It amazes me how quickly people become dependent on technology and how some things become "essential." I grew up running backhoes, didn't start running excavators until probably 20yrs ago. We never had a thumb on a backhoe (most still don't) and I could pick up and carry logs, stumps, rocks, pull out old fence and load it on a truck, pick up an carry bundles of brush, bust up and load slabs of concrete and so on all just using the hoe with a standard tooth bucket, just sayin'...
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Farm use excavator
- Thread starter Case215
- Start date
SVS
Member
Well hell, give up hydraulics entirely and go back to cable rigs.
I’ve been doing same thing with a TLB for similar time. Getting an excavator with thumb showed ME I’d been doing things the hard way.
I’m glad I learned the skills without thumb, but life’s too short not to use what’s available.
I’ve been doing same thing with a TLB for similar time. Getting an excavator with thumb showed ME I’d been doing things the hard way.
I’m glad I learned the skills without thumb, but life’s too short not to use what’s available.
Never in this thread have I said he shouldn't buy an excavator with a thumb, or that he shouldn't ever add one to a machine without. Simply, don't let the thumb situation be the dictating factor when buying a machine. Buy a good machine for the right price and you can add a thumb whenever you desire.
So far the machines the OP posted don't pencil out for the hours usage and type of work he's planning, at least in my mind. Then again, maybe he's a BTO and $80-90K is pocket change.
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I'll also add this in regards to thumbs. Every excavator I've owned has had a thumb, most likely any I buy in the future will too, but it has to be right or it's just a PITA.
1) Must be a main pin thumb
2) Must be a hydraulic thumb
3) Must mesh with the teeth properly
4) The auxiliary flow and relief settings need to be right so you can grab an object and simultaneously operate the bucket and aux to rotate it without letting it go.
5) I've never owned or run one, but a progressive thumb looks pretty nice
What I HATE are these cheap little weld on manual thumbs that every used machine on marketplace or craigslist seem to have on them. They don't match up to the bucket properly, are a pain to operate, and are only one wrong move away from folding up like a cheap suit or ripping a hole in the stick. If I bought a used machine with one of those I'd take the cutting torch to it and just use it without a thumb until I could fit something better.
1) Must be a main pin thumb
2) Must be a hydraulic thumb
3) Must mesh with the teeth properly
4) The auxiliary flow and relief settings need to be right so you can grab an object and simultaneously operate the bucket and aux to rotate it without letting it go.
5) I've never owned or run one, but a progressive thumb looks pretty nice
What I HATE are these cheap little weld on manual thumbs that every used machine on marketplace or craigslist seem to have on them. They don't match up to the bucket properly, are a pain to operate, and are only one wrong move away from folding up like a cheap suit or ripping a hole in the stick. If I bought a used machine with one of those I'd take the cutting torch to it and just use it without a thumb until I could fit something better.
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BC Placer gold
Senior Member
My buddy had a ‘homemade’ thumb mounted with the lower pivot pin welded to the stick. Flimsy setup with massive torque applied to lower pin….saw it recently: twisting up like a pretzel.
Warned him to pick a load (like a large tree) in the middle only…
Also (very annoying) when retracted the unit sticks way out from the stick.
I would prefer no thumb in this type of situation.
Our 270 had a basic (but strong/well engineered CWS) thumb. This worked perfectly well. The progressive link thumbs on our ZX120/135 were very nice for dealing with ‘buckbrush’ etc…Nice to have the extra reach/rotation but really not necessary. All our minis had a basic main pin thumb. Nothing wrong with those.
All that said, some days I really wish our 210 had a thumb (lol). Like when I am fumbling to pick up a stump!
Warned him to pick a load (like a large tree) in the middle only…
Also (very annoying) when retracted the unit sticks way out from the stick.
I would prefer no thumb in this type of situation.
Our 270 had a basic (but strong/well engineered CWS) thumb. This worked perfectly well. The progressive link thumbs on our ZX120/135 were very nice for dealing with ‘buckbrush’ etc…Nice to have the extra reach/rotation but really not necessary. All our minis had a basic main pin thumb. Nothing wrong with those.
All that said, some days I really wish our 210 had a thumb (lol). Like when I am fumbling to pick up a stump!
HarleyHappy
Senior Member
I had to take my thumb off on the backhoe, to do an 1800’ trench for utilities on a neighboring house. Needed the 12” bucket, or wanted it, so took the thumb off and made up a shorter pin. Actually found it pretty easy to pick up rocks and stumps without it.
That said, it was nice to get it back on.
Personally, I would rather have an extendable-hoe than a thumb on a backhoe as long as I have a thumb available on something else.
The idea of putting a thumb on an older excavator is a nice idea, as long as it’s set up for it but from scratch, can exceed the cost of a farm use excavator.
Simple math.
That said, it was nice to get it back on.
Personally, I would rather have an extendable-hoe than a thumb on a backhoe as long as I have a thumb available on something else.
The idea of putting a thumb on an older excavator is a nice idea, as long as it’s set up for it but from scratch, can exceed the cost of a farm use excavator.
Simple math.