Snow FEL Bucket Cutting Edge Lesson's Learned

[LD1]

long story short is not available any that I could get from local heavy equipment suppliers were way to heavy and costly.

Shop for a snowplow cutting edge.

Honestly, I dont even know what is out there for tractors and ehavy equip. As I have never had to replace any. But do replace snowplow ones all the time.

A 90" (7.5') x 6" x 1/2" is $70. Just trim off what you dont need. 7.5 is the most common and is actually cheaper than the 6 and 6.5' x 3/8" thick blades usually.

And if you have a 5' bucket, you can even get a 10' x 6" x 1/2" edge for $90 and cut it in half.

And plow edges are already drilled. (actually have square punched holes) made for round carriage style bolts. But they are a square piece of stock. You would have to sharpen the edge for a loader. But still, they aint expensive

 

[LD1]

One winter of clearing snow on a residential driveway in northern Virginia, and the bucket edge is ruined? It's a quality issue with John Deere, there is no way in heck that I would spend good money to repair or replace a bucket every spring because I used it to clear snow from my driveway.

John Deere needs to look at this, a bucket should last many years.

I wouldnt jump to any conclusions just yet. For 1, I wouldnt call it ruined yet. And for 2, we dont know the number of hours on it. Dont matter what steel edge you use, scraping it across concrete or asphalt is going to wear it away.

 

[prosperity]

My bucket shows a little wear from using it on a gravel driveway for 8 years or so now but not nearly as bad as your looks.

Since I can't do any welding/fabricating myself, I would bring the bucket to a good welding shop and have them cut that one off and install a bolt on replaceable cutting edge for me - done!

 

[Coyote machine]

You can buy a reversible pre-drilled bolt on cutting edge from Kioti for a 72" bucket, and possibly other sizes as well. I use it to keep my factory bucket edge from being destroyed, and it stiffens the factory bucket. You could get one and cut it if need be to fit or whatever. I wouldn't be without it. I also had my dealer cut two more holes in the edge and bucket near each outer edge to keep the bolt on edge from getting wracked away from the factory edge when it hangs up on some immovable object. Problem solved. Drilling your factory edge with a magnet drill is the ONLY way to go. The edge comes with recessed carriage bolts, flat head.
Try Michigan Iron & Equipment for the edge and pricing. You won't wear it out like the JD bucket edge.:thumbsup:

 

[tcartwri]

N/M I should read before I blab.

 

[HillStreet]

I wouldnt jump to any conclusions just yet. For 1, I wouldnt call it ruined yet. And for 2, we dont know the number of hours on it. Dont matter what steel edge you use, scraping it across concrete or asphalt is going to wear it away.

OP said the bucket cutting edge is "destroyed", and was very surprised at the amount of wear after only one season. Conclusive enough for me; something is wrong with that bucket. An owner of a new tractor should not have to do a major repair or bucket replacement after one winter of clearing snow at his house.

I know of Compact John Deere tractors that have been used in commercial landscaping for years that don't show wear like that.

 

[k0ua]

Doesn't anyone else beside me think the edge can be hardsurfaced for a few bucks to be as good as new, in fact much better than new, because I am bettin his "cutting edge" on that machine is just A36 steel? Heck bring it to me, and I will do it for free. Sure I know he is not going to bring it to Missouri, but my point is .. this is no big deal.. just build it back up, grind, and slap a little paint on it..

 

[94BULLITT]

Doesn't anyone else beside me think the edge can be hardsurfaced for a few bucks to be as good as new, in fact much better than new, because I am bettin his "cutting edge" on that machine is just A36 steel? Heck bring it to me, and I will do it for free. Sure I know he is not going to bring it to Missouri, but my point is .. this is no big deal.. just build it back up, grind, and slap a little paint on it..

No James, it would be better than new.

 

[LD1]

OP said the bucket cutting edge is "destroyed", and was very surprised at the amount of wear after only one season. Conclusive enough for me;

Did you look at the pictures? I would hardly call it destroyed. Wore down a little...yes. But we dont know if that wear was from 10hrs, or 300 hrs of grinding across the pavement do we?

Doesn't anyone else beside me think the edge can be hardsurfaced for a few bucks to be as good as new, in fact much better than new, because I am bettin his "cutting edge" on that machine is just A36 steel? Heck bring it to me, and I will do it for free. Sure I know he is not going to bring it to Missouri, but my point is .. this is no big deal.. just build it back up, grind, and slap a little paint on it..

Certainly can be hardsurfaced. But wouldnt be my method of choice. For the price of cutting edges, I think you would have as much wrapped up into welding rod to hard-face it. And would take longer than just drilling and bolting on an edge.

Now if you had the time, and already had a box of old hardface rod laying around...it would be a different story.

 

[tcartwri]

That would be a lot of rod. And a lot of grinding. Would be easier to cut off the old and buy a new hardened edge to weld in.