FEL teeth - yes or no?

[TomIre]

What are the pros and cons of teeth on an FEL? I'm guessing there are situations/tasks where teeth are an advantage and times where they are not? What should I consider?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Get a tooth bar, on when needed, off when not needed.
Makes digging much easier.

 

[airbiscuit]

Get a tooth bar, on when needed, off when not needed.
Makes digging much easier.

Times 2

I had a skid steer with a plain bucket and also a tooth bucket. After using the tooth bucket, I rarely used the plain bucket.

1. The tooth bucket pierces the soil/sod/pile much better than a flat straight bucket edge. It is like having both more horsepower and traction.

2. It's like having a rake when trying to smooth a surface. This is especially true if the dirt has lots of sod and roots mixed in. With the bucket tilted you can use the bucket like a comb. You can have the bucket level and still do smooth back blading.

If you have a bolt on tooth bar, you can always remove it when you want a plain bucket edge, but I'm guessing you will leave it on most of the time.

 

[newbury]

Times 2

I had a skid steer with a plain bucket and also a tooth bucket. After using the tooth bucket, I rarely used the tooth bucket.?

1. The tooth bucket pierces the soil/sod/pile much better than a flat straight bucket edge. It is like having both more horsepower and traction.

2. It's like having a rake when trying to smooth a surface. This is especially true if the dirt has lots og sod and roots mixed in. With the bucket tilted you can use the bucket like a comb. You can have the bucket level and still do smooth back blading.

If you have a bolt on tooth bar, you can always remove it when you want a plain bucket edge, but I'm guessing you will leave it on most of the time.

I'm assuming you meant rarely used the plain bucket.

I've got Pirahna's on both tractors MOST of the time. I can even slip my clamp on pallet forks over them for light loads. I've taken them off for projects which require a lot of scraping.

 

[4570Man]

I prefer a smooth bucket for spreading gravels or scooping off a solid surface. For pretty much everything else I prefer teeth. I got to choose between a toothed or a smooth bucket on the CTL. I got the toothed and smile every time I use that thing. I’d make the same choice again.

 

[bdog]

Having teeth is a night and day difference when digging. I have two buckets one with and one without. Anytime I am moving a lot of dirt I use the tooth bucket. Anytime I am grading I use the smooth bucket. You can grade with a tooth bucket but I prefer the smooth. For what I do if I had to choose one it would be the one with teeth. They do make bolt on tooth bars but I hate things like that. I am lazy. I don’t like spending time configuring my machine different ways for different tasks. I like to hop in and go. No they are not hard to take on and off and the one I had on my old tractor only had two bolts but still I don’t like having to stop work and go get tools and bolt or unbolt crap to finish a task. I have a hydraulic coupler for my bucket and once I get to working I may change attachments several times and never leave the seat.

 

[Oldoak]

Get a tooth bar, on when needed, off when not needed.
Makes digging much easier.

Couldn't agree more. Plain and simple. Night and day difference when digging. The teeth are also a great addition when clearing old trails of fallen tree branches and pushing tree trunks out of the way, etc.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Couldn't agree more. Plain and simple. Night and day difference when digging. The teeth are also a great addition when clearing old trails of fallen tree branches and pushing tree trunks out of the way, etc.

Sand and snow for smooth bucket. I use teeth for everything else.

 

[sixdogs]

Maybe.

Below is the right and the only answer. There are times when teeth are absolutely necessary and other times when they will ruin a job.

Get a tooth bar, on when needed, off when not needed.
Makes digging much easier.

 

[Oldoak]

Sand and snow for smooth bucket. I use teeth for everything else.

Well said, with few words.

Another convenience of teeth I have found was for carrying 4x8 sheets of plywood with the tractor by resting the edge of them on the teeth and strapped to the bucket.

The one disadvantage to that is it is more painful banging into the teeth while unloading the plywood with the bucket raised a foot or so off the ground to make it easier to grab the plywood sheets. Don't ask me how I know because aren't we all supposed to lower the bucket to the ground before dismounting the tractor. :mur: