Backhoe What size backhoe bucket?

[CurlyDave]

I wanted a thumb, the dealer had a decent price on a thumb, but said it only came with the 16" bucket.

One of my primary uses will be digging stumps. Does the collective wisdom recommend I get another, smaller bucket also?

If you have a thumb, I don't think you are supposed to use a 12" bucket at all.

On my JD TLB 110, the thumb pivots on a pin which is also the bucket pivot pin. Installing the thumb requires replacing the stock pin with a longer one. You do not really want to do any digging at all with a pivot pin longer than the bucket is wide. If you dig a narrow trench, you will be dragging the grease fittings on the ends of the pivot pin through the dirt on both sides of the trench.

 

[MarcusCarr]

This worked out well. I bought a used TYM backhoe and it came with both a 12" and an 18" bucket. Now if I can just get the subframe fabbed up to my tractor, I will get to try both =]

Marcus

 

[GE222]

Bucket size depends on usage.

Start with the standard bucket unless you are sure that you will require a different with based on your primary application.

My standard bucket is a 16". I have a 9" for water and electrical lines. I am building a frost tooth for rocks and roots. I would like to get or fabricate a wider shallow bucket for grading in the 24" to 30" range.

A wider bucket is ok to use, but use discretion and switch to a narrower bucket when the going gets tough.

I used to deal with several large road contractors. Bucket choice was determined based on application as well as location.

 

[mrutkaus]

Newberry, I have the Woods BH-80X with 9" bucket and factory thumb, it works fine.

Mike

 

[Reg]

I have a 24 and an 18 for my 8 1/2 ft Amerequip (generic) Hoe.
On the way home I got to thinking that I really should have got a 12 and a 24, but I was hauling the hoe and buckets back from Harrisburg PA to Mass and was too far into the journey to turn around a reneg the deal.
I still havn't put the 18 on, it is still "new and unused".
If I had to have just one bucket it would be the 18, but given that I have the 24 a 12 would be a much better choice for a second bucket.
If anyone wants to swap a new/new'ish 12 for an unused 18 you can contact me, the pin for pin compatibility of Amerequip hoes has been discussed here in a few different places, they OEM for Deere, Montana, Branson/Century/Kukje and others that I don't recall right now.