Teikas Dad
Gold Member
I want to add a couple weld on chain hooks to my B3200 bucket. It's a 60 inch wide standard Kubota bucket.
From everything I've learned on the forum, I need to (or at least I should) reinforce the top lip of the bucket to keep from making my bucket smile. I know about not mounting the hooks outside the arms so I plan on putting them inline with the two loader arms. I'll probably add a slip hook in the center.
This is where I need your advice. I'm planning on reinforcing the bucket with a 3X3 section of angle. But, am I better off to put the angle on the front of the bucket?
Or, would it be stronger on the back of the bucket? Or, doesn't it matter?
The piece of angle I used for the photos is a 2X2, I just wanted to illustrate what I was asking about. If I put the 3X3 on the rear I plan on welding it to the top of the lip then to the back of the body of the bucket. I figured this would essentially make the top section of the bucket a square tube. Then I'll weld the hooks on top of the 3X3.
If I weld the 3X3 to the body of the bucket as well as the top of the bucket, would I still need to go the entire width of the bucket? If I do then I have to cut off the bucket level indicator and weld it back on later. Or, would it be strong enough if I went 6 inches or so past the arm brackets on the bucket?
Next question is on welding the 3X3 to the bucket lip and body. Would stitch welding be strong enough or should I seam weld the whole thing? I'm just worried about a seam weld possibly distorting the bucket.
The other thing I want to do is weld on a forged "D" ring on the back of the bucket.
The one I have will fit on the angle that's welded between the loader arms. But, is there any benefit to welding the D ring to a separate piece of angle that then gets welded to the angle on the back of the bucket? Essentially I would be doubling the thickness of the angle piece on the back of the bucket, but I didn't know if I should (or need to) reinforce that or not. The 2X2 angle fits perfectly over the angle that's on the back of the bucket already. I'd weld it centered to the underside of the angle so I could use the bucket for lifting from the back side.
From everything I've learned on the forum, I need to (or at least I should) reinforce the top lip of the bucket to keep from making my bucket smile. I know about not mounting the hooks outside the arms so I plan on putting them inline with the two loader arms. I'll probably add a slip hook in the center.
This is where I need your advice. I'm planning on reinforcing the bucket with a 3X3 section of angle. But, am I better off to put the angle on the front of the bucket?
Or, would it be stronger on the back of the bucket? Or, doesn't it matter?
The piece of angle I used for the photos is a 2X2, I just wanted to illustrate what I was asking about. If I put the 3X3 on the rear I plan on welding it to the top of the lip then to the back of the body of the bucket. I figured this would essentially make the top section of the bucket a square tube. Then I'll weld the hooks on top of the 3X3.
If I weld the 3X3 to the body of the bucket as well as the top of the bucket, would I still need to go the entire width of the bucket? If I do then I have to cut off the bucket level indicator and weld it back on later. Or, would it be strong enough if I went 6 inches or so past the arm brackets on the bucket?
Next question is on welding the 3X3 to the bucket lip and body. Would stitch welding be strong enough or should I seam weld the whole thing? I'm just worried about a seam weld possibly distorting the bucket.
The other thing I want to do is weld on a forged "D" ring on the back of the bucket.
The one I have will fit on the angle that's welded between the loader arms. But, is there any benefit to welding the D ring to a separate piece of angle that then gets welded to the angle on the back of the bucket? Essentially I would be doubling the thickness of the angle piece on the back of the bucket, but I didn't know if I should (or need to) reinforce that or not. The 2X2 angle fits perfectly over the angle that's on the back of the bucket already. I'd weld it centered to the underside of the angle so I could use the bucket for lifting from the back side.