H&H EZ Landscaper

Scrounger · Mar 19, 2005

On a 48" bucket on the BX I was wondering if I would use two smaller holes on each side and not the single 1" hole. I would think it would be less weakening to the bucket. Thoughts?

MadReferee · Mar 19, 2005

A 1" hole not even going to come close to weakening your bucket. The bucket is probably 1/4" steel. It will take more that a 1" hole to do anything to it. And besides, it's not like you're putting nothing thru the hole. The bolt plus a washer will more than equal the original in strength. You have a tractor here, not a fine piece of fragile crystal glassware. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Henro · Mar 20, 2005

Additionally, having only two bolts makes removal a snap.

I take mine off and put it on in just a couple minutes (H&H standard type).

Another thing I can think of is smaller bolts might be more likely to be damaged, making removal later more difficult...

toomanytoys · Mar 20, 2005

I installed my standard H&H myself last week. I also looked at those huge nuts and bolts for a while before going at the bucket.

I drilled the 1 inch holes with a regular drill bit.

The toothbar works great on my 61 inch JD bucket. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

tinytractors · Mar 20, 2005

Past experience has been that the bolts going through the bucket when attaching things like toothbars or forks cause the holes to oval out from the stress and deform. I think that is why Markham gives the extra metal plate for their toothbar. I recommend that for heavy use the metal around the bolt hole be brought up to at least 3/8" for tractors up to 25 HP and 1/2" for anything over that. The metal stiffeners should be welded... not just relying on the bolt to hold them in place.

MadReferee · Mar 21, 2005

( Past experience has been that the bolts going through the bucket when attaching things like toothbars or forks cause the holes to oval out from the stress and deform. I think that is why Markham gives the extra metal plate for their toothbar. I recommend that for heavy use the metal around the bolt hole be brought up to at least 3/8" for tractors up to 25 HP and 1/2" for anything over that. The metal stiffeners should be welded... not just relying on the bolt to hold them in place.)

Well, my toothbar has a 3/4" bolt on each side. I installed it with washers between the bracket and the inside of the bucket. I have extremely, and I mean extremely, over abused the tooth bar to dig up roots, rocks, shrubs, concrete slabs and a few small stumps. The bar is as tight now as it was when it was first installed. It has not ovaled the holes or moved even a 1/16". The 60" Kubota HD bucket has not been deformed in any way. The teeth themselves slip over the bucket cutting edge thus adding more strength and support to the entire toothbar.

So, based on my experience, and that of plenty of others here on TBN, your recommendation seems like big time overkill. I can't recall anyone who has a tractor over 25 hp who has added a 1/2" or even 3/8" stiffener to their bucket around the toothbar mounting hole. I would guess that your recommendation is valid only if you have a really cheap, thin walled light duty bucket. As always, your mileage may vary.

creeper · Mar 21, 2005

How good are these things at brush removal ? Stuff from 2 to 4" Does it work better to dig under the roots or do you wedge the base of tree or bush in between two of the teeth. I am in the market for one, and have read alot about digging, but would like info from others on different uses. A good way to kill time while you wait for Scrounger to get installed /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
BTW I will be using on a 30hp tractor.

MadReferee · Mar 21, 2005

( How good are these things at brush removal ? Stuff from 2 to 4" Does it work better to dig under the roots or do you wedge the base of tree or bush in between two of the teeth. I am in the market for one, and have read alot about digging, but would like info from others on different uses. A good way to kill time while you wait for Scrounger to get installed. )

Depends on several things, soil type and root growth to name a few. I have popped out root clumps fron 2"-4" small brush by just getting the teeth into the root ball and curling the bucket and raising the FEL. I have also had to dig around several shrubs I removed last year because the root system was fairly deep and spread out. If you have sandy soil you can sometimes just get the base of the brush between the teeth and lift. As always, your mileage may vary depending on your experience and skill.

creeper · Mar 22, 2005

I would guess its a big improvement over using the cutting edge of my bucket?

MadReferee · Mar 22, 2005

( I would guess its a big improvement over using the cutting edge of my bucket? )

Like night and day. Once you get the hang of it you will be able to pop-up football sized rocks with ease and remove brush without doing too much damage to the soil.