Rock Bucket for Compacts

[B7800]

Since I've been hanging around here sucking up all the free information, I guess I should contribute something. I've been lusting after a Rock Bucket for sometime but with the weight on these running 600# plus and costing $1250.00 and up I just figured my little B7800 would have to do without. Well Virnig has come out with a line of Rock Buckets for the compacts. I ordered this one which is 54 inches wide (same as Kubota's standard bucket) and it weighs #300. Two problems, they only come with a Steer Skid mount, and you can only get them from their dealers. My nearest dealer is in Northern CA. But, they can drop ship one to a near by Freight Center. They also agreed to not put a mount on it at a reduced price and include a couple of steel plates for me to work with. I'm in business now. If I figure out how to post pictures about six or so will follow to let you see how it went.

 

[B7800]

Well, Had to resize the pictures but here is my Hook up for the Kubota Quick Attach that I have on my rig

 

[B7800]

Trial Mockup

 

[B7800]

Tack welded and cycled through to see if it's a go.

 

[B7800]

First coat of paint. I know it's not Kubota Orange. I'm still wondering if it's worth the price of the right paint.

 

[B7800]

Another view.

 

[B7800]

Last one.

 

[B7800]

A few particulars,
The different weight of the bucket will cut my lift capacity to about 900 to 1,000 pounds but that still sounds good for my tired old back. The tines are slightly less than 3 inches apart, but rocks smaller than that I can get with my Landpride Landscape rake. Figure it's good for most of the 10 to 300 pounders. I do hear a voice coming from the rig, it seems to say GRAPPLE, GRAPPLE, GRAPPLE. Who knows, if I can sneek it in without my wife noticing an addition, that maybe the next project.

 

[dummy]

Looks like it fits together nicely. And there's a nice square top to start off the grapple add-on. How much did they charge for the bucket?

 

[B7800]

The price on the bucket was $715. The shipping to Tacoma, WA was $116. Shipping for the East Coast would be cheaper I imagine, it came out of Wisconsin by way of ConWay Freight. Saved a bit by picking it up at the shipping terminal 20 miles from me, but I think for an additional charge they could deliver it to your yard.

 

[MicroPilot]

Have you got a URL for Virnig?

 

[shoppintractors]

http://www.virnigmfg.com/

Don

 

[NevadaSmith]

did you get the SRV54-CT? I was going to buy one, and they told me that these models were for CUTS and not for Skid Steers. From their URL...do not select ROCK BUCKETS, select COMPACT TRACTOR ATTACHMENTS.

I would be very interested to hear that you ordered the wrong model, and that the -CT models will fit a CUT. I know I am not as handy as you are and not sure I could make the attachments (or find someone who could).

NevadaSmith

 

[B7800]

Nevada,
The Bucket I got was the SRV54-CT for Compact Tractors. The dealer I ordered from, and I think they may be the one for your area also, is WagMann, Inc., P.O. Box 5059. Arcata, CA 95518. 888-924-6266. Ask to talk with Scott he'll know what you need.

 

[NevadaSmith]

Thanks....Wagman is who I talked to. I did not know that it would not fit a CUT from the factory /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Other than that...how does it work? I have TONS of rocks around here and getting tired of getting out and picking them up. I thought this model would work very well and would be easier to use than a grizzly (rock/dirt separator). Looks like you could just skim the surface and haul the rocks away.

FYI, they were going to drop ship mine to Sparks Nevada for about $150.

NevadaSmith

 

[B7800]

The "standard mount" from the factory is the universal Skid Steer mount. ATI make a universal mount that converts most of the compact tractors to this mount but the price for this is about $600 for the Kubota 402 loader. Kubota dealer quoted me $750 for the same unit, go figure. So I got the Kubota Quick Attach which was still way overpriced but that was the simple way to go in order to switch back and forth between different buckets and a fork lift attachment I have.
Virnig does not put CUT mounts on the buckets due to the many different configuations they would have to inventory. So, they left it plain for me and included a couple of sheets of steel to use in the build up of something to fit my rig. I didn't use the plates as the 3X2.5X1/4"" angle was the right size for my mounts and was pretty cheap at the scrap yard.
Haven't really had time to use it yet because I need to transport it to another piece of property where all the rocks are, but from just messing around here in the yard it appears it is going to be just what I was looking for. In fact, at one time I was planning on building a bucket from scratch since I couldn't find one that would fit the B7800 and still leave some capacity for the rocks. Just guessing for now but it appears it will come in handy for clearing Blackberry bushes also. I'm also looking real hard at that small grapple that sells over on Ebay. The unit only weighs 76 pounds and a couple of our members have used it and been pleased with the results. The only thing holding me up on this it the Hydraulics. Can't get that part through my head and I need to understand what I have to do to get that part up and running.