Buying Advice How important is a Backhoe Thumb?

[grm61]

I have a mechanical thumb and have used it alot. The problem is, after you use it, it is in the way for digging out the next boulder etc, so you have to get off the tractor and pin it up.
If I had it to do over, I would have spent the extra money and went with a hydraulic thumb.

I have alot of big rocks, so I dig them out, pick them up with the thumb, then transport them hanging from the hoe and place them, it is time consuming, but it works...I really want a grapple for the loader, and I am already plumbed for it, that would be tha cats meow for my situation, I could dig up rocks then just drive around and pick them up with the grapple, and put them where they need to go .

 

[CurlyDave]

...Based on this, I'm going with the thumb.

That is a great choice. I have both thumb and a grapple on my TLB and they do different tasks. Both are valuable and very useful.

I think you want a general-purpose machine and these add a lot of capability. My hydraulic thumb has never gotten in the way of anything I wanted to do, but has added a lot of versatility to the hoe. There is a world of difference between a mechanical thumb and a hydraulic one. The mechanical thumb can easily get in the way of a lot of operations and just does not have anywhere near the capabilities of a hydraulic one.

 

[DavesTractor]

I suppose if a guy is simply digging trenches or septic tanks and such, a thumb would not be that handy. But for general property clean-up, it is a must have in my book. A mechanical thumb is a step in the right direction, but just bite the bullet and get the hydraulic if your budget allows. Then a 4-n-1 on the front and also a root rake grapple to swap on occasionally and you'll hate to ever shut off your machine for all the fun you will be having.