I looked through this forum and couldn’t find an answer so here is my question. I have a John Deere 160LC excavator with about 3/4 yard digging bucket. I’m working on filling in a pit on our ranch, but most of the material that I am moving to fill in the pit is clay. After a few minutes of digging the bucket is caked with this very sticky clay. So my question is, how to I keep the bucket for getting full of this sticky stuff and how do I get it out of the bucket? Right now I have to stop every so often and pry the clay out of the bucket.
some buckets just don't shed well, or it could be that the clay is just that wet. most of us just shake the bucket every time to keep most of it out and forget about what is left
In clay I generally try not to load up the bucket too much. Dig out smaller amounts so as not to pack the clay into the bucket rather than trying to get as much clay into the bucket with each dig. If you are not forcing the clay into the bucket then it is less inclined to stick because its had less force loading it into the bucket. I'd have to say that I try to avoid the technique below as it can put undue stress on the pins and travel stops. If clay gets stuck in the bucket you can always dump (crowd out) the bucket full travel and then scoop (crowd in) the bucket full travel and repeat the process several times to try and dislodge the material.
Sticky clay I am eager to see the replies to this one. My operating experience is strictly amateur but I started out by cleaning out the bucket with a spade or bar. Got tired of that V quick. Now if using my 36inch digging bucket I keep a 12 inch bucket close by. When the digging bucket clays up I drop it off the quick hitch and clean it with the smaller bucket. With a bit of practice this works good enough, a couple of pulls will get the big majority of the clay out. I dont have anything to clean the smaller bucket. Lots of guys just put the bucket up high and bang the bucket back against the cyclinder stop repeatatly. I would try avoid this in general, I think it cannot be good for the machine. A suggestion for you that I have not tried myself but think it would probably work. Get an old wheel rim from a heavy machine or something similiar. Weld a piece of heavy steel beam to the centre so that it points up vertically about 4-5 feet with the wheel lying flat on the ground. Cut a piece out of the beam so it can be carried around with a bucket tooth. Keep it close and when the bucket clays up use this as a giant tooth pick to clean the bucket.
Weld two pieces of chain on the top inside of your bucket about 4" from the side, and just long enough that the last link is in contact with the bottom of the bucket. It's a little annoying as they rattle around in the bucket but the chains move around and clean all the little bits of stuck on dirt out as it builds up. Personally I'd drill a hole in the top corner re-enforcement and put a shackle through allowing you to remove the chains when not needed or you're in rock.
The main reason is that the bucket you have has too sufficient a taper from the front to the back, ie you have a material handling bucket,but you are not going to change it just for this job,so if possible keep the bucket wet and over time it will polish up and stop the clay sticking to the sides,a bit like the boards on a plough that are rusty when they are dirty it is impossible to plough but as soon as they shine up nothing adheres to them.
All great advice i will use on my machine. One other trick, is use any water nearby to keep the bucket wet at all times. In particular, fill the bucket with water at the end of the day. The clay will fall right out the next day Not filling the bucket packed full helps a lot too. Good luck
I also have a lot of clay, and to say the least it is a PAIN. Next summer I am going hook a chain on the bucket so that when I uncurl to empty the chain will tighten and push the clay out. If it works I'll try to post a picture. The other think that may work is to buy an actual clay bucket. The side are short looks allmost like a simple piece of steel.
What you need is a clay bucket. When vacationing in Alberta a year ago, I stopped to watch some operators work that "Alberta Gumbo" which is a clay so sticky it's like the kids plasticene. The buckets the guys were using had no sides on them. They were kind of like scoops, and when the clay didn't fall off, they slewed sideways on the pile and scraped it off just as slick as apple pie!! They even did a pretty good job picking up black muck and muskeg too. Perhaps some operators from Alberta will join in and let us know what these clay buckets are really called...
http://www.mcplantspares.com/Other Buckets and Attachments.htm On this page are a couple clay buckets, plus a grave digging bucket!
Put 3 one inch holes in the floor of the bucket , this lets air in and breaks the suction holding the wad of clay in . I find if the wad is big and heavy , it is more likely to fall out by it's own weight if the suction is relieved . Also if theres a tree close by that has to go anyway , cut it off with a chainsaw 5' above the ground and use the stump to clean the bucket .
Gchase24 An old operator taught me how to dig in the Southeast Texas gumbo clay. He taught me to take as long a stroke as you can with your crowd using your bucket teeth with as little or no curl as possible and only cutting a few inches at a time.After you make your first bucket width to the depth desired use only 2 teeth to trim the sides.The side cutting will fill the bucket every time.This method works on Cat 322C with a 54" bucket or with my Kubota KX-71 mini with a 12" trenching bucket.He told me this way it broke up the clay allowing air to get into the bucket to release easyly. Also when loading trucks it dumps better and the dozer operators preferred it because it spread better.
These holes not only allow water to run out but allow air to escape while the bucket fills , they also release the vacuum created behind the plug .
The chain idea works great we dig in alot of nasty sticky clay here in south louisiana. We have webs of 1/2 inch chain welded in the buckets. It starts about 6 inches past the teeth and is long enough to lay completly in thr bucket all the way to the top. The buckets stay clean the noise of the chain takes some getting use to, but its beter than cleaning the buckets.
yea i've had to attach a chain from the dipper to the bucket for very narrow buckets for footings where it's near impossible to clean a 100mm bucket full of clay. Connected to the dipper arm the chain will pull out of the bucket and pull near tight when extending the bucket out. Makes perfect sence check the pic
Change the angle of your bucket/ teeth when you are loading to break the clay up, don't take a slice out. dan