CDP backhoe or thumb experience?

[MarkV]

Anyone have experience with "CDP" thumb kits (WWW.CDP-Backhoe.com) for backhoes and excavators? These are laser cut thumb kits that you weld up yourself and they also sell some backhoe kits. I have wanted a thumb for brush, stump and firewood moving but there just don't seem to be that many out there for small equipment like mine.

Nobull1 has one on his excavator and was good enough to share a favorable review with me through PM's. Thought I would see if anyone else has one and would share his or her experience.

Thanks,
MarkV

 

[Taylortractornut]

I operate equipment for a living and I wouldnt have a hoe with out one. I make all of mine as I have a burn table to cut metal on. My first one was for my 3550 Ford hoe its made out of 1 by 2 bars stock and has the fingers welded on. I made it when i was 17 or 18. Im 24 now and broke the 2 inner teeth off of it a few months ago on a block building demo job. The one for my mini excavator is made from 3/4 plae but each tine is a one peice part. Im just gonna make it a 2 tine outfit maybe a 3 tine later. They make setting stones and cleaning up brush easier. I tear down alot of houses and barns and its super handy to load the dump truck or stack the burn piles.

 

[dbelisle]

I have a thumb on my 3375 Hoe that I put on this spring.
I just used it tonight and it works great.

I had to move a 12 inch tree that had come down in a storm. I was bucked up into 10 foot lengths and the thumb made it easy.

I was going to take some pictures but the battery is dead in the camera. When I get it charged I will post a couple tomorrow evening.

I bought mine on E bay and saved about $50.00

Dave

 

[MarkV]

Thanks guys for sharing your experience. I have the feeling that a thumb is a bit like a tooth bar on a loader bucket. Once you have one you can't understand how you did without.

Taylortractornut, If I had your skills I would have already built my own. I always enjoy seeing your projects and sure do admire your fabrication work. If you lived a bit closer I would be knocking on your door for some lessons. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

MarkV

 

[Taylortractornut]

Mark Thanks for the good words, I may have a case of the big head now lol. I saw in your profile where you are from Cedartown Ga. I have a friend that lives in Jasper Alabama that goes that way a bunch PM me with a few measurements and i might can zap out a pair of plates for your thumb. I can esnt you some pictures of my plates and I can size them down for your machine that way ill have a smaller pattern. I can burn them out on the table burner. I may even be able to deliver them its about time for me to take a road trip never been to Georgia myself.

 

[v8dave]

Picture of excavator with a thumb.

I have used a rental excavator with a powered, movable thumb. I've used it to build a gravity wall out of boulders. The wall is partly viewable behind the left of the bobcat. It would have been impossible to build the wall without the thumb to lift and accurately place the boulders.

I'd like to get a movable thumb on my Kubota backhoe to help move more rock as the lanscaping continues around here. Although with a backhoe you can't safely transport rocks with the backhoe. The excavator is stable when transporting rocks in the bucket--just tuck them in close.

 

[v8dave]

Picture of picking up a boulder.

Dave

 

[v8dave]

Here is a close up of the bucket and thumb.

Quite a bit of utility with this set up.

Dave

 

[GoodGuy]

Anyone fabricate a thumb on a JD47 Hoe ????

 

[J_J]

Here is the CDP thumb kit that I built.