BH75 - Thumb?

[AMR]

I didn't think I would need one, but I have been stumping with my B3030 and BH75, it has done a great job. I find that once the stump is free it is tough to move around, I think a thumb is what the doctor ordered.

I have seen BX23/24 thumbs, but have not seen thumbs for the BH75, does anyone have one, and would you recommend a certain manufacturer.

Thanks as always.

 

[ChuckinNH]

I think that BroTek has done them for the BH75. Around here, a local dealer is fabricating, and welding on his own design.

 

[westbrooklawn]

Bro-tek is the way to go... do a search and you will find pics of one on a BH75. I just got one for my BX80-X but I haven't had a chance to get pics... I will in the near future.

 

[AMR]

thanks for the tip, wow, great email service over there at Bro-Tek, thumb should be on the way to me in the next couple weeks, can't wait

 

[WAB85]

Sounds like you already have a Bro-Tek thumb on the way.
I purchased one from them for my BH90. I have not used it yet, but I can't wait for this northern Indiana weather to get better, to try it out.
If you go to message # 12927, you can see a picture of it installed in the folded position, along with some of my comments.
I also saw message #12770 which talks about a thumb on a BH75, but not Bro-Tek.

Have fun with it and tell us how you like it.
KW

 

[AMR]

I am really excited for my thumb. I have about 2 dozen stumps sitting in or next to the spot I dug them out of. The thumb wil be really handy for pulling these things out and piling them up. Plus I have about, oh let's say, 4 million rocks to deal with. I have read that these thing slide around on the dipper, anybody experience this?

 

[bandit67]

Richard's design positions the bolts tight up against the tapered dipper so that his thumb can't move up the wider cross section.

The one that folks were having problems with was the Wallenstein, because they don't position the bolts tight against the dipper, so there's nothing to keep it from sliding up until the bolts get to a wider part of the dipper. Rookies.

 

[digicamnut]

I was told that putting a thumb on the BH75 would void the warranty? I sure would like to put one on mine when I get it in the next day or two!

 

[bandit67]

A weld-on thumb would because there's no way of controlling the quality of the weld and it's potential impact on the structural integrity of the dipper, but I don't see how a clamp-on one would. With the clamp-on, you'll break a cylinder or the thumb strut or bend or shear the bolts before breaking the dipper.

Something to verify, though. I believe the backhoe warranty is only a year anyway.

 

[digicamnut]

What kinda money we lookin at for the thumb?

 

[bandit67]

Under $400 delivered to my door. Contact Richard directly, he will answer your email the same day. He's got a nice ripper tooth for the larger hoes, too, and if you want two items, will give you a package deal.

I've heard nothing but good things - as far as I know, he started as just another TBN member, and started tinkering with his own machine, then had a bunch of other TBN members ask him to repeat a couple of things he did for himself, and it's taken off from there. I think his very first mod was the skid plates on his BX.

Sort of started like Gomer recently did with his fuel filter guard. Now Gomer's making more and shipping them to other TBN members.

Be careful showing off mods you make to your machine - before you know it, you may be selling your products.

 

[AMR]

I am yet to have worked with anyone as easily as Richard at Bro-Tek, a couple emails and my thumb is on the way.

Warranty, interesting idea, I never gave it a thought. Thinking about it now, if my BH has some kind of catastrophic failure from using this thumb I would have to classify it as junk anyway.

 

[TalonDancer]

.....Be careful showing off mods you make to your machine - before you know it, you may be selling your products.

Unless of course, you paint them green or blue

Talon Dancer