yet another thumb on its way

[workinallthetime]

I was wondering how you boxed them in... Also, do you feel the dipperstick is still strong after welding to it? I really like your set up but I'm worried about welding to the dipperstick. A guy I know welded a fixed thumb to his case 580 and the dippersick cracked after giving it some abuse.

I will get you some pics asap, also I have not noticed any damage to the dipperstick and I grabbed a stump/rootball this weekend that i could not pic up due to the weight. sent the thing into bypass mode w/ out any damage. the tooth design has to be modified due to the bending at the ends and i have yet to come up with a solution to the concern.

 

[Glowplug]

Just curious from someone who knows nothing about using a BH. Would it be beneficial to make it hydraulically controlled with a cylinder instead of a toplink? Are there advantages/disadvantages?

 

[workinallthetime]

Just curious from someone who knows nothing about using a BH. Would it be beneficial to make it hydraulically controlled with a cylinder instead of a toplink? Are there advantages/disadvantages?

great advantage everywhere except $$$$$$ cost. got about 40 bucks in mine

 

[workinallthetime]

I was wondering how you boxed them in... Also, do you feel the dipperstick is still strong after welding to it? I really like your set up but I'm worried about welding to the dipperstick. A guy I know welded a fixed thumb to his case 580 and the dippersick cracked after giving it some abuse.

ok man here are the pics, got one of the brace, one of the new braces on the teeth and one that shows the weld spots on the dipper. did not run a contiuous beed on the dipper, i want the welded on plate to tear up before the dipper

 

[3RRL]

Dan,
I really like what you did in photo #2.
I think I'll do the same for my thumb. It looks like a grapple jaw now.

 

[workinallthetime]

one more day of hard working the thing to see if any more adjustments need to be made and then i will cleanit up and through some paint at it.
I had an idea for the ones who might be thinking of building their own, what about using 2 or 3 box blade teeth for the teeth on the thumb, cut em down to size and back them up with some metal ? be a quick, clean and easy way to get the deal done, just a thought

 

[workinallthetime]

backhoe was dropped off at my buddies welding shop this weekend, i have cracks in my "dipper"stick again. I have allready welded up one set of cracks and put a piece of plate over them. The new cracks are just above the plate. we are going to box in the entire dipper stick to get some strength out of it. I love Kubota but they did not build this dipper stick to take the punishment i give it. I have some pics but they are just of cracked metal, not really that interesting.
As for what did it i really dont know, i have not used the thumb for about 2 months due to other projects and just noticed the cracks a week ago. Great to have access to real welding equipment now, fix the BH this week, set of forks next week and maybe that grapple by christmas

 

[davygp38]

I am glad you took the time to post an update on this build after three years. It is important to let us know about problems like this with a build. it helps the rest of us take into consideration things you learned the hard way. Thanks again.

 

[psj12]

Do you think heat from welding affected the dipper metal in any way?

 

[workinallthetime]

here are some pics, the buddy i used to weld this stuff up does equipment repair all the time and has shed some real light on some of the "mods" you see for our tractors. The bolt on bucket grapples have made him alot of money due to their design depends on the strength of the bucket. I am really kicking my own rear end right now for not going with a aftermarket BH. The metal on the kubota BH is very thin and was never designed to do what i have done to it or put it through. Its hard to imagine that a thumb i built out of a scrap 5th wheel plate, a 110 flux core mig and a torch caused all this. I guess in my mind that was my safety, i was hoping the thumb would bend or break long before the dipper stick. From now on i will do more than grab it and see if it will pick it up.
The breaks in the metal seem to happen over time, i cant say what rock, stump, or root I grabbed that caused this problem. I had become pretty comfortable with the thumb and just started looking things over every 3rd time it was used or before, during, and after a hard day on the bota. This repair did not cost me anything but a day of diggin a drain pipe when he is ready and thats fine with me, any day digging is a real treat still.

did the welding weakin the metal- i dont think so and if it did its going to take alot to break this plate.