Bucket: 10" vs 12"

[HoggyB]

Bucket: 10\" vs 12\"

Hi, all-

I'm trying to decide between a 12" & 10" bucket for the backhoe on my BX23.

To me it looks like a trade off between digging force and capacity.

How much more force will the 10" bring to bear over the 12"?

Also, I have some granite rocks I would like to move around. They probably weigh 100-200 pounds each and are at the bottom of a 4' bank. Would the 12" bucket move these a lot easier than the 10" bucket?

My inclination is to go with the stock 10" bucket (especially since they'd have to order the 12" bucket and I'll have to wait a week longer /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ).

Hog

 

[Rockdog]

Re: Bucket: 10\" vs 12\"

Congrats on your tractor and welcome to TBN,
I am awaiting the delivery of my BX23 any day now. My decision on the bucket size was based on the dealer's recommendation. He said that the larger 12" bucket will clean out easier than the smaller one, especially with clay or wet dirt. How much easier I don't know but it seem to make sense so I went the 12" route. The mathematics would tell me the 12" is about 20% larger and therefore the pressure per square inch would probably be decreased about 20%

Good Luck, Jerry

 

[techman]

Re: Bucket: 10\" vs 12\"

I opted for the 10" on my BX22. Same logic that you will have higher cutting force. I also figured that it is easy to make a hole/trench bigger with another pass, but you can never go smaller than the bucket size. I have done a lot of garden digging with mine, and a 12" would be too big for a lot of that.

paul

 

[Jim_Becker]

Re: Bucket: 10\" vs 12\"

I chose the 10" bucket for my BX22 as it puportedly will "dig easier" with the small machine. But I do suspect that the extra two inches will make cleaning the bucket out on the dump a bit easier, although I haven't had any problem with the smaller one.

 

[Junkman]

Re: Bucket: 10\" vs 12\"

If anyone has a 10" bucket that they would like to sell, I am a buyer for it...... thanks

 

[art]

Re: Bucket: 10\" vs 12\"

To measure the boom width on the hoe often sets how small of a bucket can be installed. One more thing is if the bucket is to narrow the force of the hoe can easily fill it but the inconvience of the spade to empty it really gets you if it is wet at all.

 

[HoggyB]

Re: Bucket: 10\" vs 12\"

Crud, you guys aren't helping me here.

Or maybe you are. I sounds like both sizes have a use.

I guess I'll get both...

Hog

 

[Henro]

Re: Bucket: 10\" vs 12\"

<font color="blue"> I guess I'll get both...
</font>

I would not get both...I have a 10 and 16 inch buckets for my B2910, and find the 10 nice sometimes but a pain when in sticky clay, when only half [or less] of what is in the bucket comes out.

Personally, I would go for the 12 inch bucket. Having to get off the backhoe to manually clean out the bucket gets old pretty quick.

If I really wasn't sure of what I wanted to do, I would start with the 12 inch and then see if I felt I needed the 10 inch.

 

[Junkman]

Re: Bucket: 10\" vs 12\"

Get the 12" bucket for general use. I am looking for a 10" bucket for digging stumps and cutting roots. That is about all that it will be good for. If they had offered a 14" bucket, that would have been better yet. The 12" is small enough and it is difficult to pick rocks with it... A thumb would be nice, but that will never happen......
You might want to consider flip over pads if you are going to be working near pavement... These go at the ends of the outriggers and flip over to a rubber side so the outrigger doesn't dig into the pavement. You use the other side for dirt work.

 

[avorancher]

Re: Bucket: 10\" vs 12\"

I have a 10, 12, and 24 inch. (maybe the 24 is a 16 after reading Henro's note... I never measured it and got the BH and buckets used as a package). Anyway, I seem to use the 12 most of all... except when picking up rocks like you mentioned. I then use the largest one. If the rock is too big, I use a chain on the FEL hooks.

The 10" does clog up in mud and frustrating when only a spoonful drops out. Your idea about digging a 12" ditch with the 10" bucket is not quite that easy. If the dirt is hard, the bucket will tend to follow its original path and digging an inch or two wider makes really rough sidewalls that have a tendency to cave in.

I was surprised that I didn't see a major difference in digging power as I suspected. The only time the difference would matter is when the ground is actually too hard for the larger bucket and I guess I've seldom run into that. When I hit rock, it is too hard for any bucket size and time for a digging iron and sledge.

I have a lot of DG (decomposed granite) soil, and some is more decomposed than the rest.