Smooth edge bucket questions

[Columbo]

I have final grading and a septic to complete around my house project in the spring. I’ve been considering a smooth edge bucket for these tasks (Cat 311B excavator ). I do not have hydraulics to the end of the stick so it will be a fixed position “cleanup” bucket. After several months of looking I haven’t found many available options locally. So, I have a few questions:

First, would a smooth edge bucket make these job significantly easier?

Second, one of the buckets I often see for sale locally is an EMAQ or Teran brand. They look like imported buckets but the new list price is in my budget. Are Chinese buckets a bad idea for non-commercial use?

Finally, the bucket on my excavator is a standard Cat 36” bucket (including side cutters). Would welding a smooth edge to a few of the teeth to make a removable smooth be an economical solution or would I miss the size or geometry of a 60” cleanup bucket? Pics of my bucket and this idea below.

 

[CM1995]

Since your bucket has side pin teeth just weld a piece of cutting edge on the 2 outside teeth on the top side and you'll have a smooth lip bucket. Knock the pins out of the 2 outside teeth and you're back to a tooth bucket.

We have a 36" bucket for our 305 and did the same. It makes 2 buckets in one and all you have to buy is a the cutting edge and two teeth. We used old teeth since the cutting edge is taking all the wear.

 

[skyking1]

A bigger cleanup bucket speeds up smoothing operations considerably, so that is what you are weighing.
A 60" is big for a 311 and you'd be 'tip city' swinging big buckets of material.
A 48" is the natural choice and you can load trucks etc with it, and sling full buckets around easily enough.
If you go the 60" you will figure out the limitations.

 

[Columbo]

Thanks, both! I had listed a 60” bucket since that was the most common size I saw with the 65mm pins on my machine. But I’ll watch for a 48” bucket.

@CM1995 if I don’t find a cleanup bucket I think I will do exactly what you suggested. Does the different geometry of a cleanup bucket from a standard digging bucket change anything or is it predominantly the smooth edge that makes grading/etc easier?

 

[JaredV]

60" bucket would be just fine if it's not too deep. I've used shallow 60" buckets on 60 size and deep buckets on 200 size machines. I'd go for one if you can find one that is an appropriate capacity and weight for your machine.

 

[KSSS]

This might be specific to my area, but the septic inspectors don't want to see the drain field excavation cut tight with a toothless bucket. The rational being that the effluent doesn't perk as well as when grade is cut with teeth to grade. Regardless of whether that holds everywhere, you really wouldn't need a smooth bucket for this use. I am not sure what final grading your doing with the excavator, but you could probably do it better and faster with a skid steer and not incur the cost of a smooth bucket, unless your just wanting to justify owning one.

 

[materthegreater]

I find the smooth bottom of a cleanup bucket to be just as important as the smooth edge. Depending on the type of material being graded, you can use the heel and bottom of the cleanup bucket to smear material around like a spatula. A fixed bucket will be useful for things like cleaning out ditches but you will be somewhat limited if you try to use it to grade out an area with a variable slope (the bucket will always be in the same plane that the excavator is sitting in so often times only one corner or the other will be touching the ground). It will still be an improvement over a toothed bucket though.

I agree with what some of the other guys said, especially KSSS about a skid steer being a lot quicker. The only time an excavator is better is when the ground is too soft or muddy and the skid steer or CTL can't work without leaving tracks (ruts!). With the excavator you have enough reach to clean up as you retreat through the mud.

Other uses do come up for a cleanup bucket like bulk loose material moving, etc. Like Jared said, the width is only part of the bucket specs. My 6 ton Bobcat came with a 52" wide bucket and it wasn't too big. It was just very shallow. My 48" tilt bucket holds more material because it's deeper. I expect you'll find some variation in what widths and capacities different manufacturers make for your machine. From what you describe, I would think a wider, shallower bucket would be fine for your uses.

 

[CM1995]

Thanks, both!

@CM1995 if I don’t find a cleanup bucket I think I will do exactly what you suggested. Does the different geometry of a cleanup bucket from a standard digging bucket change anything or is it predominantly the smooth edge that makes grading/etc easier?

For what we use it for the edge doesn’t change anything grading wise I can tell. Our 36 is a mini ex bucket so it is shallow already. It’s primarily used to backfill curbs and walks and grade places a CTL won’t fit. It’s almost eliminated any shovel work for us.

We would make an edge for our big Cat buckets but they all have K series teeth.