This project has been on my list for a long time. It made it to prime
time when I realized that my backhoe bkt was broken.
I use my b/h for digging up and lifting many rocks, which puts a lot
of stress on the bkt teeth. I have the cast ductile iron (or cast steel)
bolt-on teeth that are seen on most hoes of 7.5 dig depth or less. These
teeth are fairly soft and rather dull. That is OK if your soils are soft and
fairly rock-free, but for me they are less-than-ideal.
The bigger hoes use welded on shanks (aka tooth holders), and replaceable
teeth made of tough plow steel. Just look at the Kubota BH90 vs. the
Kubota BH75. The replaceable teeth are usually either crimped on or pinned
on.
In the past, I could go to my tractor dealer and buy shanks for $15 or so
each, and the teeth for $5-10 each. No longer. In this project I design my
own shanks to fit the teeth commonly sold for box blade rippers. These
shanks are welded to my hoe bkt, and the teeth are tack-welded to the
shanks. I have also designed shanks with the right profile for the Kioti
KL130
FEL bkt.
The first photos show my damaged hoe bkt. Welded on shanks will
substantially increase the strength of the corners of the bkt, where the
front cutting edge meets the side cutting edge.