Kubota BX24 Thumb......

[Shmudda]

I took delivery of a new Kubota BX24 Tractor at the end of December. It's still sitting in the garage right now but I have begun to mount the goodies to it. I decided that one of the first things I needed was a Thumb. Here in Western Pennsylvania it can get pretty rocky, and also I cut a lot of fire wood, so this attachement will come in quite handy.

The pictures shown here are of a Thumb I fabricated. I first layed the whole lower Dipper Stick and Bucket assembly out on a CADD System to properly design the Thumb. It is made of 3/8" thick plate, and a 2"x2"x 3/16" box beam for the arm. The gripper is just a simple 4" channel that I cut notches out with a cut-off wheel on a disc grinder. The side plates were laser cut from the CADD file in a local machine shop. The best thing here, total cost was only about $60.00 bucks! Better than paying the high prices of buying retail.

 

[Maynard287]

NICE JOB!!! Looks like you need to get it dirty.

 

[Dmace]

Nice Work! I like how it is setup for a top-link so later on, you can move up to a hydraulic top-link and really have a useful tool.

 

[RedDirt]

VERY nice job. I have a very similar one in mind, almost identical, you beat me to it.

Would you mind posting you CAD drawing? .dwg, .dxf, or .pdf. would work for me.

I have no experience with thumbs but other posts have mentioned slippage of the squeezed bolt-on types. You may find a couple of thrust blocks may need to be welded on the dipperstick. Please let us know how yours works once you get the chance to use it.

 

[Shmudda]

Thanks for the comments, I really enjoyed making this thing.

As for it sliding up the Dipper Stick, I don't see how it can as the stick is tapered and wedged from the narrow end at the bucket and the wide end at mid-knuckle. That was the tricky part in designing this, because the (2) bolts along the tapered bottom I installed a 1/4" thick plate so when the forces are applied to the thumb it will transfer back into the bolts in a shear fashion and then thus the plate will distribute the load more evenly across the bottom taper of the Dipper Stick. We'll see how the thing works. As soon as the weather breaks some around here (6 degrees out now) I plan on see what the whole machine can do. Believe me, there are a number of rocks and stumps in my sights!

If someone wants the CADD file, it's drawing in Autocad. Drop me a line and I'll send it.

Craig

 

[wedge40]

How much welding was involved when you made this. I see a lot of cutting, but maybe only one or two welds.

Sure wish I could weld.

Wedge

 

[Shmudda]

Wedge,

You have to weld (6) small spacer plates onto the arm, thats it. Minimual at best.

Here's how I justify tools...like a small 125 amp Mig Welder. I needed to have a utility trailer that needed to be built hellful strong for firewood. I looked at one that would cost me to purchase and found that what I wanted was going to cost me 800 bucks. Now I looked into a small mig, all the accessories, helmet, gloves, and such and found that I could purchase that for 350 bucks. Then I went and looked at the structual steel to make the trailer, that was another 400 bucks including the axle and wheels/tires I bought off Ebay. So, for a total of 750 bucks I had a trailer, and a mig welder both for less then what I would have bought the trailer for. Now, I didnt make anything for my time, but my time is free to me!

You could do the same with this Thumb. The thumb cost me about 60 bucks. If you would go buy the mig, you would have a total of 410 or so. Considering that some of these commerical Thumbs are 400 plus tax, you would be at a break even point, but you would have the mig for another project, and a Thumb.......

My wife doesn't always agree with my line of thinking, but it works for me!!!

Good luck.......

Craig

 

[Knotbored]

The thumb cost me about 60 bucks. If you would go buy the mig, you would have a total of 410 or so. Considering that some of these commerical Thumbs are 400 plus tax, you would be at a break even point, but you would have the mig for another project, and a Thumb.......

My wife doesn't always agree with my line of thinking, but it works for me!!!

Good luck.......

Craig

I used that same reasoning-I was gonna take the wife out to dinner, but saved a bundle by bringing home a pot roast for her to cook and bought a table saw with the savings.
I am now working on the doghouse my wife suggested I sleep in for the next couple of weeks. Couldn't have done it without that saw.

 

[wedge40]

Wedge,

You have to weld (6) small spacer plates onto the arm, thats it. Minimual at best.

Here's how I justify tools...like a small 125 amp Mig Welder. I needed to have a utility trailer that needed to be built hellful strong for firewood. I looked at one that would cost me to purchase and found that what I wanted was going to cost me 800 bucks. Now I looked into a small mig, all the accessories, helmet, gloves, and such and found that I could purchase that for 350 bucks. Then I went and looked at the structual steel to make the trailer, that was another 400 bucks including the axle and wheels/tires I bought off Ebay. So, for a total of 750 bucks I had a trailer, and a mig welder both for less then what I would have bought the trailer for. Now, I didnt make anything for my time, but my time is free to me!

You could do the same with this Thumb. The thumb cost me about 60 bucks. If you would go buy the mig, you would have a total of 410 or so. Considering that some of these commerical Thumbs are 400 plus tax, you would be at a break even point, but you would have the mig for another project, and a Thumb.......

My wife doesn't always agree with my line of thinking, but it works for me!!!

Good luck.......

Craig

I should have said is I'm NOT ALLOWED to weld for medical reasons. Pacemakers and emi dont mix well. I still need to call the ICD manufacture and see what the real story is.

I have friend who can weld and is working on my ripper tooth right now. But I dont want to wear my welcome out coming to him every month or two with another project.

Just to make you jealous.. No wife.. Funding (within reason) not an issue, so the only person I need to convince is myself. Which is pretty easy most of the time. LOL

 

[RedDirt]

I did not realize the bx24 had a tapered dipper. My bx23 dipper is straight. I'll bet your design will work great. I'm sending a PM for the CADD drawing. It won't interchange with the bx23 but may help me out seeing your geometry. I know a lot of time goes into design, thanks for sharing.