Ripper tooth for Branson BH76

[ning]

I've been jonesing for a ripper tooth for my backhoe for years.

Turns out bxpanded.com now supports the Branson BH150 backhoe for both their quick attach and ripper tooth, and the BH76 is pretty much the BH150's previous numbering.

I ordered one of each, and got an email response the next day asking me to verify a measurement because apparently there are some "BH150" buckets out there that aren't actually sized right (BH200 buckets being stamped BH150 or something like that) - A+ to them for double-checking.

When I received the package I took off my bucket and quickly and easily mounted the quick attach unit.

The welds on the bucket on the inside of the ears interfered with the the bucket swinging into place for the quick attach and didn't allow the second pin to be slid into place. I cleaned them up a bit with a grinder (you can see where there's new black paint) - they weren't ugly per se but there definitely was more metal than necessary; I smoothed it out, leaving plenty behind for strength but got enough off so that the pin fits comfortably.

Pics:

The quick attach pins on directly in place of the bucket - using the same original pins. OEM thumb fits perfectly around it.

A new pin (provided with the QA) is placed in the bucket and the end bolted; shouldn't ever have to remove that. QA hooks on there then you lift the BH a bit, manually swing the bucket up and then the removable pin (provided) is pushed through; I'm using a lynch pin with a ring that fits really snugly around the tube.

Holes in the provided pins (permanent and removable) are larger than the holes in the OEM bucket so the bolts provided don't fit.

Shot some paint over the raw metal from the weld cleanup. Hardware store didn't have dark gray major fashion faux pas I know.

Ripper tooth installed. I haven't used it yet but expect it to revolutionize digging in my hard red clay during the dry part of the year. It should also help in digging where there's lots of rocks.

The permanent pin for the ripper was also provided with the QA (2 total). One removable pin is provided; you really only need one as it can stay with the QA on the dipper regardless of how many buckets you have.

Bucket fully in place. Ripper tooth and 20' of ⅜" chain in the bucket, it's where I usually carry the chain when I have the backhoe on the tractor.

Bucket/dipper and bucket/thumb positioning & geometry have changed slightly but I don't expect it'll be a negative.

I still intend to get a cylinder to turn the thumb hydraulic... hopefully this fall.

(ignore the toilet in the background, I haven't been to the dump since I swapped in a new one in the house)

 

[LouNY]

I've been jonesing for a ripper tooth for my backhoe for years.

Turns out bxpanded.com now supports the Branson BH150 backhoe for both their quick attach and ripper tooth, and the BH76 is pretty much the BH150's previous numbering.

I ordered one of each, and got an email response the next day asking me to verify a measurement because apparently there are some "BH150" buckets out there that aren't actually sized right (BH200 buckets being stamped BH150 or something like that) - A+ to them for double-checking.

When I received the package I took off my bucket and quickly and easily mounted the quick attach unit.

The welds on the bucket on the inside of the ears interfered with the the bucket swinging into place for the quick attach and didn't allow the second pin to be slid into place. I cleaned them up a bit with a grinder (you can see where there's new black paint) - they weren't ugly per se but there definitely was more metal than necessary; I smoothed it out, leaving plenty behind for strength but got enough off so that the pin fits comfortably.

Pics:
View attachment 978851
The quick attach pins on directly in place of the bucket - using the same original pins. OEM thumb fits perfectly around it.

A new pin (provided with the QA) is placed in the bucket and the end bolted; shouldn't ever have to remove that. QA hooks on there then you lift the BH a bit, manually swing the bucket up and then the removable pin (provided) is pushed through; I'm using a lynch pin with a ring that fits really snugly around the tube.

Holes in the provided pins (permanent and removable) are larger than the holes in the OEM bucket so the bolts provided don't fit.

Shot some paint over the raw metal from the weld cleanup. Hardware store didn't have dark gray major fashion faux pas I know.

View attachment 978850
Ripper tooth installed. I haven't used it yet but expect it to revolutionize digging in my hard red clay during the dry part of the year. It should also help in digging where there's lots of rocks.

The permanent pin for the ripper was also provided with the QA (2 total). One removable pin is provided; you really only need one as it can stay with the QA on the dipper regardless of how many buckets you have.

View attachment 978852
Bucket fully in place. Ripper tooth and 20' of ⅜" chain in the bucket, it's where I usually carry the chain when I have the backhoe on the tractor.

Bucket/dipper and bucket/thumb positioning & geometry have changed slightly but I don't expect it'll be a negative.

I still intend to get a cylinder to turn the thumb hydraulic... hopefully this fall.

(ignore the toilet in the background, I haven't been to the dump since I swapped in a new one in the house)

That's just the fresh air commode

 

[oosik]

Yea - adds the artsy/fartsy flare to that picture.

Otherwise - that looks to be a real good single tooth. I strip down my single bottom moldboard plow. Gives me a single tooth with a carbide tip.

 

[Smokeydog]

You will enjoy the ripper. I usually start 10-20’ out from the stump, find the big roots and use their length as a level to fold them back toward the stump before breaking them off.

Working close to roots might want to change from lynch pins to bolt and locknut.

BX-expanded makes good stuff. Piranha bar. Tried to get them make a ripper for my Kubota B26 but not heavy enough. Company just about 10 miles from our farm.

 

[ning]

You will enjoy the ripper. I usually start 10-20’ out from the stump, find the big roots and use their length as a level to fold them back toward the stump before breaking them off.

Working close to roots might want to change from lynch pins to bolt and locknut.

BX-expanded makes good stuff. Piranha bar. Tried to get them make a ripper for my Kubota B26 but not heavy enough. Company just about 10 miles from our farm.

I love the piranha bar, got it the first year I got the tractor and it's taken quite the beating and looks new. Can't imagine getting full use out of the loader bucket without it.

To be honest stump work may be done with the ripper but I'm expecting to use it more just to break up the hard ground to the point that my backhoe bucket can dig into it.

A couple summers ago I had a pony to bury (he'd had a very long life and had a very pleasant retirement) and it took me forever to get through the top couple feet where I needed to bury him (once under the sun-baked top of the ground a ways the digging got a lot better) even with bucket teeth; the ripper should make jobs like that a lot better. There's no more ponies to bury but I've put off a decent digging project because I know from previous experience what a pain it is to dig in our ground with just the bucket, the tooth should help a lot.

 

[Smokeydog]

With your new quick attach switching from bucket to ripper and back should be a breeze now.

 

[ning]

With your new quick attach switching from bucket to ripper and back should be a breeze now.

It's not quite the remote QA that the big excavators have, but at least by grabbing one pin with the "hook" part, you just have a bit of swinging weight to manage while you shoot the removable pin. I've elsewhere mentioned that I don't have experience pinning & unpinning buckets, but I could see how potentially wrestling a bucket around just to get the first pin in was going to be a pain which was a big part of why I hadn't just had a local welder make me a ripper (other parts of it being fifteen thousand other projects already in flight; making a ripper myself sounded fun but I just have a little 120v welder that doesn't like doing even 1/4" plate for very long)

 

[Smokeydog]

So impressed with the ripper on the M59, adapted it the B26. Makes little hoe’s swing above their weight class.

 

[ning]

So impressed with the ripper on the M59, adapted it the B26. Makes little hoe’s swing above their weight class. View attachment 993267

that thing's a gorgeous monster!

 

[vince2]

So, could the bx ripper and narrow bucket fit the bh200 with some adapting?

 

[ning]

So, could the bx ripper and narrow bucket fit the bh200 with some adapting?

When I placed my order, my research had indicated that the BH76 was the same size as the BH150, so that's what I selected in the order.
Bxpanded contacted me first thing the next morning (I placed the order at night):

I sent them measurements, including the pics:

the distance between the pins in the bucket (center-to-center)

and the distance between the ears of the bucket

after I sent them those pics, they responded

So though they don't have BH200 listed on their site, it looks like they'll build the pieces to fit.
I received the attachments 7 days after the order, which is very quick turnaround considering I doubt they stock built stuff for our tractors.

@vince2 do you have a BH200? If so, please post the above measurements for others to see; I dilly-dallied before years before ordering this because I was hoping to find measurements of a bucket that bxpanded supported - their kubota-compatible parts fit a few different kubota backhoe/bucket sizes, but I couldn't get measurements so I was unsure if I could just order a kubota equivalent size. It was kinda random that I checked their website more recently and saw that they specifically support the branson BH's, though once again I didn't know the dimensions until someone saw an ad on an auction size for a BH150 bucket and the dimensions matched... though apparently that's really a BH200 bucket, maybe. Who knows... at the very least, my stuff fits

 

[Smokeydog]

When I placed my order, my research had indicated that the BH76 was the same size as the BH150, so that's what I selected in the order.
Bxpanded contacted me first thing the next morning (I placed the order at night):
View attachment 1345845

I sent them measurements, including the pics:

the distance between the pins in the bucket (center-to-center)
View attachment 1345843

and the distance between the ears of the bucket
View attachment 1345842

after I sent them those pics, they responded
View attachment 1345844

So though they don't have BH200 listed on their site, it looks like they'll build the pieces to fit.
I received the attachments 7 days after the order, which is very quick turnaround considering I doubt they stock built stuff for our tractors.

@vince2 do you have a BH200? If so, please post the above measurements for others to see; I dilly-dallied before years before ordering this because I was hoping to find measurements of a bucket that bxpanded supported - their kubota-compatible parts fit a few different kubota backhoe/bucket sizes, but I couldn't get measurements so I was unsure if I could just order a kubota equivalent size. It was kinda random that I checked their website more recently and saw that they specifically support the branson BH's, though once again I didn't know the dimensions until someone saw an ad on an auction size for a BH150 bucket and the dimensions matched... though apparently that's really a BH200 bucket, maybe. Who knows... at the very least, my stuff fits

Admire your research, patience, and communication skills to resolve an issue of adaptability.

 

[bdhsfz6]

A question about rippers:

I live in shale country and digging with my BH90 hoe sometimes gets difficult. When it does, I put on the 9", 3 tooth bucket. It does fairly well if I can get a single tooth into the shale and use the rollback cylinder to pry out chunks.

Would a ripper tooth work better in situations like this? Would it really save any effort considering the bucket / ripper swap time?

In some cases, the distance from the pin to the tooth tip is longer than on the small bucket. Wouldn't that mean I would sacrifice some curl strength?

 

[LouNY]

A question about rippers:

I live in shale country and digging with my BH90 hoe sometimes gets difficult. When it does, I put on the 9", 3 tooth bucket. It does fairly well if I can get a single tooth into the shale and use the rollback cylinder to pry out chunks.

Would a ripper tooth work better in situations like this? Would it really save any effort considering the bucket / ripper swap time?

In some cases, the distance from the pin to the tooth tip is longer than on the small bucket. Wouldn't that mean I would sacrifice some curl strength?

But you are putting all the force onto just one tip.
We have a considerable amount of shale around here it is amazing the differences in the shale. Sometimes even in the same ledge or within just a few feet. One you can rip and dig easily, then some that you have to get just the right angle and direction to rip and then the stuff that you call someone else or get a bigger piece of equipment.

 

[Smokeydog]

A question about rippers:

I live in shale country and digging with my BH90 hoe sometimes gets difficult. When it does, I put on the 9", 3 tooth bucket. It does fairly well if I can get a single tooth into the shale and use the rollback cylinder to pry out chunks.

Would a ripper tooth work better in situations like this? Would it really save any effort considering the bucket / ripper swap time?

In some cases, the distance from the pin to the tooth tip is longer than on the small bucket. Wouldn't that mean I would sacrifice some curl strength?

It all depends on your application. Utility trench, bench cut, tree removal and soil conditions. Finding out what works for you is the thrill of the hunt.

Yes longer less power. Less teeth multiplies power. It’s not trying to remove material. Just loosen or break.

Always surprised by the variable different conditions on our patch of ground.

Some backhoe buckets are easier to change. Some are a bugger bear. Add thumb can complicate. Some quick attach are easy as pie.

Haven’t seen a post negative about a ripper. Helps our small machines perform at a higher level on difficult digging.

 

[ning]

I have a lot of embedded large rocks in my clay-ish base dirt, and one of the main reasons I got the ripper was to help me dig in such stuff - instead of trying to get just one bucket tooth into a crevice, or just one hooked on that rock that I'm guessing may actually be somewhat loose, I can get the ripper on it trivially.

Plus, the bucket teeth shouldn't be used for prying rocks out away from other rocks, they should be used to get more point forces into hard dirt. I'll feel much better poking things with the solid ripper than with the teeth (which I've broken many of doing bad things) and reducing stress on the lip of the bucket where the teeth are attached.

The "root ripping" function of the ripper is actually low on my list of reasons to get the ripper.

I used the new ripper yesterday for the first time. Bucket swap was very quick; I pulled the pin, flexed the backhoe to drop the bucket off, put the ripper on. My wife wanted a hole dug between two lilac bushes - ripper was ideal as it's very narrow and if there were any connections between the two bushes, no there aren't, not any more. The tooth obviously didn't "dig" but it loosened the ground really effectively, and a human-powered shovel easily got the dirt out. Really, it's rarely the dirt moving per se that's the tough part of digging a hole (unless it's a large hole of course), it's all the rocks and very hard dirt encountered that makes you break out the pick and such. The ripper is the pick for the backhoe.

Swapping back to the bucket - It's obviously trivial to get the ripper off (pull pin, pull ripper off of hook) especially with its relatively light weight (compared to the bucket). I was on very uneven ground so didn't attempt to pick up the bucket directly with the quick attach unit; I just put the backhoe right above the bucket and lifted it to get it hooked, then swung the bucket back slightly and shot the pin. On flat ground I was able to pick up the bucket with the backhoe, but somewhat jerky hydraulics and being a brand new motion makes it more likely that you push the bucket around rather than hook it, and honestly my 12" bucket isn't so heavy that a quick lift onto the hook would be difficult.