Backhoe Can anyone explain the disdavantages of buying a "thumb" for the BX24 backhoe?

[montelatici]

Can anyone explain the disdavantages of buying a "thumb" for the BX24 backhoe?

They are selling for about 300+ bucks on Ebay with shipping. Is it a useful tool or does it get in the way of normal backhoe digging?

 

[MOPAULY]

Re: Can anyone explain the disdavantages of buying a "thumb" for the BX24 backhoe?

To me it's not worth the price for what it does. I've seen some that flip up out of the way when not in use. Neat, but not worth that much $$$ to me.

 

[Bob_Young]

Re: Can anyone explain the disdavantages of buying a "thumb" for the BX24 backhoe?

I think a thumb would be very useful for cleanup chores: picking limbs out of a waterway, cleaning up a construction/demolition site, untangling a deadfall, holding logs up for the chainsaw, loading trash onto a trailer, building rock walls. Just ordered up a Woods BH90-X with a hydraulic thumb that added a pretty penny to the overall price....I've got a lot of cleanup work ahead.

Can't vouch for the ebay BX thumbs however. The BroTek (?) thumb looked pretty sturdy to me when I was considering a BX.
Bob

 

[RayH]

Re: Can anyone explain the disdavantages of buying a "thumb" for the BX24 backhoe?

Ive thought about buying the BH thumb but I think I would get more use from a loader thumb.

 

[montelatici]

Re: Can anyone explain the disdavantages of buying a "thumb" for the BX24 backhoe?

"Ive thought about buying the BH thumb but I think I would get more use from a loader thumb."

I was not aware of these. I will look for them.

 

[RayH]

Re: Can anyone explain the disdavantages of buying a "thumb" for the BX24 backhoe?

"Ive thought about buying the BH thumb but I think I would get more use from a loader thumb."

I was not aware of these. I will look for them.

Look for "grapple" I dont think its actually a "thumb" when its on a loader.

Something like this would be more useful to me than a "thumb" Tractor Loader Bucket Grapple
even if it was not powered, just like BroTec's BH thumb but wider for the loader bucket.

 

[madmoe]

Re: Can anyone explain the disdavantages of buying a "thumb" for the BX24 backhoe?

I got the BroTek thumb for my BX24 from Bro-Tek: Tractor Add Ons. Its great, as you can see it folds out of the way and doesnt get in the way when your digging. Its well made and the color matches perfectly, it looks like its a factory addon. I also highly recommend the skidplates that BroTek offers. The thumb and skidplates are very easy to install, it only took about 45 minutes to install both skidplates and the thumb.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Re: Can anyone explain the disdavantages of buying a "thumb" for the BX24 backhoe?

IMO, the BX24 is not large enough to really make proper use of a thumb.

 

[montelatici]

Re: Can anyone explain the disdavantages of buying a "thumb" for the BX24 backhoe?

"IMO, the BX24 is not large enough to really make proper use of a thumb."

Well, that solves the problem!

 

[Volfandt]

Re: Can anyone explain the disdavantages of buying a "thumb" for the BX24 backhoe?

IMO, the BX24 is not large enough to really make proper use of a thumb.

LOL, well don't tell my little BX23 that
Adding a thumb has been a very good thing to me. I'm basically a one man operation and the thumb is like haveing another stronger helper. Mainly in cutting up tree's and libs and grasping and depositing large rocks. It's not a grapple, but it can grasp quite a bit of material to put it where you want it.
Theres been a few folks thats posted their home made thumbs an dplans in the case the $$$'s are more than you want to spend.