To Thumb Or Not To Thumb?

[Henro]

Recently there was a thread about a kit to add a thumb to a backhoe.

The kit is not that expensive and for many cost would not be an issue. Welding it on might be for some, but for many that would not be an issue either.

For me the problem is on a tractor, with a rear mounted backhoe, I just can't imagine a thumb being that useful. On an excavator...yes, without question, has to be greater than sliced bread!

To me the advantage of the thumb would be the ability to grab things and carry them somewhere. Hard to do with my backhoe, as I got to keep changing seats to move the tractor.

Anyone have a thumb on thier tractor-mounted backhoe? How about a report on how it works for you? What percentage of the time do you use it? What do you use it for?

In my mind a grapple on the loader would be much more useful for me than a backhoe thumb...

What am I missing... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[KiotiJohn]

A lot of time after I dig out a stump I drag it to my dumping area with the backhoe. Since I usually have gotten out of the hole with the backhoe, it's easier to go ahead and just carry it on.

I think it would be a lot easier for me with a thumb on it as I have dropped them in transit sometimes because it's a little hard to get a good grip without one.

I also think I'd have a much easier time getting a stump out of a deep hole too. Sometimes I have to really work it to get a stump out.

I agree the grapple would probably be more useful, but I can see the thumb on my BH, and I plan to get one of those kits that I posted about in the near future. John

 

[familyman]

I second the motion. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[MMM]

I don't have one on mine but, I've used one on a 580L and they're handy for moving trees that you've dug up out of the way for next one. Also you can dig on one side of tree, push it over then grab tree and raise it to pull the remaining feeder roots up. Saves some time digging. Not sure if 3pt hoe would be strong enough to justify the investmrnt though. It takes a lot of power to pull a tree up by roots.

 

[MarkV]

I’ve been looking into one for my backhoe. What I want to do is use it for harvesting firewood. I think it will be helpful for loading 6-8’ long log sections onto the dump truck and when unloading use it to hold the log off the ground while cutting to their final length. They would also be great for building rock walls.

MarkV

 

[PineRidge]

I don't have a thumb on my BH and I really don't want one. I don't think using it to move a stump or tree is a good choice since your load would now be behind you while maneuvering the tractor to where you wanted to dump them. We all know how fast things can get out of hand with a tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I have had loads in my FEL that I needed to dump really quick because of an unstable condition. That would not be possible with a thumb.

A grapple might be a lot safer to use for moving stumps and trees IMHO. I say "thumbs down" to the addition, at least for me.

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I don't think using it to move a stump or tree is a good choice since your load would now be behind you while maneuvering the tractor to where you wanted to dump them. )</font>
I should have said that I keep the loader filled with concrete blocks when doing this for good ballast.
I live on mostly flat land, and ALWAYS go slow. I've never had to drop the loader in an unstable situation, but it can sure happen. I've had no problmes using the BH to move stumps, keeping it down pretty low to the ground for heavy loads.
Yes, I agree the grapple may be safer, with ballast on the back as well. John

 

[GregJ]

The only time I REALLY wish I had one was when I put in about 200ft. of rockery. I could use the loader to get the rocks to where they had to go, but I had to hand stack each rock. Some of those rocks must have weighed 400lbs. ( at least) and I had to lift them by hand. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ..... Ok, maybe 100lbs.......But still, at my age they were dang heavy. Besides that, I bought my tractor so I WOULDN'T have to lift things. With a thumb, I would have been able to lift from a pile and place them. I looked briefly at them before the project, but I was under the impression that any welding on the Kubota BH would void the warranty. Is there any truth in that?

Greg

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

I'm thinking I wouldn't use one that much. The getting on and off my Deere to change from BH seat to tractor seat would get old in a hurry, I think.

A grapple on the front end loader would be more to my liking but a lot more money. I'd think even something fixed like the BH thumb (obviously larger and set wider) attached to the loader arms somehow would be something I'd be more likely to use.

 

[v8dave]

Here is a picture of picking up a rock to remove a wall. I moved these rocks away from the construction area and saved them to rebuild the wall later.

I have rented an excavator and used it to build a 110' two stack high boulder retaining wall. I first removed an existing boulder wall. I then hired an excavation company to lengthen and widen the driveway and cut a building pad at the end of the driveway. I then rented the excavator again and transported even more rocks back and set them in place. After a while I was able to place the boulders quite accurately.

I've decided that a thumb on my backhoe may be of limited utility. I tried to move a tree in the backhoe and it was unstable enough to convince me that transporting heavy items in the tractor backhoe wouldn't work.

 

[v8dave]

Moving a rock down the drive way to a storage pile. Repeat this step a hundred times.

Note in this and the previous pix--the movable thumb. It enabled placing the rocks accurately later when I rebuilt the wall. Since you could grab from any angle, it was also easier to pick the rocks straight up with the movable thumb too. Whithout a movable thumb, you have to scoop the object into a fixed thump.

 

[v8dave]

The rock retaining wall, view from the shop. This has about 200 boulders in it it is roughly 3' high and is a bit over 110' in length.

The excavator with a thumb was used to place all these boulders.

 

[v8dave]

Here is the wall viewed toward the shop.

This wall wouldn't have happened if I didn't have the excavator with a moveable thumb to transport and place the boulders.

 

[MicroPilot]

I've always wanted to rent one of those excavators. They look like they would be too much fun!!

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[coopers]

A thumb can be a very good addition to your machine depending on what you need to do with it and just how often. If you don't have a backhoe seat that is easy to turn around or just pop the machine in forward (like on case backhoes, large JD backhoes etc.) than it can get frustrating fast like someone mentioned. But if you get the right thumb, it can be soooooooo nice to have one. Hyd. is always of course, better because it's more maneuverable than a mech. thumb and so on, but it's more expensive I'm sure and can add weight to the machine (some people don't like, not that a mechanical thumb doesn’t) and you may not have the capability to put another pump in the engine compartment. That's how it was for my old boss's backhoe, couldn't do it because the extend-a-hoe took too much room hydraulic wise (pump wise) in the engine, so he stuck with a mechanical thumb, the best style I've seen so far....most are really funky looking and not as effective and can only be adjusted by hand and they don’t move with the bucket, not a good design IMHO.

Blake
WA


Here's his backhoe and the thumb. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/35-225837-Scan002%2CJanuary12%2C2003.jpg

 

[Rowski]

I love my thumb! It is a "mechanical" type. I use it a lot. Done more thumb work with my backhoe than digging. I use it to move and load stone, dig out small stumps and move them, grapple brush and move it, carry whole trees, rip out saplings.

Rock work

More rock work

I would like to think that a thumb would be more usefull on a larger backhoe, mine is 9.5'. It has more power and has a larger reach area. My thumb is about 110lbs so I loose that on my overall lifting capacity. This is what my thumb looks like. Picture of it on my tractor.

I've got tons of pictures of working with rock but I don't have any from moving brush, trees, and saplings /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif.

 

[Henro]

Today as I was nocking down standing dead trees and getting the stumps out of the ground I was thinking a thumb would be nice...

But at the same time I was thinking a hydraulic thumb would be nice...not sure if a mechanical thumb would have been an advantage or a pain...

Still up in the air on thumgs I guess... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[KiotiJohn]

Henro, I believe the thumb kits I posted about are also useable with hydraulics. They have different models and the owner will honor the $20 off any model. John