Backhoe Thumb...weld or bolt?

[Dataway]

I'm going to build a backhoe thumb for my Woods BH750 next month and I'm undecided about bolting or welding on the mounts.
Is there any disadvantage to welding on the mounts? ( I have a welding shop) Other than the obvious fact I can't remove them. I'll still be able to remove the thumb itself of course, and I can't imagine I'd ever need the mounts removed for any reason.

Once installed I can't think of a reason to remove the thumb if it's capable of being folded out of the way.

Anything I'm missing?
Thanks,
JohnnyB

 

[FredH]

Bought my thumb off e-bay . Could of done either bolt on or weld on my 757 new holland . Ended up just welding it with my lincoln 135 . I have moved some things that the back hoe could barely lift yet the welds have held and without any damage to the backhoe frame itself .

Added a rattle can of new holland blue over the black original paint and it looks pretty much original new holland .

I guess it would just depend on your preference . I did take a considerable amount of time though in setting it up as to were I would finally position the brackets , as once you weld , although not a done deal , it is harder to rearrange your plans .

Fred H.

 

[countrybumpkin]

Fred pretty much said the same thing as I was going to. If you weld just make sure that's were you want the brackets, a real pain to move later if they are welded. to me the welded brackets have a much cleaner look.

 

[sizzami]

I say weld because if you drill holes over time the mount will probably shuck around and wear out the holes eventually leading to cracks in the arm , I have fixed alot of them .

 

[shaley]

Doesn't Woods make an accessory BH thumb that uses the bucket pins for a mount? Here is the manual for the BH70 Thumb.
showcontent

 

[Dataway]

Thanks for the input guys...it's helping me make up my mind. (to weld Was thinking all those same things...including paint to match.

Shaley...very cool, didn't know Woods made such an add-on. Wonder if it would fit a BH750. Probably costs $500+ if it's still available. Going to check on that.

JohnnyB

 

[Jaylegger]

You may also wish to check out how these guys attach their thumbsBro-Tek Thumb. No potential bad welds or drill holes to weaken the existing structure and easy transparent reversal of the attachment attachment which should maximize maintained resale value of the structure the attachment is being attached to.

 

[Dataway]

I considered a Bro-Tek...but I can make my own thumb for a fraction of the costs. Being a small fab shop I have my own plasma cutter, extensive welding equipment, milling machine, lathe, Hossfeld, brakes etc.
I purchased the metal today, 10' of 4"x 1/2" A36 Flat ($44). I'll be re-enforcing the boom in the area of the anchor with a solid base plate of 1/2" steel, so boom bending should not be an issue.

I was concerned about the fact that it could not be removed (reversed as you say), but after reading comments from thumb owners I couldn't ever see it as being a "plus" NOT to have one installed. I mean it would be kinda like removing air-condition from your car.... could only hurt the value.

Lack of weld quality isn't a real concern for me, I've been doing it for about 30 years

My concerns were mainly... would there ever be a reason to remove it? Would it get in the way of anything? Is it destructive to the machine in any way?

I've curled so many 1500 lb rocks against the boom as tight as I can that I can't imagine having a thumb would be WORSE for the boom that what I typically do without one
JohnnyB

 

[Runner]

I haven't done mine yet, but when I do, I'm going to mount the thumb on a plate with four holes drilled in it, two on each side of the boom. Then, I'll place another plate on the opposite side, sandwiching the boom in between and use some long bolts to hold the two plates together.

I want to be able to remove/reposition it, just in case.

 

[Runner]

...like this one