I need to remove some topsoil/sod so I can build a pad for shop. I have a cat 931B with a backhoe and in hindsight I should have just used the backhoe. I put a smooth cutting edge on the front bucket because I was building jumps out of clay on an MX track and did a bunch of back blading to smooth the take off and landing area's. Trying to dig and level extremely hard and dry ground with a smooth bucket doesn't work too good. I'm sure if I would have still had the teeth on the loader bucket would have made a huge difference. I tried making a level area to start and just take little bites making it wider but the ground was like concrete. It has to be built up with clay so it's not real critical but man that was frustrating. I think with the teeth I could have just put the bucket level and the teeth would dig in and break up the hard pan making a level pass. Next time I'll do most of the digging with the backhoe and just use the loader to push the piles out of the way. Anyone else have problems digging extremely hard ground?
I'd be lost without teeth. I have a 66" smooth bucket for my TL130 and a 72" tooth bucket. I seldom use the smooth bucket unless finish grading. It's horribly inefficient and frustrating with no teeth. I dont know how you could have a machine the size of a 931 with no teeth, that's almost blasphemy. John
Did you read my post? I have the adapters for teeth but I took them off and put a smooth edge on for the type of work I was doing. It's a little involved changing back to teeth. Unlike a skid steer or CTL, having a second bucket for a track loader is cost prohibitive for most people.
Used to use bolt on adapters so you could pop them on and off, the cutting edge was predrilled for them. Another thing you can do is weld adapters on and then using three or four old teeth, weld a cheap straight edge above or below them so you can pin the flat edge on for light grading. Not perfect but it works if you don't get too agressive with it.
They are bolt on adaptors but I would need all new bolts and probably new teeth as well. I'm just removing hard packed top soil and replacing it with clay. I just couldn't believe how hard packed the ground was.
Your next step seems to be to put the adapters back on the bucket and get some new teeth.
I had a friend that would grade roads with the teeth off . When digging cellars he put teeth on . You could take a mag drill and cutter and put the holes in for teeth
One other option, use the hoe, break the ground out to depth, use the smooth bucket for final cleanup. We have Loess and clay soils here, I opted for teeth, will deal with striations later.