A thumb on an excavator can make it a versatile tool in landscaping, construction, demolition, or recycling. A thumb attachment makes it easier to pick up, move, and hold irregular objects like concrete, rocks, construction materials, debris, and branches that do not easily fit into a typical bucket attachment. At Rockland Manufacturing, we offer seven different models of excavator thumbs in two mounting configurations.
Pin-Mounted Thumbs
Our pin-mounted thumbs are perfect for picking and placing material. The thumb body rotates on the same pivot pin as a bucket or coupler. Our pin-mounted excavator thumbs are among the most durable, dependable designs on the market.
We offer pin-mounted thumbs in non-link, progressive link, and full-rotation styles. The non-link thumb attachments have up to 120 degree rotation, while the progressive link thumbs rotate up to 180 degrees. Last but not least, as the name suggests, the full-rotation thumb follows the bucket through its full range of motion.
To ensure quality and peak performance, we comprehensively test our hydraulic cylinders in-house using rigorous methods. Our pin-mounted and progressive link thumbs are often faster and easier to install than most of our competitor’s models.
Here are some of the advantages of our pin-mounted thumbs:
- They can precisely pick and place material
- They keep loads securely clamped during rotation
- The heat-treated pins and bushings are lubricated and replaceable
- They contain a heavy-duty, dual-cushioned thumb cylinder
- The thumb design matches the teeth of your bucket
- A mechanical locking pin prevents downdrift when the thumb is not in use
Stick-Mounted Thumbs
Stick-mounted thumbs feature a mounting pad welded to with a separate pivot pin mounted to the underside of the excavator stick of the excavator. We offer two types of stick-mounted weld-on mechanical thumbs — hydraulic and solid strut.
Hydraulic Stick-Mounted Thumbs
Our hydraulic thumbs come in wide hydraulic thumb and narrow hydraulic thumb design options. They offer a range of benefits:
- The narrow design minimizes overall equipment weight
- The wide design is ideal for handling fine debris & bulky, loose materials
- Both use a dual-cushioned, hydraulic cylinder between the mountain pad and thumb body
- Operators can adjust the position of the thumb hydraulically from the cab
- Our hydraulic thumbs feature a mechanical lock that prevents frustrating downdrift when the thumb is not in use
Solid-Strut Stick-Mounted Thumbs
(also referred to as Mechanical or Stiff-link thumbs)
The solid-strut thumb attachments are our most economical options, and we offer them in wide solid-strut thumb and narrow solid-strut thumb designs. These hydraulic excavator thumbs also offer several benefits:
- The narrow design keeps weight to a minimum while providing a positive, three-point pickup.
- The wide design features thumb tines that mesh with most common bucket widths
- Solid-strut thumbs are ideal for operators who do not need to reposition often or don’t have auxiliary hydraulics
- Both feature a mechanical pi that stores thumb out of the way when not in use
- The thumbs ship preassembled for easy installation
Whether you’re looking for a pin-mounted thumb, a stick-mounted thumb or any other excavator attachment, Rockland Manufacturing has the perfect solution for your application. Contact us today to learn more about our products or to request a quote.
Updated January 2024
