Caterpillar's Pro Series Hydraulic Thumbs mount on the bucket pin of hydraulic excavators in the Cat 311 through 329 model range and move along the same arc as the bucket edge for a solid grip and precise control. The operator controls the thumb independently of the bucket to position it as needed for sorting and material placement.
Video: Cat Pro Series Hydraulic Thumbs at Work
Two different Pro Series Hydraulic Thumbs are available.
- Pro Plus thumbs cover the bucket through 100 percent of its rotation
- Pro thumbs cover as much as 70 percent of bucket rotation
Pro Plus thumbs add load control at the extremes of the machine and bucket working ranges, which can be needed for tasks such as building high rock walls or loading high-sided trucks, or when working below grade close to the excavator.
Thumb teeth on All Pro Series Hydraulic Thumbs can move with the bucket edge, and the thumb frame spans the width of the bucket for control of longer loads such as limbs or poles.
Cat buckets, quick couplers and thumbs form an integrated system.