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!
BX 24 / Wallenstein Thumb - Caution!
- Thread starter DKnocking
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RayCo
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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
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
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Correction to my assumption. It WAS the thumb again. This is definitely a problem!
escavader
Veteran Member
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
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
Super Member
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
Silver Member
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?
RayCo
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acohen100 said:
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.
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RayCo
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Volfandt said:
The Wallenstein thumb is great when you're using it. It's just when you fold it away that it becomes a problem.
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.
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.
Last edited:
RayCo
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Mine only hits when I have the thumb folded out of the way, since the thumb would otherwise prevent it from curling all the way in. Although, curled all the way out would do the same thing, you'd think. But, I just took the thumb off and decided to investigate further later, since my current project is all digging. I'm very disappointed though.
Volfandt
Veteran Member
Went out and snapped a pick of the Bro Tek thumb mounted on my BX23's dipperstick and when compareing it against the pic by Rayco, one visably huge difference between the BX23 & BX24's dipperstick is in the position of where the fittings mount on the dipperstick's ram.
On the BX23 the fitting appears to protrude out from the ram at a 90 degree angle to the dipperstick whereas on the BX24 the fittings appear to be closer to a 45 to 60 degree angle which puts the fittings dangerouely closer to the thumbs mounting brackets. On the BX23 theres a couple inches of clearance.
A lesser appearant difference is how the Bro Tek thumb mounts to the dipperstick. The taper on both dipperstick's is such that it will not allow the Bro Tek thumb to slide any further back once it's fastened down. When the upper and lower bolts are fastened securely there will be no further movement of the thumb bracket due to their spacing.
There may be more differences but it's hard to tell. But from the pic's it seems the main difference is in the rams and at what angle the fittings fasten to them.
On the BX23 the fitting appears to protrude out from the ram at a 90 degree angle to the dipperstick whereas on the BX24 the fittings appear to be closer to a 45 to 60 degree angle which puts the fittings dangerouely closer to the thumbs mounting brackets. On the BX23 theres a couple inches of clearance.
A lesser appearant difference is how the Bro Tek thumb mounts to the dipperstick. The taper on both dipperstick's is such that it will not allow the Bro Tek thumb to slide any further back once it's fastened down. When the upper and lower bolts are fastened securely there will be no further movement of the thumb bracket due to their spacing.
There may be more differences but it's hard to tell. But from the pic's it seems the main difference is in the rams and at what angle the fittings fasten to them.
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acohen100
Silver Member
So has anyone figured out a fix for this? I just torqued up my bolts as hard as I could but I'm not entirely reassured by that. I was thinking about drilling a hole through the dipper and putting a lynch pin through just above the trailing edge of the bolt-on portion of the thumb to definitively prevent it from migrating up. Anyone think that's a bad idea? Are there any hydraulic lines hidden in there that I might hit while drilling?
Kevin Beitz
Member
I wonder if a split collar would stop it from sliding ???
Prior to having the dealer pick it up for repair, I cranked the thumb bolts as tight as I could get them and it still slid back up. I had marked the safe spot on the boom, checked it, went to move 1 rock (probably a couple hundred pounds) and it slid up and I snapped another connector.
This was the dealers' fix for the sliding thumb. By putting the stops on it, both sides (as oppossed to welding the thumb itself) I can still remove the thumb but it doesn't slide up.
Worked it hard today and didn't have to worry!
So definitely weld.
I think if you drill a hole you would need to reinforce it or it would elongate with hard work. You may be able to see the wear spot in my boom about 1-1/2 inch above the thumb it is abot 1/4" deep from the thumb movement prior to the stops being added.
BTW- Dealer picked it up Wednesday, brought it back on Thursday. No charge!
This was the dealers' fix for the sliding thumb. By putting the stops on it, both sides (as oppossed to welding the thumb itself) I can still remove the thumb but it doesn't slide up.
Worked it hard today and didn't have to worry!
So definitely weld.
I think if you drill a hole you would need to reinforce it or it would elongate with hard work. You may be able to see the wear spot in my boom about 1-1/2 inch above the thumb it is abot 1/4" deep from the thumb movement prior to the stops being added.
BTW- Dealer picked it up Wednesday, brought it back on Thursday. No charge!
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acohen100
Silver Member
Thanks for the update. I am not the welding type so drilling holes and shoving in a lynch pin is definitely more my speed. I'm nervous about using my thumb until I do something about this.
Roadkill95
Silver Member
DKKNOCKING
Good thing no charge. Is that the best looking job that they could do, functional yes, a mess yes.
IF you need anymore welding or fabricating I think I would find another dealer. JMO
Good thing no charge. Is that the best looking job that they could do, functional yes, a mess yes.
IF you need anymore welding or fabricating I think I would find another dealer. JMO
Roadkill95
Silver Member
Like I said JMO. I just would have to wonder if the work that shows looks like that, what does the work that doesen't show look like.
It just looks like something that old farmer Brown pulled out of the pile to plate a crack with.
Would have taken 20-30 min to fab a plate that would fit the cotour of the thumb, run some nice beads and it would look like its suppose to be there. Again JMO
Just a BH? Just has to function? why spend all the smoke for a Kubota?
Sorry for the rant in my line of work there are alot of hackers out there that shouldn't be.
Now 1 question? Should a good quaility Kubota dealer compete for the same amount of dollars as a guy that does this kind of work?
It just looks like something that old farmer Brown pulled out of the pile to plate a crack with.
Would have taken 20-30 min to fab a plate that would fit the cotour of the thumb, run some nice beads and it would look like its suppose to be there. Again JMO
Just a BH? Just has to function? why spend all the smoke for a Kubota?
Sorry for the rant in my line of work there are alot of hackers out there that shouldn't be.
Now 1 question? Should a good quaility Kubota dealer compete for the same amount of dollars as a guy that does this kind of work?
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