24" backhoe bucket?

[moparrob]

So last November I made a thread about breaking a 12" bucket on my 3616 backhoe and how the dealer wouldn't help me with the warranty.

KMW actually reached out to me through the forum PM and offered to make it right, which was great! They authorized Mahindra to replace the bucket under warranty, and after 4 months of pestering Mahindra customer care, a new bucket was finally delivered UPS to my curb.

Since so much time had passed, I was able to weld my 12" back together (110v mig and a LOT of preheating with a rosebud), I asked them to send a 20" as another 12 wouldn't help much at this point.

So they sent me a 16".

My question now is, can I use a 24" bucket (new place has sandy soil; no rocks!) and does anyone want to trade an unused 16" for a used or new 24"?

My local dealer says the 24" will fit, but won't order it for my model for some reason. The part number prefix is the same for my 16 and the 24.


Any suggestions?

The 16" won't do me much good with a working 12", and I'd like to do some big digging soon (ponds, drainage ditches, etc).

 

[topbuilder]

The 3616 backhoe I just looked at does not have enough power to think about a 24" bucket.

 

[moparrob]

It can't be that much more difficult than a 20" bucket which it appears to be meant for. And the soil where I live is like beach sand. If the bucket is too wide, I can always take more shallow cuts.

 

[AchingBack]

It can't be that much more difficult than a 20" bucket which it appears to be meant for. And the soil where I live is like beach sand. If the bucket is too wide, I can always take more shallow cuts.

I doubt your tractor will realize there is a larger bucket on there. I would love to use a 24" in my clay soil. By comparison, sand vs. clay would be like digging shredded paper.

 

[mike69440]

It can't be that much more difficult than a 20" bucket which it appears to be meant for. And the soil where I live is like beach sand. If the bucket is too wide, I can always take more shallow cuts.

It better be like beach sand. The Bucket on my L39 is 18" wide (outside dimension) and in NH soil it is just about right as a general purpose bucket. The hoe on an L39 Kubota is at least twice the hoe on a 3616. The 16" will work, then again I never played in beach sand (with a tractor anyways).

 

[rback33]

The biggest bucket we build for that machine is a 20". I have no idea where the dealer would get a part number for a 24".

 

[moparrob]

Is there a 24" bucket for another machine that would work for mine? When I told the parts guy the numbers on the 16" bucket, he said there was one with the same first digits followed by a 24 where mine has a 16. You'd be the one to know for sure!

 

[DavesTractor]

20" is the largest we have ever sold on a 3616. It's a good size for loose materials and/or easy to dig soil. And it is a part they actually make for this unit. You can make about anything fit, or modify this bucket to make it wider, but I think you may be pleased with the 20" as it carries a lot more material than the 12".

 

[Code54]

A 24" is a good sized bucket and it does take some power to get it to dig. Since you have sand it makes sense that it could dig in your soil but when they rate the hoe to the bucket size they are looking at worse case scenario. Also the weight of the material/bucket increases a lot as the bucket size goes up.
One thing to also remember is the side to side torque a larger bucket puts on the dipper stick end - I know you are in sand but again they are thinking about the guy that is digging and catches a root with the outside tooth and gives it all it got - a larger bucket is more likely to twist and bend.
If you stay in sand, avoid rocks/roots and such I would think you could get away with a larger bucket but it would be "safer" and much easier to just get the 20".

 

[rback33]

Is there a 24" bucket for another machine that would work for mine? When I told the parts guy the numbers on the 16" bucket, he said there was one with the same first digits followed by a 24 where mine has a 16. You'd be the one to know for sure!

I am not sure what he's looking at but 20" is the biggest we've built. I really doubt you would want a 24" on that backhoe anyway. I think you would be disappointed. That's a LOT of bucket for that HP of tractor.