"Construction Attachments" 4 in 1 bucket

[AKfish]

I made the decision not to buy a 4n1 for most of the same reason's that Eddie mentioned. But, for occasional grapple use, occasional dozer use and the ease to go from one use to another - they're a very good "compromise" implement.

Most of the utility companies around here use 'em. They fit the bill if you're not gonna use them for a grapple for a majority of the time.

AKfish

 

[CurlyDave]

I like my 4-n-1.

I have a separate grapple, which is what I put on for big grapple jobs, but the advantage of the 4-n-1 is that it is always available without changing buckets when I need it for just one log.

The ability to drop the open bucket over a stump, post, or sapling and then pull straight up is very convenient.

Sort of like the screwdriver blade on a Swiss Army knife -- not a real screwdriver but good enough for a lot of jobs and always there.

 

[Redbug]

I find I use mine opened up a lot for pushing stuff. For me about the only thing you can't do with a 4in1 verses a regular bucket is carry water in it. I like the versatility it gives. I also have a separate grapple.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I think that a lot of people try to use 4 in 1s for stuff that I think that they were never intended for. They are not a grapple and for anyone to think that they are is foolish. As has been said time and time again, the right tool for the job just can not be beat. We all make do if we don't have the right tool or don't have the time to hook up the right tool, but that should not be held against the tool that we were improperly using. I guess what I'm saying is that you should not bad mouth something when your experience with it was short and not for the intended use. Not that any of this helps anybody, but I have seen several machines with these buckets used for grading and for demo cleanup, and to me they looked to work very well for what they were being used for.

Just my opinion, and not intended towards anyone.

 

[IslandTractor]

I have both grapple and 4n1 and I agree with the several posters who have outlined the limitations of the 4n1. It is a Swiss Army knife implement...decent at many things but great at none. I've come away thinking of it as a very useful tool for someone in the construction business who needs the all purpose FEL implement at a construction site where they don't have a lot of other implements handy. For a "home" CUT owner who is usually pretty close by to his grapple, bucket, box blade, rake etc the 4n1 is not so critical and as they are very expensive, very heavy and rather vulnerable to abuse, I have come to appreciate mine as a luxury item, not a necessary tool. Best use for mine is to have it on the loader when I am using my backhoe to dig stumps. I can move the stump out of the hole, fill the hole and then pick the stump up again to take it to the burn pile etc without changing implements or trying to fill a hole with a grapple. Otherwise I find I'd rather than the grapple or regular bucket mounted.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Otherwise I find I'd rather than the grapple or regular bucket mounted.

What is the reason that you would rather have your regular bucket on instead of the 4in1?

 

[IslandTractor]

What is the reason that you would rather have your regular bucket on instead of the 4in1?

Larger capacity and weighs less and has replaceable cutting edge. I don't mean to imply that I would specifically change out the 4n1 for the regular bucket very often if the 4n1 was already attached but those are the advantages of the regular bucket (in addition to cost). I should note that my regular bucket is 72 inch while my 4n1 is about six inches smaller.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Larger capacity and weighs less and has replaceable cutting edge. I don't mean to imply that I would specifically change out the 4n1 for the regular bucket very often if the 4n1 was already attached but those are the advantages of the regular bucket (in addition to cost). I should note that my regular bucket is 72 inch while my 4n1 is about six inches smaller.

Ok, thanks for the reply.

 

[dfkrug]

It is neat to read the great reviews about Construction Attachments products.

The first 4-in-1 I put on a compact tractor was a new CA. It was a very
stoutly built product. So count this as another positive review. The only
issue I had was that it was so heavy that the tractor (a Kubota L2550DT)
lost half its loader lift capacity.

Recently I put a WRLong light duty 4-in-1 on my Kioti. It weighs over
200# less than the CA. It works very well, but I have to be careful
not to damage it, and I don't like the non-greasable clevis on the
lower cylinder pivot.

Ted, I notice that most 4-in-1s seem to come from N. Carolina. What's
up with that?

 

[IslandTractor]

The first 4-in-1 I put on a compact tractor was a new CA. It was a very
stoutly built product. So count this as another positive review. The only
issue I had was that it was so heavy that the tractor (a Kubota L2550DT)
lost half its loader lift capacity.

Recently I put a WRLong light duty 4-in-1 on my Kioti. It weighs over
200# less than the CA. It works very well, but I have to be careful
not to damage it, and I don't like the non-greasable clevis on the
lower cylinder pivot.

Ted, I notice that most 4-in-1s seem to come from N. Carolina. What's
up with that?

Your experiences show the Achilles Heel(s) of the 4n1 on a CUT. If they are light then they are vulnerable to damage (especially with bulldozing) and if they are heavily built then they weigh a ton and cut your lift capacity. 4n1 buckets make sense on powerful construction loaders but on CUTs have considerable limitations as well as being expensive.