Bucket hook locations

[Theowegian]

Here's another photo.
dwight

 

[Stef]

On my BX23, when my dealer put hooks on the buckets, he put a reinforcement plate behind the lip of the bucket. He did exactly the same thing with the bucket of my B3030. I agree with you Bob about the fact that hooks on the lip without reinforcement is dangerous to twist the bucket.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

dwight, the term Heavy Duty was defined, not by me personally, but by a consensus of a few differnet TBN members of which I was one. It was used in the photo comparison thread from a couple weeks ago. But that said, the term is simply our opinion and does not take metal gauge into account, nor does it take metalurgy into account because those things could not be easily shown in photos.

We defined a HD bucket as one that had welded reinforcement on the cutting lip and the bucket sides, PLUS had some sort of square or round tube welded to the top lip of the bucket.

For mounting a center bucket hook (and this is just my opinion) I would not mount a center hook on any top lip that was not somehow reinforced. The reinforcement could be in the form of an OEM supplied HD bucket or in the form of angle iron (as Henro did) or tube welded onto the top lip of the bucket.

 

[notamustang]

I did the 2x2 angle 1/4" thick. I just did not want to hang the chain over the lil lip on the bucket that I had already bent up.

 

[Theowegian]

Much clearer, now, Bob.

I understand you to mean that a fella should assess his bucket to determine if he thinks it is heavy enough to be pulled in the center and still keep its "straightness".

Your comments made a lot of sense.
Thanks,
dwight

 

[tawilson]

Angle also 2.5x2.5 x 3/8. I like even better now that I made a set of rudimentary forks that I can attach and detach just by rolling the bucket forward and slipping the angle under the channel I made on the fork assembly without getting off the tractor. I hate to get off the tractor.

 

[bowhunter3030]

So far, so good. I moved 7 ton of rock last night. It saved me lots of time and a backache this morning. It probably saved me 3 hours of time on my landscape project. I am still waiting for my toothbar. When it gets put on, I will use it much more.

 

[bowhunter3030]

Thanks for the ideas. Also, I will use your ideas when I kill my deer. I have to thin my herd a little this year. I went turkey hunting last Saturday and saw 27 deer. They say I need to kill two does a year. I will try to do this in the month of October before the rut kicks in. I love to bowhunt. What greater fantasy to have than to kill a big buck with my bow and haul it out with my new tractor!

 

[JimMorrissey]

My only problem with the center hook is the fact the it might be in the way if one ever decides to go with a bucket grapple. I guess cutting it off wouldn't be a big deal.

 

[notamustang]

<font color="blue"> My only problem with the center hook is the fact the it might be in the way if one ever decides to go with a bucket grapple. I guess cutting it off wouldn't be a big deal. </font>

My center hook sits up about 1" taller than the side hooks. I dont think it will be enough to interfear with the grapple. But like you said you can always cut it off /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif JMO