4 In 1 bucket ??

greedy 737 · Sep 20, 2007

Do they make one for my tractor,Kubota B7500 ? Where can I get one? How do they work on a smaller tractor like mine ?

daTeacha · Sep 20, 2007

I can't give you a direct answer. There is a thread on the NH forum involving a 4 in 1. Maybe you can get some names of brands and go to websites and see what they have to offer. You could also google 4 in 1 to see what comes up.

I'm going through similar antics trying to find the best deal on a backblade that offsets to either side without just sliding the moldboard in the frame. Bush Hog seems to offer the best one of those. Try their site and search 4 in 1.

Good Luck.

Glowplug · Sep 20, 2007

W.R. Long is a big distributor of 4-in-1 buckets through select dealers. They have many different models and sizes based on size of tractor. What do you plan to use it for? Also be sure you have some sort of 3rd function hydraulics to power it.

greedy 737 · Sep 20, 2007

I have a 4 acre wooded land I live on. Cleaning it up! Plus I cut firewood on the land next to mine, just had it logged off. Lots of ground work, and we have 2 horses you know what I clean up s--t. Is the 4 in 1 the way to go ?

MarkV · Sep 21, 2007

Ronnie you can find 4in1 buckets for smaller tractors and as mentioned above WR Long is a good place to start looking. Two things to keep in mind as you look. You have to add hydraulics to your loader control which cost about $500 plus installation. Also 4in1 buckets will be heavier than a stock bucket, often several hundred pounds, so you have to decide if you can sacrifice that much lift for the benefits the bucket functions offer.

MarkV

daTeacha · Sep 21, 2007

For the kind of things you will probably be doing, a grapple will probably work as well, maybe better. It will also be lighter and cheaper and can be removed easily when it might be in the way. This is based on my experience cleaning up after logging with a standard bucket and then with a grapple equipped one. I use the thing for brush, manure work, log/firewood moving, moving rocks, etc. etc. I can pick up a 14 or 16 foot log with the FEL/grapple pretty easily without disturbing the soil much although most of the stuff I carry around is less than 10 feet long just so I can get it through narrower places. The grapple lets me about double or triple the amount of manure I can pick up -- we have sheep and there is a lot of used hay/straw mixed in.

My grapple was installed by the dealer when I bought the tractor, along with a set of rear hydraulics that run off the same valve. Cost of the whole set up, including valve, lines, installation, etc. was less than $1000. The brand is Add-a-Grapple.

garth466 · Sep 21, 2007

I went with the 4-in-1 instead of the grapple (I originally wanted the grapple because I saw a tractor on craigslist with one and thought it was the coolest thing ever) because the salesman liked it better. He said he has both and hardly has any use for the grapple that the 4-in-1 can't do. His uses? I don't know. My uses? I didn't know at the time and to a large degree, I still don't. I'll find out as I find more chores to attack. I actually have to make up some chores!

I can tell you that for alder trees under about 30', the 4-in-1 works great. Push them over, run around to about the middle of them and drive each end against a fir stump to break into three pieces and set on the burn pile. The
4-in-1 also has done great in thick black berries. I just push in, close close to the ground and back up. It pretty well rips them out. A grapple could very well work better for this application, but have no experience with one.

I think the end all would be a 4-in-1 with a grapple. Could this be possible? Does this set up exist? I didn't even think of it when I was buying, but if I could set the clock back a month, I know I would try to get that.

Glowplug · Sep 21, 2007

garth466 said:
I think the end all would be a 4-in-1 with a grapple. Could this be possible? Does this set up exist? I didn't even think of it when I was buying, but if I could set the clock back a month, I know I would try to get that.

That could be done. I have never seen it done for probably a couple of reasons. You would have to have a 3rd and 4th function hydraulics for it. It would weigh so much that you may not be able to lift anything. But believe me, I had thought of it before.

IslandTractor · Sep 22, 2007

Keep in mind that a LA302 loader only has approximately 660lb lift capacity. 4n1s definitely weigh more than the standard bucket even the light duty models from ATI and WRLong weigh in at close to 300lbs or more I believe. That isn't going to leave you with much lift capacity.

Adding a grapple arm to your standard bucket is probably a better idea for a tractor like yours. Considerably less money too.