I'm in the process of buying a 2004 TB135. It's got three buckets, one 12 and one 18, plus another bucket that I haven't seen yet but which I suspect will be a toothless 30" bucket that's good for scraping dirt. Anyway, I'm buying a thumb for it, am aware that there is more than one design out there and I wondered if anyone had some thoughts on what I should get. I'd be using it for things like picking up chunks of asphalt or concrete, stones, trees & vegetation, etc. Probably culvert pipe too... things along that line.
Check this guy out http://www.northsaw.com/aboutus.html I do not have a thumb that he makes but wouldn't hesitate to get a price. I've heard good things from some other people that have one and it looks like a good shape for grabbing and and keeping things where you want em once they're picked up.
Thank you. I'll check that out.
What about a factory thumb? They must be available? I have had a weld on thumb and it wasn't amazing, didn't grip well at certain bucket curl points, if that makes sense. Ive been looking at machines and would be curious what the factory thumbs that connect at the pin run to add on a used machine, since Im seeing plenty of used minis that have no thumb.
I think I'm not only going to get a pin mount thumb from that guy, I'm also going to get the thumb-looking bucket attachment he makes that would basically allow me to swap out a regular bucket and have a grappler.
It looks like he really does a nice job with the stuff he's building. If you don't mind me asking, what is he charging for a main pin mount thumb?
He has one with a Chinese ram that can hit a price point right about $1,000. The one I plan to get has a ram that he built that's a much better item and it's around 17-18 hundred.