FEL (quick attach) Tree Spade

   / FEL (quick attach) Tree Spade #1  

swmich42

Bronze Member
Joined
May 12, 2009
Messages
98
Location
Southwest Michigan
Tractor
2000 John Deere 4700 4x4 Hydro
Interested in opinions on the quick attach tree spade. This would be the FEL mounted "shovel", I am looking at to move small trees, and bushes. I have approx. 50 trees, all under 15 feet, (1" dia) ready to be transplanted and or sold. Some will go into our property, remaining will be sold. Our soil is sandy loam. (easy digging) I planned to purchase EA's tree spade, to save my body from what I know is hard labor in moving these trees by hand. (ie hand shovel) Has anyone used this FEL (Quck Attach 36") tree spade, to do this type of work, before I purchase.
 
   / FEL (quick attach) Tree Spade #2  
I have had a Bucket Solutions " Universal Quick Attach Bucket Spade " since February 14, 2012. I thought about attaching a bow and giving it to my wife as her Valentine's Day gift, but reconsidered. I bought her flowers and took her to lunch instead. The Bucket Spade cost was $369 delivered from the factory in Colorado to Florida.

Bucket Forks, Tractor Forks, Loader Forks by Bucket Solutions

This is a high quality, heavy tool, probably around 100 pounds. It is shaped like your garden spade (duh), it is sharp, it attaches and stays secured to your bucket with a crescent wrench and I am sure the weight helps considerably to make it effective piercing dirt. I soon learned to store it on a Tractor Supply garden wagon so I could move it to the bucket and maneuver it onto the bucket easily. (I am 64 years old.)

I have excavated two holes: one 4' diameter X 3' deep, the second 4' diameter X 4' deep in Florida sandy-loam containing Water Oak roots. There is a learning curve here....much of the time the spade is hidden behind your bucket so the first hole went pretty slow. By excavation #2 I learned instinctively where the spade was positioned and the second hole went 50% faster.

The first time I removed the spade a little (aluminum?) screw which fastens the pad to the securing bolt fell out onto the driveway. I rubbed a little beeswax on the screw-threads and replaced it. I doubt this screw will fall out again. Either beeswax or Loctite should be applied to the right and left side pad securing screws at the factory.

I think this implement would serve your need well. I am attaching several photos. Unfortunately my camera battery died in the driveway before I photographed the excavations....always the way......

Bucket Spade is mounted on bucket of my Kubota B3300SU Compact Tractor/Loader package. (33 horsepower)

The Customer Service at Bucket Solutions is courteous, helpful and accurate.
Delivered on the day promised when ordered.
 

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   / FEL (quick attach) Tree Spade #3  
Additional Bucket Spade pictures April 1, 2012.

Garden spade in photo #2 is also in photo #4, positioned vertically in hole for scale.

Hole took less than two minutes to excavate in Florida loam laced with grape vine roots and Water Oak roots.

jeff9366
 

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   / FEL (quick attach) Tree Spade #4  

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   / FEL (quick attach) Tree Spade #5  
SWMICH42:

Did you acquire a bucket spade in the last six months?
 
   / FEL (quick attach) Tree Spade #6  
jeff9366 said:
SWMICH42:

Did you acquire a bucket spade in the last six months?

FWIW, the Paumco combo-spade was the first non-kubota implement we purchsed, but i think if I could go back, and do it over, I wouldn't buy it again.

It's a chainon version of those above- about 2 feet long by 20" wide.

Don't get me wrong, it can be useful, but mainly for more selectively picking up rock or logs.
What we wanted it for and were led to believe it would work for on our Kubota B2320 was to dig up stumps-and I believe we were sold a bill of goods by Paumco's owner, who told me that it would be able to do that on our tractor...
 
   / FEL (quick attach) Tree Spade
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I did. I went through EA; and am very happy with their product. (
 
   / FEL (quick attach) Tree Spade #8  
What we wanted it for and were led to believe it would work for on our Kubota B2320 was to dig up stumps-and I believe we were sold a bill of goods by Paumco's owner, who told me that it would be able to do that on our tractor...

What did you find was the biggest shortcoming of the Paumco unit?
 
   / FEL (quick attach) Tree Spade #9  
I did. I went through EA; and am very happy with their product. (

Which EA product did you purchase? I could not find any bucket spades on their site.
 
   / FEL (quick attach) Tree Spade #10  
Here is a recent photo of a hole I excavated about 54" deep.

Without R4 (or R1) knobby tires and without a counter-balance, tractor would have slid into the hole.
 

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