Tractor Sizing Backhoe Bucket Size

[jambx]

I am in the midst of upgrading from a BX22 to a B2920 and would like to know what is the prefered BH Bucket size. My BX used a 12 inch which suited me for most of my applications however it didnt displace a lot of material (not that I am looking to dig a foundation). I mainly be using it for odd projects (i.e. trenching a water line, pulling stumps etc). I am looking to hear from others what are the pros / cons of each size?

 

[bandit67]

12" is a good general purpose bucket size for smaller backhoes. The 12" on the BH65 should be bigger than the BX 12" version, and thus will have a bigger capacity. If you have lots of rocks (I expect you do living in granite laden Connecticut), then the 12" should be a good size.

I have logged quite a few hours with my 12" bucket, and in most cases, figure a wider bucket would really have slowed down a lot of my digging projects.

If you go with too big a bucket in rocky ground, it'll slow your digging down dramatically. The local rental yard runs 12" buckets on their L35 and full size New Holland TLBs because of the rocky ground. The bigger the machine, the higher the capacity on the 12" buckets.

 

[CurlyDave]

Well, I have a bigger machine, but have completely stopped using my 12" bucket, for 2 reasons.

1. The bucket is so small it gets full of clay which will not empty, so I have to clear it out by hand every third time I take a scoop.

2. I bought a hydraulic thumb, which attaches via a 14" pin, which makes it possible to drag the ends of the pin through the dirt with a 12" bucket. I suppose I could use the 12" bucket for very shallow trenches if I was very careful, but the advantages of a thumb outweigh any possible advantage of a smaller bucket.

 

[ray66v]

I am in the midst of upgrading from a BX22 to a B2920 and would like to know what is the prefered BH Bucket size. My BX used a 12 inch which suited me for most of my applications however it didnt displace a lot of material (not that I am looking to dig a foundation). I mainly be using it for odd projects (i.e. trenching a water line, pulling stumps etc). I am looking to hear from others what are the pros / cons of each size?

Use the search feature, 12 threads on this subject.

 

[newbury]

Use the search feature, 12 threads on this subject.

This is the first time I've seen someone post "use search".
Good.

 

[jambx]

Sorry Guys,

Acually I do use the search feature a lot (hence my limited # of threads). In fact I did search for this subject I just didnt see much - I did another search this morning and found more info. I also was hoping I'd see a few more responces of owners of the B2X20 series.

Regards,

~jim

 

[michaelb3]

I've got a 2920 with the bh65 and although my backhoe skills aren't quite where they need to be yet, I've had great luck with the 12" bucket. A larger bucket may move more dirt a little quicker, but I find I can be a little a little more "accurate" with the 12.

 

[bandit67]

Well, I have a bigger machine, but have completely stopped using my 12" bucket, for 2 reasons.

1. The bucket is so small it gets full of clay which will not empty, so I have to clear it out by hand every third time I take a scoop.

Not too much clay in Conn, at least I never found much in my 24 years there. I still feel that the 12" bucket is going to be the best option on that small backhoe with the rocky soil.

Jambx, if you start doing some grave digging, then you can add a bigger bucket, but I'd recommend starting with the 12".

 

[nspec]

I've got a B2630 with a BH75A hoe on the back. I have a 16" bucket and couldn't imagine having anything smaller unless I needed a narrow one for a specialized application. I have a mechanical thumb and the bucket is just about perfect for moving rock. I have dug in extremely rocky soil, dug numerous stumps, and built about 200 feet of rock retaining wall 6-8 feet high with the backhoe. Also dug a couple of trenches for laying drainage pipe. With the 16" bucket, I can get in the ditch to work easily. Again, I could never imagine going smaller. Larger maybe...

 

[john_bud]

This is the first time I've seen someone post "use search".
Good.

If you were to have used the search function, you would have found it posted numerous time prevously.

I had a 12" bucket, but it was always getting clogged with dirt. It's a total pain to have to shovel out the bucket! It was pretty small too, only held about 2.5 cuft of dirt. Found a nice used bucket, added teeth and rebushed it to fit the hoe. Now it is used all the time. 36" across and holds 9.5 cuft of dirt.

Have you thought about a dirt bucket and a rock bucket? Maybe a quick connect on the hoe to make the change easy?

jb