Hi guys. I was wondering if it is possible to have a tilt rotator on an excavator while already having a hydraulic thumb?, thanks, john
I don't see why that shouldn't be possible, it's a matter of how you choose to have it installed hydraulically.
If I understand you correctly, it shouldn't be a problem. Just take it to someone who knows what they are doing when it comes to hydraulic installations. They should be able to work around with the existing hydraulic thumb. Are you installing it yourself or who are you taking it to?
I think its matter of installation. Consult with some installer who can guide you in a more better way.
In my opinion adding the weight of a tiltrotator to the extra weight of a hydraulic thumb would make for a poorly balanced machine. I also don't think you would want to use the 2 attachments together, you probably could but i dont think they would work well together.
I have a customer who has a tilt bucket on a 590D Deere and a 315c Cat and it works fine. The thumb is longer, the same as for any hydraulic quiktach system. What we did was to put 3 way ball valves in the thumb plumbing on the stick so that either the thumb or the tilt bucket is functional. I don't think you would want to use the thumb up against the tilt rotator setup. As far as machine balance, I've run the 590 and it's a very smooth operating machine. I would have to check for sure but I do think it has an extra weight hung under the counter weight.
in my opinion any thing you add to the end of the stick changes the balance of the machine. If you have a hydraulic thumb, a tiltrotator, and a full bucket of dirt, any machine is gonna feel different then if you had only a bare stick and a bucket of dirt. I have run a tilt rotator for several yrs, We went to a shorter stick to compensate for the extra weight and length added by the tiltrotator. Buy a grapple for your tiltrotator and you'll never say thumb again! We also have that 3 way valve setup on a smaller machine, What a pain in the wazzue!