BX Thumb Help $200 shipped

JOHNTHOMAS · May 15, 2012

I've been seeing "Thumb" talk on here for awhile but never seemed like something I'd need or want. Started looking at info concerning the use and joy of being a thumb owner and it's starting to appeal to me.
Started my research concerning use, price and durability yesterday. Guess prices rang from $200 to $600+. I'm not interested much above the $200 mark. More than that and I'm out of the thumb business. I've found two on ebay for $200 shipped that seem simple and made solid. Choice is 18" or 21". They are not brand names and don't carry brand name pricing.
I've bought different tractor products off ebay and have been very satisfied with their quality of construction. Also with the feedback scores a bad product is soon doomed. American Made and indicates thick and decent quality steel.
Anyone have any experience with these products? Any questions I should ask before buying? Ad indicates they can be welded (which I don't do) or bolted on which I do very well.

I'm picturing some sort of U bolts to hold them on the arm
21" Heavy duty backhoe THUMB mini excavator hoe clamp | eBay
New 18 inch Backhoe Thumb Mini Excavator Thumb Hoe Clamp | eBay

crazyal · May 15, 2012

I've never used a non hydraulic thumb so I'll be interested in what others have to say about them.

bx24 · May 16, 2012

They seem pretty stout and that is a fair price .... Did you decide?

magicheater · May 16, 2012

JOHNTHOMAS said:
I've been seeing "Thumb" talk on here for awhile but never seemed like something I'd need or want. Started looking at info concerning the use and joy of being a thumb owner and it's starting to appeal to me.
Started my research concerning use, price and durability yesterday. Guess prices rang from $200 to $600+. I'm not interested much above the $200 mark. More than that and I'm out of the thumb business. I've found two on ebay for $200 shipped that seem simple and made solid. Choice is 18" or 21". They are not brand names and don't carry brand name pricing.
I've bought different tractor products off ebay and have been very satisfied with their quality of construction. Also with the feedback scores a bad product is soon doomed. American Made and indicates thick and decent quality steel.
Anyone have any experience with these products? Any questions I should ask before buying? Ad indicates they can be welded (which I don't do) or bolted on which I do very well.
I'm picturing some sort of U bolts to hold them on the arm
21" Heavy duty backhoe THUMB mini excavator hoe clamp | eBay
New 18 inch Backhoe Thumb Mini Excavator Thumb Hoe Clamp | eBay

Just research the steel used.

radair · May 16, 2012

Sometimes you get what you pay for. Personally I think it's worth paying extra for good quality. I had a Wallenstein on my BX and it worked well for my needs. The ones you linked from eBay don't look as stout and I don't see how you're going to bolt those on without a bunch of mods.

The Kubota thumb on my B3000 is a work of art. I'm very impressed with it.

JOHNTHOMAS · May 16, 2012

Anyone bought one of these?
I picked up a bunch of wire shelving today and had to get off my tractor and stack it up on my front bucket. Was thinking if I had the thumb I could have picked it up with BH.

like2wheel · May 16, 2012

I liked the looks of the 18", however upon closer inspection it looks like the pin might have been installed on the wrong end of the thumb in the display picture. Compare the teeth in the 1st picture to the ones in the next picture of the thumb installed on the boom.

Might want to clarify that if you were to order one of those...

Garybake · May 17, 2012

No experience with either of those but I did get my BX24 Thumb from Extreme Metal Products and it sleeve bolts on the dipper arm. I like being able to take off two bolts and remove it when I use my ripper tooth and do any narrow trenching. It locks on securely and has not moved felling 10 large Maple's, moving trunk and limbs that have been picked up, brush cleared and cut for splitting. You get what you pay for and if it twists it will likely not collapse onto itself for storage out of the way when just BH is needed.
Keep your FEL loaded and low, if using a extended BH arm and heavy thumb load. :thumbsup:
Good Luck you will wonder how your back survived without one.