Adjustable width backhoe bucket (Kubota BX24)

[Sodo]

Hello,

Just got a 2007 BX24. I'm new to the forum and this is my first "question". Looking forward to lots of tractor fun.

I see several clever folks making narrow trenching buckets for the little BX24.
(Charlz and Red Dirt and perhaps others). Very interesting reading.

Has anyone looked into an adjustable width bucket? Where you cut the bucket to as narrow as possible, and make it bolt back together. Then you can use a wider strip on each side to restore it back to the 12". And for some materials/applications I suppose you could make it wider than the 12". My BX24 is 3 hours away I can't really look it over to see if this is feasible.

It SEEMS like this could be a simple project, possibly a lot simpler than building the whole bucket from scratch. I guess you would just have to buy boxes of 1/4" carriage bolts which are easy to just twist off if they become difficult.

 

[KWentling]

I also built my own 9" wide bucket. As easy as it is to change buckets, I don't see any advantage to building an adjustable width bucket. It would take longer to change out bolted in sections than to pull 2 pins and change the whole bucket.

Kim

 

[tonyoz]

It would take longer to change out bolted in sections than to pull 2 pins and change the whole bucket.

Kim

Especialy when the threads are full of dirt.

 

[Sodo]

Agreed, buying a 2nd ($350 from Kubota) bucket can work out depending on how often you need to change bucket size.

If you use small 1/4" bolts they just twist off and you replace with new. Little bolts are inexpensive, $2 per box of 50.

 

[Groo]

I have never honestly felt the need to change bucket sizes. Its fairly narrow as is and much wider would just slow it down. I really only see the need to swap buckets for larger and stronger machines.

The real problem with an adjustable width bucket is that the enclosed scoop shape lends the bucket a whole bunch of strength compared to a slice and dice, so both halves would have to be significantly stronger for this idea to possibly work. It would probably cost the same as 5 buckets when it was all done.

getting a small bucket then bolting on wings might be a viable option, but it sounds like way more trouble than it would be worth to me.

 

[Sodo]

It would probably cost the same as 5 buckets when it was all done.

????? Seems to me it would cost a lot LESS and be a fairly easy project.

 

[woodlandfarms]

How many people have more than one bucket? I guess I ave thought of something like a 6 inch to tench and a 30 inch to clean ponds but the 12 inch bucket has worked well for all my needs.

 

[Groo]

????? Seems to me it would cost a lot LESS and be a fairly easy project.

sure, it you don't care about attachments and don't care about strength. :confused2:

The mounting points are in the center section, and they can't be changing widths. That makes your adjuso bucket a 3 or 5 piece+ contraption. Then whatever you cobble together has to be able to take being smashed into rocks with Kubota's claimed nearly 1 ton of digging force and all the prying forces too. A small bucket with removable wings would be the only simple way to do it, and that would probably cost as much as 2 buckets, so what would be the point?

If you want to take a cutting torch to your new bucket, I just hope you have a good welder to stick it all back together.

One other thing to consider; Aren't trenching buckets usually longer than the standard buckets, in addition to being narrower?

 

[Gary Fowler]

The B 26 that I am buying comes with 2 buckets (12 and 7") the original owner bought an 18" and cut it down to a 7" for some reason which made absolutely no sense to the me or the 2nd owner but it happened.
I just dont think you could easily make a bolt together bucket to add sections in the middle that would increase the width and still be strong enough to hold together. They do make wings that bolt on to the outside of a bucket to make contour ditches and such but they dont mess with the bucket integrity.
The OP obviouslythinks he can do it and cheaper than buying another bucket, so by all means go for it. I would suggest that you check with your dealer first to see about availability of a new one after the project is finished and in pieces, just in case you want to dig something with your hoe. You will of course get a "Chinese Guarantee" on the work, If it breaks you still own all the pieces.:laughing:

 

[Sodo]

the original owner bought an 18" and cut it down to a 7" for some reason which made absolutely no sense to the me or the 2nd owner but it happened.

I suspect a 7" trenching was an immediate need. Maybe he started with the 18 simply because it was"in-stock". That makes sense to me anyway. Small bucket requires less horsepower, is less ground disturbance. It makes a lot of sense for a little tractor.

I just dont think you could easily make a bolt together bucket to add sections in the middle that would increase the width and still be strong enough to hold together.

Thanks Gary, that IS the question. Narrowing a bucket and welding it back together (permanent) sounds like a 2 hour job to me, maybe less time than a round-trip driving to the Kubota store. But making the width restorable ( and if 5 pcs can be made strong enough ! :confused2: ) is another story! I know it won't break, but if the little BX24 is able to bend it..... the bolts won't go back in and then I'd have to weld it back permanent.

My tractor that I have owned for all of 2 weeks is 3 hours away, thus I can't take a look at how the bucket is constructed. If I could see it I might know that answer and not have to ask the forum. The task at hand is to trench 700 feet thru the forest, ASAP, before the ground gets too hard! I have to make the decision whether to order a new (narrow) bucket, or plan to modify, so hoping someone on the forum can offer direct experience narrowing a bucket.