I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor.

   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #1  

MarkMac

Bronze Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2022
Messages
74
Tractor
Ford 1100
I use my little compact tractor mostly for odd jobs on my property.

One thing I repeatedly noticed was how small the bucket capacity is, despite the 1000 lb lift capacity.

Bulky things like tree trimmings and horse manure would result in a lot of trips due to volume, not weight,

I finally ordered a snow/mulch bucket, and I gotta say it’s huge and super handy for moving volume. It’ll be my normal loader attachment going forward. I’m really glad I opened up the scope of the tractor’s duty now.

IMG_2553.jpeg


The OEM bucket is 8 cubic feet heaped. The light material bucket is 20 cubic feet, leveled. The OE is 50 inches wide and the mulch bucket is 54 inches wide.

View attachment IMG_2555.jpeg

The angle makes it look absurdly big, but it’s a super useful size for moving light stuff.

View attachment IMG_2556.jpeg


Here shown with manure and random weeds.

I’m really happy I chose to try the snow/mulch bucket.
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #2  
I understand your frustration with a small bucket, but a word of caution: A wide or deep bucket can catch onto an immovable object, like a tree root and tweak your loader arms. I have an 8’ wide high cap bucket for mt Challenger loader, too and it’s easy to see the extra stress it puts on loader arms.
 
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   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #3  
Remember

Sand is Heavy!

Horses for courses.
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #4  
Looks good.

AND you scored a great looking pallet too!
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #5  
Will you be moving snow with it? Snow removal is a big use for my Kioti, and while the bucket is fine, it can lift so much more than the standard bucket holds.

Keep us updated on your long-term thoughts on it, please.
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #6  
That snow mulch bucket sounds like a great idea for handling heavy snow efficiently, especially on compact tractors. I’ve experimented with different tools for winter cleanup, and I’ve learned how much time can be saved when combining the right equipment with reliable materials. Using snow and ice melt products along driveways and walkways after clearing snow helps prevent re-freezing and keeps surfaces safer for longer. It’s one of those small steps that make a big difference in winter maintenance. Pairing mechanical tools with chemical solutions can really optimize results during tough winter conditions.

Post reported for SPAM.
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor.
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I live in Arizona, so snow isn’t really on the menu. I do have horses though, and they crap every single day.

For decades I’ve scooped manure into plastic hefty trash cans. Then I loaded the several full cans into a little garden trailer towed by my ATV (more recently a Polaris UTV), and then took the manure to be dumped.

So dealing with manure meant daily handling and lifting of big buckets. They invariably split over time and then leak horse urine on you each time as you lift them, load them, and dump them.

The OE tractor bucket worked well, but was so small I needed to make a trip daily, and I didn’t like putting the short 5-min work cycles on my tractor every day. Also, the horse urine is corrosive.

Now, with the big bucket, I can haul manure 1-2X per week, and instead of repeatedly lifting manure cans up to waist level, I can just tip them over into the big bucket.

The manure will someday rust out the new tractor bucket. But I’ve reconciled that this is what I bought the big bucket for, and in 10 years I’ll just buy another.

I’m not trying to spam, but the brand I got was a Tomahawk, intended for a “Toro Dingo”, but Tomahawk was willing tondo a special order bucket modified to fit the standard SSQA for my loader. It looks to be well built, only a couple inches wider on each end than my OE bucket, but MUCH deeper.

I can haul lumber in the bucket, tree trimmings, bricks, tools, etc. The geometry seems ideal for the huge volume.
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #8  
Awesome looking bucket.

When I was in high school in the 1980's I cleaned horse stalls for a neighbor who had a 1980's compact Kubota tractor. I would probably make 4-5 trips per stall to dump the little bucket. Never knew better at the time. Your new bucket is perfect for horse soiled wood shavings and whatnot.
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #9  
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   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #10  
I live in Arizona, so snow isn’t really on the menu. I do have horses though, and they crap every single day.

For decades I’ve scooped manure into plastic hefty trash cans. Then I loaded the several full cans into a little garden trailer towed by my ATV (more recently a Polaris UTV), and then took the manure to be dumped.

So dealing with manure meant daily handling and lifting of big buckets. They invariably split over time and then leak horse urine on you each time as you lift them, load them, and dump them.

The OE tractor bucket worked well, but was so small I needed to make a trip daily, and I didn’t like putting the short 5-min work cycles on my tractor every day. Also, the horse urine is corrosive.

Now, with the big bucket, I can haul manure 1-2X per week, and instead of repeatedly lifting manure cans up to waist level, I can just tip them over into the big bucket.

The manure will someday rust out the new tractor bucket. But I’ve reconciled that this is what I bought the big bucket for, and in 10 years I’ll just buy another.

I’m not trying to spam, but the brand I got was a Tomahawk, intended for a “Toro Dingo”, but Tomahawk was willing tondo a special order bucket modified to fit the standard SSQA for my loader. It looks to be well built, only a couple inches wider on each end than my OE bucket, but MUCH deeper.

I can haul lumber in the bucket, tree trimmings, bricks, tools, etc. The geometry seems ideal for the huge volume.

Not too many folks on here seem to have a bulk materials bucket, so it's really nice to get your thoughts on them.

It would be one heck of a timesaver with snow removal, from the way you speak of it.

Arizona, lol, that's a whole different climate from here in Maine. A lot nicer this time of year, I suspect.
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #11  
Not too many folks on here seem to have a bulk materials bucket, so it's really nice to get your thoughts on them.
It would be one heck of a timesaver with snow removal, from the way you speak of it.

I don't know how to attach previous posts I've made, but there are pictures of my home made snow bucket if you are able to look at my attachments. I have a few pictures labeled "quick change". A bucket fifty percent wider (6') cut my snow plowing time in 1/2 on a driveway approximately 300' long by 16' wide.
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #12  
Some parts of Arizona get lots of snow! ❄️

I'm guessing if one could just find a new/used bucket for a bigger tractor with the same type of quick attach system, it would also work?

Not sure of the metal thickness (weight) on either a "special" bucket compared to just a regular bucket for a bigger tractor?
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #13  
I don't know how to attach previous posts I've made, but there are pictures of my home made snow bucket if you are able to look at my attachments. I have a few pictures labeled "quick change". A bucket fifty percent wider (6') cut my snow plowing time in 1/2 on a driveway approximately 300' long by 16' wide.

I tried to find photos looking through your old posts, but you've made a lot of posts. Lol.
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #14  
Computers hate me. If you look at my attachments, rather than my posts, you will find it on the first page.
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #15  
I live in Arizona, so snow isn’t really on the menu. I do have horses though, and they crap every single day.

For decades I’ve scooped manure into plastic hefty trash cans. Then I loaded the several full cans into a little garden trailer towed by my ATV (more recently a Polaris UTV), and then took the manure to be dumped.

So dealing with manure meant daily handling and lifting of big buckets. They invariably split over time and then leak horse urine on you each time as you lift them, load them, and dump them.

The OE tractor bucket worked well, but was so small I needed to make a trip daily, and I didn’t like putting the short 5-min work cycles on my tractor every day. Also, the horse urine is corrosive.

Now, with the big bucket, I can haul manure 1-2X per week, and instead of repeatedly lifting manure cans up to waist level, I can just tip them over into the big bucket.

The manure will someday rust out the new tractor bucket. But I’ve reconciled that this is what I bought the big bucket for, and in 10 years I’ll just buy another.

I’m not trying to spam, but the brand I got was a Tomahawk, intended for a “Toro Dingo”, but Tomahawk was willing tondo a special order bucket modified to fit the standard SSQA for my loader. It looks to be well built, only a couple inches wider on each end than my OE bucket, but MUCH deeper.

I can haul lumber in the bucket, tree trimmings, bricks, tools, etc. The geometry seems ideal for the huge volume.
I've purchased a couple of Tomahawk attachments. The factory is only about 15 miles from where I live so I picked them up there. A lot of Amish workers there.
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #16  
I use my little compact tractor mostly for odd jobs on my property.

One thing I repeatedly noticed was how small the bucket capacity is, despite the 1000 lb lift capacity.

Bulky things like tree trimmings and horse manure would result in a lot of trips due to volume, not weight,

I finally ordered a snow/mulch bucket, and I gotta say it’s huge and super handy for moving volume. It’ll be my normal loader attachment going forward. I’m really glad I opened up the scope of the tractor’s duty now.

View attachment 4383544

The OEM bucket is 8 cubic feet heaped. The light material bucket is 20 cubic feet, leveled. The OE is 50 inches wide and the mulch bucket is 54 inches wide.

View attachment 4383545

The angle makes it look absurdly big, but it’s a super useful size for moving light stuff.

View attachment 4383546


Here shown with manure and random weeds.

I’m really happy I chose to try the snow/mulch bucket.
I would keep the same bucket and go with a Grapple
 
   / I tried a snow/mulch bucket on my compact tractor. #17  
I'm guessing if one could just find a new/used bucket for a bigger tractor with the same type of quick attach system, it would also work?

Not sure of the metal thickness (weight) on either a "special" bucket compared to just a regular bucket for a bigger tractor?
I used the bucket for my M6040 on the L3800 one winter, but its extra weight was hard to ignore, and hard on the little L3800.

Bought a larger cheap and lightweight bucket strictly for moving snow and it was money well spent, speeding things up by quite a bit, while being nicer to the tractor.
 
 

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