Wallenstein thumb for BX??

[ChuckinNH]

I saw a Wallenstein thumb for the BX series backhoes on Ebay, and I was wondering if anyone has actually seen, or used one?

 

[Volfandt]

I've not seen one but from the pics they look pretty stout.
How do they price out?
I have a Bro Tek thumb on my BH and it is one of the handiest implements I own.

 

[KeithInSpace]

Wow, that looks cool. It's a little more expensive ($400 vs. $280) than the BroTek unit, but that thing is a work of art!

I'm all about the BroTek stuff as it seems to really "fit the bill", work well, and be a good accessory answer to some of the issues we have with our BX tractors (skid plates).

But I have to say...wow. You have to look at it on e-bay to really appreciate how cool it looks. And the tightly serrated teeth look like they'd have real 'bite'. Just search "Wallenstein Thumb".

Once I buy my BH, this will probably be on my doorstep before I get my tractor back from the install. I'll let you know what I think.

Thanks Mr. Chuck in New Hampshire.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

Vol,

$395 plus $25for shipping.

Details:​

• Easy installation - Bolts on​
  
  [*]3 position mechanical adjust
  [*]Move logs rocks and debris with ease
  [*]Painted Kubota Orange
  [*]Serrated teeth for gripping
  [*]Much heavier than the Bro-Tek Thumb( guess they know who the competition is )

Shipping:

• Flate Rate $25.00 freight shipping to lower 48 states

eBay: Wallenstein Thumb fits Kubota BX22 BX23 BX24 Brand New! (item 140105917786 end time Apr-16-07 07:35:32 PDT)http://cgi.ebay.com/Wallenstein-Thu...ryZ26199QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[montelatici]

Well, I saw that thing a few days ago. I went ahead and ordered one. The only reason I did was that the Brotek unit needs to use your 3PH top link and this doesn't and it looks a bit heavier construction-wise. Add the cost of a generic top link and the 45+35 vs. 25 (for equivalent shipping time) and the two are not that far apart price wise.

I will report back once I've mounted it and used it a while.

 

[KeithInSpace]

I was going to ask Mr. Volfandt if he could compress the BH on his thumb with full pressure of the BH bucket with no risk of bending, deformation, or "folding" of the thumb itself.

Now that you're beating me to the punch Mr. Montelatici, I'd be interested in the same from your nifty looking unit...looks heavy duty enough, but the gripping surfaces are pretty far apart. Picking up a rock can exert some crazy forces on the thing and the BroTek unit looks a little more stout in this regard with the narrower grip.

Just wondering if either one was more prone to deformation than the other. No matter how cool it looks, it doesn't matter when it is crumbled up like foil on my shop floor. But if they both stand up to any forces the BH can exert, this Wallenstein thing looks pretty mean.

 

[8561]

I just went to Wallenstein's site looking for more info, I don't see anything about it there. I have a Wallenstein GX700 7' backhoe on my B2410, its a good unit.

 

[Volfandt]

I was going to ask Mr. Volfandt if he could compress the BH on his thumb with full pressure of the BH bucket with no risk of bending, deformation, or "folding" of the thumb itself.

Who you call'n Mr? I still work for a living

I've never tried to really compress the BH bucket against the thumb but I have "snugged" it up and didnt notice any bending or creaking etc. I generally compress as needed, no more or less. I tend to avoid over stressing anything, I guess it's the nature of the beast (me). I'd say the bypass will kick in before anything breaks but thats just an uneducated guess.

I like the looks of that Wallenstein thumb and if it folds up within itself then thats a plus too.
Bottom line is, I can't stress how handy a thumb has worked out for me. Like I pointed out in another thead being a one man operation, doing tasks such as lifting trees and limbs up to easy cutting height more than justifies a thumb. Imagine being more productive in a given day and not having your back hurt that night, doesn't take but one usage to know that this is a good thing

 

[montelatici]

When you pickup logs to move them, do you pick them up without using the stabilizers? If so, I imagine one has to be very careful about grabbing them at the very center of gravity with hoe close in to avoid the risk of tip over. I am a chicken when it comes to power equipment so I would probably always use the stabilizers.

 

[KeithInSpace]

Imagine being more productive in a given day and not having your back hurt that night

I'm long past that. I have a running tally in the "if I paid someone to do that" column and I've easily cleared $5,000 in 102 hours of use. Probably not fair as I should really be counting a "if I had rented something to do that" column which probably would only add up to $1,000 or $1,500 by now, but that isn't nearly as fun.

To me, $400 for a thumb pays for itself in a SINGLE DAY when you are able to safely whack up 2 trees in 3 hours instead of semi-struggle with 1 tree in the same time. And safely maneuver 500# stumps without questionable methods of strapping them to your FEL.

And I haven't done anything yet. Have two wall projects slated this summer...neighbors have already spent many thousands of dollars on similar projects that I'll be able to do in a day for well under $1,000. Then there's the paver project. Then there's the lawn...guy down the street spent over $10,000 doing to his yard what I'm doing myself for, basically, the cost of the soil. Granted, his yard looks great this year and mine will have to wait a year...and all he did was sit back and drink a Cervesa while I'm outside toiling on the tractor...but I could certainly find less comfortable chairs in the house!

 

[HomeBrew2]

... prone to deformation ...

Even my made-from-junk thumb won't deform with full hyd pressure ... even after 3 seasons of pure abuse

 

[KeithInSpace]

...pure abuse

Sounds like what I normally inflict. Not that I try to kill my stuff, but if I'm in a job and running into the stump a little harder gets the job done while "saving the equipment" would leave me scratching my head, I generally choose to take care of business. Feel bad sometimes, but I have yet to make a visible impact on the machine (other than the rather common "bow in the bottom lip of the bucket" issue). It seems happy to take a rest, but never complains the next day.

102 hours and one tip over: NOT A SINGLE THING has broken. Have a very minor drip cropping up in the FEL somewhere, but I've never even tightened any of the fittings since new. Lubed the thing a few times. That's it. Not even the air filter bracket.

In the end, I can't add something to the machine that I'll have to be "careful" with. Thanks for the input.

 

[wkasak]

Well...thanks alot guys...I just bought one...there goes another $420!!!

I can't handle all of this peer pressure...LOL

Seriously...looks like a nice piece and I will report after I recieve and install on my BX24.

 

[montelatici]

Well, Wallenstein has made two thumb sales to Marylanders this week. Maybe they will come on the same truck. Marylanders are suckers I guess.

 

[rdsaustintx]

Not even the air filter bracket.

Your day's coming. Mine made it to about 380 hours. Fortunately about 1 month before warranty expired. Spares are cheap though.

Russell in Texas

 

[montelatici]

I have owned a B5200 for 22 years. The only thing that failed was the rear hydraulic pump casting and seal (after about 20 years) because I tried to brushhog a tree that I talked myself into being a large bush. I'm counting on my BX24 to be as reliable.

 

[radair]

Could you guys that have them please post up pics of the Wallenstein?

I have procrastinated for over a year to get my own built so I am always looking for ideas to improve the design.

 

[KeithInSpace]

There are some pics at the beginning of this thread. Every once in a while you can search "BX24" and the Wallenstien Thumb will come up for purchase. I hadn't seen it after Mr. Montelatici bought his and then it suddenly popped up on Saturday. So I bought it.

This link may work:
eBay: Wallenstein Thumb fits Kubota BX22 BX23 BX24 Brand New! (item 140105917786 end time Apr-10-07 18:34:57 PDT)

I get my BH in a couple weeks, so hopefully I or someone will post a summary of their impressions.

 

[wkasak]

I bought the thumb from ebay on 04/11/07 and recieved it via UPS 04/17/07...fast shipping. I have not installed it yet, but unpacked it. Looks like a quality piece.

 

[ats64mod]

I just purchased my tractor (see signature line below) with the BH75 backhoe and this nifty Wallenstein Thumb (it fits this hoe very nicely). My main concern is that, though it appears to be fairly beefy, it might bend a bit with use. If it does, then the holes it uses to fix the thumb at various angles (including the ones used to tuck it up tightly against the dipperstick) may not line up well enough to get the pin inserted (time will tell). I suppose a good file will help to alleviate this if it becomes a problem.

I'm considering the possibility of adding a strengthening rib to it provided I can figure out how to do it without impacting its functionality. I can say this though - it really is a nice looking unit (which is why I bought it).

I'll post pics when I get the chance (lots of fallen trees to pick up and move around as a result of this noreaster (the heavy snow took out several of my hemlock trees).