4 in 1 bucket vs normal bucket

[stgraham]

Hi,

I was on the verge of buying a tractor for landscaping my 5 acre block and also slashing my 50 acre block.
The tractor comes with a FEL but today someone threw a spanner in my plans by suddenly suggesting I get a "4 in 1" bucket because I want landscape and its easier to pick up dirt from a pile with a "4 in 1".

What makes it "4 in 1"? Is it really that useful? Are they more money? I've seen lots of FEL attachments, but not a "4 in 1". Now I'm confused! Can someone help?

Cheers,
Steve

 

[Timmerduder]

I had a 4in1 on my crawler and it wasn't that great for picking a pile then closing it. It's more for grading, I'd open it up and have the front blade just lower than the rear blade and grade in reverse usually, and with a float ability worked great! It aslo was very handy for picking logs and other items as stumps, etc.

Tim

 

[Bill_in_MI]

I've had my 4 in 1 with tooth bar for about 6 years now. I don't think I could be without one now. They are handy for so much, great at grading, etc. bit I agree that they do not work well for picking up dirt by pinching the "clam shell."

 

[BillG_in_TX]

Steve,

Here's a link to a 4 in 1 bucket page that has a good description of how it works, a picture, and a video link. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Builder]

I had one on my L-35 and I miss not having it on my L-39.

I used to open the 4 in 1 to backdrag. The other nice featur was you can use the back of the 4 in 1 as a dozer blade.

 

[MarkV]

Steve, yes you can expect to pay extra for the 4in1 bucket and you will have to have extra hydraulics added to the FEL to operate it. I’ve been looking into it and would expect to pay about $2500 for the bucket and hydraulics. In your case that might be off set by the value of the standard bucket that comes on the tractor.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there will be some extra weight over the standard bucket which will limit the lift capacities somewhat. From what I see it looks to be 200-400lbs extra which isn’t a big deal on a larger tractor but can be on smaller tractors. Those who have one find the trade off well worth it.

MarkV

 

[KubotaOne]

Here's a link to my website, there's a number of pics of my 4-in-1 bucket in action. I love mine and couldn't imagine not having it.

http://web.mac.com/marty.smith/iWeb/Site/Kubota.html

A couple of things "it doesn't do". It does not work well for "pinching" a full bucket of dirt. Moving forward in the open position does not make it a bulldozer. And it is not a replacement for a conventional grapple for brush removal (scissor effect pinches and pushes brush out as it closes).

 

[smoothie17]

I used mine to "clamp" down on about 20 bushes that I was tired of and pulled them straight out of the ground and into the back of a truck to haul away. Worked great!!!

 

[Builder]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Here's a link to my website, there's a number of pics of my 4-in-1 bucket in action. I love mine and couldn't imagine not having it.

http://web.mac.com/marty.smith/iWeb/Site/Kubota.html

A couple of things "it doesn't do". It does not work well for "pinching" a full bucket of dirt. Moving forward in the open position does not make it a bulldozer. And it is not a replacement for a conventional grapple for brush removal (scissor effect pinches and pushes brush out as it closes).
)</font>

Really??? Mine worked exactly like a fixed dozer blade with the bucket open. I snowplowed with it and bulldozed thousands of tons of dirt with mine!
Half the reason I want one on my new tractor was just so I can get the dozer blade feature again!

 

[dfkrug]

I put a 4-in-1 on a Kubota L2550 for the guy who bought it off
me. $2500. VERY heavy. I had a difficult time grabbing
large branches and logs because they would slip out of the
jaws (no teeth).

However.....a 4-in-1 is the only implement that will allow you
to pick up that last little load of dirt, mulch, gravel, etc when
there is nothing to push your loader into. It is NOT for pinching a full bucket from the top of your pile. It's a great tool for scooping up materials on flat surfaces....just what a
landscape contractor would do.