Bowed Bucket: Problem or Not?

[Rameck]

I was checking into getting a tootbar for my Yanmar YL1500 FEL and read somewhere if the bucket is bowed it would not work. Sure enough, I checked it and it has a bow(but no arrow ). Can the bucket be straighten and if so how?

thanks,
Ralph

 

[MrJimi]

If It's not bowed much, maybe you could put a few heavy duty ratchet binders and just crank on them and you will have to do it evenly or put your tooth bar on and clamp the heck out of it and bolt it and also maybe putting down pressure on it would help
be careful

 

[machmeter62]

To add to the usefulness of your loader bucket now; purchase a set of loader bucket forks that clamp inside your bucket and use the leverage to remove the bow. Just using the down force of the tractor hydraulics, or additional leverage should allow mounting the new tooth bar. The portable bucket forks insert on or near the bucket lip, and should solve your problem?

When I purchased mine a decade ago, they made two sets. I would opt for the stronger ones; the cost differential isn't that much? You might do a search here for the quality, cost, and opinions? Good luck!

 

[machmeter62]

I was checking into getting a tootbar for my Yanmar YL1500 FEL and read somewhere if the bucket is bowed it would not work. Sure enough, I checked it and it has a bow(but no arrow ). Can the bucket be straighten and if so how?

thanks,
Ralph

I would assume a tractor rental yard would carry these, and a daily cost would be small; or at least give you a chance to look at them to see if they would do the job, if you decide to purchase?

 

[skipmarcy]

If you don't use one of the easier methods, a good old 10# sledge hammer will get it done. It will wear you out but I have done it a few times. You have to get the bucket on a straight surface, obviously. I have used a landscape timber before when out in the field and needed to straighten the bucket lip quickly with the hammer. I've had good luck getting it nice & straight, just tedious.

 

[Builder]

I was checking into getting a tootbar for my Yanmar YL1500 FEL and read somewhere if the bucket is bowed it would not work. Sure enough, I checked it and it has a bow(but no arrow ). Can the bucket be straighten and if so how?

thanks,
Ralph

I put a block of 6x6 block on a concrete surface, then set the bowed part of the bucket flat on the block. Then I parked my backhoe and facing the smaller tractor with the bowed bucket, put the backhoes bigger bucket on top of the bowed bucket. I then used down pressure of the heavy backhoe to bend the bucket back to straight. Done in 2 minutes. No hand tools or sore shoulders.

Find someone with a backhoe and make it easy.

 

[Rameck]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Some good ideas there. I will have to wait a couple of months before I can try anything, as other projects have come up and won't be able to do that project for awhile. The racheting idea may be the best for me. If I take a hammer to it, it will probably end up looking worse. I would like to eventually get loader forks, but cost right now is not in the budget. I don't have a separate backhoe (just the one on the tractor itself) but have a Kubota 7100 with front loader that might fit inside the Yanmar bucket. By the way, the bow drops down in the center. If and when I get this resolved, I will definitely try to follow up with the solution.

thanks
Ralph

 

[Farwell]

I had a pretty serious bow in my bucket. I had the blade cut off and the front of the bucket rebuilt, new blade welded on, new wear pads welded on the bottom of the bucket and all dirt contact metal surface hardened. After the rebuild I had 7 heavy duty bucket teeth welded on. It cost me $500 but it was worth it to me because 90% of my bucket use is digging in dirt.

 

[Todd_C]

My father purchased a toothbar for my tractor in 2006, three months after I purchased the tractor. I had a slight bow in the center of the bucket. I used a sledgehammer to remove some of the bow. To make a long story short, I had one heck of a time getting the toothbar on. I ended up replacing the included 3/4" bolts with 1/2" bolts to attach the toothbar to the bucket. This was the only way I could get the holes even close to lining up. I then had to use an impact wrench to tighten the bolts all the way down. After 150 hours and over a year, I still can't get the 3/4" bolts to lineup. I think I'll just keep the 1/2" bolts installed.

 

[Danno1]

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I got a Markham TB as a Christmas present. They're not guaranteed if you put them on a bucket w a bent edge. However, it came w a slight bow (fr welding) that pretty much matched my bent edge. It installed just like it was made for my bucket!

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