Front-End Loader BUCKET SPADE TODAY // FEL BUCKET ATTACHMENT

   / BUCKET SPADE TODAY // FEL BUCKET ATTACHMENT
  • Thread Starter
#11  
We had a good rain, our first in awhile, so the ground is soft. Decided to dig up wild climbing rose corms, often call "Sweet Potato Vines" in the South. These things run up a tree; eventually pulling the tree down. Often wild grape vines follow the climbing roses into the trees.

Bucket Spade works really well in this situation, where one is moving between digs. No changing seats, no dropping stabilizers, like with a Backhoe. Just dig, then drag or push back excavated dirt with the Rollover Box Blade on the 3-Pt., also serving as counterbalance.

I excavated the pile, which is mostly wild rose corms but also has Smilax corms and grape vine roots, in about two hours.

Pretty good view of optional L2296 72" Round-Back Heavy-Duty Bucket with SSQA, which is available for all the 'L' series Kubotas. L2296 weight 100 pounds more than the standard L2235A 72" bucket. L2296 make an absolutely rigid mount for the Bucket Spade.
 

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   / BUCKET SPADE TODAY // FEL BUCKET ATTACHMENT
  • Thread Starter
#12  
Working the Bucket Spade yesterday, once again in the Blueberry field, to excavate 25-year old plants requiring separation/rejuvenation.

Bucket Spade is also an excellent tool for excavating Palmettos in the coastal SE states.

Good tool mounted on a rigid bucket.



LA805 weighs 1,279 pounds.

LA2296 SSQA H-D, R-B bucket weighs 180 pounds.

Bucket Solutions' Bucket Spade weighs 110 pounds.

Some of the LA805 weight bears on the BS/BS, say 400 pounds.

So FEL + LA2296 + BS/BS total weight = 690 pounds, bearing on the sharp edge of the bucket spade.

Once the bucket spade is positioned in the ground, you push it to depth by moving tractor forward.
 

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   / BUCKET SPADE TODAY // FEL BUCKET ATTACHMENT
  • Thread Starter
#13  
Excavated Palmettos with the Bucket Spade today.

In Florida, Palmettos usually grow in layers, sometimes four layers. When you examine ground prior to excavating plants, it does not look like that big a job. But the volume one takes to the burn pile is considerable.

Photo #1 Here is what the tractor operator sees positioning the Bucket Spade to excavate a Palmetto.

Photo #2 Small excavated Palmetto, on both sides of spade. UNTOUCHED BY HUMAN HANDS.

Photo #3 Larger excavated Palmetto. UNTOUCHED BY HUMAN HANDS.

Photo #4 Palmetto in the process of being leveraged out of sandy-loam soil. UNTOUCHED BY HUMAN HANDS.

Photo #5, #6 As Palmettos are excavated you begin to work over cratered ground. I use a spring-protected Dirt Dog (brand) Field Cultivator mounted on the Three Point Hitch to roughly level ground, at the same time raking out lower levels of small Palmettos and wild grape vine roots. Implement weight: 275 pounds.

Photo #7 Result of approximately 50 minutes of Palmetto excavation and raking.
 

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   / BUCKET SPADE TODAY // FEL BUCKET ATTACHMENT #14  
I am a fan of Bucket Solutions' clamp-on Bucket Spade.

It is <$400, and effective, especially clamped to a heavy duty bucket.

Today I used the Bucket Spade to excavate five and fifteen year old Rabbiteye Blueberry bushes for separation and replanting.

I got distracted by an Oak stump which I excavated and transported to the burn pile. (Hole 52" deep.)

Bucket Spade works well for excavating wild climbing rose corms.

I planted two Rabbiteye Blueberry bushes in the woods for the neighborhood children to pick in two years.

I had an ETA Landscape Rake on the 3-Pt hitch as counterbalance and to fill holes.


LINK: Tractor and Skidsteer bucket spade shovel



I've been happy with my quick spade. Mine go on my pallet forks rather than bucket. Don't remember offhand if they will even mount to the bucket. I figured I'd be less likely to bend the forks than the bucket, as well as better reach & viability.

Definitely a poor mans backhoe. Not nearly as effective, but it gets some small jobs done at 20% of the price.

Edit:
http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200356534_200356534 pretty sure I got the quick spade not quick spade combo. $50 cheaper but forks only, not bucket. Hard to beat at $140.


Thanks guys, either may be just what I need. A little concerned if my 60" bucket is rigid/strong enough to mound a spade on it?
 
   / BUCKET SPADE TODAY // FEL BUCKET ATTACHMENT
  • Thread Starter
#15  
There are many brands of Bucket Spades out there.

While weight is your friend in ground contact work, you want Bucket Spade proportionate to your bucket strength and soil resistance.

I have sand in Florida. Gravel OK. Operator prudence required.

As this thread details, I used my Bucket Solutions Bucket Spade on my Kubota B3300SU for several years.
 
   / BUCKET SPADE TODAY // FEL BUCKET ATTACHMENT #16  
I have a Quick Spade combo avail for sale in Mid Michigan if anybody’s looking for one. PM me. My B2920 loader is to light for it. Wish I could use it.
 
   / BUCKET SPADE TODAY // FEL BUCKET ATTACHMENT #17  
Thanks Jeff. I like how the spade attaches to pallet forks and am now considering buying the less expensive spade for forks (rather than bucket) and applying the savings to buying a SSQA pallet fork which can be used for various things by themselves. For my B2650 I'll want a light weight setup with forks no longer than 36". I came across this one in a search but at 300# with 4,000# capacity even it's over built for my tractor. Anyone know of one a little lighter?
 
   / BUCKET SPADE TODAY // FEL BUCKET ATTACHMENT #19  
What about something like this? I’m sure it could dig.

Load-Quip Tree Scoop Bucket Attachment | Northern Tool + Equipment
Its bigger than a bucket spade i believe. And in this case biggers isnt better. A guy shooting a gun & a guy getting hit by a bullet experience the same force. The guy shooting has that force spread out over many square inches on his shoulder or hand vs maybe a quarter of a square inch wherever the bullet hits.

My 5000lbs L4060 can barely drive a bucket spade into the hard clay around here. If it had any bigger of an impliment I might not be able to get it into the ground. Might be a different equation in sandy or softer ground.
 
   / BUCKET SPADE TODAY // FEL BUCKET ATTACHMENT
  • Thread Starter
#20  
Probably better on a Skid Steer or Compact Track Loader than a tractor.

Tractor FELs are not designed for application of leverage.
 
 
 
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