Bolt-on Cutting Edge For ML112 Bucket?

[Dougster]

As some of you already know, I am picking up my new 78" heavy-duty bucket this week thanks to some good luck and mucho help and advice from Jeremy... but along the way, the question has been tossed around about putting a cutting edge on my current 72" light-duty bucket to give it more strength. I considered a welded-on cutting edge for $300, but without being reversible and changeable I just couldn't see spending that kind of money.

Best anyone could come up with so far is to use a $200.00 Kubota TL1748 reversible cutting edge off their LA723 loader bucket. It has "standard" 6-inch bolt spacing and looks good except that it seems to need a bit more flat "real estate" under the front edge of the bucket (as is on the LA723) for an ideal bolt position and a secure, long-lasting, wobble-free install.

Anyone else done anything similar? Did you make the edge yourself or buy one off the shelf (and if so, which one)? In particular, I'd like to know if you drilled the holes in the bucket yourself and how that worked out... or if you had them drilled or punched out professionally. Thanks!

Dougster

 

[Egon]

Cutting edges are much harder steel than the rest of the bucket. You buy edge by the foot either as weld on or bolt on. They come in different widths and thickness.

For most of us and the type of work we do I'd recomend a weld on version sized well beyond the requirements of your loader.

Also weld some on the front sides of your bucket.

 

[Dougster]

Cutting edges are much harder steel than the rest of the bucket. You buy edge by the foot either as weld on or bolt on. They come in different widths and thickness. For most of us and the type of work we do I'd recomend a weld on version sized well beyond the requirements of your loader. Also weld some on the front sides of your bucket.

The price from my closest professional welder was $300.00 just for the bottom cutting edge alone. For a more complete reinforcement job, including some hooks, he wanted $600.00. Now you know why: a) I bought myself a stick welder... but then subsequently, 2) I found myself a brand new, heavy-duty bucket for a few dollars more than the cost of reinforcing mine. In my book, two buckets are almost twice as good as one!

The 220v welder is not wired up yet as I've been waiting for winter, tax season and seemingly endless rain to stop here. I was just over at the local steel supply & fab shop yesterday after my taxes were done and mailed... but they were closed. It will be interesting to see if they do sell any sort of pre-beveled, hardened stock for cutting edges by the foot and what it costs.

BTY, I just noticed last night that I can buy on-line... and have delivered... a hardened, reversible, bolt-on cutting edge made for a 72" Western mini-snowplow for exactly half the cost of the Kubota bolt-on cutting edge. Despite no pre-beveled edges, for my purposes and tight budget this might not be a half-bad alternative.

Dougster

 

[Offy]

It takes an awful lot of work to wear out a hardened cutting edge. When I was in ready mix concrete a bucket edge of the large payloaders would last two years or more of 80 to 100 hour weeks of constant use. Thats constantly charging piles of rock and sand and back blading the concrete pavement. The back blading caused probably 80% or more of the wear and I think we could have charged the aggregate bins for 10 years before the blades would need replacement, if then. I would bet thet your CUT will be outlasted by both of your buckets regardless of the abuse that you throw at them. Of course a loader is not a bull dozier but that would also show up on the tractor's longivity. Load on!

 

[Dougster]

It takes an awful lot of work to wear out a hardened cutting edge. When I was in ready mix concrete a bucket edge of the large payloaders would last two years or more of 80 to 100 hour weeks of constant use. Thats constantly charging piles of rock and sand and back blading the concrete pavement. The back blading caused probably 80% or more of the wear and I think we could have charged the aggregate bins for 10 years before the blades would need replacement, if then. I would bet thet your CUT will be outlasted by both of your buckets regardless of the abuse that you throw at them. Of course a loader is not a bull dozier but that would also show up on the tractor's longivity. Load on!

Well, the fact is that my "stock" cutting edge, such as it is, has already taken a pretty good beating... in fact, a scary beating from the relatively small amount of back-dragging I've already done. It's clear I need something more. But the bigger issue may be general bucket strength. Take a look at some of the more "well used" ML112 buckets and I challenge you to find a truly straight cutting edge or top edge. Why Mahindra builds such a beefy tractor and specifies such strong loaders... and then specifies a "light-duty" bucket... is beyond my ability to understand or explain.

Dougster

 

[skipmarcy]

My welder I used while operating commercially in Florida was going to harden the edge on my old bucket that I had added metal to. When we welded the full bottom plate on the bucket, we let the metal extend out approx. 2" to make a new lip. He said he had a powder that he would put on the metal after getting it very hot with a rosebud that would harden the edge. Sorry I don't remember what the substance was, but it shouldn't be too difficult to find out. I do recall he was going to charge me $50 - $75 to do the job, mostly just to cover the gases & materials. I moved from Florida before I got the chance to have him do it. Luckily that old bucket doesn't see any grade work anymore, mostly keep my forks on it and use the new bucket for grade work only.

 

[Dougster]

My welder I used while operating commercially in Florida was going to harden the edge on my old bucket that I had added metal to. When we welded the full bottom plate on the bucket, we let the metal extend out approx. 2" to make a new lip. He said he had a powder that he would put on the metal after getting it very hot with a rosebud that would harden the edge. Sorry I don't remember what the substance was, but it shouldn't be too difficult to find out. I do recall he was going to charge me $50 - $75 to do the job, mostly just to cover the gases & materials. I moved from Florida before I got the chance to have him do it. Luckily that old bucket doesn't see any grade work anymore, mostly keep my forks on it and use the new bucket for grade work only.

What did you get for a new bucket?

Dougster

 

[Egon]

Cutting edges have entirely different composition and forming methods as compared to the rest of the bucket material. I don't believe a powder coat will do much. You can weld on hard facing but again that will be different material.

Welding on cutting edges also requires a different rod.

 

[skipmarcy]

My new bucket is the standard 6' bucket that I assume KMW makes for Mahindra for current production 4110s. My original bucket was a 5', non-QA. I bought both the QA adapter for my loader and the bucket thru a Mahindra dealer in Florida as a set. I believe he received them directly from KMW.

 

[Dougster]

My new bucket is the standard 6' bucket that I assume KMW makes for Mahindra for current production 4110s. My original bucket was a 5', non-QA. I bought both the QA adapter for my loader and the bucket thru a Mahindra dealer in Florida as a set. I believe he received them directly from KMW.

Ahhhhh... okay! So it was part of your switchover to QA! Still, I guess I'm a bit surprised that you didn't opt for something heavier-duty when you had the chance. Maybe I'm the only one hung up on this, but I still feel that the 4110/ML112 deserves a far more serious bucket. Guess I've been looking at those faded yellow commercial machines tearing up my street for too long!

Dougster