I love my thumb!

[rimshot]

If you need a thumb, why don't you buy one of these:

Michigan Iron & Equipment: Kioti Dealer

He makes them up and they are quite clever. You can get them manual operation or hydraulic.

rimshot

 

[Carl_NH]

Thanks Milton,

Here's an older pic of my setup - not in action.. just returning to the barn. My log pile still has snow around it as I start cutting and splitting in August/Sept as the wood has been cut for 2 years.

The front Y stand is pinned on so its fast to remove and lower to the ground. Then the stand on the 3PT setup makes it easy to slide to the side of the barn when not in use.

The top link is connected to the bucket with a 1/2" connecting link so its a matter of sliding the splitter to the bucket and looping it over the bucket hook and lifting then connecting the hoses to the BH connection - takes less than 5 minutes all told.

To switch from BH use to splitter, I just pin the BH and swap the hoses to the splitter.

 

[arrow]

I mean it, I really do. Let's post some pics of your favorite uses of your backhoe with thumb in action. Ok, I will start. Here's the new B3200 in action making cutting firewood a lot easier.

Manipulating stems with a backhoe or excavator brings one into another world of wood cutting efficiency. I am seriously thinking of getting a Takeuchi 135 just for this aspect. A digging arm with a thumb is on par and may even go beyond the handiness of a front end loader. Like a front end loader, you discover so many other things it can be used for.

 

[archerynut]

I also thought about buying a mini excavator but it was more cost effective for me right now to just the bh with thumb for the B3200. Now that I have it, I still want a mini ex, but with hydraulic thumb.

 

[Mousefield]

One of the main reasons to get the tractor was also to get it with a backhoe.
As the back, shoulder and knees give me a bit of trouble at times it has been very nice to have. For my use getting a backhoe without a thumb was not an option. The thumb and backhoe have been very handy, :thumbsup: used it just yesterday to move 3 cedar logs to where I am going to be putting up a calf shed. Use the backhoe and thumb for mainly getting and cutting firewood.Great to be able to lift the log to a nice cutting height without bending over. Nice to be able to gently place the round onto the wood splitter. The backhoe can also help you get out of a hole if you get that sinking feeling. :laughing: :laughing:

 

[archerynut]

One of the main reasons to get the tractor was also to get it with a backhoe.
As the back, shoulder and knees give me a bit of trouble at times it has been very nice to have. For my use getting a backhoe without a thumb was not an option. The thumb and backhoe have been very handy, :thumbsup: used it just yesterday to move 3 cedar logs to where I am going to be putting up a calf shed. Use the backhoe and thumb for mainly getting and cutting firewood.Great to be able to lift the log to a nice cutting height without bending over. Nice to be able to gently place the round onto the wood splitter. The backhoe can also help you get out of a hole if you get that sinking feeling. :laughing: :laughing:

That last pic looks like you were definitely getting that sinking feeling. I've used the bh FEL combo to get me out of a couple of sticky situations.

 

[arrow]

I also thought about buying a mini excavator but it was more cost effective for me right now to just the bh with thumb for the B3200. Now that I have it, I still want a mini ex, but with hydraulic thumb.

How much of a chore is it to take the hoe off and back on?

 

[Mousefield]

How much of a chore is it to take the hoe off and back on?

For me it has taken less than 10 minutes and a few times 15-20 minutes. Find it easier to take off as sometimes lining up the bracket, when reattaching, can take a few minutes. Fastest time I've done it in is about 6 minuets to put it back on. This is a Woods 7 ft backhoe on a 35HP Kioti tractor. After you do it a few times it really isn't that much to put on or take off.

 

[arrow]

For me it has taken less than 10 minutes and a few times 15-20 minutes. Find it easier to take off as sometimes lining up the bracket, when reattaching, can take a few minutes. Fastest time I've done it in is about 6 minuets to put it back on. This is a Woods 7 ft backhoe on a 35HP Kioti tractor. After you do it a few times it really isn't that much to put on or take off.

What is the lift capacity. Are you able to pick up a thousand pound log and walk with it?

 

[Dargo]

I also thought about buying a mini excavator but it was more cost effective for me right now to just the bh with thumb for the B3200. Now that I have it, I still want a mini ex, but with hydraulic thumb.

Last weekend I used my Takeuchi TB175 and cut up enough of 128" log sections to completely fill my dump truck to the point I couldn't get anymore to fit in it. Most were good straight ash about 20" in diameter or so. I used my hydraulic thumb on the excavator to pluck them out of the truck and get seven 18" sections out of each log. Until I went to split all of them in the last couple of days I didn't realize how much more you can fit in a dumptruck compared to a pickup! I'm sick of splitting wood and my log splitter wants to nap in the back of my barn for a while again. However, it sure beats only having a chainsaw, pickup and maul! Compared to that, it's almost like cheating.

Oh, I gotta show him. One of the logs was hollow and this little guy came out of the log just as the splitter was about to get him. After having him a few days now, he prefers to be held and my kids have a ball with him. I had no idea how gentle and friendly the little things are.