Ah, the first time bending a 4n1 bucket! I bought one of these with my ASV, it was my first attachment. One day pulling fence posts, I completely broke out one of the top corners where the clamshell meets the hinge. Welded poorly, it was, so I beefed it up. A half year or so later was trying to dig a old electric pole out, broke the other side, same cause, same solution. Went back to pulling on that pole, and bent the bottom, same as you. My bucket has a double walled bottom piece, had to cut the top wall off with a plasma cutter, then I cut a hole through the top square tube hinge axle, stuck a piece of 3/4" all thread through the hole, welded it securely to the bent piece, cut all corner and bracing welds with the P.C., then tightened a nut on the all thread, and slowly bent the bottom piece back up sans heat! Once it was as close to straight as I could get it, I welded all the cut corner welds and brace welds, and released the nut, it stayed put, so I welded the top plate back on, cut off the all thread. Plasma cutter $2000, Mig welder $2500, Being able to fix my own screwups-PRICELESS!
