Tore up the 24" backhoe bucket on my CAT 430F. Appreciate suggestions on sourcing another.

My backhoe lives here on my property. Among other things I've been using it to dig through a bunch of decomposing granite. Sometimes it just crumbles, sometimes it breaks out in little chunks, sometimes manageable boulders, and other times I just have to sit there and scratch all around it forever looking for a way in/through. I do have a hammer but it needs a new chisel and it's also a PITA to change it over by myself. This may push me to order up a chisel for it, but it's kind of a separate deal.

Anyhow, yesterday I was making some decent headway through a hard section and I went in to pry at a rock and I ripped the bottom of the bucket open. Pulled about 6" on one side and 10" on the other. The bucket seems to have sturdy sides at about an 1", but the bottom is much thinner at say 0.375". I will most likely weld on this thing and fix it up somewhere down the road, but for now I'm thinking I'll order a new or used bucket that is built heavier and is also not as wide. My hope is that with a skinnier bucket I'll be able to pop some of those rocks out by not having as wide of a bite. Thinking 12" - 18" wide. Leaning harder towards 18".

So question is do I go with CAT or some other brand? Any specific places you like to go to as your first call? Do I tell them I'm looking for an HD bucket?

In searching the net I seem to find that half or better of the attachments and equipment in general say "Call for price". Why would you want to waste time talking to people that have no intention of spending what you're asking? I just can't stand that. They spent the time to upload the information and pictures, but they want to waste your time making you call.

You could try Quest Attachments; I bought a bucket from them for my excavator last spring. For the money it is a pretty decent bucket.

Using a hoe to rip at rock like that is pretty destructive though . . .

Acoals said:

You could try Quest Attachments; I bought a bucket from them for my excavator last spring. For the money it is a pretty decent bucket.

Using a hoe to rip at rock like that is pretty destructive though . . .

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Understood. But I'd have had 3 times as much money in hiring all this work out. If I'd have been renting I'd have spent about 50k more. So at this point while wear and tear is not free, I'm still money ahead.

I'll look at Quest.

Eh just drill stop it, vee it out and weld it up then plate it over.

Have you considered a quick attach ripper and bucket ?

Might just want to weld up your 24" bucket and get a ripper. I built this one on a weekend to tearup concrete . It works great on stumps to. Just used mild steel ,except the tooth which i cut from some 2" Qt 400 and hardsurfaced.The tooth is welded on ,i made extras but havent worn the first one much at all.

Tugger2 said:

Might just want to weld up your 24" bucket and get a ripper. I built this one on a weekend to tearup concrete . It works great on stumps to. Just used mild steel ,except the tooth which i cut from some 2" Qt 400 and hardsurfaced.The tooth is welded on ,i made extras but havent worn the first one much at all.
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What thickness material did you use for the base and the ripper it self? Looking to build one for my Deere track loader w/backhoe attachment.

A good welder can fix that right up in 4 hours. Fit your bucket with pointed rock teeth too.

Vetech63 said:

A good welder can fix that right up in 4 hours. Fit your bucket with pointed rock teeth too.

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IF he can't find one in his area, he should drop it off over here, just will have to drive across MT to get here

I have a 24” for general purpose but for stumps and ledge my 12” can’t be beat. A lot easier to find seams with the smaller bucket and breakout force is more, less obstruction.

Like those diagonal shanks on there. @Tugger2 s ripper is the ticket for many things, probably faster in that material than the breaker.

Tugger2 said:

Might just want to weld up your 24" bucket and get a ripper. I built this one on a weekend to tearup concrete . It works great on stumps to. Just used mild steel ,except the tooth which i cut from some 2" Qt 400 and hardsurfaced.The tooth is welded on ,i made extras but havent worn the first one much at all.
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Nice build!, looks like a well thought out curve profile.

HarleyHappy said:

I have a 24” for general purpose but for stumps and ledge my 12” can’t be beat. A lot easier to find seams with the smaller bucket and breakout force is more, less obstruction.

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Yea a 12" bucket is the ticket. I have one for 590SN and mini ex. When digging through rock or frost its way better than a 24" You can put more psi on a smaller area, maximizing the breakout force you have. Its also nice that you can remove material with it as well.

KSSS said:

Yea a 12" bucket is the ticket. I have one for 590SN and mini ex. When digging through rock or frost its way better than a 24" You can put more psi on a smaller area, maximizing the breakout force you have. Its also nice that you can remove material with it as well.

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you guys have given me an idea. It would take some geometry fun, but picture this:
Your digging bucket on, and a ripper pocket welded to the back of the thumb. Close the thumb tight to the bucket to take the force. Rip and then stow it up put of the way to move the rock.
Take off the ripper by pulling a pin when you need the bucket.
I know, probably muck up the thumb but a guy has to dream.

I just called Milton CAT where this bucket came from trying to see if I could learn anything about it and I learned it's a 30" not a 24" . From the back side it's about 26", but closer to 30" at the front. I swear the guy I bought this thing from said 24" and I just rolled with it. So yeah I'll keep looking for a smaller bucket.

As to welding this bucket up I can do it myself, it will just take me longer as I only have a 200 amp machine. And I'm just slow in general. Definitely won't be a 4 hour deal for me.

Interesting idea, I just don't think a thumb would typically be built heavy enough to manage that. I think you would end up bending up the thumb. If you were trying to pry, you would have to manage the bucket rotating at the same rate as the thumb. If you were really careful maybe, but I don't think anyone would want to jack up a 10-15K thumb when with a QC you can fairly quickly rotate out a bucket or ripper.

If your dealing with that material continually, I would buy a heavy duty 12" bucket and you could yourself or have someone fab a ripper tooth if still needed it. If your not a great wielder, you could take it to a fab shop and see what they would charge to fix it and decide if fixing or buying new is best. Tearing into rock with a 30" bucket must have been very painful.

KSSS said:

If your dealing with that material continually, I would buy a heavy duty 12" bucket and you could yourself or have someone fab a ripper tooth if still needed it. If your not a great wielder, you could take it to a fab shop and see what they would charge to fix it and decide if fixing or buying new is best. Tearing into rock with a 30" bucket must have been very painful.

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It hasn't been awesome...though in some places on the property it just pulls right through.

I can weld it myself it's just the time involved. And like we've been saying, I need a smaller bucket anyway.

I've seen buckets go on purple wave for really cheap, maybe fix yours up and do the softer work and buy a bucket at auction?

Wow, I wish I had a wishing well like some folks do. What would a new cat bucket cost? Wild guess
$10K ? That is such an easy fix for such a small fraction of either a new or used bucket.
I have in the old days fixed buckets in way worse condition. I can't believe someone wanting to replace it with a new one. If fixed correctly it will be stronger than a new one.