Need to borrow (swap) 49" John Deere Loader Bucket

keeney · Oct 30, 2015

I have a project where the 49" bucket would be much better suited to what I am doing. I have the 61" bucket on my JD 4100 loader.

Posting here on the off chance that somebody here in the Twin Cities area has a 49" bucket on their John Deere and would be willing to swap for the few weeks the project will take me.

beenthere · Oct 30, 2015

What is your project?

I presume the 61" is the lighter weight snow bucket?

keeney · Oct 30, 2015

The 61" is plenty heavy duty enough. The 4100 is kind of on the small side to lift a heaping full scoop with that bucket, and cannot really breakout a full bucket of compacted dirt, but generally it has been a good size for the tractor, so I am not looking for a permanent swap.

The issue is that on this particular project, I need to excavate a lengthy cut at the toe of a hill right along the property line to put in a retaining wall. I have to work on it along the property line without permission to drive construction equipment on the neighbor's lawn, so I cannot approach the hill head on. The wider bucket cuts more of the hill than I need, and it starts getting steep quickly, so compared to the 49" bucket, the 61" will easily double the amount of dirt I will end up moving (and back-filling later).