We have 4 in 1 buckets on all 8 of our bobcats. We even retro fit a bobcat 4 in 1 bucket to our yanmar v4 loader. Our New holland 90.B backhoe also has a 4 in 1. Very handy for Pad work, trimming and cleaning up spoil. For the backhoe it's great for breaking up hard stock piles to make it easier to pick up a bucket without slamming the machine into it. Rubbish and spoil pick up is where they excel tho. Some of our operators can clean up a site without getting out of the machine. Like some of you have mentioned...opening it up and dragging material away from a fence line is also a very handy tool.
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4 in 1 buckets
- Thread starter deere88
- Start date
stock
Senior Member
I have one on the brothers farm and it is useless has not graded a thing in the 10 years it has being sitting there , absolutely useless but I wont move it until has the job done ,I'd be stubborn that way ,sure it can't even keep the weeds down around it.....bloody useless !
Stock
Squizzy246B
Administrator
Comparing a 4in1 to a GP would be like comparing a Swiss Army Knife to a kitchen knife. It simply has many more uses. I regular do house pads to 1/4" with the 4in1 and have no problem levelling. I don't find the Cat 4in1 has any down side to levelling as against the Cat GP (the reverse really)...I have both, but the GP really only gets used as a mud bucket (concrete or mortar).
The technique to master with the 4in1 is with raising a level. Run forward with the bucket practically on the ground (say 2" off) crowded forward slightly and cracked open. This meters out the soil but the inside edge blades it off as well keeping the machine running on level ground. Then run backblade past the grade stake to see how much you have come up (if you haven't already nailed it). This method keeps the area level as you bring it up....start level, finish level.
If its a production load out of trucks you shouldn't be using a 4in1. Its an expensive piece of kit and loading all day is not its job.
I'm still finding ways to use my 4in1 and I hope I never stop.
The technique to master with the 4in1 is with raising a level. Run forward with the bucket practically on the ground (say 2" off) crowded forward slightly and cracked open. This meters out the soil but the inside edge blades it off as well keeping the machine running on level ground. Then run backblade past the grade stake to see how much you have come up (if you haven't already nailed it). This method keeps the area level as you bring it up....start level, finish level.
If its a production load out of trucks you shouldn't be using a 4in1. Its an expensive piece of kit and loading all day is not its job.
I'm still finding ways to use my 4in1 and I hope I never stop.
AtlasRob
Senior Member
:IMO anybody who thinks they are over rated has not used one for what it is intended.
I agree 100% with Johnny. This picture from my 953B thread shows exactly what he describes. Picture rolling the bucket forward or backwards and imagine what the cutting edge will do.
My dear friend you need to connect it up to something
I find the 4 in 1 is perfect for seperating different materials aswell. Sometimes perfectly good rubble may be up against a truck load of balast.. then you can almost get 99% of it the first go by scraping it off the other material with the 4 in 1 opened up and used as a scraper. As long as all 3 cutting edges are worn evenly (or still there) then trimming and grading should be a walk in the park with a 4 in 1.
JonesBros
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2009
- Messages
- 127
- Location
- Farnham, VA
- Occupation
- Operator/Mechanic/Truck Driver/Fabricator
After owning both backhoes w/ a MP bucket and a GP bucket, I would never tell anybody to buy a GP bucket again! We have them on of course a 963, 420D, 420E, and our little Kubota 5030. Grading...its a dream with it. In all honesty if you can't grade with a MP bucket then your just not doing it right. Its awesome for smoothing up material that have ruts in it, being that the bucket is in front of the tracks/tires it'll keep the ground your running on smooth and you won't have any dipping. It adds excellent weight to the front of a machine too. ESP if you have like a rear mounted motor like a 963, or a backhoe to keep the bucket on the ground and tires well planted.
JS580SL
Senior Member
I grew up with out 4n'1's but the 580 I run every day has one. Best thing since sliced bread. Makes life much easier especially on the road.
blawton_25
Member
Can a 4 in 1 be added to any machine?
AtlasRob
Senior Member
Short answer Yes! but it will need an extra hyd service to operate it and will also be adding extra weight to the front axle if a BHL, if a trackshovel I cant imagine any major problems that a bit more weight on the ass wont cure.
If you talking, skid steer I would expect the same.
spitzair
Senior Member
AtlasRob
Senior Member
Great pics spitzair, another perfect example of one of its hundreds of uses. :notworthy
For the inexperienced just be careful not to overload one side of the bucket when grabbing like shown.
A nice equally sized log like that is perfect. :thumbsup
blawton_25
Member
How hard is it to add an extra service? Or do you have to replace the existing valve?
stock
Senior Member
directional diversion valve
These are used on front end loaders for grapples and such like, the divert the flow from the tilt function to opening and closing the 4 in 1 by means of a push button on the lever.
Simples no.
These are used on front end loaders for grapples and such like, the divert the flow from the tilt function to opening and closing the 4 in 1 by means of a push button on the lever.
Simples no.
nzpatch
Well-Known Member
i love the 4in1 on my cat 216 , can't see me ever not having one, i have two for it now . teeth and a cutting edge. i can see they wood be good on a track loader too.
tripper_174
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2009
- Messages
- 173
- Location
- Manitoba, Canada
- Occupation
- Heavy Equipment Operator Trainer
I agree with surfer-joe. If you're predominately using the loader as a loader then a standard bucket is the tool, loads better, holds more material, material rolls into the bucket better. However, for things like sewer and water, general clean up, landscaping or base and asphalt work its pretty hard to beat. Kind of like a Crescent wrench in a tool box. Handy as heck for lots of jobs.
Wolf
Senior Member
Yeah, Dozerboy is right. The 4-in-1 just rules for demo. It's great on a wrecking machine. What kind of stuff have you demo'ed with the 4-in-1, John? You got any pictures of that?
AtlasRob
Senior Member
Sorry for the very slow reply, I think Stock has about covered it for you though.
You really need to know what services and options you have on the machine.
On one it might be a piece of cake and cost very little on the other hand if you only have a standard valve block and every service is in use then it could prove too expensive.
Normally where there is a will, there is a way
it will depend on how much you want to spend and how professional you want it to look and operate.