I've had about a 4 or 5 inch crack in my backhoe bucket for a couple years, was always going to get it welded but never got around to it. I've been using it carefully for 2 years with no problems. Well, the other day I was pulling stumps for my cousin when all of a sudden the bucket opened up like a can of tuna. I mean it tore about a 25 inch crack in it. Stupid me....I know. So anyway, what do I do now? Is it junk or can it be fixed? I can't get any pics of it til this weekend if that helps. It's a 24 inch bucket on a JD410C. The rip is down the side.
A good welder can fix it up, but it may be cheaper to find a good used one. Usually you can get a good used bucket for older hoes like that for $300 to $500 The welder will likely cost that much to fix that size break.
I've been looking on ebay and craigslist but haven't found one yet. I'm not sure if it's the HD bucket or standard. Don't know the capacity either......just that it's a 24"
call your local dealer to see if they have one laying around
Good idea, I'll have to do that. I'm done with the hoe now until spring, just need the loader bucket for snow removal. I'm not in a hurry to spend $500 so I'll be shopping around. Also going to talk to some guys about possibly welding it back up and maybe putting a plate over the crack and welding that on too. Seems like that would help.....don't really know tho.
I'm no welder but I've welded allot of stuff. I can't see a bucket repair costing very much as long as it is not in the mount area (alignment issues). I have a 36" bucket and am considering making it a 24". Just heat it and beat it, and weld it back up. You can make a patch if you like to strengthen it. Good Luck !!
if one is going to own one of these yellow boogers professional or not a good ac-dc stick welder would seem to be a good investment. like most other stuff one doesnt have to be a expert to prevent a lot of bigger problems. with just a little expert help and practice it is not too hard to learn to stick weld good enough for so-called gov work.
I say the same kind of thing about myself. And if you're going to learn to weld, buckets are a good place to start...
Welder, grinder, and apaint brush. LOL Put DA GORILLA WELD on it. Ugly but STrong !! I'd like to take some instruction on welding. I have a mig (a really good one) and a nice Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC welder. As I mentioned, I am planning to make my digging bucket smaller and I have a rotted through spot on my front bucket. It is not in danger of braking but I am going to fix that and rig it up to use as a fork lift when needed. I have found that being a good fitter makes the weld job much easier. So I use my grinder allot. Ha ha. I'm just careful not to make stuff too heavy. Good Luck !! Gene Pearl River, La IH 3400A (under constant improvement)