B26 backhoe ripper option

jeremymayf

New member
May 19, 2020
6
2
3
Graniteville, SC
1707163989276.jpeg


Great job Smokeydog! Really like the ripper and your fabrication looks stout. Find myself in need of a ripper for my B26 as we are clearing our property for projects--new driveway, shop etc. Lots of stumps. Wondering if a ripper such as this manca would be a good candidate? It is 26" and made of ar400 to fit kx 025 or 27 mini ex. Question is whether the serrated edges would be useful or just a novelty that doesn't actually help tear up roots and instead reduces the overall strength of the ripper? Thoughts?

Regards,
Jeremy
 
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Dave_eng

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Williamstown Ontario Canada
I just bought a ripper for my KX040-4 excavator. Canadian Dealer got it for me and felt it was more robust than the Kubota product. It was less than $1,500 with Tax. The tip is replaceable. The inside curve of the shank is made with V notch teeth which looks like they will make dealing with roots more effective.
The mount is Kubota's wedge bolt style.
If it will help anyone I will go to my shop and get a photo.

Dave
 

Runs With Scissors

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L2501 TLB , Grappel, Brush Hog, Box Blade, Ballast box, Forks, Tiller, PH digger
Jan 25, 2023
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Michigan
View attachment 121788

Great job Smokeydog! Really like the ripper and your fabrication looks stout. Find myself in need of a ripper for my B26 as we are clearing our property for projects--new driveway, shop etc. Lots of stumps. Wondering if a ripper such as this manca would be a good candidate? It is 26" and made of ar400 to fit kx 025 or 27 mini ex. Question is whether the serrated edges would be useful or just a novelty that doesn't actually help tear up roots and instead reduces the overall strength of the ripper? Thoughts?

Regards,
Jeremy
Jeremy,

IMHO, the serrations are not just a "novelty". My ripper tooth has them and they work.

The trick is learning how to use the hydraulics properly.

For instance, just pulling in a straight line does not utilize the teeth.

However pulling and raising at the same time while letting the tooth "uncurl" a little, produces a "sawing effect" that I can actually feel when I am doing it properly. It literally vibrates the machine and I can feel it sawing.

I have sawed through some pretty thick roots on my 77.



Aside: I would buy that blade just because it looks bad-ass (y)
 
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mikester

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M59 TLB
Oct 21, 2017
3,554
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Canada
www.divergentstuff.ca
View attachment 121788

Great job Smokeydog! Really like the ripper and your fabrication looks stout. Find myself in need of a ripper for my B26 as we are clearing our property for projects--new driveway, shop etc. Lots of stumps. Wondering if a ripper such as this manca would be a good candidate? It is 26" and made of ar400 to fit kx 025 or 27 mini ex. Question is whether the serrated edges would be useful or just a novelty that doesn't actually help tear up roots and instead reduces the overall strength of the ripper? Thoughts?

Regards,
Jeremy
1707218833795.jpeg


Yes the serrations work letting me saw through roots.
 
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Smokeydog

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M59, B26 grapples, backhoes, tillers, graders, diesel atv
Jun 2, 2020
669
623
93
knoxville, Tennessee
I did bevel the leading edge to better cut. Teeth do look wicked and should help breaking root fibers.

Not sure where everyone measures ripper length. Shank or from pin center? Don’t want to hit the boom. Does significantly help the B26 with stump work. Added rear bars to the rear of QA mount to keep the ripper from laying down. Too heavy to lift to install. Some designs might be better.
IMG_2605.jpeg
IMG_2606.jpeg

Makes it easier to swap attachments.
 

jeremymayf

New member
May 19, 2020
6
2
3
Graniteville, SC
Thanks everyone for the positive responses.

Dave: definitively please, post a pic of your ripper if it's convenient; I'm salivating over the pics everyone is already putting up!

Runs with Scissors: thank you for confirming serrations do help, the fact that it takes subtle technique just means more time playing with the B26...yipee! BTW, I agree that thing does look bad ass. Even my wife took a step back and said whoa! when I showed it to her.

Mikester: is that home-brewed? That ripper is wicked!! Very nice indeed! Approximately how long from the bottom of the plate to tip is it? Can it contact the boom when curling if the arm is retracted?

Smokeydog: nice job, those new bars make a great built-in cradle. I bet it does make swapping attachments a whole lot easier. Manca measures the ripper length from the bottom of the plate to the ripper tooth tip. They have 2 models that look appropriately sized for the B26--a 24" and 26". I would probably be better off clearance-wise sticking with the 24", not to mention it's a bit cheaper $1100 vs $1200. The tooth is a cat-style replaceable.


 

fried1765

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Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
7,843
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Eastham, Ma
Thanks everyone for the positive responses.

Dave: definitively please, post a pic of your ripper if it's convenient; I'm salivating over the pics everyone is already putting up!

Runs with Scissors: thank you for confirming serrations do help, the fact that it takes subtle technique just means more time playing with the B26...yipee! BTW, I agree that thing does look bad ass. Even my wife took a step back and said whoa! when I showed it to her.

Mikester: is that home-brewed? That ripper is wicked!! Very nice indeed! Approximately how long from the bottom of the plate to tip is it? Can it contact the boom when curling if the arm is retracted?

Smokeydog: nice job, those new bars make a great built-in cradle. I bet it does make swapping attachments a whole lot easier. Manca measures the ripper length from the bottom of the plate to the ripper tooth tip. They have 2 models that look appropriately sized for the B26--a 24" and 26". I would probably be better off clearance-wise sticking with the 24", not to mention it's a bit cheaper $1100 vs $1200. The tooth is a cat-style replaceable.


My ripper does NOT have serrations, but will rip to 28" deep.
Ripping depth was a priority for me.
I bought from "OX thumbs", in Carrollton, GA. and the $1,000 price (by phone) included UPS shipping.
AR400 steel, 1" thick.
A quality product, and I really like it!
Am using it on my L48 TLB.
The 28" ripping depth/length (bottom of plate to tip of tooth) is NOT an issue, with curl, for my L48, and hitting the boom.
 
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Smokeydog

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Equipment
M59, B26 grapples, backhoes, tillers, graders, diesel atv
Jun 2, 2020
669
623
93
knoxville, Tennessee
If you can find a ready made ripper to fit the B26 that would be a golden ticket. I’m sure many would like that option.
While cutting roots helps I tend to probe and use the bigger roots length as a lever to break them off at the root ball. Part of the advantage digging has over grinding is getting all the roots out of the ground.

The B26 QA buckets have a feature of bolt in teeth. I removed the three teeth from 12” bucket to make repairs sometime ago to replace a waterline under the road and was impressed how well I could dig and not damage the old line. Yesterday repaired another leak in the woods. The toothless bucket to cut 2” thick roots from both sides of the line to uncover the break. By not having teeth the bucket doesn’t hook the root or utility lines and better cuts with the bucket’s cutting edge. Losing some of the aggressiveness makes for a more precise cutting tool.
 

mikester

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M59 TLB
Oct 21, 2017
3,554
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Canada
www.divergentstuff.ca
Mikester: is that home-brewed? That ripper is wicked!! Very nice indeed! Approximately how long from the bottom of the plate to tip is it? Can it contact the boom when curling if the arm is retracted?

Yes homebrew. Here's my original post with some more details/pics

I finally weighed it it's 123lbs. I recall that length is around 30-32 inches to the tooth tip, I'd have to check to confirm. It was based on my bucket geometry so it won't make contact with the boom in any position. Syncs in with my thumb between the teeth.
 

jeremymayf

New member
May 19, 2020
6
2
3
Graniteville, SC
Expensive day! Pulled the trigger on the Manca 24". Nice folks, told them I don't need the ears as I will be putting on B26 specific ears and they took hundred bucks off. It'll probably take a few weeks to get everything in, migrating to the B26 quick attach system so ordered all that stuff too. Will post pics when I get it sorted

Fried1765: thanks for the Ox Thumbs heads up. Their attachments look well made and they're somewhat local boys for me, but the Manca with that serrated edge imo was just too bad ass to pass up.

Smokeydog: never thought to try the bucket sans teeth, but it makes sense for your application. I will definitely keep that approach in mind if digging near something potentially damageable.

Mikester: very impressed! Checked out your build thread on the Scorpion, looks like you did a great job. Glad to hear it does not interfere with the boom. That's a luxury I may not have when this all shakes out. I have to say I am jealous of you guys that own the larger L/M TLBs.

Regards,
Jeremy
 
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fried1765

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Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
7,843
5,066
113
Eastham, Ma
If you can find a ready made ripper to fit the B26 that would be a golden ticket. I’m sure many would like that option.
While cutting roots helps I tend to probe and use the bigger roots length as a lever to break them off at the root ball. Part of the advantage digging has over grinding is getting all the roots out of the ground.

The B26 QA buckets have a feature of bolt in teeth. I removed the three teeth from 12” bucket to make repairs sometime ago to replace a waterline under the road and was impressed how well I could dig and not damage the old line. Yesterday repaired another leak in the woods. The toothless bucket to cut 2” thick roots from both sides of the line to uncover the break. By not having teeth the bucket doesn’t hook the root or utility lines and better cuts with the bucket’s cutting edge. Losing some of the aggressiveness makes for a more precise cutting tool.
I have a 16" bucket for my L48 and have purposely inverted the teeth.
That way the flat side of the teeth is up.
Bought a piece of cutting edge, and will have it welded to the now up (flat) side of the outer two teeth, giving me a smooth cutting edge.
No welding to center tooth is necessary
If I want to go back to OEM toothed edge?
Knock out the pins on those two outer teeth, and pop the smooth cutting edge off.
Replace two now missing teeth with two spares.
 
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Smokeydog

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Equipment
M59, B26 grapples, backhoes, tillers, graders, diesel atv
Jun 2, 2020
669
623
93
knoxville, Tennessee
Expensive day! Pulled the trigger on the Manca 24". Nice folks, told them I don't need the ears as I will be putting on B26 specific ears and they took hundred bucks off. It'll probably take a few weeks to get everything in, migrating to the B26 quick attach system so ordered all that stuff too. Will post pics when I get it sorted

Fried1765: thanks for the Ox Thumbs heads up. Their attachments look well made and they're somewhat local boys for me, but the Manca with that serrated edge imo was just too bad ass to pass up.

Smokeydog: never thought to try the bucket sans teeth, but it makes sense for your application. I will definitely keep that approach in mind if digging near something potentially damageable.

Mikester: very impressed! Checked out your build thread on the Scorpion, looks like you did a great job. Glad to hear it does not interfere with the boom. That's a luxury I may not have when this all shakes out. I have to say I am jealous of you guys that own the larger L/M TLBs.

Regards,
Jeremy
Could you find a source other than Kubota for the qa ears?
 

Smokeydog

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Equipment
M59, B26 grapples, backhoes, tillers, graders, diesel atv
Jun 2, 2020
669
623
93
knoxville, Tennessee
I couldn’t find B26 QA backhoe ears other than Kubota. Flare and inside pin weldments stops makes them a little more complicated than just plates. I think they were $260. Was going to make a pattern but didn’t. Probably the easiest QA I’ve used. With the KX040 adapter could now use $80 simple plate ears or attachments.