Buckets for 2015 Backhoe

[knute_m]

I have a 2710 backhoe on my little 2015. I bought them new about 5-6 years ago. The dealer was really reluctant to sell me a backhoe bucket larger than 14 inches, as they had just become a Mahindra dealer, and were unsure of how well these machines performed. I did get finally get them to concede to an 18-inch bucket. The backhoe is great. For digging in hard dry and rocky clay, I can fill the bucket with every dip. But, I need a much larger bucket for digging soft moist muck, compost, and similar soft materials that aren't necessarily heavy. The materials are in depressions that are too deep and too steep to use my front end loader for moving the materials.

My nephew stores a Kubota mini-excavator at my place regularly, and I find that his 36-inch bucket, on the mini-excavator, is very good for what I'm doing. But even though it is a "mini" excavator, it takes a lot of patience, and it really takes two people, to use the thing in tight surroundings.

Does anybody know where I might find at least a 36-inch bucket for the 2710? I would want to cut a number of 1-2 inch holes in the bucket to release water when lifting it full of saturated material. Actually, what I'd really like to have is something much more like a landscape rake to replace the bucket. I've been looking hard at my landscape rake, and thinking I could possibly adapt a 3-pt rake to a backhoe connection.

The 2015 is the perfect size for what I'm doing - except for needing a bigger backhoe bucket. A full size backhoe would never fit where I'm working. Even the mini-excavator takes a lot of vigilance to not do damage to itself or the surrounding infrastructure. Actually, I could also probably use a 6-foot FEL bucket to replace the 4-foot bucket, as I'm mostly moving really light, but bulky material.

If something was available commercially, I'd much rather buy, than go through the trial and error of welding on something that is just a figment of my imagination.

Any suggestions?

 

[johnsonauto]

Mahindra did at one time show a 24" bucket for the 2710 not sure if it was ever made or not, I never sold one. The largest that I ever saw was the 20".

Larger front bucket should be no problem, I can see if I could get you a larger Mahindra bucket, but if not we can have one built for you by WR Long.

 

[knute_m]

Thank you for the info. I get to your neighborhood several times a year -- Beacon Falls and Seymour, and to Bethel/Danbury even more frequently. I will stop in the next time we are north to see what we can do.