Thumb New Woods BH90x BH with Hydraulic thumb

[InlineDieselFan]

Well I have not been on here much in the past year and a half, got busy doing work stuff, and more work stuff; got a promotion and extra work but a nice pay raise. Then last summer if I wasn't working to make money, I was working to clear some land.

Last week we finally went and got our back hoe, the Woods BH90x with the hydraulic thumb. I dug and pulled out several stumps so far. I should have bought this thing last year when I had some money. It is great and the thumb makes it so easy to pick up big pieces of stump/root and move them out of the way.

All I can say is that every post I ever read about having a back hoe is correct. Everybody that has one has said, 'I should have done it sooner' and 'I use it more than I ever thought I would,' 'the only downside is when you write out the check.'

The wife watched me learning to use the BH, and has already come up with more projects for me to do.

steve

 

[rcrcomputing]

Pictures. We gotta have pictures!

Would not have a tractor without a bh...

 

[Ductape]

I'm with rcr............ we'd like pictures !

I have the 80X with the mechanical thumb.......... and want to make it hydraulic. Thats a nice hoe you bought !

 

[IslandTractor]

I have the BH90x with mechanical thumb. Love the BH. I think either no thumb or hydraulic thumb would be better than the mechanical at least for someone with a grapple.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I have the BH90x with mechanical thumb. Love the BH. I think either no thumb or hydraulic thumb would be better than the mechanical at least for someone with a grapple.

Ok, so when are you going to get the hydraulic and put it on? There's no time like the present. You know how much better your hoe would be with it.

 

[IslandTractor]

Ok, so when are you going to get the hydraulic and put it on? There's no time like the present. You know how much better your hoe would be with it.

To be honest I'd get the hoe without a thumb if I were doing it again. I do admire the hydraulic thumb but at well over $1000 it is a pretty pricy option. I find that I can use my grapple to do what others would use the thumb for.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

To be honest I'd get the hoe without a thumb if I were doing it again. I do admire the hydraulic thumb but at well over $1000 it is a pretty pricy option. I find that I can use my grapple to do what others would use the thumb for.

$1000 just for the hydraulic and control? I guess that if I were you, that I would just pull the thumb off then? I'm saying this because it sounded like the mechanical thumb is actually in the way? With our 580 Case, I have not seen any reason to have one myself, that is for what we use the hoe for anyway.

 

[InlineDieselFan]

Pictures, I would love to post some pictures but can't. the digital camera died and we have not bought a new one yet.

Yes the thumb was pricey bit when I factor in the price of my back to manuever logs and stumps into the bucket versus just pushing on a lever. I went with saving my back. I have at least seven years before retirement and I would like to be able to enjoy my retirement as opposed to being in pain. My back has been trashed many times already over the past 20+ years as a firefighter.

steve

 

[IslandTractor]

$1000 just for the hydraulic and control? I guess that if I were you, that I would just pull the thumb off then? I'm saying this because it sounded like the mechanical thumb is actually in the way? With our 580 Case, I have not seen any reason to have one myself, that is for what we use the hoe for anyway.

Actually, I think I underestimated the cost of the hydraulic thumb. It might be closer to $2000. I know that I paid quite a bit for the mechanical thumb and the hydraulic version was maybe a grand more.

I have used my mechanical thumb once or twice. Knowing what I know now I wouldn't order it. If I did not have a grapple I might try to talk myself into the hydraulic version for the same reasons that Inlinediesel mentioned. It is nice to be able to pull things out of a hole but if you have a grapple you can do that almost as quickly by just turning the tractor around.

I'd definitely get one if I were building a rock wall but for general stump digging etc I think the thumb is a bit over rated, at least at the price that Woods charges.