I just got the material in the shop today. And I have the bucket tacked up about half way...still need to make the QA ears. Should I make it tilt with a cylinder? It will be the first ditching bucket I have used, and the tilting thing has me wondering. Its mainly going to be used for finish grading. I will get some pictures tomorrow. Thanks for your Ideas Danny
Danny, you've got the skills and tools to make yourself a very nice tilt bucket....go for it! You'll appreciate having the tilt feature every time you use it. You can get away with a standard clean up bucket if you don't mind repositioning the tracks so you can tilt the whole machine with the blade.... But, it's much more time consuming than it would be to use that fancy tilt bucket that you're in the process of making. btw- how did you bend the steel?
Just will love the 4ft bucket. I had contract job to dig big under found storage tank, 16ftx20ft 10ft deep w bobcat e32 (3,5 ton) site was beautiful sandy soil. 4hr!!! And I had to wait for trucks! Tilt would b amazing. Please post pic and details
On a mini with a blade I don't know if tilt would be too beneficial. When ditching or doing cleanup I generally work over the side and use the blade for the small level adjustments.
Ben, you can adjust the bucket with the blade 1/2 of the time. The other 1/2 you have to spin the tracks around and THEN adjust the blade. I do it, too. I've also used a tilt bucket (still on my list of things to make) and it's hands down 10x faster than adjusting the angle with the blade.
Wow Thanks to you guy I got to pick up a hyd cylinder or 2....Do I need 2? The bucket is almost made, at least the shape....no conections made just ye.....I will get to it TILT BUCKET it will be...thanks for the boost....I know I CAN build this sucker. Some one asked how I bend my steel.... I have so many home made gismos around the shop that I just use wat come to mind.... I have not lit the torch once on this build yet. But I will because I need to cut through the 3/4" plate to make the QA and my plasmas is nt the tool to use for that. I will fir up some oictues soon guys I have been busy with other stuff. Cheers for now
The tilt bucket on our 121 has just one tilt cylinder. Cant wait to see the pics!!
Hey Danny. I have a custom 48" ditching bucket that I love using. as it speeds up loading or bailing fill etc...but I did not add any Webbs or mid connector on inside of bucket. Which is great for wet topsoil or clay. As my bobcat 39" bucket has two Webbs and is constantly gumed up. But I recently got little to ambitious and used it to load broken concrete and bent bottom cutting edge. So I recommend adding some kindof webbing/suppourt.... but not too much.....
1 cyl is all you need.
Once you've started using a tilt you won't wanna go back, I used one on a 5 tonne John Deere a few years back and loved it. Prior to that I had used a Bobcat branded one and hated it, it hardly tilted enough which made digging swimming pools very difficult plus it had a thumb which also made it to heavy and tippy. If you can avoid the center support because instead of having two corners that gum up with mud you'll have four.
I had some time to work on the bucket today. All the bucket less the tilt and ears are all fabbed and welded It worked out to be a 46":beatsme because I used a sheet that was already cut in the shop 3/16" Any way....Now the shade tree engenering comes into play. I need to find the right size cylinder. I have 20" from the center of the bucket to the ears where the other end of the cylinder will attach. I would think the ram will need to be 1/2 way out when the bucket is sitting flat. I'm guessing here but on the bore size I think a 2-1/2" will work the best, anything smaller and it will move too fast, but I guess I could reduce the flow with a small valve. Anyway...I'm all ears on your Ideas for the cylinder. I will get some pics up soon
Ok I got the ram math figured out, Now I'm into the 3/4" plate to make the QA and the tilt Most of the material here is 44w and T1...Keeping the weight down as much as possible. I'm not going to put a stiffener inside, I will just stay clear of loading rocks with it This is the part I like....making the pins and the quick attach ears. I picked up a new bottle of Oxygen yesterday so I'm set to go.
Looks really good, that broad curve will help keep mud from sticking to much are you going to drill it so you can put bolt on cutting edges?
Thanks, I;m not sure if I will need a cutting edge, plus I'm trying to keep the weight down as much as possible. If I ware that edge off that's on there now, I will just weld a new bar in there......Its T1 plate...not too abrasive resistant but its tough.
opcorn:thumbsup
Ahh ok, well you'll love using it when it's done.
You are the MAN!!!!!! Is it ok if I copy your project and build me one too?
:drinkup No problem...It will cost you a box of that southern fried chicken though:usa goes good with the Canadian suds:drinkups
I had some time to work on the bucket today. I got all the eas cut and the shaft turned down to fit with about 10/1000 clearence I know its going to shrink a bit when I weld the bushings in... and nothings worst than pins too tight I did snap a few pics on my cell but I;m on the laptop and cant load them here. anyway its going ok...... I have a cylinder now and I just need to cut the ears for that pin. I lost the darn template for the Quit attach ears so I will need to make another........when it gets warmer........yikes it was cold in the shop today I do have a diesel heater but it was not putting out too much heat. I should be back at it this week end....then I will finish it off. I have all the hoses as well....I will need to disconect the thumb to run this bucket. keep your fingers crossed that the whole thing wont bust apart when I put my big boot on the pedal Cheers for now
Great hearing u r making progress. My projects really still on paper.... I bought two way diverted manual valves for my mini, then u don't have disconnect thumb to use tilt bucket. Just turn valve. You might want remove valve handles as they stick out and get hit/broken. Cost was reasonable...$60 each plus misc fitting and set of quick connects. Made life much easier. They were special order that took couple weeks. But worth the wait.
Danny, I have the new quick attach ears template if you need one for a kx 121-3.
My paper work is a sheet of 1/8" plate and a stick of soap stone....I hope to learn solid edge some day, Cad just cant click with me. Any way that a good I dea with that valve to run the thumb as well... yaa got me thinken now LOL... HOLY SMOKES I have already found a hyd motor for my next project and the snow plowing has started. I may just take the thum off... It will be less weight on the end of this riggens and that will be needed after i;m done Its getting heavy...good thing I keapted the bucket light. Thanks but Its purty easy for me to trace the ears off my old bucket....This time I'm going to cut some extra sets my auger is going on this Kubota tis spring...plus something else....
Hey guys, I had some time to work on the beast today Every thing is put together and welded:drinkup I still need to burn the holes for the keeper pin on the QA ears I should have done that before I welded the darn ears on. I'm just wait now for the ears to cool off then I will take the keepers out, blow the the pin holes, get the machine close to the work bench and pick it up. I already have some hoses made up, but I just guessed at the size If there too long or too short I will use them some where on another project. Any way were getting pretty close to paint and hydraulics
Im using old track pin stock fro a 318 Linkbelt after you turn it down its like brand new and 0 dollers
The bucket is done I now have the bucket on the machine. And its working good. Just needs a paint job and I can call it a done deal I will try to get a video when the paint is dry
Video of the new bucket Shot a short video of the mini - x with the tilt bucket:drinkup http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3yIaEoJhZg&feature=youtu.be
Looks awesome how did it feel in terms of weight?
It feels better than what I thought, no material in the bucket yet but streatched out at the front of the tracks it feels light to me. I will soon find out if I load it up with muck. I may move the hoses a bit, one looks like it wants to kink, but thats minor stuff, the paint is going on in the morning and a coat of wax:beatsme then i;m on to my next build:drinkup
Looks good, Danny. Let us know how your machine handles the bucket fully loaded at full reach.
You are truly an excellent fabricator! I have a short bungee that I tied around my thumb cylinder(hooks removed) that I tuck my thumb lines into when I have my tilt bucket on. I did that after I smashed a coupler trying to store them in the thumb. So whats the next build????
How much will you charge me to make a clone for my 121? I love that thing.
Thanks, Its been working real good for me, although I havent had the use for the tilt just yet, but this bucket is going to come in real handy in the spring time. The next build will have a motor on it.
If you were closer I could help you out, but the shipping from here to you would be costly I bet. I drove by a site this week and there was a 121 with a tilt bucket. It looked to be about a 36".....way too small for that machine. I havent had my bucket loaded full yet, but thats really not what its ment for...so wide is the way to go, mine measures 47" to the outside grabers. A 36" would be a good size for the 1-2 ton mini excavators imo.
The grade bucket I built [non tilt] is 5 feet long, and I also use it to load trucks since it holds more. Love to have the tilt on it. Those 121 s are great machines.
Any pics of the 121 and the bucket?:usa
I will try to get some pictures of my bucket I made, while you tell me how much you are going to charge me for the tilt option that I can weld onto it.
Some how I dont think the mods will like me too much if I gave you a price on a swing assembly. Plus you would have me working again I can actully breath much better now that I only do the odd job in my shop, welding and fitting for many yrs can really pay its toll on a guy. Lets see that bucket you made:drinkup
Obviously not your first shop project. Looks good. If the T1 wears out, you might consider replacing it with something like AR 400 wihch is an abrasion resistant 400 Brinell hardness steel. Hard enough to wear, but not so brittle that it cracks.
Like the bucket you made, great Fab work. Figured I would share mine since mine is on a Kubota as well. I didn't start from scratch like you but started with a Cat bucket from a 303.5 that I got at an auction for cheap. Only took me 2 years! Picture of what I started with End result: http://youtu.be/Ey3Htc5B00A
Nice work the both of you!