Bucket Teeth

[schmism]

Not exactly a "yet another toothbar thread"

as mine are weld on

I could have sworn i started a thread last winter when i picked up my weld on teeth, but i cant for the life of me find it..

So a quick recap.

IN trying to track down teeth locally i came across these weld on versions at my local bobcat place

"tacked" on with a buddies 110V welder

That was last winter.... Shortly after i got all of them "tacked" on i lost one when doing some FEL work.... I have used my FEL with them "welded" like with no teeth on the shanks sence that time (8 months?)

The plan was to drill holes in the shanks for roll pins..... that didnt go so well.... so This past weekend i finnally got around to putting some teeth on (that ive had on the shelf the entire time). I ended up heated up the corners and beat them over into the divits of the tooth-roots with a ball peen hamer.

This is the result

and from the bottom youll notice it has a smooth flat profile

http://www.snjschmidt.com/pics/property/DSC02940 (Large).JPG

(ill eventually get around to replaceing the root i lost so i dont have a hillbilly bucket teeth smile)

 

[3RRL]

I could have sworn i started a thread last winter when i picked up my weld on teeth, but i cant for the life of me find it..
You can click on your user name and on the left of the page that comes up is a place you can select "find all threads started by shmism",

How long have you been using the teeth like that? Have you tried to pry and trees or big rocks out with them yet? What/how have you been using it, and what advantages, if any, have you noticed from adding the teeth?
Any luck on finding that one you lost?

 

[john_bud]

Not exactly a "yet another toothbar thread"

as mine are weld on

I could have sworn i started a thread last winter when i picked up my weld on teeth, but i cant for the life of me find it..

So a quick recap.

IN trying to track down teeth locally i came across these weld on versions at my local bobcat place

"tacked" on with a buddies 110V welder

That was last winter.... Shortly after i got all of them "tacked" on i lost one when doing some FEL work.... I have used my FEL with them "welded" like with no teeth on the shanks sence that time (8 months?)

The plan was to drill holes in the shanks for roll pins..... that didnt go so well.... so This past weekend i finnally got around to putting some teeth on (that ive had on the shelf the entire time). I ended up heated up the corners and beat them over into the divits of the tooth-roots with a ball peen hamer.

This is the result

and from the bottom youll notice it has a smooth flat profile

http://www.snjschmidt.com/pics/property/DSC02940 (Large).JPG

(ill eventually get around to replaceing the root i lost so i dont have a hillbilly bucket teeth smile)

Schmism,

Now don't take this the wrong way, but...

I expect that you will be losing the rest of the teeth with use as the weld is not up to snuff. It looks like some are cracking already, or is it just the picture? It looks like you didn't heat the shank and cutting edge up prior to welding. Both should be up to about 400 F. It takes a bit with a O/Ac torch and rose bud tip. Then you probably need to use a stick welder with fresh 7018 rod or a 220v mig 0.35 wire minimum at a pretty high ampage. 120 - 140 or so. If you only have access to a 110v mig, you need to pre-heat higher.


Here's some pictures of what the bucket may look like with the shank broke off. Note, this bucket had wrap around shanks that are much better at taking stress than the ones you have. Yours MUST be welded on with full penetration as the weld is the only thing holding it on with the impact stresses.

I can tell you for a fact that repairing an edge tear out is not a lot of fun.


By the way, with the tooth / shank combo you have, they ball peen hammer technique you used is the correct way. Just have a few extra teeth on hand as they do come off with use once and again.

 

[schmism]

You can click on your user name and on the left of the page that comes up is a place you can select "find all threads started by shmism",

How long have you been using the teeth like that? Have you tried to pry and trees or big rocks out with them yet? What/how have you been using it, and what advantages, if any, have you noticed from adding the teeth?
Any luck on finding that one you lost?

i looked through all my old threads i started and couldnt find one that was it.

big rocks - dont have any of those in IL farm country
big trees - well i learned that the limit of my little TC was about 6-8" and yes before i mounted the teeths i was fairly agressive with it, (no less agressive than i ever have been in the past)

just added the teeth this weekend, just piddlein around the shop and decided i had put it off long enough. (i had put off putting them on till i got the shanks welded on better but oh well)

Coendicentily im shocked i havnt lost more. The weld job i did was/is intended to be temp only but im in a holding pattern on buying the big welder till the house sells and its a PITA to drag the bucket to a buddy that has one.

John; I saw your backhoe rebuild, you have to remember i cant generate nearly the force on the teeth as you big boys.... My loader is 01 vintage 2000psi version not the newer 2500psi version that nets you another 500-800lbs lift capacity, not to mention the old bucket curl style that cant generate the break out force the new ones can. (oh and go back and delete the pics out of the quote section of your post for all the poor peeps on dial up)

I did take the opportunity to dig up the hard packed gravel area right in front of one of my barn doors to scrape the grass clumps and cut down the high spot. I was able to cut down and dig out 3" of packed gravel driveway. And thats as hard as ground as i get around these parts.

As for finding the old tooth... i have a large-lost-metal-object gnome. I searched the area i was working the day i lost it with a metal detector and didnt turn up despite a solid 2 hrs search. When i was tearing out a bunch of stuff last fall, i had a piece 5' of chain with slip hook i had made for yanking saplings and T-posts... it got dropped on the ground after i yanked a post and never was found again....

if i start popping them off left and right (which wouldnt surprise me) ill just accelerate my time frame for getting them welded on the right way.

 

[john_bud]

Okey-dokey, no problem.

Sounds like you have a handle on it. Since you read that long boring thread, you know my emotional state goes bonkers when I see poor welds. Either my mom was scared by a bad weld when she was carrying me, or I had to fix far to many of them and the damage they caused!

Have you tried fine wine on the CFO to get that welder? "Aww honey, all the guys on TBN have welders-- why can't I have a welder too?"

Oh, to find lost metal stuff in the yard, I just sharpen the mower blades. Can't go 15 ft without smacking some previously lost metal object and trashing the sharp edge. If that fails, just buy a replacement. You're sure to find it right after you bring home the new part.

jb

 

[3RRL]

I bought a metal detector to find my lost metal tools and stuff.

John Bud wrote:
Oh, to find lost metal stuff in the yard, I just sharpen the mower blades. Can't go 15 ft without smacking some previously lost metal object and trashing the sharp edge. If that fails, just buy a replacement. You're sure to find it right after you bring home the new part.

But that is the sure fire way to find them. It works like ... 100% everytime.

I wasn't going to say anything about those welds, being I'm sensitive to your post. LOL ... But I knew John would. That's why I asked what kind of work you subjected the teeth to so far. You might as well weld them on better before you lose more teeth....lol...my braces had heavier welds than those.

 

[schmism]

to be honest durring the summer the tractor's main job is an oversized lawn mower. So ive had the FEL taken off and sitting idle for the past 2 weeks, and only put it on last weekend to move some suff...(then promptly took it back off again).

(15 gal bliz fuel can is HEAVY when its full of fuel)

 

[Dougster]

I'd think hard about going with those wrap around shanks as someone above mentioned. I don't think those top surface only jobs would last a minute with the nasty rocks and boulders that I routinely hit.

I'm also reinforcing my similarly light-duty bucket's cutting edge (doubling the thickness!) before I do anything more with that particular bucket... i.e., add a toothbar or direct welded teeth. The flexing of a light-duty bucket & thin cutting edge can't be helping here.

Dougster

 

[Iowachild]

Schmism,

Is this the thread you are looking for?


http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/89348-bolt-vs-weld-bucket-teeth.html

 

[schmism]

not exactly, i had taken a lot of pics when i first welded my roots on and i could have sworn i posted them in a thread.... but i guess not

 

[Dougster]

I'd think hard about going with those wrap around shanks as someone above mentioned. I don't think those top surface only jobs would last a minute with the nasty rocks and boulders that I routinely hit.

Opps!!! Looks like I need to eat my words. Just came back from visiting with my new 66" Loflin digging bucket (that I will actually own as soon as one or both of my trailers are road-worthy again)... and to my shock, horror and amazement... it has top-welded only teeth. And that is the toughest digging bucket I was able to find anywhere.

So here I am recommending something that is opposite from what I soon will own.

It's tough getting old and senile.

Dougster

 

[john_bud]

Those top only shanks (sometimes called adaptors) are used on skid steer buckets all the time. They have 2 benefits. They don't interfere with using the bucket for backdragging and you can add a bolt on cutting edge under the welded edge. Bolt on edges are usually double sided so you can flip them when they wear.

Dougster, you should look into getting one for your bucket. I have a 3/4 on my TLB and it is tough. I'm looking into some bolt on tooth adaptors to go with it. But they are spendy and I have to save some pennies....

jb

Rob, were you saying that I'm not sensitive? Ouch - the truth hurts!

 

[Dougster]

Dougster, you should look into getting one for your bucket. I have a 3/4 on my TLB and it is tough. I'm looking into some bolt on tooth adaptors to go with it. But they are spendy and I have to save some pennies...
jb

My 78" HD bucket already has a very nice, thick cutting edge. Even I can't seem to destroy it!!! The 72" LD bucket is getting bottom reinforcements and a doubling in thickness of the cutting edge before I do anything else with it. The new Loflin 66" digging bucket "is what it is." It speaks (rather loudly) for itself!

In other words, the only real debate is what to do with my old LD bucket after it is straightened and reinforced. Add a regular 8-tooth toothbar? Add 8 weld-on teeth? Or add a landscaping toothbar with double the number of teeth?

Funny you should mention bolt-on teeth. I just stopped at a Blue dealer late afternoon and he tried to sell me a skidsteer bucket already drilled for a cutting edge... and he said something about using the holes for bolt-on teeth instead. I thought he was joking. Is there such a thing???

Dougster

 

[john_bud]

You betcha. The real HD applications use bolt on adaptors and pin on teeth. They expect them to wear out and be replaced several times in the life of the bucket, so bolt on is much better than weld on.

Usual bucket will have the weld on edge. That is a mild steel - so it can be welded to the structure of the bucket. But mild steel is easy to wear and bend, so it isn't the best for longevity. Better buckets will have that weld on edge with holes on 8" center IIRC. Then you can bolt on a 6" wide or 8" wide high carbon steel wear edge. They come in many thicknesses 5/8, 3/4 and 1" are common. There are tooth adaptors (shanks) that go around the front of both edges and are bolted in place. They are usually forged steel and are priced accordingly.

Hey this must be a first, a sales guy being right! (just joking - hold your fire sales guys!)

jb

 

[Dougster]

There are tooth adaptors (shanks) that go around the front of both edges and are bolted in place. They are usually forged steel and are priced accordingly.
jb

That is a new one on me! Sounds like it might be an option for my 72" LD bucket. I was originally going to drill and put on a bolt-on cutting edge after the reinforcements were done... but then it didn't make much sense having two wide "cutting edge only" buckets after I had purchased the 78" HD bucket and scoped out the 66" Loflin. I needed to do something more with that surplus 72" LD bucket to justify reinforcing and keeping it... although reinforcement plus bolt-on cutting edge plus toothbar just seemed plain wasteful and a little silly.

Now if you are telling me that I can have my bolt-on cutting edge and additional bolt-on teeth as well... Without the need for a toothbar???

Google time!!!

Dougster

 

[john_bud]

Now if you are telling me that I can have my bolt-on cutting edge and additional bolt-on teeth as well... Without the need for a toothbar???

Google time!!!

Dougster

go to the fabco web page and download the catalog. It has more teeth and adaptors than you can shake a stick at.

Also
http://www.terracutsupply.com/pdf/terracut-2007.pdf

They have adaptors and teeth (can drop ship) and the specials catalog link has a sale on serated cutting edges. No need for additonal teeth. Pretty cool.

jb

 

[Dougster]

go to the fabco web page and download the catalog. It has more teeth and adaptors than you can shake a stick at. Also
http://www.terracutsupply.com/pdf/terracut-2007.pdf They have adaptors and teeth (can drop ship) and the specials catalog link has a sale on serated cutting edges. No need for additonal teeth. Pretty cool.
jb

Thanks JB! Serated cutting edges appealed to me at one point... even though at the time the only ones I could find were segmented and VERY costly... but lately (basically, since I got my rake) I'm questioning their value vs. cost on a compact tractor FEL bucket. Seems a bit like the landscape toothbar idea: Interesting concept... and a bit expensive... but is there really a good, common "real world" application.

Anyone out there got one and care to comment?

Dougster