My New 4in1 Bucket Came In!

[RDrancher]

A Pilot Valve locks the cylinder and is only as accurate as the seals in the cylinder. It eliminates drift caused by a leaky valve. I'll go out on a limb here and say 90% of drift is caused by a leaky valve. Rarely is it caused by a leaky cylinder. So the valve is an asset 90% of the time if you are experiencing drift.

Our Backhoe has them on the stabilizer pad cylinders. Couple days ago I broke a hose on the Pressure side of the valve with the pad down and the rear wheels of the hoe off the ground. It stayed in position. I repaired the hose and then was able to lift the pad and lower the tire to the ground.

Thanks Richard. I've heard different terms used for the valve from both Blue Diamond and Edge. A pilot valve is what I want. I'll have to check it out more.

 

[RDrancher]

The bucket I've been talking to lumberjack1986 is actually the Blue Diamond 78" with weld-on teeth and a pilot valve.

 

[msch2112]

I love my 4-1 bucket. Yeah the bucket is smaller but very handy picking up stuff on the farm.

 

[RDrancher]

I was purchasing a used Bobcat tooth bucket today and can confirm that Wildkat buckets are indeed made by High Rock. The seller had a Wildkat bucket there. Same manufacturer for sure. I guess Wildkat's problems aren't just with their grapples.

 

[Verticaltrx]

I was purchasing a used Bobcat tooth bucket today and can confirm that Wildkat buckets are indeed made by High Rock. The seller had a Wildkat bucket there. Same manufacturer for sure. I guess Wildkat's problems aren't just with their grapples.

I think it's the other way around, High Rock is made by Wildkat, but your point is still remains. I have been to the Wildkat manufacturing facility in NC to pick up a bucket and had a look at all of their attachments. I can't say I noticed any blatant defects with any of them, but the quality was not that of one of the big manufacturers like Bradco, Construction Attachments, etc. I was considering them for some more attachments but I might have to think twice after reading this thread and the one about the grapple. Only thing I have going for me is being able to physically look at the attachment before buying it.

 

[CalG]

That is probably true. A tractor doesn't have the best loader geometry for digging, nor the weight. I have a tooth bar for my B3200 and it will dig some, but nothing like even a tiny skid steer, which has more weight and better geometry. You also have to realize, those crawler loaders were probably in the 12,000lb+ range (just a guess) and had a bucket about the same width as a good sized tractor or skid steer. The amount of machine weight vs bucket/blade width is what makes them dig and doze so well.

A little off topic, but I just love these old equipment promotional videos, IH, Allis-Chalmers and Ford all made lots of good ones, have not seen many for Deere. Another good one on IH dozers (their views on the environment in those days were so different than today it makes me laugh a little):

That video is depressing.

Roads to where?

 

[RDrancher]

I think it's the other way around, High Rock is made by Wildkat, but your point is still remains. I have been to the Wildkat manufacturing facility in NC to pick up a bucket and had a look at all of their attachments. I can't say I noticed any blatant defects with any of them, but the quality was not that of one of the big manufacturers like Bradco, Construction Attachments, etc. I was considering them for some more attachments but I might have to think twice after reading this thread and the one about the grapple. Only thing I have going for me is being able to physically look at the attachment before buying it.

Since they're less than twenty miles apart, it makes me wonder if High Rock is welding some buckets for Wildkat, or just a weld shop buying pieces from Wildkat to weld and sell as their own. Every aspect of the bucket, from the smaller pieces used to build the QA to the paint, was the same. I'd be willing to bet that there's a relationship there somewhere. I'll echo your "visual" point. My first bucket looked just fine. No blatant defects and built real beefy. The problems weren't apparent until I tried to use it. From now on I'll spend the extra dough (an extra $1k in the case of a 4n1) and avoid the hassle.