when you buy a machine what size buckets are most common you would get with the machine? for say a 20 on machine thanks JGS
If you buy brand new the only buckets included standard in your price will Most likely be the 1050 wide general purpose bucket about 0.94 cubic meters heaped up. All the other buckets attachments will be extra. New tilt bucket for 20 t range anywhere from 10k to 16k
20 ton machine, 48-54" bucket for general excavation. The underground contractors would probably spec smaller buckets, depending on working conditions.
48" or so will be most used generally. Usually the narrowest that will clear the stick is 27", and seldomly used
This is a vague question. Bucket selection will depend entirely on intended machine application and soil conditions. I have a 40,000# excavator and I have a 36" & 24" buckets (both are extra HD), and a compaction wheel. My application is primarily custom residential, with some light commercial, and utilities. I live in the Rocky Mountains so my digging is usually pretty tough. Another consideration is added if you have a thumb. The thumb will only correctly mate up with one size bucket (teeth spacing is usually different on each width bucket).
As DGODGR says, your bucket choice will depend on the application. WhenI had a Cat 320, I had a 36" that came with it, a 48" digging bucket, a 60" smooth high capacity bucket, and added a 24" and a 30" compaction wheel. The 48" spent the most time in use. I now run a 330 Cat, and have a 30", 36", 54", 60", and would like a 72", but haven't found the right deal. I also have a 36" compaction wheel, a 5000# breaker, and a concrete processor. I would also like to find a good deal on a single ripper tooth. In my application, the 60" HD digging bucket gets the most use. I have only used the 30" once in the last 4 years, and the same for the 36". The 54" gets used when the 60" needs work, otherwise it grows rust as well. Now for utility companies, I have seen them have buckets for every 6" increment, and different side cutters for each to get exactly the right trench width.
Jerry, Do you deal with Quinn? That was my dealer, when I lived in CA, and they were an exceptional dealership, IMO. In fact, I bought a 24" bucket, for my 315, from them. It was out of the rental fleet and looked as though it had only been used 1x. Quote from my dealer in CO was $7k plus pins ($900) for a new bucket that had an unknown delivery date. I knew I was going to see our newest grandchild, in CA, soon so I called up Quinn and they had the bucket, on the ground, with pins, for half of the CO quote (excluding pins!). Deloss may be another good source, and they are in your neck of the woods too. I got my compaction wheel from a guy named Danny Bee. He is out your way too.
Basicly iam just trying to get a general idea on what bucket sizes i should keep in stock in my yard. we are a bucket manufacture and i know a lot of people hate waitting for buckets so iam just trying to get a better idea on what people want.
on our 20 t machine we have a 24" and a 48". I have seen 18" buckets for these machines but they were only for putting in gasline in a street.
i have a full set but i have more than 1 20 tonner, 12", 18", 24", 30" 36", 42", 48", 60" , and normally a 84" grading bucket ,i also have v buckets for open drains, and grading buckets with teeth we call them ditching buckets in ireland, great for clearing bushes and stripping and battering banks and cleaning streams and drains. normally when a machine goes out on hire it brings a 60" digging bucket, grading bucket, and a 24", the other buckets are only sent out if requested. also have rippers and other tools that are less common like crane jibs, hyd jaws, tilt rotate buckets, offset buckets, breakers bucket, crushers, riddle buckets ,clamshell bucket.
DGODGR I have dealt with Quinn a lot, but mostly in the past. Since they took over Shepard as the Cat dealer in LA, their service has gone downhill, IMHO. The dealer I do use is Johnson in Riverside, and they have supported me greatly over the years. I have known and done business with Ty Deloss for about 16 years, and always look to him first for any bucket or other attachment needs. I just bought a mini ex. bucket from himm a few weeks ago to convert to a V bucket. His yard is an amazing place to walk through. Danny Bee is another good guy. I have dealt with him for 8 years or so. Sounds like you used to run in many of the same circles I still do.
Maybe I am not understading this but are you saying you use a 60" bucket on a 20t machine? When I get a full bucket with my 48" bucket you know you got some dirt. Could not imagine a trying to swing a 60" dirt bucket with that machine. I have used a 60" bucket from a PC220 for light grading and would never use it to dig.
We use the biggest we can get. Most of my work involves production excavation, and with a good operator in the seat we will run a bucket up to half again what the reccomended maximum size is. It is not a place for a rookie though. You have to know that if you need to reach out, only fill it partway. When loading trucks, spot them right, and fill it up. I was watching a freeway widening crew last week with a 315 and a 318. They had 60" and 72" high capacity buckets on them, and were loading double bottoms in a quick fashion.
My 210 Volvo has 36'' 66'' and a ripper. Hyd attach is a must have.
I'm gonna have to try this once. But the bucket I can use I think is still a little to big. Won't hurt to try though.