Backhoe Wider BX backhoe bucket

KWentling · Mar 12, 2006

I envy you guys that have soil where you could actually use a bigger bucket than the 12". I fabed my own bucket, but I went the other way, due to HARD Wyoming clay. I got my BX22 with the 12". Quickly found that most places about 18" was as deep as I could dig. I made mine 9" wide. Still is slow going in places. Really a pretty easy project. I just copied the 12" using scrap materials I allready had. The only thing I bought was 3 teeth. Looks identical except for the width.
Kim

HomeBrew2 · Mar 12, 2006

Excellent! It would be great to have a pic or 2 and tips, notes, dimensions if you have them. Being a true amateur, it looks like a pile of work, bigger or smaller, but any knowledge to expidite the process would be a big help.
Cheers!

jim_wilson · Mar 14, 2006

If you have a BX22/23/24 already I think it would be pretty easy to fab a bucket to go on it. Just make the new bucket the same dimensions as the existing bucket - but wider. The 24" bucket that I bought came with a cutting edge welded on - after using the bucket pretty extensively that edge is starting to show some wear. There are some specific steel alloys that are used for cutting edges on buckets and I believe you can buy premade cutting edges in this alloy - I believe the alloy I have seen used is called AR-400.

When I first got the bucket I had thought I might add teeth to it - after using it for a while I thought better of that idea - teeth on a 24" bucket on a BX is too much - sooner or later something is going to get twisted or broken.

KWentling · Mar 17, 2006

Steve; If you have a factory bucket, you have the pattern you need. To start, I took a piece of cardboard and laid it against the mounting bracket and trimed it to fit the top of the bucket and then traced it out complete with the hole locations. That way you have the geometry right. I work in a machine/weld shop so I cheated and used a pantograph to cut the brackets out. I also turned out some bosses to weld on for the pins. I used 1" bolts and stacks of washers to space them out and hold them in alignment while they were welded on. The biggest challenge was bending the back of the bucket. It wasn't that bad on my 9" bucket but it will get tougher the wider it is. I just welded, bent, welded, bent, and followed the side plates. I just used mild steel plate for the cutting edge. Using AR or Hardox would be good but probably not necessary unless you plan on a lot of digging in abrasive materials. If you use bolt on teeth, you will have holes to drill holes so keep that in mind when choosing material. You could also run some hardfacing on the edge of mild steel to make it last.

Kim

HomeBrew2 · Mar 17, 2006

Thanks, Kim, That does give me a good idea of the process. I just couldn't figure out how the bucket curve was done without a pretty beefy brake.
Cheers!

snal · Mar 17, 2006

I roll 3/16 plate for a local welding company all the time, he builds, or rebuilds buckets. Kinda easy when I have the right machinery. I also cut out the sideplates.
Some shapes get funky, and it's easier for me to fab in my press brake.
Hey...maybe I could save some drops for smaller buckets if there's a need here in TBN.

Larry

Lockport · Mar 27, 2006

Kim,
I live in Manitoba, Canada and we have clay loam about 18"-24" down everywhere. I am going to purchase the Woods BH6000 this spring and was leaning towards an 8" and 16" bucket but am concerned if the 16" can perform. You seem to imply even the 12" may not be very productive in clay soils. From your comments I think I would rule out the 16", but how much trouble exactly was it with a 12?

Steve

KWentling · Mar 30, 2006

Steve; We are in a pretty bad drought situation here and have been since about the time I got the BX. If there was moisture in the clay, I think I could dig it OK with the 12" bucket. When the clay is dry like it has been, it's unbelievably hard. You can forget about digging it with a shovel. It's get out the pick time. I find I don't have that much use for a wider bucket anyway. Mostly I've used mine for footings and utility trenches, and the 9" works great. I think I've only had the 12" on once since I made the 9".
To more specifically answer you're question, at about 18" deep with the 12" it would be so hard that you flat could not go any deeper with it. I'd stick with the narrow bucket if I were you, and if it performs good with it and you find a need for a wider one, get it then.

Kim

Kim