FEL teeth - yes or no?

[TomIre]

What are the pros and cons of teeth on an FEL? I'm guessing there are situations/tasks where teeth are an advantage and times where they are not? What should I consider?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Get a tooth bar, on when needed, off when not needed.
Makes digging much easier.

 

[airbiscuit]

Get a tooth bar, on when needed, off when not needed.
Makes digging much easier.

Times 2

I had a skid steer with a plain bucket and also a tooth bucket. After using the tooth bucket, I rarely used the plain bucket.

1. The tooth bucket pierces the soil/sod/pile much better than a flat straight bucket edge. It is like having both more horsepower and traction.

2. It's like having a rake when trying to smooth a surface. This is especially true if the dirt has lots of sod and roots mixed in. With the bucket tilted you can use the bucket like a comb. You can have the bucket level and still do smooth back blading.

If you have a bolt on tooth bar, you can always remove it when you want a plain bucket edge, but I'm guessing you will leave it on most of the time.

 

[newbury]

Times 2

I had a skid steer with a plain bucket and also a tooth bucket. After using the tooth bucket, I rarely used the tooth bucket.?

1. The tooth bucket pierces the soil/sod/pile much better than a flat straight bucket edge. It is like having both more horsepower and traction.

2. It's like having a rake when trying to smooth a surface. This is especially true if the dirt has lots og sod and roots mixed in. With the bucket tilted you can use the bucket like a comb. You can have the bucket level and still do smooth back blading.

If you have a bolt on tooth bar, you can always remove it when you want a plain bucket edge, but I'm guessing you will leave it on most of the time.

I'm assuming you meant rarely used the plain bucket.

I've got Pirahna's on both tractors MOST of the time. I can even slip my clamp on pallet forks over them for light loads. I've taken them off for projects which require a lot of scraping.

 

[4570Man]

I prefer a smooth bucket for spreading gravels or scooping off a solid surface. For pretty much everything else I prefer teeth. I got to choose between a toothed or a smooth bucket on the CTL. I got the toothed and smile every time I use that thing. I’d make the same choice again.

 

[bdog]

Having teeth is a night and day difference when digging. I have two buckets one with and one without. Anytime I am moving a lot of dirt I use the tooth bucket. Anytime I am grading I use the smooth bucket. You can grade with a tooth bucket but I prefer the smooth. For what I do if I had to choose one it would be the one with teeth. They do make bolt on tooth bars but I hate things like that. I am lazy. I don’t like spending time configuring my machine different ways for different tasks. I like to hop in and go. No they are not hard to take on and off and the one I had on my old tractor only had two bolts but still I don’t like having to stop work and go get tools and bolt or unbolt crap to finish a task. I have a hydraulic coupler for my bucket and once I get to working I may change attachments several times and never leave the seat.

 

[Oldoak]

Get a tooth bar, on when needed, off when not needed.
Makes digging much easier.

Couldn't agree more. Plain and simple. Night and day difference when digging. The teeth are also a great addition when clearing old trails of fallen tree branches and pushing tree trunks out of the way, etc.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Couldn't agree more. Plain and simple. Night and day difference when digging. The teeth are also a great addition when clearing old trails of fallen tree branches and pushing tree trunks out of the way, etc.

Sand and snow for smooth bucket. I use teeth for everything else.

 

[sixdogs]

Maybe.

Below is the right and the only answer. There are times when teeth are absolutely necessary and other times when they will ruin a job.

Get a tooth bar, on when needed, off when not needed.
Makes digging much easier.

 

[Oldoak]

Sand and snow for smooth bucket. I use teeth for everything else.

Well said, with few words.

Another convenience of teeth I have found was for carrying 4x8 sheets of plywood with the tractor by resting the edge of them on the teeth and strapped to the bucket.

The one disadvantage to that is it is more painful banging into the teeth while unloading the plywood with the bucket raised a foot or so off the ground to make it easier to grab the plywood sheets. Don't ask me how I know because aren't we all supposed to lower the bucket to the ground before dismounting the tractor. :mur:

 

[countrybumpkin]

I went with 2 buckets, one with a smooth wear edge and one with teeth. If I was going to only have one bucket it would have a removable tooth bar.

 

[mikester]

I've used teeth that are welded directly onto the bucket and a bolt on bar. I wish I had welded on teeth and I hate using the bolt on tooth bar and wouldn't buy one again. The teeth hang way too low, it gets clogged easily, and it feels like I lose lift/curl capacity with it. I'd rather use my root rake bucket over the bolt on tooth bar.

Grading and back blading is easier and smoother without teeth. Better for finishing work without teeth.

 

[oosik]

I have a tooth bar on my bucket. Helps loosen and then scoop up material(dirt, sand, gravel, etc) and helps when I use the bucket to back drag and smooth/flatten an area.

 

[RoyJackson]

What are the pros and cons of teeth on an FEL? I'm guessing there are situations/tasks where teeth are an advantage and times where they are not? What should I consider?

A tooth bar is definitely a better way to go...since it can be removed pretty easily.

The tooth bar comes in handy when breaking up clumped material or a pile of material that has "solidified". There are times you may want to back drag...that's when the tooth bar isn't a help...

 

[3gunr]

hi I'm new to all this, so indulge me. I own four tractors three have tooth bars. Two regular bolt on types and a pirrana bolt on on my new Mahindra 2538 after my first tractors purchase I bought a toothbar and was amazed how much better I could dig .I have 360 acres in northeast mo for hunting, I have several creek crossings ,and lots of washouts to maintain as well as constant tree removal the tooth bars are great for all these things. The pirrana will shear small trees right off and sometimes you can pull trees right out with it .So get a bolt on bar, you wont regret it

 

[beowulf]

I would not want permanent teeth on a FEL, but there are times - a lot of times - when having those teeth is extremely useful and can make certain tasks so very much easier and doable. I have a removable tooth bar (easy to put on/take off) on most of the time - and I would not be without one. I find I do need a smooth - tooth-free bucket at times - but I use the bucket with the toothbar on at least 90 % of the time. You might ding your shins - usually only once.

 

[BrokenTrack]

There is no right and wrong answer, it depends on what you do with your bucket.

Me; I have a farm so I often scrape down my barn of manure and need a straight cutting edge to get the floor clean. When I am working in my gravel pit, teeth are really nice.

Bolt on teeth just do not last on my bucket as I am really hard on it, so I do the next best thing; have a heavy ripper attachment for the 3 point hitch so I loosen my soil with that first, then dig it out with the front end loader with a smooth cutting edge. It is the same concept as a bulldozer and ripper on the back.

It is just a different way to accomplish the same thing.

 

[mykleh]

I have a tooth bar and when I want to smooth out I just roll the bucket back instead of forward and use the back of the bucket to get the smooth contour...

 

[BIKER BOB]

I put a bolt on tooth bar on my fel thinking I could remove it when wanted, I haven't taken it off once since I first installed it. I think teeth on the loader works great for everything but making a smooth backdrag. One of the best add ons I have put on my tractor, plus the bolt on one that I got stiffend up the front edge of my bucket and took the "smile" out of the edge.

 

[scaredychicken]

I'm convinced from these comments that I need to get a removable tooth bar