Who needs a thumb?!

[Gary Fowler]

A thumb on a backhoe is as useful as a human thumb. Just think how handicapped one would be without his thumb. Well the backhoe is just as handicapped without a thumb and a hydraulically adjustable thumb is really the only way to go with one.

 

[Tomtint]

I have a manual one on my BH77 ( L3700 SU ) it's ok ..but the limited length of the hoe and relatively small radius of it..really limits its usefulness. I also have a KX121 with a hydraulic thumb.... its night and day more useful and about 300x faster and probably 6x stronger. At this point the hoe on the back of the tractor..is basically ballast for the grapple.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I am always trying to get a bit more functionality out of the B21. Rather than get another machine. That is why I made the hyd thumb with progressive linkage. The hyd actuation is very important as Gary said. With the progressive linkage the thumb gets 180 degrees range of motion and a lot more reach than any mechanical thumb. Direct link hyd thumbs get 90-110 degrees range of motion. It makes a difference. When I was mocking it up I got 210 degrees of motion but dialed that back to avoid excess force on the components. Also with progressive linkage the cyl stays close to the stick, compared to direct linkage, and out of harm's way for instance when dumping into a trailer.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I was just thinking. I don't think I have EVER seen a commercial TLB with a thumb.

 

[4570Man]

I was just thinking. I don't think I have EVER seen a commercial TLB with a thumb.

You have now.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Note to self. . . . One.

Betcha he didn't get far with that wide load. Seems to me, a logging style grapple would be infinitely more useful. I know it would be for me.

 

[4570Man]

A full size TLB without a thumb is really missing out. Now imagine if it was hydraulic and had a quick attach bucket with 3rd function hydraulics.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Many guys that have a full size TLB also have an excavator. Then, a thumb really comes into it's own. With reach, height and 360 degree operation.

 

[4570Man]

I’d like to have a midi excavator in the 10 ton range but a thumb was cheaper than another machine.

 

[Diggin It]

I'd like to see an **affordable** attachment that replaces a small BH bucket; claw like with full rotation.