4 in 1 bucket?

[Roseaukaine]

I've been wondering....what are the benefits to a 4-in-1 bucket over a standard bucket with a grapple? Can I still backblade and have a "useable" bucket with the 4 in 1? I would like to move around some small trees and brush from time to time, but not always.
I am considering the 300cx loader on a 3320 ehydro for this application. Would the 300cx handle the 4 in 1?

Thanks for any advise!!

 

[rvaitor]

I've been wondering....what are the benefits to a 4-in-1 bucket over a standard bucket with a grapple? Can I still backblade and have a "useable" bucket with the 4 in 1? I would like to move around some small trees and brush from time to time, but not always.
I am considering the 300cx loader on a 3320 ehydro for this application. Would the 300cx handle the 4 in 1?

Thanks for any advise!!

I prefer a grapple or root grapple type attachment to the 4n1s I keep it on the tractor almost all the time.

I have a 4n1 on my loader and it just seems a little tedious. Whether pushing or trying to grab something - the grapple is much easier.

 

[bjcsc]

4in1s will backblade just like any other bucket, but they will also open up and backblade with the cutting edge on the top jaw. They will also doze when open. One of the handiest things they do, although many people do not have the hydraulics run to take advantage of it, is they will pick up piles (of debris, dirt, etc.) right to ground level leaving nothing to do by hand. When you haul firewood or large stuff, you can open the bucket 8-12" and make it bigger.

The grapple debate here is lengthy. The 4in1s will grab trees just as well as any grapple, but it will pale in comparison on brush. A bucket or root grapple would easily move brush 3x as fast if not faster...

 

[Roseaukaine]

Thanks....I was just wondering. I don't plan on moving any great amount of brush...just a few here and there, and nothing too large. My main concern is that the 3320 and 300cx loader wouldn't be powerful enough to operate the 4 in 1 at it's full potential.

 

[dfkrug]

4in1s will backblade just like any other bucket, but they will also open up and backblade with the cutting edge on the top jaw. They will also doze when open. One of the handiest things they do, although many people do not have the hydraulics run to take advantage of it, is they will pick up piles (of debris, dirt, etc.) right to ground level leaving nothing to do by hand. When you haul firewood or large stuff, you can open the bucket 8-12" and make it bigger.

The grapple debate here is lengthy. The 4in1s will grab trees just as well as any grapple, but it will pale in comparison on brush. A bucket or root grapple would easily move brush 3x as fast if not faster...

Very well put, BJCSC. I have been experimenting with my 4n1 and I gotta
say that the fine grading capability with the 4n1 is better than w/ the BB. Of
course, the BB can rip, too. Grabbing rocks and logs for me would prob be
easier with a grapple bkt, but cleaning up piles is better with the 4n1, as you
say.

As for the JD3320, a 4n1 IS heavy but that tractor is a bit heavier than my
B21. Get a small 4n1 and it would work.

 

[DreaminGreen]

The 300cx will handle the 4in1 just fine. If you can fit it in the bucket it will lift it. The 61" bucket weighs just under 400 pounds I think...according to JD.

 

[EddieWalker]

I think the biggest advatage of the 4 in 1 bucket that hasn't already been mentioned is that it's always there. You don't have to go install it or stop what you are doing to go get it, then after you are done, you don't have to take it off.

I really want one!!!!

Eddie

 

[CurlyDave]

One of the handiest things they do, although many people do not have the hydraulics run to take advantage of it, is they will pick up piles (of debris, dirt, etc.) right to ground level leaving nothing to do by hand.

It takes some skill and experience to do this properly.

About 80% of the time I end up grabbing a big pile of air...

One other thing the 4-n-1 can do is to empty its load without lowering the bucket lip. I have used this ability a few times and it was a big time saver in the right situations.

I have borrowed tractors with a standard bucket and the 4-n-1 is much, much better at every task except carrying a bucket load of water.

 

[bjcsc]

One of the handiest things they do, although many people do not have the hydraulics run to take advantage of it, is they will pick up piles (of debris, dirt, etc.) right to ground level leaving nothing to do by hand.

It takes some skill and experience to do this properly.

About 80% of the time I end up grabbing a big pile of air...

I'm not sure of your method, but I'll describe it in case it may help: First, you have to be able to close the jaw and curl the bucket at the same time. If your 3rd function is diverted from your curl/dump it will be very difficult if not impossible. Approach your pile. Open the jaw almost all the way and dump the bucket until the dozer blade has it's cutting edge scraping the ground. The blade (back wall of the bucket) should be at or <45 deg angle from the ground, away from the tractor. Start to doze your pile. Once you have it all it front of the blade and collected, start to close your jaw. The jaw blade should contact the ground beyond the opposite side of the pile. If not, dump the bucket more so that it does. When the blade of your jaw contacts the ground, continue to close the jaw as you curl your bucket at a rate that keeps the jaw blade in contact with the ground. If you curl too fast you'll skip over some of your pile, too slow and the jaw will stop closing or dig. Once it's closed, if you've kept the jaw on the ground, everything will be in the bucket.

 

[CurlyDave]

Thanks.

Right there is the problem. I would either close the jaw or curl the buck, not both at once, even though the machine is capable of that.

I will try that next week. (This week I am down in CA, getting my old house ready to sell. For some reason prices have stayed up in my area, and now is the time to get out.)