Hi all I'm looking at buying at Deere 290G excavator and want to add a pro link Hyd thumb. There is so many aftermarket brands out there just not sure which ones are best. I basically use it for picking up trees and grabbing concrete so I want it as thick and durable as possible. I have a 270c with a fleco hyd thumb now and like it but willing to see what else is out there. Any input would be very helpful. Thanks
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Excavator hydraulic thumbs
- Thread starter jjhdozing
- Start date
Mjrdude1
Well-Known Member
Stay away from "Tag", we have several Tag buckets and thumbs and have had horrible luck with both. We use ours for mainly demo work so it is tough work. We have Deere and Esco thumbs and both have held up well.
farmerlund
Senior Member
I have a solesbee on my 210 Volvo, and do a lot of demo and trees. I have put over 3,000hrs on it and no problems. plus it has a nice shape to it. Good unit.
xr4ticlone
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Agree with TAG being cheap.
Also had issues with Strickland as well.
Werk Brau makes good stuff.
You buying a new 290G? FTR...the G won't be what your C was...they're made in North Carolina now and quality has dropped substantially. Rule of thumb on excavators...buy machines made in Japan. I've yet to see a bad one. Everyone that tries to make them here sees a drop in quality.
Also had issues with Strickland as well.
Werk Brau makes good stuff.
You buying a new 290G? FTR...the G won't be what your C was...they're made in North Carolina now and quality has dropped substantially. Rule of thumb on excavators...buy machines made in Japan. I've yet to see a bad one. Everyone that tries to make them here sees a drop in quality.
clintm
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- trucking,concrete recycling,grading, demolition
craig attachments out if canada is the best aftermarket company that I have ever dealt with
Pete F
Member
Without dragging the thread off topic too much, what do you do on a machine like that where there's no provision for a thumb on it as standard? Do you weld ears to the dipper?
I agree with the sentiments about Japanese machinery. I'm a very newcomer to this field and don't know much about it, but do have a pretty good understanding of general engineering. I have a Bobcat mini and have to say that the general engineering in it is pretty crap from what I've seen. I surprise and great shame as I expected better but was indeed warned before buying it.
I agree with the sentiments about Japanese machinery. I'm a very newcomer to this field and don't know much about it, but do have a pretty good understanding of general engineering. I have a Bobcat mini and have to say that the general engineering in it is pretty crap from what I've seen. I surprise and great shame as I expected better but was indeed warned before buying it.
xr4ticlone
Well-Known Member
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Weld to the dipper...if you buy a thumb for that tractor then it should have measurements.
I recommend a 'Main Pin Thumb' where the bottom part pins with the same pin as the bucket to the stick. That will be machine specific. It will also give you mounting measurements when you get the thumb for where to weld on to the stick. Keep in mind that you can jack up the stick or thumb if you're not careful...lots of force on both of the bucket and thumb.
I recommend a 'Main Pin Thumb' where the bottom part pins with the same pin as the bucket to the stick. That will be machine specific. It will also give you mounting measurements when you get the thumb for where to weld on to the stick. Keep in mind that you can jack up the stick or thumb if you're not careful...lots of force on both of the bucket and thumb.
stars&bars44
Well-Known Member
Go with a progressive link thumb. Its a night and day difference.
Mother Deuce
Senior Member
Goes along way to protecting the cylinder from side load. The best thumbs I have ever used were progressive link. I like PSM out of Maltby WA... I know it's along way but worth the click
Pete F
Member
Thanks guys. I didn't know of progressive link thumbs so that information was very useful.
I'll fabricate this thumb up myself (when I have time, groan, very busy right now) and will model up a progressive link version in CAD to see how it fits. I think it will likely be unnecessarily complicated for my current little machine and the work it does, but I will definitely file the concept away. The 324 is my first excavator so I'm still very much a noob, but it's been the gateway to a whole new world, and I think it will be difficult for me to be without at least a small excavator like this. The plan is to buy a much larger machine in a few years, and I'll certainly look at a progressive link thumb for that, as the work it will do will be quite different.
I'll fabricate this thumb up myself (when I have time, groan, very busy right now) and will model up a progressive link version in CAD to see how it fits. I think it will likely be unnecessarily complicated for my current little machine and the work it does, but I will definitely file the concept away. The 324 is my first excavator so I'm still very much a noob, but it's been the gateway to a whole new world, and I think it will be difficult for me to be without at least a small excavator like this. The plan is to buy a much larger machine in a few years, and I'll certainly look at a progressive link thumb for that, as the work it will do will be quite different.