I bought a hydraulic thumb for my TB145 and feel I completely wasted about $1200 bucks since I constantly have to take the thumb off to have it pressed straight and rewelded with bracing and the cylinder supplied by the company lasted about 4 hours and the company refuses to make good on doing anything even though the thumb is supposed to be for 16,000 pound machines (which is way more than a TB145 weighs). So, is this common? I've never had a thumb before so I don't know. What I've been using it for is clearing out the 87 trees I lost in a twister that hit us. I have never tried to move rocks or anything like that with it and gauges show my pressures are dead on factory settings. If it's just one of those things where you have to work on your thumb every time you use it, I'll just take it off and figure I wasted a chunk of money and time. :Banghead
I run a tak 053-fr with the factory tag thumb. In my case I busted the main pin that held the coupler and was the pin pivot point. Fixed it by drilling the stick for a greese zerk and going to a solid pin rather than a hollow one. Whats your relief pressures set at. Mine required 1800 psi instead of 3000 like it was set from factory and the extend relief was the bottom one, not the top, on the valve bank. I believe that your problem is there since you blew a cylinder and bent the thumb. I use mine for handeling scrap metal, moving logs, clearing, moving rocks, holding a grade bar and anything else I can think of.
Thanks. My thumb line pressure is only set at 2400 psi. My manual states that it's lower so the bucket can overpower the thumb, which allows something to give. The junk cylinder that came with my thumb states that it was rated for 3000 psi right on it. Still Gentec Equipment refused to replace it. The first time my thumb bent was because it was missing a bracing gusset from the manufacturer. All they said was "sorry". I had to fix it myself and buy a new cylinder myself. Now the thumb is bending in another place where it looks like it needs bracing. As I first mentioned, I wondered if this was normal with thumbs. I have rocks I need to move on my property and with the thumb breaking almost everytime I use it just moving wood, I'm really concerned about moving any rocks. Take it off again, straighten it again, and weld more bracing on where it looks like it should be braced? I guess I'm wondering if I just bought a thumb from a company on eBay that sells junk thumbs (leaning that way since they have zero service after the sale) or if this is par for the course with thumbs.
We have thumbs in are rental fleet they don't seem to be getting bent like yours.What is the brand of thumb you have? We have TAG thumbs mounted on these machines .Once the metal is bent ,then you straighten it with out bracing it will bend it that spot or a another.The steel may have not bin tempered right.Make sure you relief is is set low .So when the bucket meetsthe thumb it does not try to over power it but hold the material you want .But lower might be a little better.
I bought mine from Gentec Equipment. http://www.gentecequipment.com/ They looked legit, but I sure got screwed. Once they have your money, they are finished dealing with you for sure. I guess I just bought from a scam company and got taken. I think I'll buy another thumb for the excavator and, if it doesn't immediately destroy itself, I suppose I'll turn Gentec Equipment over to my attorneys. I don't think any company should be in business that just screws their customers. I'd like to get at least the money I wasted with that company back; the dozens and dozens of hours will just be lost. Any suggestions for a quality company? Having a thumb seems to be reeeeeeally useful! The pressure to the thumb is 600 psi lower than the rest of the unit at 2400 psi. I guess I could lower it another 500 psi? Still, only handling wood, I'm not so sure it should be bending up that easy. I've worked around heavy equipment for almost 30 years. I've just never had a thumb on a mini excavator.
A few questions: What's the model of the thumb? What is the center to center dimension of the dog bone on the bucket linkage and what is the dimension on from thumb pin center to thumb cylinder pin? Also, what is the thumb cylinder bore and what is the TB145 cylinder bore?
I tweaked mine a little but I was asking it to carry a rock that was way to big. It is only bent and inch or so. Mine is made by CP. I have had good luck with my CP buckets etc and bad luck with all TAG buckets and quick changes. I had to add a lot of steel to the two TAG buckets, one of them I had to replace the cross tube and back. My CP thumb only has two prongs and is straight. I am getting ready to build a three tooth thumb that is curved to pick up logs and rocks easier. I am sorry they will not stand behind their product. The only issue I have had with my TB145 is with pin bushings wearing out sooner then I think they should. I am getting ready to replace the pivot bushings then I need to replace the ones on the end of the stick. Only have 800 hours on it. Good luck.
I bought the HT1035 hydraulic thumb http://www.gentecequipment.com/images/products/thumbs/ht-1035-1240.jpg I think the pins are 2" pins where the thumb attaches to the machine. No issues there. I think the cylinder is 18" cylinder with 3 1/2" bore. The new cylinder I bought with my money was a "Chief" brand from Bailey in TN http://baileynet.com/index.php . Same size bores on the machine.
For the dimension I meant like. I'm just curious as to the forces generated on the thumb (and corresponding back pressure in the thumb circuit) when the bucket is curled? I would ask those fools what their design specifications allow? If they design for an allowable 3000 psi in the thumb cylinder, then you are correct in demanding warranty replacement. Also, the material is Hardox 450 and while this has a high yield strength in sheet form, the docs say it is reduced upon heating beyond 250 deg Celsius (to what I have no idea). Could the bends be occurring in heat affected zones?
also what pin in your bucket in, full rotation or power? Having it in power, and having your thumb pressures high with pretzle something up.
I definitely have the bucket set for more articulation of the bucket and less power. With the pin in the other hole, the manual says I will have a lot more power but will lose something like 25% of the bucket rotation. I have all the power I need in the setting for more bucket articulation. Very good point though. I should have mentioned that. Their design specifications allow "up to 3000psi", which I am well under. "Ben" there seems to be more than well versed at stalling long enough to where my credit card company cannot help. He now offers absolutely zero reimbursement for money spent, zero replacement parts and zero refunds of any sorts. Being that my mini supposedly is not capable of destroying their "extreme duty" thumb rated for larger units than my machine, I am leaning towards buying another thumb from a reputable company and filing a law suit against Gentec Equipment. Based on them dragging their feet until enough time has passed to where my credit card company cannot help, my attorney said this company really sounds like a "professional shop" that knows how to delay a customer until the only recourse is to file suit against them; knowing 99% of the people will just drop it. Clearly, they don't know me. Since I've now heard that thumbs do work and do not self destruct just moving logs, I want a good quality thumb and to go after this company. I REALLY wish I could have read somewhere on here to avoid this Gentec Equipment before I wasted my money and months of my time! Thanks much for the replies. Suggested companies that are reputable?
As you probably expect, if I push on the button to close the thumb and hold a log, if I accidentally curl the bucket more, it does compress the thumb cylinder. From what I read, even with my bucket in the hole that allows more range of movement rather than power, this occurs because my thumb hydraulic pressure is less than the bucket hydraulic pressure. I just feel cheated and screwed.
I twisted my salesman's arm and got him to throw the thumb in for free But if I was faced with spending $1500.00 for a thumb for a mini, I'd do as others have done on here and fire up the torches and make me one. Danny Steele comes to mind, and maybe hendrick were fabing some up for their Kubota's... Just search thumb fabrication. The one guy has all the cool fab tools and might sell you a cut out kit that all you need to do is weld together.
Just something to add to your case... 30 yrs in earthmoving should say ALOT !!! whether or not you have ever used 1 should not come into play or try to keep that out of the comments. I have dreams of making my own thumb after I finish my bucket project. I'm pondering 3/4"-1" material for mine on a 7500lb. machine. And as stumpjumper83 said. A kick *** thumb was made by a member on here. He has a full machine shop cnc and all. Think its in this section of threads(compact exc.)
With the pin in the hole for more movement, you'd generate the least amount of pressure in the thumb circuit. If the thumb is moving when you curl the bucket and the pin is set to max range and not power then it is poor design. Best of luck and thanks for letting us know not to deal with them. Perhaps you can point them to this forum and show them the negative press they are receiving? It's worked for others.
Thanks for the reply. I'd love to at least get the money back that I've spent trying to make their junk thumb work. I doubt they'd care about the negative press based on the way they intentionally dragged things out, telling me that they would make good on repairs/replacing, but doing nothing for months when it's too late to get much help other than sue them. What was it my credit card company said..."This isn't their first rodeo", or something like that. Hopefully this thread will save someone else from getting ripped off like I did. I'm not big into suing anyone, but I really am ticked that I was just flat taken advantage of. I don't have the money to buy another thumb. My only option would to be to look through old posts here and, when I can afford the materials, build my own thumb. I just feel dumb for letting myself get ripped off by Gentec Equipment. I should have recognized the stall tactics before enough time passed for them to tell me to go pound sand.
hmmm, well after reading this I might change my mind. Had been looking at one of their mechanical thumbs for my 60k Cat excavator
Good for you monkey. I've sent an email to them re this thread so let's hope something happens.
gentec.....now on my don't buy from list!!!!!
Thanks. It can't hurt, but I've sort of come to expect nothing from them. Ben promised me he would cover the cost of me having to buy another hydraulic cylinder and throw in a little extra for all the work I had to have done on the thumb. Like a dummy, I waited and waited and waited. When I finally contacted him, he'd apparently changed his mind (right). I'm like probably most everyone else here. I just want what I pay for and for companies to follow through with what they say. If their warranty and customer service after the sale is no good, I don't want anything to do with them. I did find the thread where the guy made his own thumb. Dang impressive!! Maybe if Gentec ever makes good on what they say they will do I'll have a start on money to buy steel to make a decent thumb. I don't like to talk bad about any company, but I'm glad to see other peon dirt diggers like me don't like to get ripped. It sure doesn't make life any easier for us.
Good quality thumb like Geith ,Kent ,Tag,JRB and onther well know brands are worth money.
Wow, I'm impressed with the power of this group. I just received an email that Gentec refunded the amount they originally said they would refund for me to go buy a replacement cylinder. That's all I wanted; what I was told I'd receive. I never wanted anything free, but I did want what I was told I would receive. Thank you Gentec for doing what you originally said you would do. I"m going to look at the other designs and use that money to make mine like those when I can. I do have a sick child who has had 2 rounds of brain surgery, so you guys here don't know how much I appreciate your help. However, this thread was never about that, only about whether hydraulic thumbs are durable and then about how I got short changed. I thank the fine fellow dirt diggers here for greatly helping in making the money portion come out as to what had been agreed months ago. I'd like to say I'm running out today to buy some steel and post pictures of some upgrades to my thumb, but some things are more important than our equipment. HeavyEquipment Forums did several things for me, which I greatly appreciate. First, let me know thumbs can and do work. Second, asked specific questions to make sure I had mine installed properly, which it is. Third, got a long ago promised partial refund from a company sent to me and renewed my faith in people (companies) doing the right thing. Once my daughter is better, she is going to get better, I'll get right after this thumb due to the help of the good folks here at HeavyEquipment!
Wow that is great news! Thanks Gentec for stepping up, but it shouldn't really ever need that amount of coercion to do the right thing. That said, let's hope that they will from now on. I'm very sorry to hear about your daughter and it is reassuring to hear the positive tone. All the best to her and your family, in what must undoubtedly be the hardest thing to endure. Keep us posted on her progress.
First things 1st. A speedy recovery for the daughter. And glad they made good on their word. I can not say enough good about the folks on here.
I sincerely thank you on both accounts. Obviously, family comes first. Still, it wouldn't be right for me to not promptly post that due to the great guys on this forum, the mentioned company did what they said they would do; nothing more, nothing less. That's all I wanted, what I was told I'd receive. Thanks again to all for also understanding that some things are more important than our machines and sometimes those things are life changers. What a great group here!
We'll keep your girl in our prayers.