L3130 72" QA Light Duty Bucket or Standard 66" Bucket

[Tractor Dr.]

I need some advice. I just bought a new L3130 w/LA513 FEL and the standard 66" bucket. I really need a bucket that is a little wider. My dealer is willing to trade me out of my "standard" 66" bucket into a 72" Light Material Bucket. This bucket while only 6" wider has almost 50% more capacity than the standard 66". My question is whether or not I'll be sorry I bought a light duty bucket. Dealer says you have to becareful with removing stumps and digging holes, but for dirt/gravel/mulch/etc transport it is fine. I do have some occasional stumps that I dig out...does anyone know if this light duty bucket will withstand occasional stump digging?

 

[IslandTractor]

I'm sure it depends how agressive you are with the LD bucket. However, FEL buckets are really pretty inefficient tools for digging out stumps anyway. If you have a QA (especially if it is universal) you can use a grapple with much better efficiency. Otherwise use a backhoe for the bigger stumps.

 

[texbaylea]

I think that you will end up putting a lot of bends and dings in the light material bucket. With my L3130 and LA723 QA FEL I deliberately went with the 66" HD bucket. I have plenty of time and that bucket should withstand anything I throw at it.

Vernon

 

[Tractor Dr.]

After much contemplation and indecision I finally decided to go ahead and buy the 72" Light Material bucket and quick attach. For what I do, I don't need anything heavy duty and after working with the bucket for a couple hours today I think I made the right choice. I was very pleased to see that this bucket is still quite heavy duty. For being only 6" wider it weighs 35lb more than the 66" that I traded it for. Much of that extra weight is the forms for the Quick Attach which gives the bucket better overall rigidity. Like the idea of having a QA as well.

T.D.