"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.