New Attachments!!!!

[SnowRidge]

Thanks, T.J.

 

[RegL]

Here's a small insight into PT's mini-hoe thumb.

I couldn't tell from their photo whether the "thumb" part was two pieces or solid between the parts, so I tweaked their photo a bit to help make that clear.

Even though the thumb doesn't fold, the price is certain good compared to some others that are probably stronger and better made, but might be overkill for the mini-hoe's total lifting and grasping capabilities.

Mark H.

Yes, at that price I think I'm going to order one. Looks much handier than the grapple bucket for holding logs to cut into firewood. Can cut up to it on both sides.

 

[J_J]

Sounds like a neat feature that doesn't work on my machine. I'm running XP and Mozilla Firefox. What are you running?

David, I am running Windows XP, and IE-7

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks, J_J. I tried but cannot do that in IE either. I downloaded the zoom plugin for Firefox, though, and it works fine. Thanks for the help.

 

[BobRip]

They have got to be kidding! No way I'm buying that, and I would like to have and could really use a grapple these days.

Let's not jump to conclusions. Let's at least look at it. It may be a lot stronger than we think from just looking at a picture. You might also want to give PT a few months and see if they beef it up from customer feedback. Someone should go up look at it and take many pictures. Also try it out.

 

[SnowRidge]

Let's not jump to conclusions. Let's at least look at it. It may be a lot stronger than we think from just looking at a picture. You might also want to give PT a few months and see if they beef it up from customer feedback. Someone should go up look at it and take many pictures. Also try it out.

Like they have beefed up the cracking brush cutter decks? NOT.

If they want to ship me one free, I will be glad to try and bend it/break it/any way they need it.......

With apologies to Garbage.

 

[BobRip]

Like they have beefed up the cracking brush cutter decks? NOT.

If they want to ship me one free, I will be glad to try and bend it/break it/any way they need it.......

With apologies to Garbage.

OK, it will be at your house for Christmas. Which bridge did you want to buy?

 

[SnowRidge]

Like they have beefed up the cracking brush cutter decks? NOT.

If they want to ship me one free, I will be glad to try and bend it/break it/any way they need it.......

With apologies to Garbage.

Just in case anyone doesn't realize it, the Garbage reference is to the band that wrote the "bend me/break me" lyrics that I 'borrowed.'

 

[SnowRidge]

OK, it will be at your house for Christmas. Which bridge did you want to buy?

I could use a bridge.

I need to put a driveway across a bit of a low spot with a creek flowing through it. The "buy" part is somewhat problematic. We don't have any money left, after buying the land, so if someone wants to donate a bridge, we are all for it.

 

[ontheweb]

I could use a bridge.

I need to put a driveway across a bit of a low spot with a creek flowing through it. The "buy" part is somewhat problematic. We don't have any money left, after buying the land, so if someone wants to donate a bridge, we are all for it.

There is an excellent website on building your own bridge. These bridges can be made of 2x4's, 2x6's, 2x8's etc. They can span amazing distances (50' in some cases which is a huge span) and are very inexpensive to build, yet amazingly strong. Check out some of the bridges people have made to cross small rivers and streams. You could build a bridge with 20' span in 2 to 3 days with simply a miter saw:
Bridge Building Website

 

[SnowRidge]

Oh my! I don't think so.

Driveways tend to have the occasional heavy vehicle passing over them. Like tractors, cement trucks, delivery vans, etc. A capacity of 1,000 lbs is just a little light for those sort of loads.

But thanks for the link.

 

[ontheweb]

Oh my! I don't think so.

Driveways tend to have the occasional heavy vehicle passing over them. Like tractors, cement trucks, delivery vans, etc. A capacity of 1,000 lbs is just a little light for those sort of loads.

But thanks for the link.

Ahhh, I missed the all important "driveway" part and just saw you wanted to cross a stream or river. Well, anyway, the bridge capacities are more affected by how many arches you use for supports. The 2x6 and 2x8 bridges can easily support more than a ton, and the bridge designer can whip up plans for whatever your needs are. No cement trucks allowed, though.

 

[BobRip]

Ahhh, I missed the all important "driveway" part and just saw you wanted to cross a stream or river. Well, anyway, the bridge capacities are more affected by how many arches you use for supports. The 2x6 and 2x8 bridges can easily support more than a ton, and the bridge designer can whip up plans for whatever your needs are. No cement trucks allowed, though.

It would be easy to get one that would handle a PT422/425/180.

 

[FOURTEEN]

For those of you who haven't seen them yet.
New- Fall 07

Thanks for the post. I hadn't seen these.

BUT, after using my Grapple Bucket for about 250 hours and my MiniHoe for about 50 hours, my impression is that both of these new products are for V-E-R-Y LIGHT DUTY use. I wonder how much that Thumb can lift way out there! Even when digging, the MiniHoe doesn't work very well when fully extended. Lots of stress at the mounting plate!


"Good for leveling out dirt & gravel"

Maybe, but most attachments can do that! (I often used a wood pallet with nice results!)


"4" teeth to pry out bushes, roots, rocks, etc."

Could be easily bent out of shape. How about side loading? Even the short stiff teeth on the Grapple Bucket or the strong Front Forks aren't much good for prying out of clay soil! Even the Potato Digger sometimes has trouble!


"Thin bottom makes it easy to slide under debris."

With the Grapple Bucket the preferred method is to compress the pile going forward, then bring the fangs over and down to further compress it, and then pinching together and lifting.


"Great for handling logs, brush, rocks, fence post, etc."

But not the 600-800#, and up to 20' long, logs that I carry out of my woods! Those 'logs' in their pictures are called 'branches' at our house!!

Only two fangs, not three! How wide? For suburban subdivision use only!! I realize that the Grapple Bucket at $1350 is 50% more money, but it is at least 200% better!! If you really need a Grapple, don't mess around, buy a Grapple Bucket!! (Remember, with every Grapple Bucket you get a 5 cu HD Bucket [$350], and a set of Rock Teeth [$125], for free!!)

.

 

[ponytug]

I wonder if you would like these designs better;

Or this one

They are a bit beefier, but heavier- the 4' wide rock only version weighs 485lbs, without the adapter.

All the best,

Peter

Thanks for the post. I hadn't seen these.

BUT, after using my Grapple Bucket for about 250 hours and my MiniHoe for about 50 hours, my impression is that both of these new products are for V-E-R-Y LIGHT DUTY use. I wonder how much that Thumb can lift way out there! Even when digging, the MiniHoe doesn't work very well when fully extended. Lots of stress at the mounting plate!


"Good for leveling out dirt & gravel"

Maybe, but most attachments can do that! (I often used a wood pallet with nice results!)


"4" teeth to pry out bushes, roots, rocks, etc."

Could be easily bent out of shape. How about side loading? Even the short stiff teeth on the Grapple Bucket or the strong Front Forks aren't much good for prying out of clay soil! Even the Potato Digger sometimes has trouble!


"Thin bottom makes it easy to slide under debris."

With the Grapple Bucket the preferred method is to compress the pile going forward, then bring the fangs over and down to further compress it, and then pinching together and lifting.


"Great for handling logs, brush, rocks, fence post, etc."

But not the 600-800#, and up to 20' long, logs that I carry out of my woods! Those 'logs' in their pictures are called 'branches' at our house!!

Only two fangs, not three! How wide? For suburban subdivision use only!! I realize that the Grapple Bucket at $1350 is 50% more money, but it is at least 200% better!! If you really need a Grapple, don't mess around, buy a Grapple Bucket!! (Remember, with every Grapple Bucket you get a 5 cu HD Bucket [$350], and a set of Rock Teeth [$125], for free!!)

.

 

[FOURTEEN]

I wonder if you would like these designs better.

No. Too heavy. The fangs should be out to the full width. No bucket. Too expensive. Don't need dual cylinders.


I have, however, considered adding plates (red) across the fang tips to more easily gather in small stuff like piles of leaves.
Also, cutting out part of the sides of the bucket (yellow) to allow a larger diameter log or multiple branches to be grabbed. Part of the sides would be retained for strength.
I haven't studied these mods hard enough to uncover any disadvantages, and have been too busy with other things to do them!
.