Question on toothbars

[JohnnyMX]

Looking at getting a toothbar, but have a few questions. My challenging soil is mostly clay and the rig in question is an MX5200 and a 72" light material bucket. The bucket is the implement I've used the least after getting a grapple, so it could be a combination of my skills or the fact the bucket just isn't deisnged to do the following well:

+ Digging up piles of hardened dirt/gravel?
+ Will it skim the top layer of unworked fields? My tiller catches all the surface roots and just gums up after a few passes when I try to use just it to break the ground.
+ Will it help cut high spots on a compacted gravel road?
+ Can you still backdrag with no issues?
+ Any issues where it will stregthen the bucket beyone the loader arms or **** the failure point?
+ On the EA toothbar, does stuff get stuck on the serrations (aka do you have to get off and remove stuff)

 

[jeff9366]

JohnnyMX

Considering a toothbar, but have a few questions. My challenging soil is mostly clay and the rig in question is an MX5200 and a 72" light material bucket. The bucket is the implement I've used the least after getting a grapple, so it could be a combination of my skills or the fact the bucket just isn't deisnged to do the following well:

+ Digging up piles of hardened dirt/gravel?

A light materials bucket equipped with a EA toothbar should break dirt piles easily. Curl the bucket simultaneously as you lift.


+ Will it skim the top layer of unworked fields? My tiller catches all the surface roots and gums up after a few passes when I try to use just it to break the ground.

No. FEL buckets do not skim. I suggest a Three Point Hitch mounted traditional Moldboard Plow in 12" width. An MX will pull a three bottom 12" width moldboard plow. A 12" plow will properly invert soil in the narrow range of 5" to 7". After plowing use the roto-tiller to smooth the field. PHOTO


+ Will it help cut high spots on a compacted gravel road?

Probably not. Implements dedicated to de-crowning, moving material across road surface and smoothing are the Land Plane Grading Scraper and Rear/Angle blade. A Disc Harrow adjusted so most of the weight is on the front gangs will throw dirt outward as well. Light materials bucket is wider than standard bucket, increasing stress back dragging, yet LMB contains less steel.

VIDEOS: LAND PLANE GRADING SCRAPER - YouTube
TRACTOR ANGLE REAR BLADE - YouTube


+ Can you still backdrag with no issues?

Probably. Will depend partly on weight of light materials bucket, which is wider than standard, increasing stress back dragging yet contains less steel. Backdragging toothbar will not normally touch the dirt.


+ Any issues where it will stregthen the bucket beyone the loader arms or **** the failure point?

I do not understand this question. Edit.


+ On the EA toothbar, does stuff get stuck on the serrations (aka do you have to get off and remove stuff)

EA's toothbar is a copy of the highly regarded Piranha (brand) toothbar. Toothbars do not generally plug up or people would not buy them.

 

[/pine]

Looking at getting a toothbar, but have a few questions. My challenging soil is mostly clay and the rig in question is an MX5200 and a 72" light material bucket. The bucket is the implement I've used the least after getting a grapple, so it could be a combination of my skills or the fact the bucket just isn't deisnged to do the following well:

+ Digging up piles of hardened dirt/gravel?
+ Will it skim the top layer of unworked fields? My tiller catches all the surface roots and just gums up after a few passes when I try to use just it to break the ground.
+ Will it help cut high spots on a compacted gravel road?
+ Can you still backdrag with no issues?
+ Any issues where it will stregthen the bucket beyone the loader arms or **** the failure point?
+ On the EA toothbar, does stuff get stuck on the serrations (aka do you have to get off and remove stuff)

I can't speak for the Piranha or the knock offs...but with standard tooth bars the answer is a solid NO...you will not get the smooth finish from back dragging with the bare lip of the bucket...most operators with tooth bars learn to use the heel of the bucket...it does OK but nothing like the hardened edge pulled backwards...

 

[oosik]

I have a heavy duty round back FEL bucket. I put a nine tooth - tooth bar on this bucket. Essentially I gave up the back dragging function with the addition of the tooth bar. As /pine indicates the heel of the bucket is not as good as the cutting edge w/out the tooth bar. I now have an UBER heavy grapple on the FEL.

I also have a heavy duty Rhino 950 x 8' rear blade. I reverse this blade 180 degrees and drive forward. It does every bit as good as the lip of the bucket ever did.

Different strokes for different folks............View attachment 640572

 

[DKCDKC]

I have used a Ratchet Rake for years and find it is great for smoothing hard ground, and for smoothing my gravel drive. I have a box blade for heavy maintenance, but the RR is great for smoothing out holes and bumps. It cannot shape the road - higher in the middle - but does a great job smoothing. the unique shape of the RR makes it good for back dragging. I also give it a lot of use just tearing into brush and saplings - a great tool.

 

[PILOON]

OK, my CUT has a 4 ft bucket.
I added a DIY tooth bar and it is now a whole new tool.
Digs in compacted soil and small stones don't bother it.
Angled it is a great root rake dragging backwards.
Push the teeth in and it pry's out roots and stones.

LOL, the CUT thinks it is a mini excavator.

Downside-- It won't scrape sand (etc) on a hard surface as teeth interfere.
For back dragging was to weld a bar on bucket rear and use that.

I've nothing against ratchet rakes but for close to or similar pricing I do believe a clamp on tooth bar is probably ahead and IMHO more HD.
Were I to do it all over again I'd probably weld real teeth onto my bucket. rather that the tooth bar.
Fact is my tooth bar has never been removed since the day I installed it, its that handy.

I will add that all the soil here is imbedded probably to 50% with stones and one stone will deflect that FEL bucket while teeth ignore that obstacle.

 

[/pine]

Well, backdraging correctly is using the heel (backside) of the bucket - so not problem... the toothbar will leave "grooves" in the soil. Mine is used 50/50 - I leave it on except if I need to make "clean cuts" with the bucket. Takes nothing to remove it, 2 bolts. Works great with my bolt on grapple (regular bucket) in fact it extends what I can grab.

Definitely helps breaking into new undisturbed soil!!!

LoL says who???

Tell that to a skid steer operator...:laughing:

IMO using the heel of a loader bucket on a CUT is marginal compared to the forward bucket edge...

 

[finn1]

Backdragging is most efficient when the ground contact is with the cutting edge of the bucket, not the heel of the bucket, which is relatively thin and often had no reinforced wear surface.

I pretty much gave up on grading with my tractor fuel as it is not as efficient or easy to control as my old skid steer or current CTL. Part of the issue is just poor visibility of the bucket with the CUT . You just can’t really see what is happening because of the poor sight line over the hood of the tractor compared to the CTL or skid.

I prefer the tooth bar over the straight cutting edge, having used both.

 

[4570Man]

LoL says who???

Tell that to a skid steer operator...:laughing:

IMO using the heel of a loader bucket on a CUT is marginal compared to the forward bucket edge...

A good toothed bucket is a lot better than a tooth bar. A welded bucket is flat on the bottom so you can back drag with the tip and not leave grooves. And there’s no wear bar on the back of the bucket and it’s prone to packing dirt around moving parts. Back dragging with the back of the bucket definitely isn’t the right way. I did this back dragging with a tooth bucket using the front edge of the bucket.

 

[Smokeydog]

Found a piranha bar much better for tractor FEL over a toothed bar. Improved digging over a straight blade. No problem back dragging. Great for brush clearing too.

 

[JohnnyMX]

Just wanted to follow-up on this thread as the original poster. I eneded up with the EA Wicked Toothbar. This went on my light-duty bucket using the 3/4" bolts on the side. Install was a breeze and the sizing was about as spot on as humanly possible. I did spend the time to get the measurements right, but they made it to those specs exactly.


I have so far done some quick tests and this thing is blowing through my hardened dirt/clay/tree root piles with ease. It also does pretty good at removing the top-cover of my unworked fields. I've pushed/cleared brush back and it seemed to do really well in cutting/ripping/slicing through brush, vines, small saplings. I'm no where near beating it as hard as I saw Ted do in his test video but it seems like a good add to the bucket so far.

 

[newbury]

Just wanted to follow-up on this thread as the original poster. I eneded up with the EA Wicked Toothbar. <snip>

Thanks for the letting us know. But it's only an internet rumor without pics

 

[JohnnyMX]

Thanks for the letting us know. But it's only an internet rumor without pics

You are correct!! I wish someone showed more before/after of what they did with it. Here's a pic of the bar installed.

 

[kenmbz]

I love having a toothbar, great for ripping right through saplings and brush. Good luck with yours and send an update after a few uses . Once the rain/mud clears here I will show what I did last week. Really makes the FEL doubly useful,

 

[Smokeydog]

Appreciate constructive feedback. Thank you.

 

[CoyPatton]

LoL says who???

Tell that to a skid steer operator...:laughing:

IMO using the heel of a loader bucket on a CUT is marginal compared to the forward bucket edge...

Comparing a CUT to a Skid Steer is like comparing a back yard pond to the Atlanta!
You can but after they are both full of water, not much applies. Or the both have a front loader and may accept similar attachments, but about like salt water compared to fresh water or knee deep to mules deep!

 

[JohnnyMX]

Built a U shaped berm last night I'll use to burn my piles by digging up my large piles of weed, rock, roots, clay that came off my foodplot. This stuff has been sitting for 2 years and was composting/compacting. The toothbar had no issues with that pile at all. I did also push some brush back off trails. This was mostly multi-flora rose and it did pretty good. The issue with a toothbar/bucket combo is that it still can't pick up the stuff although it does a good job of shearing it off. Maybe even a rock-skeleton bucket to allow for rock/dirt sifting. Can't have it all I suppose.

Seems like a bucket/toothbar/grapple lid OR a toothbar mounted to the bottom of my grapple would be the cats pajamas for ripping, tearing and REMOVING brush. It seems like I can still back-drag good enough for my purposes which is rough leveling.

 

[old and tired]

View attachment 648340

That is indeed, Wicked!