Loader FEL Bucket Repair - Is it possible?

[brewer_chuck]

I ran into a water oak tree at low speed striking dead center on my bucket. I have repaired everything inside the cab that I broke with my head. I have removed the FEL and checked out alignment, etc. Now, all I need to repair is the bent bucket. If I drag the bucket backwards through my garden, it makes nicely rounded rows for planting. I don't have heavy tools or a welder. I'm OCD enough to want a smooth, level edge on the bucket, so ignoring the 'frown' in the bucket has become an issue with me. Any work-arounds or suggestions to solve this unique problem?

 

[crashz]

I'm guessing, but sounds like the cutting edge is bowed. Is the top edge bowed too?

If it were me, I would do the following:

- unbolt and remove any removable/replaceable cutting edge you have (if any) and toss in the the scrap heap.
- Cut a 6x6 exactly the length of the top edge of the bucket.
- Place a large bottle jack (10 or 20 ton) on the crown of the bow and use varying lengths of lumber to wedge between the jack and the 6x6.
- You may need to add additional bracing to keep the bottle jack and lumber from moving out of position. Be safe here, the bottl ejack will have tremedous pressure and can slide out of alignment easily. Some creative restraints here are worth the time.
- Jack it "up" until the bow is gone. As the steel is elastic, it will bow back slightly when pressure is released, so you may need to go beyond straight in very small increments to get it close to flat again. It will likely never be perfect, but close.
- Buy and install a new flat cutting edge. This should take that "close to flat" bucket and make it flat again.

 

[Mat4644]

Post a couple photos would help greatly

 

[Reb954]

If it has a smooth bow to it a bottle jack and good 5/16" or 3/8" chain would take care of it. If it has a kink in it then straightening it out will be a bit tougher.

As mentioned, a picture would help.

 

[duffer]

If you have access to a friend that is an experienced welder, I bet he could straighten out the front edge of the bucket for you, by heating it up and re-bending it back. Or...he could cut out the bent area and weld in a new piece (not my 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice).

You could also approach a welding/machine shop and talk to them about fixing it. Take a bunch of pictures with you to show all angles of the damage. I would guess it would be a lot cheaper than buying a used bucket (if you could even find one).

Hope your head and everything else is OK !!

 

[Egon]

Many different ways to fix it. Just needs heat and/or force. ( big hammer, Jack, torch, set it in some bbq coals ) The local welder will work best.

 

[not2old]

When my cutting edge bent badly because I had worn it too thin, I cut it off and welded on a new one. Being an amateur, I warped it badly, and trying to hammer it straight didn't work. Using advice from my bil who used heat to straighten metal as a saw filer I used the tip of a cutting torch to heat the outside of the curve a little at a time in short sections of about three inches. The curve came out perfectly straight. This only took about twenty minutes. The new edge was warped more than 1/2 inch in it's four foot length.

 

[mike69440]

I have straightened a bent bucket with my small excavator, about 18,000 lbs, it is just a bit bigger than a mini.

 

[brewer_chuck]

Thanks for all the information. It is difficult to get a good picture right now as I just took the FEL off the tractor and the edge is down in the dirt. I do have welding and metal shops in the area. I will post pictures this week with any progress. Again, thanks.