GC1710 Backhoe stabilizer pads and thumb

[irvingj]

Welcome to TBN! I suppose you went to New Boston T&E? Seem like nice folks there. (About a 70-mile trip for me.)

 

[papageorgio]

Yes. That is where i went. Not a lot of options for massey around here but theyve been very pleasant so far. I feel fortunate that i live in an area where i was able to see all of the different machines! Just need to see what that thumb looks like and put this thing to work!
George

 

[madhatter]

Here ya go. Haven't used it yet but I must say, it's pretty cool that Massey has a factory mechanical thumb now. Install went ok, bit of trial and error as the instructions were brutal. Cost wise, the thumb is actually not bad for the quality and the design. The stabilizer pads however, I feel are a bit of a rip off. My rubber pads on my GC2310 were 4 times as thick and came WITH the tractor and these were not cheap. Will post again once I try the thumb....

 

[mguitas]

Nice to see there making replaceable teeth for the bucket. Because at one time they didn't.

 

[papageorgio]

Looks GREAT! Very nice. I'm expecting my machine to be delivered any day now so I think I'll pull the trigger on that thumb. Thats too bad about the stabilizer pads though. I'm not planning to be working on pavement much but someone mentioned truck re-caps. Thats a good idea too. (And my friend owns a trucking company so even better) I'd love to know how the thumb works out for you. I'm also looking to get some clamp on pallet forks for moving larger rocks to build some walls. Has anyone got any recommendations for forks? The ones with the bars in between seem like a good idea to keep them from splaying out. Thanks for sharing your pics!

George

 

[irvingj]

I agree-- replaceable teeth on the backhoe seems like a good idea. Mine are welded on, but so far (with pretty minimal usage, I'll admit) seem to be holding up well.

And the thumb with the spaced-apart teeth also seems like it would be useful; I have the Bro-Tek thumb, which has dual "teeth," but they're spaced more closely together, only about 4" apart. Let us know how your stuff works out!

ijk

 

[AxleHub]

I'm curious about the use of stabilizer pads for backhoe purposes.

1. What size do they need to be?

2. Are they used always or just for concrete/blacktop/gravel ?

3. What do they cost to purchase?

4. I assume they are thick rubber ?

 

[madhatter]

I'm curious about the use of stabilizer pads for backhoe purposes.

1. What size do they need to be?

2. Are they used always or just for concrete/blacktop/gravel ?

3. What do they cost to purchase?

4. I assume they are thick rubber ?

1. Thickness ? These are about 3/4"
2. I actually use them on my lawn as well, hold the tractor fine and doesn't rip up the grass. But I think they are meant for concrete or pavement
3. They were around $300.00
4. They are metal, encased in rubber.

 

[AxleHub]

1. Thickness ? These are about 3/4"
2. I actually use them on my lawn as well, hold the tractor fine and doesn't rip up the grass. But I think they are meant for concrete or pavement
3. They were around $300.00
4. They are metal, encased in rubber.

I have an alternate idea for those who don't want to spend $300.00 (or at least not $290).

For about 9 years now . . Whenever I want to isolate floor area from vibration or moisture . . I use rubber "tiles". They come 16" × 16" in a choice or 5 or 6 colors. They can be cut with a miter saw or table saw . . But be prepared for smoke and smell when you do it. Thickness is 3/4 inch . . Very solid and durable. They take alot of abuse . . But they don't tear and are very dense pliable rubber.

 

[AxleHub]