Backhoe BX23 What size backhoe Bucket?? 10 or 12?
- Thread starter BotaGuy
- Start date
- Views: 12112
-
- Tags
- kubota bx23
RiverV
Bronze Member
I got the 10" with my BX22. Most of my initial use is for digging drain tile so I went with the 10".
Anyone notice a difference in the bucket plugging up between the 10" and 12" bucket when digging in wet clay? I can plug my 10" pretty easily so a small trenching shovel is now standard equipment when I leave with the backhoe.
Dave...
Anyone notice a difference in the bucket plugging up between the 10" and 12" bucket when digging in wet clay? I can plug my 10" pretty easily so a small trenching shovel is now standard equipment when I leave with the backhoe.
Dave...
I bought both the 10" & the 12" buckets.
I can't say anything about the 10" bucket because I haven't used it yet, but the 12" bucket is really nice: it removes a good amount of dirt and has a lot of digging power.
Also, the trench it digs is baaaaarely big enough for me to squeeze into sideways (Got Diet?). But my wife can stand facing in-line with the trench, which is handy when you need to clean it up. My kids run around in the thing, chimneying up the sides and so on.
I doubt I could fit at all in the trench dug by the 10" bucket and I doubt my wife would find it at all comfortable.
I got the 10" bucket because (and I may be wrong here) my understanding is that because it is 20% wider, the 12" bucket will have 20% less digging force. Around here the dirt, mostly decomposed granite, gets unbelievably hard when it dries out, so I'm anticipating using the 10" bucket in the summertime and fall when we haven't had any rain for many months.
If I'm wrong then I will soon have a very expensive planter for flowers, slowly getting buried in the dirt...
Hog
I can't say anything about the 10" bucket because I haven't used it yet, but the 12" bucket is really nice: it removes a good amount of dirt and has a lot of digging power.
Also, the trench it digs is baaaaarely big enough for me to squeeze into sideways (Got Diet?). But my wife can stand facing in-line with the trench, which is handy when you need to clean it up. My kids run around in the thing, chimneying up the sides and so on.
I doubt I could fit at all in the trench dug by the 10" bucket and I doubt my wife would find it at all comfortable.
I got the 10" bucket because (and I may be wrong here) my understanding is that because it is 20% wider, the 12" bucket will have 20% less digging force. Around here the dirt, mostly decomposed granite, gets unbelievably hard when it dries out, so I'm anticipating using the 10" bucket in the summertime and fall when we haven't had any rain for many months.
If I'm wrong then I will soon have a very expensive planter for flowers, slowly getting buried in the dirt...
Hog
Jim_Becker
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
- Messages
- 263
- Location
- Bucks County PA
- Tractor
- Kubota BX-22 (Formerly BX-2200 owner 130 hrs)
My BX22 has the 10" bucket and it performs great. One advantage that some folks have indicated with the 12" bucket is that it should "empty" easier when you are working with wetter ground. I doubt that the 2" of extra width and resulting volume would negatively impact the BX 'hoe very much at all performance-wise. Your technique is more of a factor with this smaller machine...I started digging much better once I got some practice!
Junkman
Super Member
I have the 12" bucket and have no experience with the 10" bucket, but I don't think that the difference in digging is much. I would only think that the advantage of the 10" bucket is when you are digging a trench and you want it as narrow as possible. I believe that the 2" difference in a trench is negligible. If they had offered a 8" bucket along with the 12", I would have purchased both. 2" isn't much, but 4" would make a big enough difference for me. Considering the price, I doubt that I would purchase the 10" unless I found a used one fairly inexpensively. Bucket size isn't as important as technique when digging. My old tractor had a 30" hoe bucket because it was a grave digging machine. It was great for digging square holes, but terrible for any other type of work. The correct tool for the job is always best.
ScotR
New member
Got the 12" with mine. The ground I work in here is about 50% rock - from gravel to bulldozer sized. Sometimes you dig a hole where you want, sometimes you move and do it somewhere else. My thought was that the smaller bucket would be better for prying out rocks and roots. The dealer and an acquaintance encouraged the large bucket - and I'm glad I listened. We're talking fairly small buckets either way, so 2" of extra material does add up on a sizeable project. As far as prying rocks is concerned, I have found that I use one of the teeth to get a purchase under an edge, so the bucket size becomes inconsequential in this scenario.
As Scottr said, the two inches will add up on a large project. But I also agree that for a narrow trench it would be more suited. As far as the digging power of the two? I have the 12 and don't think that the 2 inches would make any difference. It is technique all the way. That is if you aren't using Junkmans 30 inch bucket.
Well, I got to try my 10" bucket today.
I had to dig 12 feet of trench, starting in a nice hard patch of decomposed granite.
The 12" bucket was struggling a bit, so when I ran up the hill to pick up some hand tools, I switched to the 10" bucket.
It seemed to dig better with the 10" bucket. Of course that is what I wanted to find, so who knows, maybe it was just my imagination.
I also imagined that the 10" bucket emptied noticeably slower than the 12" bucket: as if it took longer for the dirt to fall out of the bucket, even though the volume of the 10" bucket is less. The dirt was moist but not sticky. I can see where really wet soil might be a problem in the smaller bucket.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that my wife can work in the trench dug by the 10" bucket just fine. I couldn't fit in there. ****, I'm too fat.
My future strategy: For the hard stuff I'll stick with the 10" bucket (20% more digging force?). For volume, I'll stick with the 12" bucket (20% more volume?). 20% is a lot!
Hog
I had to dig 12 feet of trench, starting in a nice hard patch of decomposed granite.
The 12" bucket was struggling a bit, so when I ran up the hill to pick up some hand tools, I switched to the 10" bucket.
It seemed to dig better with the 10" bucket. Of course that is what I wanted to find, so who knows, maybe it was just my imagination.
I also imagined that the 10" bucket emptied noticeably slower than the 12" bucket: as if it took longer for the dirt to fall out of the bucket, even though the volume of the 10" bucket is less. The dirt was moist but not sticky. I can see where really wet soil might be a problem in the smaller bucket.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that my wife can work in the trench dug by the 10" bucket just fine. I couldn't fit in there. ****, I'm too fat.
My future strategy: For the hard stuff I'll stick with the 10" bucket (20% more digging force?). For volume, I'll stick with the 12" bucket (20% more volume?). 20% is a lot!
Hog
