Needed bigger FEL

[docric]

I have a midsize Kubota 4wd that has a front end loader that is useful for everything but cleaning out horse stalls. Can only get a few scoops of dirty bedding and manure in there, and the space is tight so a trailer is a pain. Has anyone come up with a way to make a useful larger bucket? I made a home made arraignment of sorts but will be laughed off the forums if I post a picture. :-(

Thanks. I made just need some help on where to look. I assume the buckets are made small so as not to overload the implement with heavy stuff like gravel, etc.

Ric

 

[George2615]

If your Kubota has the standard quick attach bucket you can buy a larger bucket (wider and taller). The problem may be that your loader hydraulics may not be able to lift it depending on the weight. Quickattach is one company that sells larger buckets. I'm sure there are many others too.

 

[sd455dan]

I like to use my 66" Open tine construction bucket Grapple for cleaning out horse stalls but still have to maneuver the tractor out of the barn to dump it. Avatar pic is of the grapple.

 

[Smokeydog]

Seen a few make their custom high capacity bucket. Might mock up or try with plywood concept before fabricating with metal.

 

[jyoutz]

No doubt it wouldn’t be cheap, but Kubota sells a light materials bucket that is sized larger.

 

[p0diabl0]

I made my own for mucking stalls - granted we clean out stalls into muck buckets then dump them in this bucket on the tractor, as well as the rear dumping carry all. It's constructed from steel fencing, a blank SSQA plate, some scrap steel, and clad with rubber conveyer belt thrown away from a local quarry. Wood would work as well but will rot and need to be replaced every now and then.

Thread is here: Shape/materials for a hand-loaded, non-scooping FEL "bucket"?

 

[ddbackhoe]

I have a midsize Kubota 4wd that has a front end loader that is useful for everything but cleaning out horse stalls. Can only get a few scoops of dirty bedding and manure in there, and the space is tight so a trailer is a pain. Has anyone come up with a way to make a useful larger bucket? I made a home made arraignment of sorts but will be laughed off the forums if I post a picture. :-(

Thanks. I made just need some help on where to look. I assume the buckets are made small so as not to overload the implement with heavy stuff like gravel, etc.

Ric

I think you might have some luck looking at mulch / snow buckets and skeleton buckets

 

[scootr]

My wifes Aunt made a plywood bucket that they used for 20 plus yrs. It was built around the original bucket while extending it on all sides.

 

[Williy]

check these sites out maybe you can find what you need

https://www.google.com/search?q=tractor+buckets+with+larger+capacity&oq=tractor+buckets+with+larger+capacity&aqs=chrome..69i57.11564j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

willy

 

[SmallChange]

I keep thinking it would be easy to make a plywood insert that fit into the standard bucket but was much longer in the forward and the forward+upward directions. Every fall we wind up with huge piles of leaves to pull out of cul-de-sacs, and I bet the biggest don't weigh more than maybe 200 lbs.

 

[crashz]

I'm not a horse guy, so I'm not sure, but when you muck out the stalls, do you muck by hand and load the bucket with shovels, or do you use the FEL to scoop up the poop? I guess it depends on the barn construction.

If scooping at all, I'd want a dedicated light materials bucket. If loading by hand, another member made a basket with steel framing and rubber belting. Made one for the front and one for the rear 3pt hitch.

 

[Vigo327]

If loading by hand i’d say build something out of whatever you have an dont overthink it.. If scraping you have to be a lot more deliberate to build and operate something in a way that won’t damage it. If looking to build a dedicated bucket add ‘litter bucket’ to your search terms to go with ‘snow bucket’ and ‘light materials bucket’.

 

[docric]

It ain't pretty, but gets the job done. Kinda like me...

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

would a high capacity snow / mulch bucket work for you?
if your material is light enough about 2X capacity or so of a regular bucket by volume (not weight)

 

[4570Man]

You could get a skid steer bucket although you’d want a light duty one. This one is too heavy for the Kubota to even lift.

 

[alexinPA]

I keep thinking it would be easy to make a plywood insert that fit into the standard bucket but was much longer in the forward and the forward+upward directions. Every fall we wind up with huge piles of leaves to pull out of cul-de-sacs, and I bet the biggest don't weigh more than maybe 200 lbs.

That's exactly what I did to pick up leafs piles and chips. Piece of plywood inside the bucket extended by about 3' and sides. Can use it to pick up light material like normal bucket. Cheap and easy on/off

 

[SmallChange]

Piece of plywood inside the bucket extended by about 3' [...]

Any chance you could post a picture?

Our grandson is going to help us with leaves today and I sure wish I had a giant bucket for moving the piles accumulated in our parking area. I got my neck worked on again and I'm not allowed to lift over 10 lbs, which severely limits what I can do, but I can tractor around.

 

[alexinPA]

Any chance you could post a picture?

Our grandson is going to help us with leaves today and I sure wish I had a giant bucket for moving the piles accumulated in our parking area. I got my neck worked on again and I'm not allowed to lift over 10 lbs, which severely limits what I can do, but I can tractor around.

Sorry... still got snow on the ground. I'll do it later when start cleaning up the the yard

 

[Vigo327]

If you got a chain link fence panel or gate you could make a temporary leaf-hauling platform up front pretty easy with that.

 

[SmallChange]

Yesterday the neck brace officially came off and I can drive again, which is a huge relief because I actually can't walk to any businesses other than a couple convenience stores. And drive I did! But I discovered a mountain of leaves under and around my car, such that the exhaust system is snugly nestled in a cozy pile of kindling where I normally park.

But I still can't lift more than 10 lbs.

BOY do I wish I had that plywood extension I've thought about! Though, I doubt I could make it weigh less than 10 lbs. I guess I wish I had an enormous bucket for light loads, and someplace to store it, and while we're at it, I wish I had a power drive for the SSQA latching levers, which I also can't work for the foreseeable future.

Just to share in the humor, part of the original intent of getting a tractor with a FEL was to avoid lifting with my older back.