Hey guys, I have been doing everything with a 24" bucket on my KX-71 I have some time now to make a smaller bucket for this Kubota, I'm using what ever I have In the shop for material, so some parts may be a bit heavy. It will be for trenching, water and gas lines etc What size should I go for, 12" or a 14"?????? I'm thinking 12", but Its just as easy to make a 14 I have 1/2 a sheet of 1/2" 50w, So I'm using that for the sides
Got the sides cut, Now time to look for some teeth, And pockets How many teeth do I need for a 12" bucket??
I've got an 18 on my TB-016.Works good.Sure felt funny diggin an 18" trench for a 3/4" Cu pipe though Thought I could make use of a 6" at the time,but how would I connect it? 14 is just a touch more than a 12 which is half of your 24,go for it. Skies. Jay.
Your right, no way you could dig deep with a 6" Our water lines up here have to be down at 6' the outside of the ears are 10.25", I think I'm gona shoot for a 12":drinkup
If your working in heavy clay like we have here in Winnipeg, I'd recommend going wider, because your bucket will plug up so fast at least you'll still have some empty space left over when it's plugged up.
Its now 12" Inside, 13" Outside We do run Into some clay, But not often, It's mostly gravel, And loam I just have to wrap this, And put some used teeth on.......And the Quik Attach thingy.
did you make it narrower at the back.. the front is 13".. but it should taper in... so you are not dragging the whole bucket side thru the ditch.. Most 12' buckets have 3 teeth.. and the outer teeth point out slightly... while you are welding might as well stick your name and an ID number on the bucket...
Dang, I never made It narrower, And I see what You mean, But you caugh me just In time, I havent formed the skin On It yet......Thanks for that Info And I will go for the 3 teeth So far this has cost me nothing, just scraps left over from jobs way back But I do have to buy a chunk of 3/4 plate, for the QA ears, I have lots of 1" and 1/2 ,but no 3/4. Should be Interesting to see how It digs Cheers
Looking good Danny.I like to build & fab up tools as well.I like a 14'' bucket cause I can still get down in the ditch if need be.Add cutting edge on the sides & weld in with the bottom cutting edge and it'l be about 15 1/2 inch cutting width.That way you eat a little more at supper time & still be able to get in the ditch. I also like the 1/2 inch thick walls,Should be bullet proof.:thumbsup
Its now 12" Inside, 13" Outside We do run Into some clay, But not often, It's mostly gravel, And loam I just have to wrap this, And put some used teeth on.......And the Quik Attach thingy I'm jealous all we've got is this sticky "poop". lol
Check with local bucket makers for the ears, they are usually not too expensive and are likely to be made better than the average home shop unless you have some good skills. I asked for two extra sets of ears for my machine when I bought it for just this kind of thing, have yet to use them though, but everytime I see them I get ideas, latest idea is a log splitter if I get the house I am considering buying
I found some teeth, With pockets:notworthy:drinkup I stitched these on yrs ago on my old ford tractor, I was smart not to weld them on solid at the time, I just had to grind the stitchs, And give It a good smack with the hammer. I have 1 pocket off, I hope they work, I'm keeping every thing Inline with the bottom. I had to buy a pc of 3/4"...Dan I will make sure the tip Is real clean when I cut the ears. And Yes Its becomming a 14"...Maybe just over. All the shell Is 3/8'... So ,teeth, Ears, Side cutters, ears, champher the cutting edge, And paint, Then we will try It out Hey guys, Thanks for the Tips Danny
I was able to spend some more time In the shop today, The excavating Is slowing down a bit, As winter rolls In. I now have those teeth on, That I got from my old tractor, Plus The side cutters are on........The side now are 1":beatsme....Maybe I should chamfer them a bit LOL.......The top of the bucket, where the ears get welded, I used 1/2" plate....I', using what I have here. the teeth may be too big?, Heck If they don't work, I will cut them off, But its what I have now, And I wanted to take those teeth of the old tractor any way.......thanks FOR LOOKING GUYS.......tips and comment are always welcome.......here's some pics as to where Its at Now
That bucket is looking pretty good so far. The teeth don't look to out of proportion I've never been a fan of those vertical pin on type, especially the Bobcat branded ones, but hey if they work out for you all the better.
Good stuff Danny Steel! I am trenching for water line in gravel/sand with some rocks soon and also plan to transplant some trees (Walnut,10' tall with <3' root ball) which need to be dug up if anyone has some ideas for specialty QC options shop made for my Cat 305 with thumb. Thanks to all members of the forum for their great suggestions from the farmerboy.
That looks great, teeth are a good fit too, bet this is going to cost very little when done. Be sure to paint it too... Nice work
Day 3, I have some more time to work on the bucket So far I just had to buy that pc of 3/4 plate for the ears, But thats Ok, I will have more things to make for this Mini X, And 3/4 plate gets used alot for stuff like that. All the bucket Is now all welded up......The ears I just cut, And there ready to get the pin hole marked, This part I'm drilling......After that, some carfull fitting of the quick attach ears, support them solid so they dont move while welding. A little bit of grinding, To take off any sharp edges, Then try It on the machine. Thanks for the tips and support guys.:drinkup:usa
Looking good... I don't know what a bucket cost these days... but I wanted a 1 foot years ago... they said no to ...1800 bucks
My bucket of many pieces, Is almost ready In Can. here, the quik attach set up Is different than this, This Is the USA, Style........I did call to get some prices on buckets, and they were up around $1000 mark, Plus they told me, that those quick atatch ears, have to be custom made:beatsme.......Well I thought , I know a guy that can make them:drinkup. I know time Is money, but I had this spare time to do the job, plus I like to still make sparks. Ok time to try This on the machine real soon
Looking good and very soild!!
the experience of doing it has value too. knowledge is power. i learn something with everything i do (well i try to at least)
The Bucket Is now done:notworthy Its back In the shop now, to dry overnight, I gave It a good coat of Tremclad. I have a water line to run over to my shop, Should be a good test for It. I will make sure to get some pics of It In action It will be great for picking at those rocks up here as well Cheers.....Thanks for the coments and tips guys:drinkup Danny
You're bucket looks great! How did you bend the back of the bucket. I'm building a 24" bucket right now, to go with my 14" and used a piece of 3/8" wall 24" pipe for the back and a piece of 5/8" plate for the floor with 3/8" sides. I too was scared of the cost of new, but have $160 in mine so far for the four new 156 series teeth and shanks. Happy Digging John
Hey John, my 24" bucket has 1/4" sides, with 1/4 side cutters, But I can see Its bowed a bit. 3/8" on the side IMO Is the corect size to use. For bending I use a press, Or home made jigs I have around the shop here. The top part Is near flat, As well the bottom, so your pipe should be close to wrap the back. You could trace the radies of your pipe onto your side plates, And shape the rest from there. Danny
Absolutely Fantastic Danny! I'm hard pressed to tell it's not a factory bucket. Jay.
Oh Danny boy, the bucket the bucket is amazing, great skills, ears turned out perfect... Bet it becomes your favourite bucket just cause you made it...
Is it just me, or do those torch cuts seem just a little too perfect? How are we supposed to know this "Danny Steel" character isn't really just a robot that knows how to type? :drinkup
Hi guy's, also need a 12" bucket,but I cheated. Found a Case 580 bucket for next to nothing. Getting ready to cut the ears and a few inches of the top off. I called USA Attachments and the guy quoted me 180 bucks for a set of QA ears...I'll be making mine just like Danny. I
well it looks great.. I guess it's time to write yourself a 1000 dollar check
Wow, great work!! I've built most things I use but I cheated a bit compared to you; I have a Hypertherm 1250 plasma cutter and I just use a 1/4" piece of plywood and a jigsaw to make my pattern. That way I'm not really 'free handing' the cut like you did. No way I'm that good with O/A even after many years of practice. You have a very steady hand! I wanted a 12" bucket for my Tak 145 and ended up buying a brand new Bobcat 12" bucket at an auction where a dealer went under for $90. All I need to do is cut the ears off and cut out some adapter ears to fit my Tak. I can't do the quick change that's on my Tak because the center is cut out of the top of the bucket where the attachment goes through and it's wider than my little 12" bucket is. So, I'll have to make ears with bushings in them to attach it at the pins. Still, I've put off doing that for months with other little projects going on. Looking at your great work and how quickly you did it makes me feel lazy! Again, great job!
Danny great job, your fabrication skills are top notch...
Thanks strott, It was a fun project If we learn at least 1 thing a day, We are doing good IMO tHANKS jAY, I wouldnt want to be building them every day, No time for diggen then.....I got the shop all clean again...Now I can bring the machine back In, just In case It snows tonight ...Pluse I don't want to scratch that new bucket up. Thanks Dan, I have a small job for It soon, It does have some weight to It though, I wouldent want to build a 24" with the material I used Cheers I like to look at It that way as well, Thanks for that tip on the bucket back. I pulled the back of the bucket In a good Inch+ with some clamps....Cheers
The breakout force that bucket will allow your machine to deliver will make root/stump removal childs play. As said that looks as good as a production bucket. Very well done.
Update on the 14" bucket, Its working just fine, I used It here to trench a water line 300' Here's the proof
And no issues??
No Issues.....:notworthy Ready for the next job
Nice looking bucket Danny
:drinkup
Good to hear, the bucket looks fantastic, hope the frost wasn't to much trouble.
hang some chain on the inside of the bucket it will help keep it clean
Looking good...
You did a very nice job on that bucket Danny and I am impressed with how neat you cutting skills are. One thing that often gets overlooked when making buckets is the geometry of the bucket when crowded all the way out. The teeth should be pointing in almost the same line as the stick so that when digging at depth you can still get a vertical back on your hole, also makes it easier to trim batters etc. You have to strike a balance with how much crowd envelope you have to work with but generally on a trenching bucket I would rather lean toward more crowd out than crowd in. Anyway, top job.
That looks great. I have been repairing a few of mine and changing to larger shanks/teeth on my 18" trenching bucket so I can run tiger teeth for some of the hard ground I've been finding. I just finished a job with a bunch of clay. I buy wd40 in bulk then put it in a solvent sprayer. A thin coat on the inside of the bucket and on the under carriage keeps the clay from sticking. Easy clean up at the end of the day before it goes on the trailer too.
could you add up what stock cost are and how much time you have into the build, please. I have been thinking about building a bucket for my 8811 bobcat backhoe. TX XC
The only steel I had to buy was some 3/4- 50W Plate, And that was to make the QA ears, all the other steel I had....I cant remember the time I spent on It, because I only worked on It In my spare time.......But I can guess, If I had all the material In front of me, It would take me aprox 8 hrs.
Nice job on the bucket. Looks just like the one I bought! You lose many lynch pins yet? You will when digging in roots or deeper muddy trenches. Either keep a good supply of them or put a small bolt with a lock nut through the keeper hole instead of the lynch pin. Alan
Good Idea on the nut and bolt, I just came back from a root digging job, the bucket Is still working A1 ,The long teeth work great......I beleive this 14" weighs more than the factory 24"
Thank you for the info , I think I my try out my new plasma (hypertherm 65) cutter on this project.
No Problem.... I have the Powermax 1000 Plasma cutter, I normally use It for stainless and allum.......and the light gauge stuff...............good luck on your bucket Danny