Backhoe First rock by thumb - BX25D

Weaselfoot · Nov 18, 2017

I tackled this rock for learning experience. Fairly easy to pluck out but right after the photo was taken, the rock fell down into its hole, protruding with round end up. I couldn't grab it again and instead had to dig a slot on the downside and drag it out. Ended up rolling it by hand off the trail. Fun regardless! 4 hours and counting ...

Al 2 · Nov 18, 2017

You have a Kubota with a loader and hoe with a thumb shown in the Thumbnails and you moved the rock by hand!! I'm way to lazy for that.

Weaselfoot · Nov 18, 2017

I'm wary of damaging the hoe by moving a big rock sideways with the boom. I could have turned around and used the FEL but it was easier to just get down and roll it.

Tractor Seabee · Nov 19, 2017

Metal on rock is a slippery slope. Nothing to dig the teeth into so it slides around. Some rocks just don't want to be picked up; happy where they are.

Ron

AStanton · Nov 19, 2017

Nice job. When I got my first Kubota it was a used BX-23. Here's a shot of me dragging a big stump out of the hole with a chain.

Tomtint · Nov 19, 2017

My L3700 has a mechanical thumb,... I find it a waste of time messing around with it, the swing of the BH is so minimal, picking up anything ...where am I going to go with it ? ..4 feet to the side ? ..

CurtisC · Nov 20, 2017

Careful when grappling large rocks. I racked the bucket on my B26 that took some work to realign. Try to get centered (as best you can) before the pick up and only use enough closing pressure as needed (also difficult since rocks don't give). My experience is based on trying to hang on to a large rock when it was up but started to shift so that all the contact was on one side of the bucket / thumb. The mechanical thumb was fine but the standard 16 inch bucket - not so much. I had always assumed the hydraulics would relieve before structural damage particularly on the TLB series, now I'm a bit more cautious with large rocks....