Used and Reconditioned Excavator Bucket Buying Guide
Used and Reconditioned Excavator Bucket Buying Guide
All of the digging, trenching, scooping, and scraping done in an excavator is only possible because of the excavator bucket attached at the end of the excavators arm. And since every action will add a little more wear to the bucket, the life of an excavator bucket is always finite.
If your bucket is nearing the end of its usefulness and youre in search of a used excavator bucket to replace it, you might be wondering what exactly to watch for in your search. To help you search and ensure you find the perfect replacement excavator bucket, weve put together this short and simple excavator bucket buying guide.
Used Excavator Bucket vs New Aftermarket Excavator Bucket
If youre in the market for a replacement excavator bucket youll quickly find you have options both for new aftermarket buckets and used excavator buckets. If cost is a factor, the advantages of a used bucket are clear and, because buckets are sold for a variety of reasons from a change in the design an operator needs to a good used bucket outlasting a machine, there are often a wide range of used buckets available. As long as you know what to search for and how to evaluate the bucket, often a great used bucket solution is out there.
To ensure the bucket you find is the one you need, here are 4 simple considerations to watch for in your search.
How to Determine If the Excavator Bucket Will Fit Your Excavator
Your excavator is designed to work with a range of excavator bucket sizes and weights, but every excavator has an upper limit and at a certain weight the bucket will bog down your machine. If youre buying a similar bucket to what you have now, youre generally ok, but be watchful of big jumps in size and weight.
Ensuring the bucket will actually fit and mount to your excavator can be done in two ways: searching by make, model, and serial number or searching by bucket dimensions.
Finding the make, model, and serial number of your excavator is as simple as taking a close look at your machine and matching those specs to a bucket that came off the same machine. With those details, youll be able to search a reputable reseller's database or contact an excavator bucket seller.
However, since many buckets often fit more than one machine, if you only search by buckets labeled for a certain machine, youll often limit your search. With a few simple measurements, you can often open up a much wider range of available buckets.
To search, youll need the size of your pinholes, distance between pinholes, inside width of pin ears, and a few other measurements. To make your search that much easier, weve actually put together a simple measuring sheet and a short explainer. Grab the measuring guide (below) and read that post to make your search simple.
Print Our Bucket Measuring Guide »
A used excavator bucket has just come off a Komatsu PC350. Now, it'll be inspected to determine its usability on another machine.
Check the Condition of the Excavator Bucket
Whether youre searching online or on foot, youll want to take a good look at the condition of the bucket -- a reputable and organized seller will always provide pictures. While some rust is often common, make sure rust hasnt affected the structure of the bucket. If the rust is minor, but you still want the bucket to look new and to be better prepared to avoid more rust in the future, you can plan to paint the bucket yourself or ask the seller about reconditioning the bucket themselves to save time.
Youll also want to look for cracks and holes in the bucket. If youre handy with repairs you can often touch up a bucket yourself, or again ask the seller about reconditioning the bucket. Either way, you should have a clear picture of the condition of how the bucket will arrive before you buy it.
Check the Excavator Bucket Teeth
When you inspect the bucket or its pictures, youll want to take a close look at the teeth -- both to ensure they are suitable for your needs and to take into account their condition. Since teeth and the edge of the bucket can vary in design, youll want a bucket that is suitable for your most common jobs (or plan to change the teeth to suit).
In used buckets, youll often find a wide range of teeth conditions. Take a look at the teeth and determine if theyre not overworn for your work or if you need to plan to replace them yourself or have them replaced in the near future.
This Komatsu general purpose bucket has just been reconditioned. Fresh teeth and a new coat of paint finish it off and now it'll be palleted and shipped to a customer.Determine the Excavator Bucket Design
Since excavators interact with a wide range of materials and perform a diverse set of jobs, the design of an excavators bucket can vary significantly. In your search, youll find general purpose buckets, heavy duty buckets, trenching buckets, and grading buckets. To determine what type is best for you, evaluate the design against your most typical jobs. Remember, though reinforced sides and guards add strength and repel wear, they also add weight, and, in turn, affect the functionality and efficiency of your excavator.
Youll also want to determine the capacity of the bucket and match that to the capacity of the trucks it will be filling and the density of the materials itll be handling.
With a few quick measurements and a good understanding of what to look for in your excavator bucket search, you should be searching (and hopefully finding) the perfect replacement bucket for your excavator, simply and quickly.
If you still find searching difficult, feel free to contact our Parts Specialists -- they can search our deep inventory, as well as, our national parts network. And as a leader in salvaging excavators, we understand what to look for and how best to evaluate our buckets and ensure theyre up to the job for our customers -- just give us a call.
How to Choose the Best Bucket for Your Mini Excavator
After winning a bid for a new job, your next step is to make sure you have all the right equipment. Once you've narrowed your search to a small excavator, the next step is to find the ideal bucket for the job. Selecting the best mini excavator bucket for your work site will ensure that your crew completes the job successfully and efficiently.
TIPS FOR CHOOSING A MINI EXCAVATOR BUCKET
When you start searching for small excavator buckets, you may ask some questions, such as are all small excavator buckets universal? While it may be tempting to use a bucket for all your needs, this can lead to a loss of efficiency as not all small excavator buckets are the same. Before selecting a bucket, consider the following questions:
1. WHAT MATERIAL ARE YOU MOVING?
When choosing a bucket for your small excavator, you must first consider the soil conditions of the operation site. If you work with a variety of soil conditions, such as clay, gravel, sand or shale, you may want to consider using a hard-wearing and durable heavy-duty bucket.
Heavy duty dippers are ideal for workplaces with abrasive materials or heavy excavations. Heavy duty bucket adopts wear-resistant material, which can prolong the normal operation time. Ensuring that your mini-excavator bucket is compatible with the material you need to move is an essential first step.
2. WHAT SIZE BUCKET DO YOU NEED?
Many people believe that the bigger your bucket, the more efficient you are. While larger buckets can hold more material, smaller buckets allow your excavator to circulate faster, especially when lifting heavy loads. To find the best bucket size for you, determine the capacity of your excavator. Then determine how much load you need to move each day and choose a bucket size that can handle those needs.
3. WHICH BUCKET FITS YOUR NEEDS?
The right storage scoop feature can help you do your job more efficiently. When looking for a bucket, look for features such as thicker plates and quality edges to extend the life of the bucket.
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4. ARE YOU ADDING ACCESSORIES?
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Additional resources:Drywall Manufacturing
To enhance your excavator at your work site, you can customize your bucket using a variety of additional accessories. Adding accessories such as bucket teeth to the bucket or changing the edge configuration can improve the operation of excavators in many different soil types. You can also choose to add additional protective accessories to extend the service life of your bucket.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXCAVATOR BUCKETS?
Once you have determined the conditions of the workplace and your requirements, it is a simple process to select your buckets from the many different types available. Different types of small excavator bucket are:
STANDARD BUCKETS
Standard or excavation buckets are a popular choice, with a variety of small excavator bucket sizes to choose from. These buckets are ideal for general excavations and have short, blunt bucket teeth for greater versatility. If you rent a digger without specifying what type of bucket you need, you will most likely receive a standard bucket. The barrel is ideal for the following materials:
- dirt
- sand
- topsoil
- Soil with small stones
- The clay
HEAVY-DUTY BUCKETS
As the name suggests, heavy-duty buckets are ideal for more challenging jobs that require more powerful equipment to carry larger loads. You can also choose to add accessories, such as wear plates and strips, to extend the service life of the heavy bucket. Heavy duty buckets are ideal for moving materials such as:
- Blasting in rock
- The stone
- shale
Heavy and super heavy buckets can handle heavier materials such as:
- The limestone
- sandstone
- basalt
DITCHING OR GRADING BUCKETS
Grading bucket and ditching bucket are essentially the same kind of bucket. The main difference between calling it a ditching bucket and a grading bucket depends on the work you are performing. For example, you will use graded buckets to level and level the ground. Ditching buckets, on the other hand, are what you call graded buckets when you use them to dig ditches or drains. This type of bucket has a smooth leading edge, unlike the sharp teeth of standard buckets.
Graded buckets are ideal for leveling and leveling soil because they are wider without adding weight.Ditching bucket is better for ditch maintenance and construction because of its smooth leading edge. This bucket type is ideal for soil without roots or rocks.
TILTING BUCKETS
One of the most common uses of the tilting bucket is in leveling applications, as it is capable of tilting up to 45 degrees. These buckets also allow excavators to move or shape the land without frequently changing position. Some other applications for this bucket include:
- trench
- Clear the ground or snow
- finishing
- Dig in hard-to-reach areas
CEMETERY BUCKETS
The main use of cemetery barrels is for digging graves, flat bottom ditches, pools and basements. These buckets have a lower capacity than standard buckets and allow the operator to dig holes with straight walls and flat bottoms. Because these buckets are wide and not so deep, they are not ideal for general construction work.
ROCK AND CORAL ROCK BUCKETS
Rock and coralline dipper are ideal for excavating highly abrasive materials such as rock. These buckets are a radical alternative to quickly excavate frozen ground or layered rock. Rock and coral bucket are heavier than other bucket options and have more teeth and wear pads at the bottom to increase digging force.
RENTING OR BUYING A BUCKET?
It's a good idea to rent a excavator bucket instead of buying a new one for your specific needs. If you plan to use the bucket for multiple jobs, you may want to consider purchasing an excavator bucket to save money. No matter which option you pursue, here are some factors to consider before making any financial decisions:
Before making any purchase decisions, your bucket must fit your mini excavator. A heavy bucket can reduce efficiency or damage your machine. Before connecting the bucket to the machine, check the size and weight of the bucket for your excavator to see if it fits. You can also choose to open and close your bucket or dig with your bucket to make sure everything is working properly.
NEED HELP WITH A BUCKET ATTACHMENT? BONOVO CHINA CAN HELP
Learn more about our bucket accessories for small excavators. Please contact us to talk to one of our knowledgeable representatives or order online now!
For more information, please visit 11 Types of Excavator Buckets.
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