Looking for any added insight. I'd like to never have to buy another bucket in my life. I have decent welding skills, but have never hard faced anything. I've found that 5/32" lincoln wear shield 44 rods would probably work the best.
That bucket looks to be in good shape really. I haven't seen many backhoe buckets that have been hard surfaced. Mostly excavators , especially the ones that load sandy type material all day and night. But I don't think it would hurt a thing other than maybe a little extra friction causing a little lag. Look up Tom V ( I think) he does a lot of this and has several pictures up. His work looks great.
How many backhoe buckets have you worn out in the past? and how long until you expect to die? I'd keep it clean and dry so it doesn't RUST out, and see how it wears over a few years. Then you might go ahead and hardface it just for the fun of it anyway, but you'll know if you need to or not.
I haven't owned a backhoe for very long and I'm hoping to get at least another 50 yrs so I can make it to 74. Lol so I haven't worn out any buckets yet, but the ground is a lot of clay, shale, and rocky dirt.
I was told to build a grid of X's with the lines about 1" a part and also go over all of the factory welds.
Hard facing rod is expensive! How much is a 24" backhoe bucket? I bought one used a few years ago, I want to say I paid $7-800 for it.
The last small bucket we 'refaced' was done with adding new 3/16th strips over the old ones, a lot cheaper/faster/easier than welding up a hardface pattern all over it
Speaking of buckets. How does one replace root teeth? I just keep breaking them off. What is the best welding rod to use?
+1 wear bars aren't a bad way to go. You can also build up material using normal rods instead of hardfacing and just rebuild it when that wears down. I personally try to avoid hardfacing as much as possible due to the cost.
Use 7018 and make sure it is good dry new rod also make sure you prep it good... no rust, clean, bevels. How are you breaking them off? You are talking about the tooth shanks... right?
I don't know I haven't priced one. I just don't want to have to buy one. Hardfacing rod is $80 for 10lb I don't think it would take much more than that. For an 1/8 of the price I'd take the couple hours Do you make the strips the same size and put them directly over or?
i use dots on my buckets for hardfacing. i buy stoody 31 rods 7$ a # but its worth it. the dots trap dirt so the dirt takes all the abuse and the bucket does not.
My bucket is wearing mostly on the bottom right in the middle of the curve. It has the little wear strips worn through in that spot. I think I'm just going to get 1/8" plate and weld strips on the whole bottom with about an inch gap between them so it will catch dirt and let the dirt take the abuse. My weld littke 1/8 thick wear strips in other high wear areas.
Talked to some contractors in Idaho one time, said they rebottomed their backhoe and excavator buckets twice a season in a good work year. Volcanic ground. Over here on the wet side of Oregon it's very rare to find a worn out backhoe bucket, though I am sure it happens.
I like Ronsil's comment about welding on new bar. Hard facing is boring and gets old fast and way before you are finished. I have done X's, diamonds, circles with dots, lines, and it is all the same.