Excavator Without a Thumb?

[Allan M]

Hey Guys:

I'm not a professional dirt mover. I'm a "learner" with a 12.5k machine. I don't get purchasing or owning an excavator of any size without the convenience of a thumb. I get that in certain applications you don't need it. But, there always must times when you need to pick up a rock or tree stump or move a log or pipe. What's the deal here? Why buy a machine today without a thumb? Maybe it's just the cost of the option or better skilled operators don't need thumbs. Thx for the insights. Allan

 

[Pixie]

My first machine was a Case 580K backhoe with Extenda-hoe. Hard to put a thumb on. I was forced to learn to pick up rocks and logs w/out a thumb so buying an excavator with no thumb didn't seem like a problem. And after 6-7 years with it, it hasn't been but I WANT a thumb... but It hasn't the plumbing so I keep putting off even getting a fixed thumb.

I'm also not thrilled about welding on the stick and don't know a welder that I trust nearby.

 

[Tinkerer]

I'm guessing that excavators are purchased without thumbs because a lot of contractors have no need for one or want the added expense to buy one with it already on it.
Especially what is available in their market area would make a difference.
Pixie, any competent welder can weld a thumb on a stick (dipper) without weakening or impairing the integrity of it.
As far as plumbing, it is doable on about any excavator. It comes down to how badly you need or want it.

 

[Jonas302]

Cost and weight and Cost

 

[007]

Having a thumb is good but there are down sides on small machines as well.
In the 1-3ton class (zero swing machines) any additional weight out on the stick is less dirt in your bucket and less balance on sloped ground.
Sounds petty but just changing different weight buckets you will notice the balance change.
If you are doing a lot of narrow trenches they can be a pain hitting the sides of trenches.
Some people just don't need one.
I use a four way bucket when needing to move a lot of trees or rocks which solves that on my little machine.

 

[CM1995]

There are many reasons why a contractor buys a hoe without a thumb, the main reason being a thumb gets in the way of laying pipe and adds extra weight on the end of the stick which slows production time. Thumbs, especially hydraulic ones add quite a bit of weight and if paired with a QC can mess up the balance of the machine.

Bought a 321CLCR new in '04 with QC and progressive link thumb. Great for convenience and clearing but tippy as hell, I wouldn't order that combo again.

Manual thumbs work good for us as 2 pins drops the thumb off and it's not in the way laying pipe or loading trucks. Production is the name of the game on a $250K machine.

Just muy $.02

 

[skyking1]

It's all about the pipe and trench boxes and shoring. Both my machines at work have thumbs; I would prefer the 120 at least did not have one. The mini's come with thumbs these days, opting out gets expensive as I would also go with QC buckets and have to replace the hoe pack and buckets I have already.
Where thumbs just suck:
1) dipping bedding out of the dump truck. they bang into the tailgate and prevent an easy full scoop.
2) tunneling a footing.
3) digging in any kind of shoring. Thumb ears are wider than narrow bucket, bang into spreaders and sides of boxes, dislodge the jacks on speed shoring. Sometimes you just need to get one scoop out after setting the jacks, and you are hating on the thumb at that point.
4) tunneling under/around/through existing utilities.
5) tunneling under a fence.

 

[delectric123]

Before I'd put a thumb on my machine, I'd go for a grapple bucket, where the thumb is attached to the bucket. When you unhitch the bucket, and disconnect the plumbing, you're rid of the thumb. Quite a few have been going this route in my area. I know one who fabricated a thumb to his bucket. Having a thumb on excavator at all times can be a significant production loss in normal digging operations, with the extra weight.

 

[AzIron]

Thumbs derate my hammer weight capabilities and the need for a thumb in dirt work here is really no existent the only guys with thumbs are demo guys or landscapers not that I dont want want one I just have no justification for it and I do just fine without one

If I did demo work different story

 

[John C.]

Thumbs are everywhere here. I installed one on a Link-Belt in 1980 and they just took off after that. The only people who for the most part don't have them are the underground utilities people. The excavators here are the swiss army knives of the equipment world.

 

[mutti_wilson]

Thumbs are everywhere here. I installed one on a Link-Belt in 1980 and they just took off after that. The only people who for the most part don't have them are the underground utilities people. The excavators here are the swiss army knives of the equipment world.

I'm in SW Washington and it's 10:1 machines with thumbs to those without thumbs. I'm starting to see a few more rototilt setups around as well. Both come at a weight cost but it's obviously not much of a concern.

 

[cuttin edge]

At one time non of our machines had thumbs, you worked with what you had. Now it seems like they all have them. Our larger machine's thumbs are easy to get off when required. I find a thumb can get in the way when you are loading a truck. Especially if you are sitting low.

 

[cuttin edge]

I watched a video of a guy with a wheeled excavator hauling a trailer. He had a rotating tilting bucket, a cutting wheel, no thumb, but a small grapple. He is doing asphalt patching. Cutting the asphalt, doing the dig out then prepping for new pave. Pretty slick.

 

[skyking1]

My solution will be to rent a larger bare machine next time I have to dig in double stack boxes.

 

[NepeanGC]

I run thumbless, but then again, I also have tilt rotators, and grapples. Thumbs definitely have their place, but I'd much rather have a grapple than a thumb.
I do have a gripper on my steelwrist though, so I can pick up plate packers, buckets, attachments, mafia blocks, etc.