New 448 Hoe

[jeffinsgf]

Jeffinsgf: I use a torch to get the hole hot then peen it down.

Shoulda thought of that. I'll use a torch next time.

 

[JasonMac]

Don't Mess around, and just get the heavy duty JD Bucket. I wish JD wouldn't sell the "standard duty" buckets. And I mean Loader buckets and backhoe buckets. There is no comparison between the two.

 

[AKfish]

I haven't been able to do a comparison of the standard bucket and the HD bucket for JD backhoes. But, if the differences are as significant as the differences in FEL buckets (standard vs HD) --- well, it would be well worth the upgrade!

I just got a couple of spare teeth from my dealer and am wondering what other's used to "peen" the teeth on with?

The thickness of the tooth wall would make it very difficult to get the steel to deform onto the shank without heat and a round shaped tool (ball peen hammer...).

AKfish

 

[Cidertom]

AKfish:
Technique I use to get teeth to stay.

I heat the hole on the tooth red hot with a torch, then use a ball head drift punch and a hammer to tighten it down. For those who don't have a ball head drift, it looks like a long rod that has one end shaped in a roundish way (like the head of a ball peen hammer) I like the punch as I can get a better swing on the hammer especially on the inside of the teeth. If I time it right, the tooth is still hot from the hardfacing I put on the leading edge and the back flat, so it doesn't take as much torch time to get the peen area hot enough. I used to use a paste hardfacing compound, and the arc torch which made it real easy, as I could use the arc torch to get the area hot so I wasn't having to switch torches.

 

[AKfish]

Thanks, that's a good bit of information. (And like the sayin' goes "leave no good deed unpunished"!) What is "paste hardfacing compound"?

I used good 'ol smoky, nasty hardsurface rod and an arc welder to armor the cutting edge along the sides and between the teeth as well as the whole bottom/back of the bucket.

 

[Cidertom]

Paste hardfacing. Don't remember the trade name on what the shop had. It was a paste with flux and metal in it that you spread thin over the surface then heated it with a torch to bond. Technically it may be more a braze than a weld as it was not all iron compounds. Our supplier stopped carrying it due to "hazardous fumes". It gave a better all over surface than rod but thinner. The arc torch was nice in that it didn't push the stuff around, allowing a nicer finish (smooth). Down side was it was thinner, which made you keep ahead of the wear curve or you were hosed. I have read of some compounds that are available now with boron compounds that embed carbide wear surfaces in a boron steel matrix.

tew

 

[orlo]

Hi:

I can't speak for the 448, but I have a Woods BH6000 that has a Gannon bucket (16") on it on my 2305. I realize the Hoe doesn't have the same force, but I've dug everything from roots to asphault to concrete and the teeth (3 of them) don't give. The bucket is very heavy, reinforced and the teeth are thick and replacable. I Guess Gannon is known for making great buckets. After using this I can see why.

 

[FWhite]

I just got a 12" bucket for my 48 BH and had the same problem. The bucket itself is plenty stout but the teeth were flimsy castings. I got 3 replacement teeth from JD and they are fine. The replacements are weldments and are indestructable compaired to the originals. I cut the old teeth off with an angle grinder and put the new ones on with bolts. Easyer to change in the future.

Frank

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

Well, update time. Got the bucket back new shank and four new teeth. Within 30 mins the weld broke and another shank snapped. The shank is cast and there seemed to be air pockets in the cast. I went back to the dealer with it for the second repair. The first words out of my mouth were "I need the HD bucket" too my suprise the bucket is the same as the standard with heavier sides. The teeth are the same. I looked on a 110 tlb and a model 46 (off an 2000 series) hoe and the shank and tooth mounting is completly different. How can a bucket that goes into the earth be so flimsy. I wasn't even digging rocks rather a oak tree stump and I dug a massive hole all the way around. Surely I can't be the only on having these issues.

Matt T.

 

[Haoleguy]

GWH - I have the larger BH49 with a 24 inch bucket and have used it hard on stumps and boulders for 2 years and have not broken a tooth off the bucket yet. I have broken teeth off of grapplers and excavator buckets in the past 2 years performing similar tasks. I know that some/many/all backhoes are outsourced by JD to other manufacturers and thus may be the reason behind durability differences. I think that a discussion with your JD dealer would yield a suitable solution for you.