Adding a claw

[pmmully]

Wondering about adding a claw/thumb to my bucket. I am seeing some aftermarket kits, etc.

Hydraulic is awesome, but how are the mechanicals?

 

[nbryan]

Wondering about adding a claw/thumb to my bucket. I am seeing some aftermarket kits, etc.

Hydraulic is awesome, but how are the mechanicals?

Backhoe or loader? I use my BH77 mech thumb regularly. Very useful especially for ripping out stumps, grabbing rocks.
I've also gotten used to quickly adjusting it while remaining on the backhoe platform. In park or transport position just swing full to the right, brings the pin within reach.

 

[the old grind]

I bought a Linville 18" 'kit' for my Terramite. It has three use positions and can tuck away neatly when not needed. Adjustments and jaw/brace R & R easy removal by pulling three included HD hitch pins.

That said, I move rocks (up to FEL capacity) with a 48" FEL grapple vs using the BH thumb. Sizing jaw length to match/oppose bucket teeth was more 'close' than precise. I'm not going out in the cold, but have a pic from when I bought it. (~$200 or less) No regrets at all.

 

[pmmully]

Backhoe or loader? I use my BH77 mech thumb regularly. Very useful especially for ripping out stumps, grabbing rocks.
I've also gotten used to quickly adjusting it while remaining on the backhoe platform. In park or transport position just swing full to the right, brings the pin within reach.

Sorry, should have been more specific. This is the BT1100 backhoe on an L48 TLB. The mechanical is fine for my use. I am having trouble finding one. I was looking for a pure bolt-on for simplicity as the BT1100 did not have the factory mount point for a thumb.

I can see where the jaw needs to be a bit "right" in order to work correctly. In this case, the jaw on the BH would allow me more small demo job opportunities. But I would not mind a front grapple as well.

@theoldgrind thanks for that, they make many sizes. Now I just have to determine if it will fit on the stick. How did you mount it?

 

[pmmully]

It is my understanding when sizing these mechanicals, the thumb must be equal to or greater than the length of the bucket or I guess things may get some damage. I guess the teeth must be offset as well. I am finding all sorts of options for the B-series, but no L-series. Some of the bigger players for the real heavy stuff do not make stuff as small as the BT1100.

 

[Smokeydog]

Didn’t have thumbs on some past machines but thought about it. Wouldn’t drill or weld on the dipper stick. Use a design to spread out the force. You have some power now.

Current two machines have hydraulic thumbs. Don’t dig as much as grubbing up trees and brush on ditch and creek banks. So much easier than using a chain. Makes moving rocks like playing a game. Once using a thumb hard to imagine not having one.

Thinking sometime during the L48 production a ssqa was an option. Huge versatility upgrade particularly with 3rd valve function.

 

[4570Man]

I have a hydraulic thumb on my backhoe and mini excavator. It literally doubles the usefulness.

 

[rScotty]

Mechanical versus hydraulic thumb kind of depends on what you want to do with the backhoe. If you mostly want the ability to clamp on to something to move it to a new location then the mechanical one will be fine. If you see yourself picking up something - like a rock - so that you can place it carefully into position on top of a rock wall then that is better done with the hydraulic thumb.

I use the hydraulic thumb a lot because I do a lot of picking and placing rocks and logs for rock & log walls, to make neat edges or boundaries, or place rocks to walk on or for kids to climb on. It's kind of hard to explain the advantage of the hydraulic without actually showing it in motion...., but basically by using the hydraulic thumb I can keep pressure on the rock so that it is being held as the bucket uncurls. By holding onto the rock as I uncurl the bucket I gain another several eet of distance. And as the bucket uncurls, the side of the rock that was facing the operator when we transported the rock now becomes the bottom, so it is easy to place the rock exactly into position on top of others.

It's easier to go from a mechanical to a hydraulic thumb than from no thumb at all to a mechanical one, so if you want to break the project into two parts that makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is that backhoes should have the fittings for a thumb as part of the dipper stick. It would be a minor matter to make add thumb attachment points when the dipper is manufactured.

At one point, Amulet Bucket Accessories made a "Hoe Clamp" thumb that was connected to the bucket pivot by a system of links and levers so that curling the bucket cause the bucket thumb to move toward the bucket with a powerful clamping motion - all powered by the movement of the bucket itself. So as the bucket curled, the thumb moved to clamp the load.

Maybe some clever guy will market a version of that design for our Kubota TLBs.
rScotty

 

[pmmully]

I am talking to Linville industries now. The new L47 TLB I priced was about $61K with third function and hydraulic thumb. I almost popped for it but did not want $1100/month for 5 years just yet. I need to see how this goes. It is odd that they just never offer a thumb (according to local Kubota here in FL), nor are the factory mounts there. I would weld one, but you have to get the geometry right for the setup, and I agree it was not designed for that so it may cause a failure down the road.

I am mainly using it to grab debris for the small demo jobs that the bigger companies do not want to mess with. But it is very clear to me how a hydraulic for precision setting of things would be the bomb. Honestly, if this service takes off, I will likely spring for a new one next year, with one more tax year left. May keep the L48 as well. From what I can tell, the L48 is gold.

 

[Peter 315]

Wow 61k prices have gone up...

 

[rScotty]

Wow 61k prices have gone up...

That they have.... but frankly, compact tractors were always a luxury and they were always high. Way back 1981? when we bought our first compact we were stunned at what a Japanese 30 hp 4wd diesel with a loader went for. Add turf tires plus a couple of implements and you were over $20K - unless it was a Kubota; they were less. But back then even less money - maybe half that much - would buy an American farm tractor that was a proven design, with a loader that would lift either end of a pickup truck, from a dealer who cared, and with twice the power/stability.

Pm, what is the least expensive that you can buy a mechanical thumb for? Can you get one for under $1000? Weldng costs here would be $100 to $200 if a mobile rig came to you. If you get a mechanical one hung on there you can dream up powering it in a variety of ways.
rScotty

 

[4570Man]

Pm, what is the least expensive that you can buy a mechanical thumb for? Can you get one for under $1000? Weldng costs here would be $100 to $200 if a mobile rig came to you. If you get a mechanical one hung on there you can dream up powering it in a variety of ways.
rScotty

I paid about a grand for the mechanical weld on thumb for my 310. But it was much heavier duty than the L48 needs. I’d say you could find one for half that much. I have factory Kubota thumbs on both my machines now and I think they’re $2500 range plus the hydraulics. I bought both my machines with them already there.

 

[fried1765]

It is my understanding when sizing these mechanicals, the thumb must be equal to or greater than the length of the bucket or I guess things may get some damage. I guess the teeth must be offset as well. I am finding all sorts of options for the B-series, but no L-series. Some of the bigger players for the real heavy stuff do not make stuff as small as the BT1100.

I have a 2006 L48 TLB with an absolutely perfect hydraulic thumb.

It was made by M.C. Faulkner of Buxton, Maine.
Faulkner sold their fabricating business to SRS Attachments in May of 2019.

SRS Attachments is in Norridgewok, Maine.
Their phone number is 207-858-0690

I assume that the original owner selling dealer, Union Farm Equipment, in Union, ME. mounted it.
It is mounted for use with the Kubota quick attach hoe bucket.
It is a dream attachment to use!

I have no idea of the cost, as my L48 TLB came to me with it already installed.
The thumb is so perfectly designed/built/installed, that I expect it was VERY expensive.

Did I say I love it (and the L48 too)?
That would be an understatement!

 

[pmmully]

Wow 61k prices have gone up...

I could have maybe negotiated, but inventory is super scarce, it was gone when I went back in, so not much dealing. Also, the TLB versions of the L47 are not very common. I learned most dealers may order 1-2 per year for the lot. No such thing as a year model left over. The B26 TLB is a bit different, a much larger calling, and about $36K with the same setup. Smaller, but bigger than what Home Depot rents, hence the niche market for smaller all-around contractors.

 

[pmmully]

The OEM thumb setup is slightly over $5k on the L47 TLB. So that is just about 10% of the total cost of the whole platform.

 

[Smokeydog]

The Maine contact sounds good. How about a picture?

Home Depot and several other rentals around here have B26s. That’s how I got mine. 50hrs, remote, thumb and three buckets, 1 year old. Saved over $8k. The rental owner said he bought it to save people money redoing drain fields and lite grade work instead of renting a Bobcat and mini excavator. Said people who do that work aren’t spending their money and he makes more renting two machines.

Bought the whole backhoe attachment BT1200 with thumb for the M59 for $3800 used.

 

[Peter 315]

The OEM thumb setup is slightly over $5k on the L47 TLB. So that is just about 10% of the total cost of the whole platform.

I guess its depends on how the tractor is ordered by the dealer.. Mine was about 3,900 in 2017

 

[fried1765]

The Maine contact sounds good. How about a picture?

Home Depot and several other rentals around here have B26s. That’s how I got mine. 50hrs, remote, thumb and three buckets, 1 year old. Saved over $8k. The rental owner said he bought it to save people money redoing drain fields and lite grade work instead of renting a Bobcat and mini excavator. Said people who do that work aren’t spending their money and he makes more renting two machines.

Bought the whole backhoe attachment BT1200 with thumb for the M59 for $3800 used.

I would be happy to provide a picture, but this website and I, do not get along well with pictures.
I gave up on trying to post pictures on TBN a long time ago.

 

[the old grind]

Fried, for me pics are easiest from PC or tablet. I download a pic to my desktop and it's just a few clicks in a post to upload. (btw, I'm PC-only for all internet use and move pics to categories/folders)

What device you visit TBN on and whether you can download from chip, cam, or phone is all it takes to make it pretty easy to do.

 

[Smokeydog]

I would be happy to provide a picture, but this website and I, do not get along well with pictures.
I gave up on trying to post pictures on TBN a long time ago.

I have certainly felt your frustration. Just when you get it figured out it somehow changes. Pictures are worth a thousand words and sometimes my words aren’t too good either.