Adjustable width backhoe bucket (Kubota BX24)

[tessiers]

I have 2 buckets, an 18" digging bucket with teeth and a 30" grading bucket which has a straight cutting edge similar to the loader bucket. To me they are 2 different animals and not similar enough to be interchangable. If aything I would make a smooth cutting edge as long as you like that would slip over the teeth making the cutting edge 1 piece and have the bucket extentions slide over both sides of the digging bucket. We used to have a snow bucket for the front of an old backhoe with a similar set up. The loader bucket was 7' wide and we built 2 18" bucket extentions with a 10' smooth cutting edge making a beautiful snow set up, that was before these new fangled box snow pushers showed us how its done. Just my 2 cents but I agree too many moving parts on a digging bucket could be problematic, lets face it if it was easy someone would have already done it.

 

[dfkrug]

I had a 9" bkt, and I don't think I have ever seen narrower. I got
rid of it since materials would easily get stuck in it, even if you
drilled an anti-suction hole in the bottom. My 12" bkt does all my
work, since I can dig pretty fast, and it is too much hassle to change
to my 18-incher for the rare times that the bigger one makes sense.
I guess if you have sandy & dry soils, a bkt narrower than 12' could be useful,
but I guess to have to try one to know for sure.

Adjustable-width bkt? Interesting idea, but it would take only a
few bolt removal/installs to exceed the effort of changing the whole
bkt. I guess, it you only have one bkt....

 

[Groo]

digging through roots with a little backhoe is not a fun time.

 

[GE222]

I would think that with a bucket that is as narrow as 7" would have to be a completely different design than a 12" bucket, for the simple reason that getting the dirt back out would be a real challenge. That being said, the narrow 7" bucket would either have to be all back with virtually no sides to hold dirt in, or have a cutting edge with or without teeth, strong sides, and an open back.

I have a mini excavator that has a standard 18" bucket, as well as a 9" narrow bucket and a 24" for ditching or lighter material. The 9" digs great, on the first bucketful, , but getting material out is always interesting, so much so that it almost never gets used. It is easier to dig the wider trench, deal with the extra material, than to mess with a temperamental skinny bucket.

I recently purchased a used 12" bucket, but it hasn't been modified to fit my machine as of yet. It will soon become my narrow bucket!

 

[Sodo]

Thanks for all the experienced points-of-view. Not sure how they apply to a BX24 though, which is maxed out with a 12". The task at hand that drives this thread is to "trench with only 6.2 gpm". At the moment just trying to gather (or create) the equipment to get going in the next week or so. I don't know how fast this job's gonna go, but "some parts" of it will be great with the little BX. I suspect I will have to tunnel under a lot of the roots (by hand).

I do have a 6.5HP digging-chain type trencher too. I hear you on the "banana bucket". For a small tractor it seems like an open back bucket just to cut with, with a hydraulic backdoor, to then scoop out the dirt (or push out a plug) would be a useful device for a (sub)compact tractor. Of course none of this stuff is likely to turn up a week!

Still interested in hearing from someone who has experience "trenching" with 6.2 gpm. Looks like these type of "members" surface once every five years or so, maybe I'll be that guy for 2012-2017! :laughing:

 

[dfkrug]

The 9" digs great, on the first bucketful, , but getting material out is always interesting, so much so that it almost never gets used. It is easier to dig the wider trench, deal with the extra material, than to mess with a temperamental skinny bucket.

Exactly my point. Some folks have to see for themselves.

There is a gizmo that I have seen pix of that looks like a fixed
plate, which serves to forcefully empty the bkt every time you retract
the bkt cylinder. It is tied to the end of the dipper and fits just inside
the trenching bkt.

BTW, I find 12" to be a good sized trench. Not too wide and not too narrow.

 

[KWentling]

The task at hand is to trench 700 feet thru the forest, ASAP, before the ground gets too hard! I have to make the decision whether to order a new (narrow) bucket, or plan to modify, so hoping someone on the forum can offer direct experience narrowing a bucket.

I think you're going to find the BX too small if you're digging through many roots. I have dug out a few trees and roots are tough. I bought my BX with the 12" bucket and after spring when it dries up here and the clay turns to rock (well, it seems like it), I could not dig more than about 18" deep. I built the 9" (which is as narrow as the bucket linkage) and that gives me just enough to get through that hardpan. It's also a great width for utilities.

As far as narrowing your bucket, just cut the sides off, cut 1 1/2" (or whatever you want) off of each side, and weld the sides back on. You'll have to reposition the teeth on the bucket lip also.

Kim

 

[rambler]

This is one of those brute force deals, if you need to trench through the woods, start trenvching, stop thinking.

You won't get nothing accomplished by thinking for a week.

Start digging with a 12 inch bucket. 700 feet isn't that far.

I got a 3pt backhoe on the back of my Ford 5200 ag tractor. It's a 2 foot bucket, it goes 8 foot deep, and the tractor has a 5 gallon pump on it.

I get trenches made. Can do 700 feet in a long day, here in MN we need to be 5-6 feet deep so there is a pile of dirt. The roots will slow you down some, but don't think aboyut this for a week; just get out the mucsle and be digging with what you got.

I'd never want a skinny bucket for general trenching, dirt wouldn't come out. Would take me longer to trench with a 10 inch bucket than with the 2 foot bucket; have a hard time getting mud to knock out of the 2 foot bucket as it is.

I'd not want an 'adjustable' bucket, we beat the snot out of the bucket, it's a brute force item, 1/4 inch bolts would be a joke, that bucket needs to transfer extreme forces from the back center root to the front teeth corners, and bolts would not get that done.

You get points for creative thinking, good questioon and inovative thinking. But - it's a no-go in the real world for several reasons. Now, if you were doing something special for a living, and working in dry or sand ground, etc. - then a special bucket might be good.

Doesn't sound like that's the case tho.

Just start digging.

--->Paul

 

[alchemysa]

Yesterday, at a mates place, dug a 35 ft trench about 2 feet deep for an electrical cable from the meter box to the house. Tractor is a B1550, only about 15hp and 5 or 6 gpm. ( the backhoe has its own pto pump). Took about 3.5 hours and was often through some very tough limestone that occasionally had to be broken up it with a big crowbar as the little backhoe just couldn't dent it. Yes thats a long time but it would have taken a week with a spade. But technique is everything and mine had to continually change as different strength materials were encountered.

Buckets take an almighty pounding. I can't imagine an adjustable one lasting too long.

Anyway, the point I wanted to make is that (barring some clogging) 9" is a pretty handy size because its wide enough to stand in and clean up the bottom of the trench, or dig under things like concrete strips, with a long handled spade. Any narrower would be difficult.

 

[KWentling]

This is one of those brute force deals, if you need to trench through the woods, start trenvching, stop thinking.

We're talking a little-bity backhoe here. It doesn't have brute force. I too would try the 12" first, but think that is going to be too wide but I don't know his dirt. If he has much for larger roots to deal with, I think he'll be looking for a bigger hoe. And 700' is going to take him days, maybe a week with that hoe. I'd probably try it with the BX but be expecting to need to rent something to do the job.

Kim