Front-End Loader FEL bucket longevity?

[Dirtslinger2]

Great forum here BTW!

My tractor (Kubota MX5100, 50HP) is brand new, will be used for many purposes but the bucket will particularly get used the hardest while picking up (scraping)topsoil and bark mulch from piles off of concrete/asphalt, as well as picking up small boulders for placement elsewhere.

In 3 hours, naturally the paint is beginning to flake within the bucket- as would be expected. BUT how about the metal- is this something that wears out over time or should it outlast the tractor itself?

Thanks again!

 

[GinNB]

Buckets get ugly but usually last forever, at least on our tractors. Rocks will twist and bang them up though. If you do a lot of backdragging and/or snowplowing on asphalt with it, expect to replace the cutting edge every so often.

 

[texasjohn]

welcome to TBN.

I have been watching posts here for several years.... have never heard of anyone "wearing out" their FEL bucket. Comments that HAVE come up include:

lip is bent... wish I had installed a toothbar to reinforce it.
A toothbar is the best add-on for the $
add hooks to bucket to lift things
add a receiver hitch to move trailers around.

There are several kinds of bucket... heavy duty ones, lighter duty ones,etc... don't know which one you have.

I doubt that you will ever wear out a bucket... even if you spend many hours using it...

I strongly suggest you get a toothbar... and read the numerous threads here describing how to use a bucket... backdragging.... find the float feature... don't lift from one corner only... carry heavy loads low... don't lift high and tip so that material falls back on your head, etc...

 

[Dirtslinger2]

Thanks to both of you. Yeah I do plan to have a couple hooks to the bucket- would use them frequently.
I will look up a toothbar- haven't heard that mentioned yet. And the float feature is great for what I did today.
And I had no idea the cutting edge was replaceable- that's GREAT!

 

[KJM]

DirtSlinger - my ancient B7100 was owned by a landscaper. He used the FEL and backhoe every day. The bucket is bent. dented and I've welded up a couple of tears. It has had a hard life. But it still works just fine. And will probably do so till I finish with the tractor...

I think the loader bucket will probably last the life of the tractor unless you grind the lip scraping over concrete. But the wear edge is sacrificial - so you can just get it replaced. Which makes it a bit like Grand Father's Axe, I guess, but...

When I bought teeth for my bucket (essential!) I sourced them from the guys who do wear edges for the mining industry around here. I did ask about either a replacement bucket or some industrial panel-beating. They just looked at me funny. The story was that buckets just get fixed. They don't replace them very often. The dead ones they had there were mostly crushed flat by large earthmoving things running them over

The only thing I'd add to TexasJohn's comment is to work slowly with the loader, until you get used to it. You can pick up a sizable percentage of a tractors weight in the FEL and as you move it quickly your centre of gravity changes accordingly. On cross slopes it is very easy to move the CoG outside the wheelbase.... with consquent eath-meets-side-of-tractor results. Likewise lifting heavy things up high - if you unload high the weight distribution changes instantly. I've had the B7100 try to tip backwards unloading high pointing up-hill (I was expecting that to happen, but nevertheless it makes you wish you were wearing brown trousers...).

Welcome!

/Kevin

 

[jinman]

When traveling with a full bucket, keep it low to the ground. There's no need to have it more than about 6" high. Don't raise the bucket until you get to where you want to dump the load, then stop and raise the bucket to dump.

As you travel across rough terrain with a load that may be higher than your hood, keep your hand on the FEL joystick and drop the load to the ground instantly if your tractor becomes unstable.

 

[GinNB]

As long as we're giving out safety tips, if/when travelling with your bucket held low, ALWAYS keep the cutting edge curled up so it doesn't bite at unexpected times.

 

[Ford850]

If you are using it a lot to scrape loads from a paved surface, you should look into an add on cutting edge. The add on edge will be easier to replace than the original edge. It will also beef up the bucket strength. Unlike a toothbar, it still allow you to scrape the surface clean like you can now.
Be sure to keep the lip of the edge slightly lower than the bucket bottom when scraping, otherwise you will soon wear off the strips on the bottom of the bucket too.

 

[easygo]

If you load a lot of rocks and or dig in rocky soil a lot it will wear the cutting edge down to half or less within a few years. My friend's L4400 is the proof for that. He needed a new one in 3yrs but the bucket itself is still just fine.

 

[Justaplain]

Reinforce the "top back" of the bucket. I use 2x2 tubeing, then attach any hooks or what ever to that. "Insane"

 

[nate_m]

You can always try hard-facing the wear surfaces...

Here is a good thread on the process:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/112488-hard-facing-bucket.html

 

[Renze]

BUT how about the metal- is this something that wears out over time or should it outlast the tractor itself?

Somebody rebuilt my loader bucket before i bought it (it used to be a small payloader bucket) with mild steel. I welded a patch edge on the front to it, from manganese steel
It will last a long time.

 

[Gizmo2]

Traded my 1988 JD 650 this year, I patched holes in the bottom of the bucket twice. Was about to do it the third time (new bucket unavailable), decided to trade it in for the 2320. 20 years of moving horse manure I figure. Now I hose out the bucket when done moving manure.

 

[N80]

During my first year of ownership my bucket got worked real hard. Mostly land clearing, digging stumps, pushing trees over and popping the stump out with the lip of the bucket. I had cracks forming where reinforcement angle iron goes across the back between the loader arm attachments. I think this was from torquing the bucket by hooking one corner of the lip under stumps. Got it re-welded and it has held just fine. Lower edge of bucket has a slight 'smile' to it. Top edge is bent slightly from pushing trees with it....don't do it, its weak, use the lower lip instead.

But, even after all that it pretty much looks normal (like a 3 year old bucket) and functions normally and will probably last many more years. From the build of it, I'd guess its pretty light duty.

I should have gotten a tooth bar years ago. Still don't have one.

 

[Egon]

Buckets do wear but as long as there is cutting edge, sheet plate, AR plate and a welder available they are repairable.

 

[pitt_md]

i have a MX5000 with a LA852 loader and HD bucket. Based on my experience with this unit you will be hard pressed to wear out the bucket in your life time.

When you travel down the road or anyplace at a high rate of speed use the locking lever to ensure you do not end up with the bent up mess pictured above.

 

[impdaddy]

Interesting thread. 2 questions.
1. Does the toothbar just attach with those side bolts or is it welded to the cutting edge? and
2. What is the cost of the toothbar for a 5 foot (notice I spelled it instead of screwing up ' vs ") bucket. Thanks fellas.

 

[rustyanchor]

I have a 5' Markham toothbar, I think the price 2 years ago was 250 or so, It hooks on the cutting edge of the bucket and the 2 bolts keep it from sliding out. Once you put it in and use it a little it will seat onto the lip and is very stable and secure.
Depending on what I am doing, I can put it in or pull it out in a few minutes. You will be amazed at how much the tooth bar improves your digging ability.


Mark

 

[john_bud]

If you back drag, you can wear out the back / bottom of the bucket. That's the thinnest area. If you plow snow on asphault, you can wear out the cutting edge. The edge is welded in and a bother to cut out and replace. Adding a bolt on edge would be smart if you do that.

Those are the prime wear areas to watch. For us small time operators, wear out is not usually in the forecast.

jb

 

[EquipmentJunkie]

Sensible, general use should still allow the bucket to last for decades. My tractor has the original bucket and cutting edge on it after 1500 hrs. and 20 years. A tooth bar was added to the bucket about 10 years ago and that helped save it when digging. Same thing for a co-worker's bucket on his tractor...but he was doing some landclearing/timber work and bent his.

A friend of mine's parents just sold their dairy farm. Their 30-year old International 684 tractor was for sale at the estate sale. It had a really lousy International bucket on it (the mounting brackets were bolted on to the bucket, not welded). Despite the lousy design and daily use, the bucket wasn't bent and had the original cutting edge on it.