Thumb Finally got the Thumb working!

[AlbionWood]

Took me the better part of 3 weeks, but today I finally got the Thumb working:


First I had to install a diverter valve, make hoses, and connect a pushbutton switch to operate the diverter.

Not really done with the install yet, the electrical work is just a temporary hack to get it working. In fact the electrical has been and continues to be the biggest hassle associated with this project. Hydraulics were a piece of cake, but finding a weatherproof momentary pushbutton switch has been a lot harder than I thought it would be.

But it is SWEEET!


This was a low-budget operation. Valve $110, fittings about $80, hoses in exchange for homebrew, temporary switch $8. Paid retail for the Thumb though.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Great job :thumbsup: :thumbsup: You will love that thumb and forks combo. Looks good on that tractor too.

For weather proof electrical stuff try looking in a marine or boating supply place. I think Surplus Center also has some weather PB proof switches.

gg

 

[IXLR8]

Thanks for this, I have the same forks and was thinking about doing the same thing. Which "Thumb" did you order? Do you have a picture with the Thumb down, without anything on the forks? I am curious to see how "closed" it gets.

 

[ovrszd]

Very nice addition. You'll get a lot of use from this attachment.

 

[AlbionWood]

Great job :thumbsup: :thumbsup: You will love that thumb and forks combo. Looks good on that tractor too.

For weather proof electrical stuff try looking in a marine or boating supply place. I think Surplus Center also has some weather PB proof switches.

Thanks. I did try marine supply places, they have waterproof pushbutton switches but they are all designed to mount into a panel of some kind. The ones that looked perfect online turned out to be too big, and too hard to push, for this application. So right now it has a cheapo pushbutton on it, which will probably be there for 12 years or until it fails, but I plan to replace it with this.

 

[AlbionWood]

Thanks for this, I have the same forks and was thinking about doing the same thing. Which "Thumb" did you order? Do you have a picture with the Thumb down, without anything on the forks? I am curious to see how "closed" it gets.

I got the 36" and probably should have paid for a custom build to get longer ones. Here it is closed:

It would be super-sweet to have one that just touched the tips of the forks. Still, this greatly increases what I can do, and makes carrying piles of brush and limbs MUCH easier.

 

[IXLR8]

I got the 36" and probably should have paid for a custom build to get longer ones. Here it is closed:
View attachment 466324
It would be super-sweet to have one that just touched the tips of the forks. Still, this greatly increases what I can do, and makes carrying piles of brush and limbs MUCH easier.

Thank you, I really appreciate the information and picture.

 

[jimmysisson]

I think you'll like the way yours operates better than if it "kissed the tips". This way you can clamp down tighter. Esp with logs or small loads of sticks. Let us know how you like it.
Jim

 

[AlbionWood]

That's a good point. Yesterday I picked up some small logs, and it worked really well. Still, if it "kissed the tips" I could pick up logs a littl easier, since I wouldn't have to get the forks very far under them - on uneven ground that can be difficult. I bent one tine last year doing that, got the fork stuck in the ground while the tractor was going forward... used up a lot of propane fixing that.