Show us your Arb Diggers please.

[william127]

Can't beat a thumb for big bits of rubble where you want maximum lifting capacity.

Not the quickest for lots of little bits though. 

[doobin]

1 hour ago, Stihl123 said:

Right, anyone got any ideas please as to best value rotator grab for a 1.6t machine... An E16

 

Also, do they handle rubble better than a bucket as it'll be used more for that than timber 

 

If anyone has one that wants to get rid, lmk 

A grab is brilliant on any machine but you have to be realistic. I’ve a tiger grip under a fixed (not swinging) rotator that can go on my e19 (I ordered it with double aux). Even with the short dipper option you run out of lift height quickly due to the stack height of the combo. 
 

A grapple might be a better bet, although a tiger grip type grab without rotator can be handy. Advantage here is that it’s more flexible than a grapple and you can set the headstock so

it closes vertically (as here) or horizontally like a grapple. 

williams point about a thumb holding more weight (due to the load being under the dipper) is a good one, although I’d have a grapple with adjustable stay any day over a thumb. See here- as you adjust the ram, the load shifts to under the arm. 

 

[Stephen Blair]

The fixed thumbs are limiting, go hydraulic and you can draw the ram in as you curl the bucket to allow you to lift more tight in and not be stuck working at almost full reach all the time.  Demo grab imo is a. Much better grab for handling timber compared to a fixed timber grab.  The fixed timber puts so much stress on the dipper when working and the timber angle is steep when lifting at full reach and height, the demo grab locks it of allowing the timber to sit level.  Pushing down into a stack is better too and so much quicker at handling because the rams not having to open and shut as much as the timber.  It’s just a different way of working.  As far as lots of loose small rubble when using a thumb, get yourself a big riddle bucket, I’d say twice the size of your digging bucket.  It’s half the weight I’d say and really nice to work along with the thumb.

[Stihl123]

Thanks all

I'll keep an eye out for a selector grab

They r just so much money! 

[woody paul]

20 minutes ago, Stihl123 said:

Thanks all

I'll keep an eye out for a selector grab

They r just so much money! 

I ve not got one, but uncle has been driving diggers for well over 40 years, his son bought a second hand one to fit a 8 ton 360 he couldn't believe how easy it made job after years of chasing stuff with bucket. 

But like other have said a thumb is also a game changer when moving brash and timber about plus a good driver on machine and bloke on saw laying brash down cut in the right length to move about. 

Edited December 25, 2022 by woody paul

[Stihl123]

1 hour ago, woody paul said:

I ve not got one, but uncle has been driving diggers for well over 40 years, his son bought a second hand one to fit a 8 ton 360 he couldn't believe how easy it made job after years of chasing stuff with bucket. 

But like other have said a thumb is also a game changer when moving brash and timber about plus a good driver on machine and bloke on saw laying brash down cut in the right length to move about. 

Sure 

I had a thumb on my last tb016 which was brilliant 

But would love a grab this time 

[doobin]

5 hours ago, Stihl123 said:

Thanks all

I'll keep an eye out for a selector grab

They r just so much money! 

Don’t go cheap because they are heavy. 
 

Intermecatto are all you should really look at. Incredibly strong and light. Think the tg12sr5 is around £1500 plus vat, they hold their money well and will last. Here it is under a rotator, but it’s great sans rotator on a smaller machine. 

[Matthew Storrs]

I've been using my Kinshofer this week. Hell of a grab. Doubt there's much to match it in terms of build quality. Heavy beast at 400kg but the case seems to handle it pretty well even when a good bundle of timber or brash in it. It's great for stacking timber and brash etc.

For general work and variety though I'd take a thumb and bucket anyday. I've been pulling 2ft dia willow stumps out with the grab because I can't be arsed to take the grab off, also been using it to remove sections of bank to gain access etc. But for the modest outlay of a thumb it could have done all that kind of work easily enough and is always on the machine when needed 

[LGP Eddie]

Intermercato grabs have nothing to prove in the job now, some are moving onto Indexator XR rotators for them to gain a bit more rotation hold, worm drives are a lottery and you get what you pay for in them.

 

Thumbs are great, hydraulic are better, I’ve had great success with Grapples, it’s all really what works for you.

 

These TMK Multigrab are a head scratcher, been told the geometry doesn’t work as you reach out more with it open, but I’d have to try one.

They’ve even tried to copy the grab a rake trick with them.

 

Copies already becoming available, so some must see potential in it.

 

 

[aspenarb]

New to me addition,a Wacker Neuson ez28. This model has the tilting cab which should prove useful.

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2023 by aspenarb