Anyone used a serrated bucket edge on a smaller tractor?

bcp · Sep 13, 2015

Not on construction equipment. How do you think it compares to a conventional tooth bar or Piranha bar.

Bruce

Tractor Seabee · Sep 13, 2015

I made a pretty aggressive tooth bar for my BX. It is now a digging machine where it would just slide over stuff before.

Picture is working over a logging slash pile to extract firewood pieces.The pile is on a slope so had to crave out a terrace to work from. Teeth also help in picking up logs with the bucket.

I spaced the teeth on the bar so the clamp on forks go between the teeth. I have 4 forks; they can pickup quite a load of branches and brush in lieu of a grapple (wish list).

Ron

LD1 · Sep 14, 2015

I think it would dig just as good. Biggest drawback I see is not being able to replace a single tooth if bent or damaged

N2DFire · Sep 16, 2015

bcp said:
Not on construction equipment. How do you think it compares to a conventional tooth bar or Piranha bar.

Bruce

Hey Bruce,

I guess to be fair you would first have to decide what you want to do with it before you can make a fair comparison. I wouldn't want to try and make a living as a mechanic with just a multi-tool and I wouldn't want to carry a 300+ piece tool set camping either.

My opinion (and it's worth exactly what you paid to get it LOL) - the Piranha Bar is the multi-tool of bucket edges. The multi-tool isn't going to work as well as a full assortment of specialty tools would, but in most cases it will do well enough to get you by; and for most people and what they are doing that's enough.

Now in the interest of full disclosure - I've never used a bar like you are showing but .... we just added a Piranha bar to our bucket a few weeks ago and I do have some limited experience & knowledge of the construction / earth moving industry.

So far we have used our bar for "basic digging" / dirt moving, grubbing small dead stumps, and clearing some small saplings (1-2" spruce, scrub pine, etc)

My thoughts:

Basic Dirt work - unless the ground is just super extremely hard, I don't see the pointed teeth of a Piranha bar or Construction style teeth being any big advantage. Any type of broken edge should bite into the dirt better than a smooth bucket edge.

Stump grubbing - I think the Piranha would have a very slight advantage over the serrated due to the pointier teeth taking a slightly better bite. I think both would win hands down over construction teeth due to the closer spacing and getting more teeth on the stump.

Ground cover clearing - Again here I think the Piranha has the slight advantage due to the wedge shaped teeth grabbing the trees / scrub and pulling them up. I think the serrated edge and construction teeth would have to work a little more and move a little more earth to accomplish the same job. If that's not an issue then it negates the Piranhas advantage.

For rougher clearing / moving work like Ron is doing - I think wider construction teeth or the squared off serrated edge might be better because you are less likely to have material hang up in the teeth.

Hopefully if this didn't answer your question, it at least gave you something to think about.

Ruger761 · Oct 28, 2015

I've had a Piranha now for about a year or so. I won't go back to a smooth bucket except to fit my forks. It's been one of the best attachments I have. Moved large gravel, tore out large trees, cleared brush, dug water line ditch, graded large areas with it, and dug large enough holes with it that the entire tractor would fit in. No way I would have done most of this without it. Next project is to make new forks to fit over it do I don't have to take it off