Tough little dirtbucket with teeth!

[jimgerken]

After battling with the big 62" wide standard bucket on my little John Deere 4100 with 410 loader for a few years, I decided I needed a smaller and tougher tooth-equipped bucket. Went out and found locally the 2-part digging teeth.

 

[jimgerken]

...And then bought the right cutter bar for the teeth, and got the stock for the bulk of the bucket too.

 

[jimgerken]

This stock was too much for my bending equipment, being 10 gauge (0.135"), so I took it to a local shop and had the bending done. Here you see the bent result, setting next to the stock bucket, which I am sort of copying.

 

[jimgerken]

Then I layed out the side panels and cut them with the plasma cutter, of 3/16" steel.

 

[jimgerken]

...and began tacking it all together...

 

[jimgerken]

detail shot.

 

[jimgerken]

Lathe turned the pins for the quick-attach feature, and TIG welded them to some mounting plates.

 

[jimgerken]

Then I fabricated the upper mounting bracketry. These gussets were also plasma cut.

 

[jimgerken]

Rear side view, bucket basically completed. I still have to weld on the teeth, to do this weekend.
Not shown details include two seperate torsional-strength adding elements welded in. One in back lower corner, one in the inside top.

 

[scott_vt]

Afternoon Jim,
Very nice job !!! What size is the new bucket ? I read that the other bucket was 62", just curious what size this is ? The fabrication was super !