7Blacksmiths? Titan? Backhoe thumb - anybody heard of them?

[Mark_BX25D]

I'm looking for a thumb for my BX25D backhoe. I see the BXExpanded item for $319, plus $16 shipping, but lead time is 6-8 weeks. No good. I see that EMP (Extreme Metal PRoducts) can have one in my hands in a week or so, but they want $414, shipped. Ouch.

Found some on Amazon. I'm always leary of cheap Chinese knock-offs on Amazon, but I see some options.

Anybody have any experience with 7Blacksmiths? Here's a link to the product on Amazon. The price is $161, shipped) and they way they can deliver in a week.


Then there's Titan, with a similar product which they can ship for $165. Here's their product.

Any feedback is welcome.

 

[JimmyJazz]

The reviews are mixed at best. I always figure the first half dozen reviews are from the manufacturers family members. Seems like it might require some "MacGyvering". It looks substantial. Personally I am tired of grinding, fixing and adapting things. Best of luck.

 

[Nicfin36]

Lead time on BXPanded site says 4-6 weeks.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

The reviews are mixed at best. I always figure the first half dozen reviews are from the manufacturers family members.

Yeah, either that or paid third-worlders who don't even know what the product does.

Seems like it might require some "MacGyvering". It looks substantial. Personally I am tired of grinding, fixing and adapting things.

Yeah, but for the price difference, I can live with a little MacGyvering. IF it's substantial.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

I'm looking for a thumb for my BX25D backhoe. I see the BXExpanded item for $319, plus $16 shipping, but lead time is 6-8 weeks. No good. I see that EMP (Extreme Metal PRoducts) can have one in my hands in a week or so, but they want $414, shipped. Ouch.

Found some on Amazon. I'm always leary of cheap Chinese knock-offs on Amazon, but I see some options.

Anybody have any experience with 7Blacksmiths? Here's a link to the product on Amazon. The price is $161, shipped) and they way they can deliver in a week.


Then there's Titan, with a similar product which they can ship for $165. Here's their product.

Any feedback is welcome.

I put the weld-on version from Titan on my L35. It seems well made. It's a little tricky to stow away when you get through with it. I've used it enough to see the value of a hydraulic one.
Edit: does Kubota make one for your rig? One that pivots on the bucket pin would be ideal. And lastly, make sure you get the right length.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

I put the weld-on version from Titan on my L35. It seems well made. It's a little tricky to stow away when you get through with it. I've used it enough to see the value of a hydraulic one.

Thanks! That's the kind of feedback I'm looking for.

I've watched enough videos to already want a hydraulic one, but $$$$

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Thanks! That's the kind of feedback I'm looking for.

I've watched enough videos to already want a hydraulic one, but $$$$

I hear that. The ideal hydraulic one would retract against the stick so you don't have to take it off to dig with the bucket. I don't think the Titan one does. I think mine could be modified to do that, but I haven't needed it lately. And then I'd need a diverter hook-up $$$ & time.
I used mine to snake downed trees out of a blackberry thicket and then as a side boom to haul them to the dump gully. Unapproved and requires lots of care, but it got the job done.

 

[BXHoosier]

I had the Titan thumb on my BX24 for a while before I built my hydraulic thumb. The Titan thumb needed a few modifications just to fit. The most obvious issue is that the inside width is 1/4” wider than the stick so I made shim plates to fix that. When the bucket is curled all the way out, the bucket linkage hits the thumb by the cylinder. I cut the thumb for clearance, made a new channel piece to fit between the thumb side plates and countersank the holes for flat head screws. The fitting on the bucket cylinder was very close to hitting the thumb. The whole thumb would slide on the stick so I was tempted to weld it on. To me, it wasn’t worth the effort to end up with a poorly fitting piece in the end. Ended up selling to a friend who was gonna weld it onto a different small backhoe of some kind.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Well, I'm down to the BXpanded or the EMP. Very similar, but I like the curve on the BXpanded better. But there's that shipping time. I want to use it for a project that should not be delayed. I plan to use it to tear down an old shed and put the debris in my trailer to head to the dump. It would really speed things up.

I appreciate the first hand input on the Titan. Doesn't sound like a good investment.

I'm wondering if the EMP or BXpanded can later be converted to hydraulic. I'm thinking replace the solid brace with a cylinder.

 

[shootem604]

I bought a cheap bolt on thumb from Amazon. It was for a 1/2" wider stick, so I welded a piece of 3/16 plate on each side of the stick with holes to correspond to the bolt on bracket of the thumb. It's been very handy for lifting big rocks out of holes when digging. When not in use you can pin it up against the stick, or take off just the thumb or take off the whole bracket.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Well, that was dumb. I should have looked at my backhoe. It's one of the earlier ones and does not have the mounting point.

I think I'm going to roll the dice on the 7Blacksmith unit from Amazon and see how it goes. It's half the price of the EMP and BXpanded units.

I'll post back here when I get it installed and see what the quality is.

 

[BXHoosier]

The 7blacksmith thumb looks identical to the Titan thumb I had. Probably made in the same China factory.

This picture was taken before all of the modifications.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

Well, it's been ordered. I'll let you all know how it goes.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

It's been shipped back. Wouldn't stay put, not without some serious modifications. You get what you pay for.

 

[Nicfin36]

You know what they say.....Buy once, cry once.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

curious....
re: Wouldn't stay put, not without some serious modifications.

you mean is slid down the boom ?

have to ask , did you put some thin rubber between the plates and the boom, and x2 washers under the locknuts ?

 

[Mark_BX25D]

It slid down the boom. It needs about 1/8" of shimming, at least, and I'm not at all confident that shimming would work. It's too generic.

If I wanted to weld it in place, it might be okay, but I'm not willing to do that.

So, a delay, but I'm going with the BXpanded unit, I think.

 

[Ricklesss]

I wished somebody that knew, could expand (pardon the pun!) on how difficult it would be to replace the solid mount with a hydraulic cylinder on the BXpanded one…
And are you supposed to remove the BXpanded thumb when digging, or just fold it up?
Many thanks!