Tilt Rotators - questions and thoughts

How many of you boys have embraced the tiltrotator movement yet?

I’ve had my x06 Steelwrist on my kubota for over a year now, and love every minute of it.

Looking at getting one for my 14 tonner also.

and, if you haven’t got one, whats your reasons? E.g cost, durability, etc

No need for trench and backfill. For most applications I want a flat bucket and make that happen with material under the track if needed.
I can get 90 degrees to any feature I need to restore after ditching and backfill, such as a thickened edge for a mono pour slab.

I think they have their place but I just can't justify the cost, for what I do the $15-20k to have it just doesn't seem like it would be worth it. I do think it's probably like one of those things, once you have one it's hard to imagine NOT having one...

Lot's of times I wish I had one...would eliminate almost all the hand work!!

So, if I ever replace my current machine & buckets....& I have a pile of excess $$ to spend (LOL)...I love to get one. They are hellish expensive.

But for some of my work, like digging stumps, they would be useless & I would want to switch back to a ripper & bucket. So, I would have to have a quick-attach tilt-rotar, so I could easily change from tilt-rotar to manual quick-attach ripper or bucket & back. Of course the tilt-rotar itself includes a power quick-attach to allow attachment changes.

I don't even know if such a setup is even available!!!

StumpyWally said:

But for some of my work, like digging stumps, they would be useless & I would want to switch back to a ripper & bucket. So, I would have to have a quick-attach tilt-rotar, so I could easily change from tilt-rotar to manual quick-attach ripper or bucket & back. Of course the tilt-rotar itself includes a power quick-attach to allow attachment changes.

I don't even know if such a setup is even available!!!

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It's pretty common to have a coupler on the machine that the tilt rotator hooks into so you can remove it, that is how mine is setup. I have a manual pin grabber on the machine and then the coupler on the bottom of the tilt rotator is a hydraulic coupler. My setup is small enough it doesn't have the hydraulic and electronic hook ups built into the coupler like the larger machines have so I have to jump out and disconnect 2 hoses and a wiring harness but can still have the tilt rotator taken off in about a minute. I really only take it off if I need the frost ripper on some tough material or I need all the lifting capacity I can get.

I have no idea how to attach a picture to this post but I have an Engcon setup on my Takeuchi TB260. Like others have stated it's one of those things you don't need until you get to mess with one for a while then you find all sorts of uses you didn't think of. I'm able to do a lot more with my machine then I'd be able to without the tilt rotator, I'm also able to do everything a normal machine can do but usually with less tracking, time, and movements as well as less hand work when finished with the machine.

I can go back a ways in time when quick hitches first came out, nobody wanted a bar of them until some did get them and started getting heaps of work. The same thing happened with tilting buckets, now you can't get work without one. The evolution has continued with tilt hitches and will happen with tiltrotators.
Sadly the extra cost doesn't always equate to better rates but their owners will get more work. And that folks is the way it is and always has been.

The downside to me is losing a legitimate thumb. Having the ability to drop the entire mechanism makes it somewhat better, but having to swap back and forth to use the thumb is a downer. I may get one at some point, I am updating my 6 ton ex this next year, it would be a good time to do it.

I don’t need (or I don’t think I need..lol) the tilt/rotate, but the tilt alone on my grading bucket would sure be handy. Bobcat has those available as well as others I’m sure for a lot less that the tilt/rotate.

KSSS said:

The downside to me is losing a legitimate thumb. Having the ability to drop the entire mechanism makes it somewhat better, but having to swap back and forth to use the thumb is a downer. I may get one at some point, I am updating my 6 ton ex this next year, it would be a good time to do it.

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The lack of a thumb was my big concern but after a year, I don't really care. The way the buckets for the tilt rotators are shaped you are often able to scoop up things you normally can't with a conventional excavator. Almost all of them also have a little 3 jaw gabber deal built into the back of the tilt rotator coupler that is surprisingly strong. I've used mine to pull out small trees, fence posts, etc. In some cases I'll use just the tilt rotator and no attachment, just the little 3 jaw grabber to do things like pull fence posts, small trees, etc. I can reach better then a bucket and thumb, more control, and can see much better. I do have a conventional style grapple that goes on the tilt rotator for other needs but I've found that my need for a thumb is a lot less then I'd have expected at first.

Yea I have heard that from some. We pull a lot of concrete (about 50K sf ft a year). The little clam thing isn't going to get done. Switching back and forth between grabber and bucket doesnt make much sense either. It would be helpful on prep back and a host of other things its just me losing a real Pro Link thumb isnt an option.

Good to hear some back and forth on pros and cons on having a tiltrotator.

I guess it really does depend on the application.

If you’re only doing trenching then to a degree it probably is a bit pointless unless you have tricky services to get in and around.

My steelwrist gets absolutely abused, and so far has held up well - I have no top hitch so it stays on 24/7 and I have ripped out more concrete, foundations, footings than I should be.

As for the thumb issue, I think I would lean towards a multifunctional grab bucket in that case, but my grab only really gets used for larger concrete or demo - otherwise the buckets get it fine.

KSSS said:

Yea I have heard that from some. We pull a lot of concrete (about 50K sf ft a year). The little clam thing isn't going to get done. Switching back and forth between grabber and bucket doesnt make much sense either. It would be helpful on prep back and a host of other things its just me losing a real Pro Link thumb isnt an option.

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A Graptor bucket would be ideal for that kind of work, but they don't exactly give them away.

Finally got done chewing on crayons and licking windows and figured out how to get pictures uploaded. Clicking the "upload a file" button apparently never crossed my mind.

Now that I have one, I doubt that I will ever be without one. I only wish it had the gripper arms in the back but it's what came with a used machine. Super fast tool changes, unlimited positioning of tools and speeds up most any job. Once I get the new grapple up and running, there will be no need to be missing a thumb.

I think I was the first in my county to get a thumb and a hydraulic thumb at that. No one could ever convince me a mechanical thumb was ever better than a hydraulic unit. I'm pretty sure that the Rototilt is along the same lines but up quite a few notches. I can do more than ever with every tool that I have. It's all about efficiency.

treemuncher said:

Now that I have one, I doubt that I will ever be without one. I only wish it had the gripper arms in the back but it's what came with a used machine. Super fast tool changes, unlimited positioning of tools and speeds up most any job. Once I get the new grapple up and running, there will be no need to be missing a thumb.

I think I was the first in my county to get a thumb and a hydraulic thumb at that. No one could ever convince me a mechanical thumb was ever better than a hydraulic unit. I'm pretty sure that the Rototilt is along the same lines but up quite a few notches. I can do more than ever with every tool that I have. It's all about efficiency.

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Can't wait until you put a mulcher on it.

TrentNz said:

How many of you boys have embraced the tiltrotator movement yet?

I’ve had my x06 Steelwrist on my kubota for over a year now, and love every minute of it.

Looking at getting one for my 14 tonner also.

and, if you haven’t got one, whats your reasons? E.g cost, durability, etc

Click to expand...

The people I work for have given consideration to a machine with that sort pf versatility. They will possibly add one in the not too far distant future. Huge downside to several TR's is they can't dig wet.

Tones said:

Can't wait until you put a mulcher on it.

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I've already got one for it. Seppi BMS-F that I have run for maybe 1-2 hrs total so far. I also have a Davco 705 rotary deck that needs mounts built. I'm so back logged with my regular stuff that I have not had much time to teach myself the Menzi in order to get comfortable and proficient with it for paying jobs. And I don't have enough time available to do what I want to on my own place where I plan to practice with it. Anything over a 20 degree slope is unforgiving VERY quickly so I want to have total confidence in operations before putting it on jobs. 4 new tires currently being installed to replace the slicks that were on it and useless in wet clay soils. I still have to finish up the winch and install hydraulics on that in order to tackle really steep jobs.

I also have a 1500 ft-lb hammer and a new Modularis Grapple system, both attachments need hoses, so that I can try them out when I find the time. With the Rototilt, I should be able to put that hammer into most any difficult position conceivable. Now the grapple with a second rotating member will really be working the imagination. I've got a set of tree shear arms for that as well as the universal grab arms. I will order the hydraulic saw package at a later time as they did not have all of the components when I made the order for the base unit.

Too many irons in the fire, not enough hours in a day.

That Rototilt worked really well with the ditching bucket. The side tilt allowed me to grade out my spoils as I progressed with my dewatering ditch and connect ditches together cleanly from most any position within reach.

Watch Duckgirl 86 on u-tube. She has a bunch of video showing a tilt/rotator and the various tools that fit one. I have seen lots of them working in Europe. There is lots of working in tight spaces there and not a lot of land.

I don't think I could give up having a machine with a dedicated thumb. Where we live there is lots of rock and trees. There's no way that little pinchy thing on the back would be able to do half what I need to do. So, in order to make up for that, I'd have to constantly switch back to the grapple and that would mean dragging it all over a worksite just in case I needed it.

I have a spider excavator and three regular hoes. The regular machines all have thumbs but the spider, being European, doesn't. I do have a grapple for the spider and yes it can do a lot but in it's place generally run a powertilt mated up with a Helac 4-in-1. It's a pretty versatile setup but it lacks opening capacity. The Graptor looks like a cool option but then you're stuck with only the tooth bucket if you want a thumb, that is unless you can afford two.

For me, unless I was primarily doing utility work, I cant see being overall more efficient. I also echo what another poster said above: It's a hard cost to justify and pass along to clients that are used to doing things the old way.