BX 24 / Wallenstein Thumb - Caution!

DKnocking · Jul 16, 2007

Make sure your Wallenstein thumb stays tight. While building a stone retaining wall. I bent the hydralic connector just above the thumb and it started leaking fluid. Thought it was bumped by a rock. Replaced the fitting and went back to work, 2 days later, I broke the same fitting. Replaced it again, while checking for leaks I discovered the thumb had crept up, about 3/4". So when the bucket was totally uncurled the fitting was being pushed against the thumb bracket and bending the fitting. I was glad I had picked up extras!

RayCo · Jul 16, 2007

Did I write this??

Same thing happened to me on 7/4/07. I'm stopping and picking up a dozen of these connectors today.

The second time that I broke my connector, however, it wasn't the thumb's fault. The pressure in the lines simply sheared the adapter apart. I was quite shocked. Fortunately it was still connected enough to get the remaining threads out of the hydraulic cylinder. The replacement part was not a Kubota original, so I'm hoping that when I replace it with the OEM part tonight, it'll last much longer

RayCo · Jul 17, 2007

Correction to my assumption. It WAS the thumb again. This is definitely a problem!

escavader · Jul 17, 2007

When I put my thumb on[homemade]I tacked it with my welder.When i was positive i had it right i welded it on.Been 2 years with severe usage,never moved

If you look closely at the steel they make these hoes out of ,you got plenty of meat to tack it ,,or put a small bead behind it,so it wont slide by.Just a thought.
ALAN

MessickFarmEqu · Jul 18, 2007

This is one of the problems with these bolt on thumbs. This machine was never made for a thumb, so you need to be very careful when curling the bucket against a solid object. Excavators and other machines with thumbs incorporate relief valves on the bucket circuit to keep this from happening.

acohen100 · Jul 18, 2007

I don't quite get it. I have the same setup and havent seen the fitting of which you speak. Can someone post a pic?

Volfandt · Jul 18, 2007

So far I've had no problems or issues with my Bro Tek thumb. It's been one of the handiest implements I"ve added to my BX23.

RayCo · Jul 18, 2007

acohen100 said:
I don't quite get it. I have the same setup and havent seen the fitting of which you speak. Can someone post a pic?

I'm at work so can't take a picture better than what I have here. I took this just the other day so that I have a record of things. The hose I'm holding normally has an elbow adapter, and this is what hits the thumb bracket that you see in the background. For me, this happens when I fully curl the bucket. From the natural geometry of how things move, the cylinder hugs in close to the dipperstick and crushes the elbow adapter. I ordered a dozen spares to have on hand as I figure out how to get around this. Maybe I'll take escavader's advice and use this as my excuse to get a welder.

RayCo · Jul 18, 2007

Volfandt said:
So far I've had no problems or issues with my Bro Tek thumb. It's been one of the handiest implements I"ve added to my BX23.

The Wallenstein thumb is great when you're using it. It's just when you fold it away that it becomes a problem.

DKnocking · Jul 18, 2007

It doesn't matter if the thumb is up or down. When you open/uncurl the bucket to its greatest point, the elbow connector is pushed into the bracket holding the thumb onto the boom. There is only a small area of play maybe 1/2" to 3/4" where it won't hit the elbow or bind at the lower edge. The best bet would be to weld it so it can't move. I got it in that spot but as soon as I put hard pressure on it it slid back up.
The BX 24 elbow on the cylinder is located closer to the boom than prior models, say 4:30 vs 3:00.
My dealer picked up my BX today. It looked like the cylinder threads were damaged by the break, I bought it with the thumb on it so I can let them deal with it. I felt fortunate they put it on.