bucket tooth bar: EA wicked root ("continuous tooth") vs standard tooth design

[orangetree]

will be using a 3pt blade to re-grade about a quarter acre area; its currently gently sloped, i needs to be ~level: some fill at the bottom, taking off about 8inches at top. Final cover will be mostly garden, with a driveway/turnaround on one side.

We have ~easy soil (or i would not be attempting this with my 5000# small tractor (ck2610 with filled tires). Even being rock free, it's still has a bit of clay and with my weight I can't dig much, so it will be slow. i am thinking about adding teeth to my bucket, to help break up amy harder slops before spreading/draging downhill with the blade.

I'm looking at two tooth designs: the classic individual / spaced tooth https://www.(Temporarily blocked du...id-Steer-Bolt-on-Tooth-Bars-p/wrl-tb40-84.htm, or EA's in-house AR-steel "continuous" version https://www.(Temporarily blocked due to reports of company closure)/EA-Wicked-Tooth-Bar-for-Tractor-Buckets-p/eta-wtb.htm Which has a much larger frontal area to distribute my available force across.

Obviously the classic design will have more pressure on each tooth, presumably equating to more digging capacity in theory. But EA seems to know what they are doing - would this higher pressure at the tooth's business end help me as a practical matter? EA's design have teeth produding less far "down" as well - but this does make it flatter, which presumably makes a smoother / less disturbed final surface (helpful for the driveway part that I have to level/compact well.)

Anyone used both, especially on a small tractor?

 

[2manyrocks]

I have a Piranha toothbar on a 35hp full size tractor. In my personal opinion, I'd be looking for other options besides a toothbar on a FEL to break up and move 8" of dirt. And this is not because of the toothbar. It's because tractor loader arms and hydraulics are really designed for lifting loose materials. They aren't in a straight line to the frame like the blade on a dozer. Nor are the arms built like those on skid loaders.

The rear hitch is more suited to this kind of work. Shanks in a box blade could work without posing as much risk to breaking something on your tractor. You could also probably find a used box blade for $400 or so. Or a rear mounted pond scoop if your soil is pretty loose.

Or if you are going to plow your garden and have or will getting a plow, then by all means plow up the area you want to regrade and then trying moving the material once it is loosened up with your plow.

But, IMO, I wouldn't recommend using a toothbar on a FEL to break up and move much dirt for the reasons I've tried to explain.

 

[orangetree]

Shanks in a box blade could work without posing as much risk to breaking something on your tractor.

I have a plain blade - https://www.(Temporarily blocked du...actor-Rear-Scrape-Blades-p/eta-xd-sblade-.htm. I was hoping to strike a balance between a full box blade, and the scraper - especially since the scraper has tilt which I'm using on drainage work.

The box blade clearly has a strong front bar dedicated to the ~rippers - have you seen any products that add teeth to a scraper?

 

[orangetree]

Or if you are going to plow your garden and have or will getting a plow,

Don't know if i can justify this; but does make me think of a ripper. (is a blade ripper called a Subsoiler?)

A ripper (subsoiler) would, in this use, do the exact same thing, correct? For that matter, a ripper would probably have more effect / be driven deeper per pass?

A subsoiler might be easier to justify, although it would be a slow operation

 

[ctgoldwing]

I have EA's subsoiler and Wicked Tooth Bar. That said from what I interpret from your post I wouldn't use either one. I think I would use a box blade's scarifiers to rip up and loosen the ground. Then the box or back blade to move the material.
I have used the bucket / toothbar to move a fair amount of material that was fairly loose. I think it will be a hard grind trying to dig up packed soil, especially clay, with just a bucket.

 

[orangetree]

yeah, the scarifiers are probably the right thing to loosen it up, i agree - made for loosening up hard-compacted gravel, after all. Maybe i can find a used one locally...

regarding the bucket teeth - what are your thoughts pros/cons on the two styles - the Wicket/Piranha "continuous" style, vs the classic spaced style?

EA's advertisement that their AR serrated version helps pull saplings makes sense. Not sure how much that would matter to me. Anything else the styles differ at?

 

[2manyrocks]

I have a plain blade - https://www.(Temporarily blocked du...actor-Rear-Scrape-Blades-p/eta-xd-sblade-.htm. I was hoping to strike a balance between a full box blade, and the scraper - especially since the scraper has tilt which I'm using on drainage work.

The box blade clearly has a strong front bar dedicated to the ~rippers - have you seen any products that add teeth to a scraper?

I personally don't know of any ripper attachments for a rear scraper blade. There have been a couple of threads on this at TBN. One of the concerns is that the forces involved may bend the rear blade.

Plows and box blades can be found inexpensively used or at farm equipment auctions. If you won't be plowing ground, then a box blade might be the better option for you, especially if you have a gravel driveway to maintain.

My personal experience with the serrated Piranha blade is some smaller saplings get uprooted but then others get sheared off above ground level depending on the thickness of the sapling, ground conditions, the height of the bucket, and the angle of the bucket. A regular smooth bucket lip would just bend them over by comparison.

 

[oldnslo]

I have a regular style tooth bar and it does help cut through hard soil. Biggest thing I have noticed is it really affects curl force. I have cored out driveway down 10 - 12 inches just peeling a little at a time with FEL. I now have 3PH tandem disc I use to loosen the soil and then scoop it up if moving any distance.

No experience with other styles of tooth bar

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

While listening to your description of what you need done, my first thought was also a box blade with scarfiers down. You will have to make several passes, I'm sure. But this work is tailor made for what the box blade was designed for. Moving soil from a high spot, down to a low spot. That's got "box blade" written all over it. Get a decent one. The heavier the better. Make sure it has scarfiers or don't waste your time buying it.

 

[oosik]

I have several implements to level, fill, smooth pasture land. HD Rhino rear blade - LPGS with scarifiers - ROBB with scarifiers.

You notice - I have NO implements for the FEL to do this job. I have a grapple and bucket for the FEL. Neither is designed to do this job. OK - the bucket can scoop up loose material and move it. You have a good chance to damage the FEL if you start using it to dig compacted soil.

To smooth and level a chunk of land. Start with the ROBB - scarifiers down. This will loosen the top layer and allow the ROBB to collect and move soil to the low areas. Then the LPGS - scarifiers UP - this will finish it off - smooth as a pool table.

If I were looking for one implement to best do your job. Box blade with scarifiers. A home made "drag" like I have will smooth the surface. The "drag" has a rope yoke and is pulled with my ATV. Notice - the "drag" has a smooth side and a toothed side.