My new backhoe thumb

[3RRL]

Not anymore.. YOU WIN! <giggling profusely>
Hahaha, just spit my coffee all over!!!

 

[dfkrug]

so from what your saying i really did not need to spend the time to make such agressive teeth on mine. how about the webing between the teeth, i noticed some have nothing and some are almost solid. Have you noticed any advantage either way? now that I have the rough in done and looking at some of the other thumbs a little closer on here i am thinking of 2 things, make it lighter and wider. light part is easy, wide part

I enclosed the center part of my lastest thumb with steel plate because
it made the thumb stronger and it helped to hold dirt in the bkt when digging.
The thumb undergoes tremendous off-center forces when you grab things
like rocks. The wider you make the thumb, the more twisting torque it will
need to endure. If you go more than 4" wide, I would suggest using a 1"
or larger main pivot pin.

RCR also has a good point. Some jobs you have may be easier with the
thumb shaped a particular way. I found that a wide thumb tip made of plow
steel held up better than pointed mild steel. Mild steel wears fast when it
encounters lots of rocks.

 

[rcrcomputing]

Not anymore.. YOU WIN! <giggling profusely>
Hahaha, just spit my coffee all over!!!

I really was giggling as I wrote it!


Workinallthetime, Just kidding.... Did I make you mad? I gave you a whole day to jab me back! Talk to me! Helloooo

 

[workinallthetime]

I really was giggling as I wrote it!


Workinallthetime, Just kidding.... Did I make you mad? I gave you a whole day to jab me back! Talk to me! Helloooo

lol not at all, busy day at work and soaking all this thumb talk in. Im really aiming twords a 50% redesign. I did just get home and run straight out to play with my thumb in the rock pile, ohhhh that was fun, lol.

I like the way you set yours up with the width and then the webing w/ teeth , but then the idea of the increase in pressure from side to side has me thinking.

I have the steel to do the rework, but do not have a 10" pin or even know if i can get one that long. I have some bar stock but its bearly 5/8 and i know that wont do. the dril press I have is a very bad excuse for a drill press so its the torch and the grinder. perhaps the bar stock could be the teeth hmmmm
back to the scrap pile.

i do love what the redneck think tank has to say

 

[workinallthetime]

did not have time to paint it yet but here is the rework on the thumb, was to anxious to get out and try it out. went from 5" wide to 10" wide, bottom teeth drop below bh teeth, less agressive also.

works like a dream on rocks and ripping out brush

 

[rcrcomputing]

Ah man! You went and made it prettier. So, give us the lowdown between narrowor vs wider.

I'm coming to your place so we can have a backhoe show-down fight!

 

[rcrcomputing]

Forgot to ask, do you ever adjust the Top link length?

 

[workinallthetime]

narrow vs wide hmm, id have to say with the wider stance it easier to grab and move the stuff while your working with it. I spent the day ripping out weed trees and moving rocks and it performed perfect. my biggest thing on the first design was the solid bottom and the way the bottom teeth were made it was dificult to grab things pusing the thumb foreward, with the open design there is less mass moving through the dirt and things flow better. I also went slightly below the teeth on the BH with the teeth on the thumb, weather or not this is good or bad is yet to be determined. i was able to use those bottom teeth many times today to help position things.

have not adjusted the "top link" at all and I have to do some adjustment on the top brakets so i can fold it out of the way. I am also have not used it with my grade blade yet to see how that works out

***> i need to mention something that I ran into today.
I was using my thumb on the side of a hill today moving sandstone, I grabed on one and rotated to the downside of the hill with the dipper stick low and straight out in order to deposite the large rock where i wanted it. As the dipper stick / bucket got to 90 degrees i felt the tractor start to go over, i droped the rock and swung back very quick and smooth to prevent me and little B from ending up on our head. Having the added weight of the rock was enough to start the motion, had this been a load of dirt I never would of had a problem.
Since this thread is about thumbs hopefully alot of people will see that by adding a thumb + a rock can put you in a situation that you would not ever be in w/o a thumb.
something to think about but i still love it !!!!!

 

[3RRL]

I like the wider design and also that your thumb has extended length to it. I found using my thumb (which is like your redesign) works works pretty darn good at grabbing stuff. It also keeps buckets of dirt in without a complete curl, so that's why has never come off. One thing about an articulating thumb, when the hoe is completely stretched out, the thumb is also completely folded back, out of the way so I can start my dig way out there without interference. Then they come together as I curl, the bucket and thumb scooping towards each other.

 

[workinallthetime]

I like the wider design and also that your thumb has extended length to it. I found using my thumb (which is like your redesign) works works pretty darn good at grabbing stuff. It also keeps buckets of dirt in without a complete curl, so that's why has never come off. One thing about an articulating thumb, when the hoe is completely stretched out, the thumb is also completely folded back, out of the way so I can start my dig way out there without interference. Then they come together as I curl, the bucket and thumb scooping towards each other.

I supose that sweet spot is just about where ever you want it to be with an articulating thumb, the static one has a very limited point of engagement for small items.

ohh and yours was alot of the inspriation for mine, lol the first one i built looked liked a 5 year old made it. I just really didint have the time for all that drill press work. have you noticed any benifit for your center teeth? I used mine today in just about every way i plan on using it and it worked great, i was going to add them but after today dont really see a reason to.

if we get another ice storm this winter i will be building one of these,