Tooth Bar Design

[picker77]

I have a set of Chris Perry's JDQA forks coming, and the only other "major" attachment I am considering for my new 3032E is a tooth bar. In doing my homework on these things, I noticed most seem to follow a common design with the support bar above the bucket lip, with each tooth hooked underneath for support. All of the ones I looked at use essentially the same replaceable tooth design, and they all are probably equally strong as far as the actual teeth go. Having never used a tooth bar before, I'm wondering if this design causes a pronounced grooving effect from the teeth when back-dragging with the bucket, and if it might also make it difficult to avoid unwanted surface damage when scooping up stuff from smooth areas. The first three photos, all of this common design, are the current Dirt Works, Gator (Markham), and Iowa Farm Equipment versions.

However, in the fourth photo, Long seems to have taken a somewhat different approach, and at first glance it seems to make more sense to me. They put the heavy support bar UNDER the bucket lip, making the bottom surface of the teeth level with the bottom surface of the support bar. With this design, I should be able to back-drag and leave a perfectly smooth surface behind, and also scoop stuff up from smooth areas without grooving damage. In addition, on all the other designs I've seen the bucket's original edge is still exposed to wear, but with Long's version the tooth bar's beveled edge takes the brunt of the force and wear when digging, not the bucket edge.

Would some current owners of Long tooth bars (and other brands, for that matter) please comment on whether I'm correct in my thinking on this? All of these bars fall in the same general range, so my choice will be driven by design and usefulness, not price.

 

[RoyJackson]

One thing to look at is with the Iowa Equipment and the Long's, the attach points are slots, rather then holes.
When you install a slotted tooth bar, you drill nearest the front of the slot. That way you can loosen the attaching bolts, slide the tooth bar forward and up out of the way (then retighten the bolts) for back dragging.
I made the mistake of drilling the attaching holes at the aft ends of the slots when installing on both my 670 and 790. Finally figured it out (with the help of a TBN thread) for my current 4400. Guess I'm a slow learner...

BTW, I don't recall the manufacturer of my Tooth Bar. I think it was Woods Brothers or something like that...not the Woods Equipment we all know. I've had the thing ten years now.

 

[foggy1111]

What a timely thread. I was just trying to order a tooth bar for my 3320 yesterday (From Markham - no answer) and was debating (with myself) how many teeth to put on my 60" bar.

I had a Markham tooth 54" tooth-bar on my 790....until I sold it last week. It has the slot that Roy speaks of too.....so you can pull the bar out (away from the front edge) and flip it over into the bucket.

Unfortunately I did just the same as Roy....and drilled the hole on the aft side of the slot.....rather than the front side. I cannot say that I ever would have flipped the tooth bar up however.....I just don't have a need for smooth back-dragging with the bucket very often.

Still, this time I will install it correctly.

 

[bullbreaker]

What a timely thread. I was just trying to order a tooth bar for my 3320 yesterday (From Markham - no answer) and was debating (with myself) how many teeth to put on my 60" bar.

Foggy
My MKHM toothbar is 63 1/2 ".I went with 7 teeth.You should be good to go with 7 IMHO.
Boone

 

[foggy1111]

What a timely thread. I was just trying to order a tooth bar for my 3320 yesterday (From Markham - no answer) and was debating (with myself) how many teeth to put on my 60" bar.

Foggy
My MKHM toothbar is 63 1/2 ".I went with 7 teeth.You should be good to go with 7 IMHO.
Boone

Thanks Bull! That looks just right. Seven it is! :thumbsup:

 

[Kaizer Peas]

I've got a Rankin universal tooth bar that uses 4 allen screws for mounting. No drilling needed and it fits all buckets. The best thing about it is that it not mounts in a few minutes but when I don't want to use it it can be removed as easily. Very good hardened teeth, love it.

 

[dex3361]

I have the tooth bar from Ioa farm and am happy with it. It is very durable. I like the idea of being able to back drag but the design doesnt look strong enough to me. Like it would bend the bucket edge or roll the tooth bar off of the bucket. Anybody own one that could share how they do in actual use.

 

[picker77]

I like the idea of being able to back drag but the design doesnt look strong enough to me. Like it would bend the bucket edge or roll the tooth bar off of the bucket. Anybody own one that could share how they do in actual use.

Dex, I'm assuming you are speaking of the Long tooth bar? One thing I don't know is how wide the support bar is, and therefore how far back underneath the bucket it extends. If it were 5"-6" or more, I'd think it would be plenty strong. If it extends only to just under the bucket edge, maybe that would be a different story. Are there any current Long tooth bar owners who can verify how far that support bar extends under the bucket?

Re bending... Considering that the teeth are double-supported by TWO thick steel bars (the original JD welded edge bar, plus the 1/2" tooth bar), bending the bucket edge by hanging a tooth up on a root or whatever seems a stretch to me, since this loader can only lift about 1200 lb, and the tooth would have to twist a total of nearly 1" of steel bar to do any damage. That is, assuming the Long support bar extends a ways under the bucket.

======== Update =============
Maybe I just answered my own question... this photo from Long's website shows the underside better, looks like plenty of anti-twist support to me.

 

[dex3361]

Every thing I have seen from long has been top quality but from the pic in post #1 the teeth overlap the top with a small surface area of the tooth and it seems that the end bar that bolts to the bucket will be called into play to hold it in the bucket. On the other tooth bars you could probably put them on and not even bolt them they fit so well. Someone that has one may be able to show some better pics that will set the concern at ease.

 

[teg]

I can not add / help but I did stay at a Holiday Inn... I got this tooth bar (listed as a root rake) off of Craig's list for $100 bucks... and even though it may not the best design... WOW :shocked: was I impressed!!! ...with what it can do. If there was a problem with bending bucket lips... you would have seen a dozen threads on it... the Long one might be better at back draging but ANY of them will be better than without one...

I was able to "pop" out a 6" pine tree without much soil disturbance. Also, my first rock that I plucked out (that usually hit with my mower) not only came out with ease, but it flipped itself into the bucket!!! :thumbsup: Never had to get out of the seat...