a tooth bar on the bucket. Extremely useful for about everything.
I have used mine for brush(lots) ,logs and rocks.

 

[ddbackhoe]

I'd stay away from a thumb on a bucket for moving debris and/or logs.

If you can cut and weld, building your own isn't too tough. You could cheat and use a ss q/a plate. weld some tines to the bottom, cut out two or three arms, add some hinge points and a hydraulic cylinder. I've got the arm pattern in autocad/bitmap but it's too large to attach here.

 

[houser52]

Thanks for the replies.
After using my forks last week to move a big poplar that had fallen across the fence I realized how useful a grapple would be to help move everything that was either broke or sawed. The forks were good but a thumb/grapple would have made it a lot faster.
I already have the Piranha Tooth Bar on my bucket so that will help if I decide to go with my bucket.

I bought the 32" thumb with 2 base plates. Mounted one base on the bucket and one on the forks.
I use the forks more than the bucket but its nice to have the option to switch.

George- Funny that you posted here because these pics just came up on a search just now. That's a good looking install you have there and hopefully will give me some ideas on my pallet forks.

 

[houser52]

Anyone else have pics of "The Thumb" mounted on their pallet forks? There's gotta be more of them out there.

 

[JackIL]

Anyone else have pics of "The Thumb" mounted on their pallet forks? There's gotta be more of them out there.

With pallet forks on loader and with smaller pallet forks on Ventrac front hitch.

 

[houser52]

Thanks

 

[triptester]

Homemade thumb on forks

 

[nybirdman]

My set-up.

 

[Sodo]

birdman that looks great but in the first pic your lifter arms seem,,,,,,, antiquated? :laughing:

OK 2nd pic is better!

Nice pile!

 

[HorsPower]

My modified Titan forks with a greens machine thumb, inspired by another member on this site

 

[flingwing1969]

Thanks for the posting. Nice work on your fabrication.

I do like the idea of a thumb on my CUT, and put one on my B21 that had no SSQA. However, with my LS I have SSQA and so I wonder about the value of investing $555 (delivered) for The Thumb when I can buy a light duty, two-cylinder root grapple for a bit more - well, a little less than double the price is maybe more than a "bit" more - but then I'm not toting around the weight of The Thumb on my forks or bucket when I don't need it.

I have my forks on maybe 75% of the time and I can lift almost anything I want, including large logs, with the forks and no grapple thumb. When a thumb would be most useful would be when grubbing out brush and then I would love to have a root grapple that can really dig in. I have a 4n1 bucket and I do use this for grabbing and pulling up brush by the roots but a grapple would be better for the purpose with less weight.

 

[HorsPower]

You have a valid point. I strongly considered just buying a grapple, however I felt that I would not use it enough. Also I didn't want another implement to try to store inside (I hate leaving things out in the elements). Also, I plan to add an additional thumb mount to my bucket so that I can swap the thumb between the bucket and forks if I desire to do so.

 

[flingwing1969]

Yes, good point and I saw another post where the owner bought two thumb mounts for his bucket and forks. I have a 36'x48' barn with a 12'x48' covered carport running along one side so storage is not an issue for me, guess I have to remember everyone is not as lucky.

I have not made the decision to get a root grapple yet, haven't "needed" one but I would "like" one some day.

Thanks for sharing your experiences though.