Backhoe Should I ad a Thumb to my backhoe purchase today?

[boggen]

6' feet digging depth vs 7' feet digging depth.

i would say go for the extra length. vs thumb if it came down to it right now.... you can always save up later on to get the thumb, but you really can't for the length.

digging depth is one thing, but it is also how far you can swing side to side. as well. to drop dirt that ya just got from tench/hole further away from the trench without it falling back into the trench/hole. or dragging some dirt back into a trench.

being able to use backhoe to lift things a tad bit higher or further out, to load something into a pickup truck.

i use chain and backhoe to pull old fence line posts. and for a quick temp metal posts, i hand jab the post into the ground, then come back with hoe and manuver bucket onto top of post and just push the posts in. ya not all of them end perfectly straight, but straight enough for say a hot wire fence setup. that is only there temporarily.

being able to reach over a log that is on the ground a tad bit further, and then pull it towards you some, so you can then get better hold of the log to drag out of the woods.

if you end up digging out root ball of trees. that extra length may just be what is needed, between root ball and tractor and the backhoe. and keep root ball from rolling up into rear end of tractor.

 

[Jay Stringer]

What purpose other than to pick up occasional odd debris does a thumb provide on a backhoe? Also, would a pneumatic be necessary or will a mechanical one suffice? Does one foot digging depth and 130# difference in the digging force make a real difference? Just want to know before the purchase today. I have my thoughts but wanted to know what other "users" think.

Thanks for replying.

I want a thumb for my LB1100 backhoe, but have been unable to find a thumb that fits it. Tried an after market from Amazon but it didn't come close to fitting. If you find one let me know please. I've had my LS MT235E for almost two weeks and I'm in love. Have loads of stumps to pull up and other task to do.

 

[Racenut]

I want a thumb for my LB1100 backhoe, but have been unable to find a thumb that fits it. Tried an after market from Amazon but it didn't come close to fitting. If you find one let me know please. I've had my LS MT235E for almost two weeks and I'm in love. Have loads of stumps to pull up and other task to do.

LS now has a thumb option for their backhoes. Mine was about $300. Being an MT2, I think you should have the mounting tab on your backhoe.

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/ls-tractor-owning-operating/415463-backhoe-thumb.html

 

[EddieWalker]

While I cannot argue with all the comments in support of a thumb on a backhoe, I feel kind of like the odd man out in not wanting one for my backhoe. If I had an excavator, that would be a different story. I have a grapple on my backhoe, so I understand the joy of being able to pick stuff up without leaving my seat, but fail to comprehend the need for picking something up with the hoe stick, just to put it down again so I can turn the backhoe around and pick it up again with my grapple.

For those of you with a thumb on your backhoe, do you carry stuff with it while driving from one spot to another?

I can't count the tens of thousands of trees and saplings that I've taken out with my backhoe. I dig out the bigger ones, and do a twist/pull thing with the bucket teeth to pull out the saplings. Then I slide everything off to the side until I run out of reach for any more and then I either clean up that mess, or move and make another mess. Eventually I will pick it all up with the grapple and take it to the burn pile.

Once the trees and saplings are out of the ground, I just slide them out of the way with the bucket. What advantage is there to having a thumb to move them out of the way?

I don't have very many rocks, but I have taken out some stumps, and I'm guessing the principle is the same. Dig until it's free, and then slide it out of the way. Most of the time, they are too big for a thumb if I had one, but for the smaller ones, how would getting it out of the hole be any easier then just sliding it up to the back of the backhoe and then turning around to pick it up with the grapple?

 

[4570Man]

While I cannot argue with all the comments in support of a thumb on a backhoe, I feel kind of like the odd man out in not wanting one for my backhoe. If I had an excavator, that would be a different story. I have a grapple on my backhoe, so I understand the joy of being able to pick stuff up without leaving my seat, but fail to comprehend the need for picking something up with the hoe stick, just to put it down again so I can turn the backhoe around and pick it up again with my grapple.

For those of you with a thumb on your backhoe, do you carry stuff with it while driving from one spot to another?

I can't count the tens of thousands of trees and saplings that I've taken out with my backhoe. I dig out the bigger ones, and do a twist/pull thing with the bucket teeth to pull out the saplings. Then I slide everything off to the side until I run out of reach for any more and then I either clean up that mess, or move and make another mess. Eventually I will pick it all up with the grapple and take it to the burn pile.

Once the trees and saplings are out of the ground, I just slide them out of the way with the bucket. What advantage is there to having a thumb to move them out of the way?

I don't have very many rocks, but I have taken out some stumps, and I'm guessing the principle is the same. Dig until it's free, and then slide it out of the way. Most of the time, they are too big for a thumb if I had one, but for the smaller ones, how would getting it out of the hole be any easier then just sliding it up to the back of the backhoe and then turning around to pick it up with the grapple?

Loosing the thumb off my hand would be about as big of a loss. Being able to pick up and move stuff with the backhoe even if you don’t have a lot of travel is a huge advantage.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I was in the process of gettting a thumb, but never did and can't say I miss it. On an excavator, I would say different story. You can scoop and carry the odd large boulder or clamp stuff between bucket and dipper stick anyway. We have no shortage of boulders of every size here, and I still don't feel like it would help at any task I ever do. Maybe demolition, but then I would probably be using a front and larger grapple anyway.

 

[davisgary2]

I love my thumb on my backhoe. I buy my firewood tree length and use the backhoe to pick the individual logs up to waist level to chunk up no bending over. I could use grapple but the bigger footprint isn't as usable.

I also built a stone wall last year the backhoe worked great for placing stones.

 

[fried1765]

Loosing the thumb off my hand would be about as big of a loss. Being able to pick up and move stuff with the backhoe even if you don’t have a lot of travel is a huge advantage.

+ 1 for a thumb!
A backhoe without a thumb is about 50% efficient.

 

[Industrial Toys]

How do you figure that? I dig holes and trenches mostly. I can pick out large rocks without a thumb. Please explain your math.

 

[4570Man]

How do you figure that? I dig holes and trenches mostly. I can pick out large rocks without a thumb. Please explain your math.

You’re pretty limited in the size you can pickup without taking a bunch of dirt with it. I use the thumb on mine all the time.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have used my hoe for probably twenty years with no shortage of boulders around here. I'm the first one to get something if I figure it will be easier or just more fun, but just don't see it. I hardly think all my hoe work was done at 50% efficiency. Usually, boulders go right back in the hole or trench once a covering of nice fill has been introduced. I could see, if I had to pick a bunch of boulders out of a pile and put them in a loader bucket or trailer, but that's kind of rare.

 

[fried1765]

How do you figure that? I dig holes and trenches mostly. I can pick out large rocks without a thumb. Please explain your math.

Without a thumb:
On a flat surface you can pick rocks up after you first chase them around for a while.
You can place a rock, but first you must drop it, and then try to push it into place.
If a rock falls on the back side of a pile you need to reposition the machine to try to pick up again.
You can dig stumps, but depending on size they can often be just pulled with a thumb.
You cannot drag a beam, log, or pole from it's end.

My L48 thumb is quite robust.
I love it, and will likely find new uses for it.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yeah, I think if I had to do all that individual rock moving, it would be a benefit. But mostly they are just part and parcel of removed spoil, all handled at the same time.

If I had anything I wished for, it would be a rotating logging style grapple. For the loader, not hoe.

 

[4570Man]

I try not to put bigger rocks back in the ditch. I’ve had to fix too many lines busted by them. If it’s a deep enough trench I’ll put a foot of dirt in and then set the rocks back. The thumb makes it much easier to throw them aside to deal with later. But I use the thumb for much more than moving rocks.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Typical little digging job around here last summer, burying a couple of pets. Put limestone sreenings back in first and then all that junk went back in. Don't remember any really large stones.

 

[4570Man]

What’s that Kubota hoe? I don’t recall ever seeing one that big.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yeah, a little too big. Made by Bradco. The R510 was supposed to have a smaller fold-in type hoe generally, but a city decided to order the larger hoe for a cemetary. They loaded the front wheels right to the top to try and offset the weight!

Hoe has AUX hydraulics. Painted color of city equipment. Shame!

 

[4570Man]

What’s it mounted on?

 

[Industrial Toys]

It would have been sweet if the hoe went up higher against the cab. It was a bit of a rube-goldberg! It's also nothing close in size to a "real" construction TLB. Case 580 or similar.

 

[GeneV]

What purpose other than to pick up occasional odd debris does a thumb provide on a backhoe? Also, would a pneumatic be necessary or will a mechanical one suffice? Does one foot digging depth and 130# difference in the digging force make a real difference? Just want to know before the purchase today. I have my thoughts but wanted to know what other "users" think.

Thanks for replying.

I installed a thumb on mine. It's handy for stuff like picking up big tree limbs which then I can position over a cart to saw up and haul away with my garden tractor. I find a bunch of other uses for it, and it's not a very expensive addon, so all good. Yeh, if you got a backhoe, why not? When not using it, it folds up out of the way.

As far as getting a powered thumb, I don't see much point. If I needed that option, I'd sooner get a grapple on the loader.