Solution for a Clay Packed Twelve(12) Inch Backhoe Bucket

[handymansvs]

Hello,

I live in an area that is plagued with Heavy Sticky Clay. I found early on in my digging career that when using a Twelve (12) Inch Bucket after the first pass the Bucket would be packed half full, with the next pass the bucket would be packed tight. Then I would spend thirty (30) minutes digging out the Bucket only to have the same thing happen with the next two passes.

In thinking about the problem, I decided to place loosely two lengths of one inch(1) plus heavy chain in the bottom of the bucket about four (4) inches apart. I welded the chains as close to the inside upper end of the bucket and the lower end as close to the inside cutting edge. It is important to give the chains plenty of slack. It worked like a champ!! There are several reasons, first the weight of the chain helps to clean the dirt out of the Bucket when you dump, the second reason I believe is the chain breaks the suction created by the sticky clay. With the chains placed loosely, they have enough movement to keep the buckets edges and corners clean.

I have done miles of trenching using a twelve (12) inch bucket with no problem with the bucket packing up. I hope this helps those of you with the same problem. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions

Respectfully,
Benjamin J. "Joe" Browning
handyman@iinet.com

Thanks to everyone that responded, I will post some photos sometime this week. One thing, do not be skimpy with the chain size!

Joe

 

[Baby Grand]

That's very clever! Letting air get behind the clay to break the suction addresses the problem at its most basic level.

 

[RDrancher]

Great idea! Can you post a photo?

 

[Gale Hawkins]

The owner of a local welling shop picked up a nice 12' bucket for his BH and states the same problem with clay that we have in these parts. If you can upload a photo I will give it to him since he does not get close to computers.

 

[creekbend]

Well done. Definitely an innovative idea and method. :thumbsup:

 

[rmk700]

Wow, sure seems like it would work good. You may want to patent that idea?

 

[boggen]

question, have you ever used a bucket, that has a hole, or 2 on back side of the bucket. to let air in, and keep clay from being a suction problem?

as far as use of a chain, love to see pictures. sounds like a pretty good idea, in wetter soils, and smaller width buckets, smaller the width you go, the more problems there is to get soils from dropping out of the bucket.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've heard that's a pretty common thing to do with commercial equipment, but that it also doesn't always work. They make special buckets with most of the sides removed for digging damp to wet clay. Dry clay isnt' too bad, and super wet clay is never an issue. The more water, the easier it is to dump.

Eddie

 

[handymansvs]

Hello,

I have seen a Twelve (12) inch Bucket that had a number of holes like you describe. The owner told me it did not work. He indicated the holes would get packed and he was back to the same problem. Thanks, Joe

 

[Lou66]

Talking about the chains,, I bought an old JD three point hookup off of an old rice farmer, he had it for I guess a hundred years before he sold it to me, I took it to Bay City and had all the cylinders reworded,, it had five singles and one double for left to right.. it had the cross chains in the 16" bucket.. told them take the chains out,, they told me not to take them out unless youæ±*e going be digging in sand.. best advice I ever got for free.. down on the coast we have gumbo,, it concrete when its dry and clay when it wet,, the chains work well,, I still have the backhoe,, it set along the fence line with my hundred year old sickle cutter,, I use a C-580 backhoe frontend loader now.. it has a grave digger bucket on it.. where the side are low,, I can dump it most time with a quick pop of the bucket in wet clay.. it works better than the chains I think.. but you don稚 get as much dirt at a time.. still both of them still works better than I.. Lou