Hydraulic thumb

[deuce22]

Hi.

I used the machine for the first time today and it worked perfectly. However, I had a lot of issues and down time with boulders, wood and a load of other crap in the ground. I've spoken to a local guy who's lived here for years and he told me that there's a load of junk dumped all over the place. He mentioned me getting a hydraulic thumb (which is the first time I've heard of it).
I've had a look around and got some prices.
Kubota quoted me £925+vat for one fitted.
Ive also come across these 2 companies.

Thumb and talon grips for excavators

RSL Engineering agricutural, forestry and plant machinery attachments manufacturer. We have a large range of thumb grabs and grapples for micro to large excavators

www.rslengineering.co.uk

Hardlife | Hydraulic Excavator Thumbs

Transform your excavator with hydraulic thumbs. Compatible with 1-24 tonne machines, easily attach to enhance versatility and efficiency.

www.bucketwarehouse.com

Anybody used either of there products?

Thanks.

 

[doobin]

Better hope you don't find any asbestos....

I'm not keen on a thumb- they are cumbersome compared to a proper grab or grapple. However they may be just the ticket for what you're doing- no need to swap attachments. Make sure you get a hydraulic one.

 

[Volbar1]

Got a Hardlife hyd thumb on my ecr58d and have had no end of problems with it, ram has been changed twice, the seals in the last ram have been changed also. Service from bw was poor and the ram come back to me looking like it had been tracked over with a d8!

 

[deuce22]

Better hope you don't find any asbestos....

I'm not keen on a thumb- they are cumbersome compared to a proper grab or grapple. However they may be just the ticket for what you're doing- no need to swap attachments. Make sure you get a hydraulic one.

I hope not. Yeah, I think it's worth the extra for the hydraulic one.

Maybe use the other company then Volbar.

Thanks.

 

[Shovelhands]

Didn’t @CPS have a little grab for sale? Would suit with a fixed headstock?

 

[V8Druid]

RSL stuff seems decently put together and they appear to be doing very well ... so should be around a while

 

[V8Druid]

Didn’t @CPS have a little grab for sale? Would suit with a fixed headstock?

bit big I think James ... and IIRC it went

 

[Shovelhands]

bit big I think James ... and IIRC it went

Not the yellow one. A new one?

 

[Gunners]

Thumbs are very versatile and always having it on the machine means its there when you need it, rather than having to keep taking bucket off for the grab. To be honest, if I didn't have access to a welder the price you've got from Kubota isn't bad and they should make a nice job of it. Plus it wont invalidate any warranty if you should get any structural issues like doobin had with his Hyundai !

 

[doobin]

Not the yellow one. A new one?

You're thinking of the Tigergrip.
Still a little heavy and cumbersome for a 1.8t.

 

[V8Druid]

these guys don't do bad gear either

Wood Gripper Wood Tongs shippers pliers HG 18 Rotator 50 MM MINI EXCAVATOR crane | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Wood Gripper Wood Tongs shippers pliers HG 18 Rotator 50 MM MINI EXCAVATOR crane at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

Holzhäuer Wood Gripper Wood Tongs shippers pliers HG 22 Rotator 50 mm crane excavator | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Holzhäuer Wood Gripper Wood Tongs shippers pliers HG 22 Rotator 50 mm crane excavator at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

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get a head stock with a spigot on it made and could use it in line or across

 

[pettsy]

It’s a shame you’re not near druid-central .... apparently he has a new grab

 

[V8Druid]

It’s a shame you’re not near druid-central .... apparently he has a new grab

Oh Yeh ... the Cranab log grab I bought a few years ago did sterling service on 'boulder handling' fair play to it ... it had its fair share of rock lumping and survived well .... the new un'd have been wicked

couple of small ones

 

[V8Druid]

Hi......However, I had a lot of issues .... with boulders, wood and a load of other crap in the ground.

Thanks.

Know that feeling well ... gate posts, hurdles, rolls of wire fencing, huge lumps of dead tree, (which burnt well, eventually) .... hundreds of knackered concrete block wall lumps ... only thing I didn't find was any dead animals



I came to the conclusion that this was a boulder field from a glacial recession millenia ago ... all virgin ground at this depth .. and these were littler ones

 

[deuce22]

That looks great. I think the thumb will work better for me as I need to dig up the ground first to expose everything. I could be grabbing things as I'm going then, rather than have to keep changing buckets.
So RSL seem to be a decent company? He's quoted me £395+vat and £25 delivery. I know somebody who can weld, so it may not cost me much. How much roughly would a welder charge for this?

 

[CPS]

Didn’t @CPS have a little grab for sale? Would suit with a fixed headstock?

Not the yellow one. A new one?

He does the little selector grab I reckon would suit this machine ok

We do thumbs also... but for any orders now we are looking at 2-3 week of January.

 

[V8Druid]

He does the little selector grab I reckon would suit this machine ok

We do thumbs also... but for any orders now we are looking at 2-3 week of January.

is this up anywhere here Aiden ?? .. can't recall seeing it

 

[V8Druid]

That looks great. I think the thumb will work better for me as I need to dig up the ground first to expose everything. I could be grabbing things as I'm going then, rather than have to keep changing buckets.
So RSL seem to be a decent company? He's quoted me £395+vat and £25 delivery. I know somebody who can weld, so it may not cost me much. How much roughly would a welder charge for this?

you need a little more than 'a welder' for this job .... it'll need setting up carefully and some decent mount points attaching to the dipper ... any mis-alignment will make it a total PITFA to use ... presumably you'd do it on site? .. so a mobile guy will be required ... thin on the ground around here .... don't know how much electronictrickery is in the Kub ... but you'd need to consult with them for arc welding procedures ... dropping a battery lead off may not suffice

 

[deuce22]

CPS. Sorry, didn't realise that you had a business doing all this stuff.

I just looked at your site, but couldn't see thumbs on there.

 

[deuce22]

you need a little more than 'a welder' for this job .... it'll need setting up carefully and some decent mount points attaching to the dipper ... any mis-alignment will make it a total PITFA to use ... presumably you'd do it on site? .. so a mobile guy will be required ... thin on the ground around here .... don't know how much electronictrickery is in the Kub ... but you'd need to consult with them for arc welding procedures ... dropping a battery lead off may not suffice

Thanks mate.

I did speak with somebody yesterday who was mobile and specialised in plant machinery, so it may be better paying for somebody that does it all the time.