How to Choose the Right Excavator Bucket

Vikfin is one of the leading suppliers of used parts for 20 and 30-ton excavators in South Africa. We have general purpose buckets and quick-couplers in our Durban and Cape Town workshops ranging from R15,000 to R45,000. In this blog, we will help you find the right bucket for your excavator. At the end of the blog, you will find a sample of three of the general-purpose buckets we have in stock.

When selecting an excavator bucket, the first step is to consider the job you need to do. An excavator can do anything from digging trenches and laying pipes, to landscaping and moving soil. Several bucket types enable an excavator to handle various materials within these applications. While there are also many specialty buckets available, the five most popular buckets include:

General Purpose Buckets

This is the most versatile bucket and is appropriate for many excavating tasks. It is also known as a digging bucket, and it is the standard attachment that comes with an excavator. If you rent an excavator without specifying a bucket, you’ll probably receive a general-purpose bucket. It comes with short, blunt teeth that work great on soil and are available in many sizes for various applications.

Grading Buckets

These buckets stand out for their smooth edges, wide construction, and flat cutting edges. They are typically used for landscaping and road construction.

Heavy Duty Buckets

They are usually made from high-strength, abrasion-resistant steel. Because of their superior durability, these attachments are often used in rock quarries to load trucks with high-density material in fewer passes.

Trenching Buckets

They work well for narrow trenches. They have a narrow shape, a sharp, flat blade, and an extended front section for better access. This tool can dig deep trenches while maintaining a fast cycle time.

What to Look for when buying a Used Bucket

Cracks, bends, and dents: The weld points on the bucket may develop cracks, dents, or bows. A fissure in the welding will appear to have a fringe of rust.

Rust: This is one of the signs of excessive wear in an excavator bucket. If you spot rust, consider whether you can refurbish it or if the bucket is in too poor condition.

Worn teeth: Excavator bucket teeth material is low alloy steel made for strength and durability. Over time, if the bucket teeth are worn, they will take on a half-moon shape. Worn teeth are still operational, with some reduced efficiency. If the teeth are worn down, you may consider investing in replacement teeth or plan to replace them soon.

Fit: A bucket that’s too heavy for your excavator size will be inefficient and even damage your machine. Once you have checked to ensure it is the correct size and weight for your excavator, attach it to ensure a proper fit.

Play or movement: Once the bucket is attached, try to open and close the bucket. Check for looseness in bushings, pins, or couplers.

Selecting and Excavator Bucket Size

Most construction projects benefit from a bucket that will increase productivity by reducing the number of passes the tool needs to make. Select the biggest excavator bucket that won’t compromise efficiency—except when you have a particular size requirement, like when digging a trench. Remember that the bucket you use on a 20-ton excavator would be far too big for an 8-ton excavator. A bucket that’s too big will require the machine to do more work, and each cycle will take longer, reduce efficiency, or cause the excavator to topple over.

Note on Quick Couplers

Quick couplers (also called quick hitches) are used to allow the rapid change of buckets and attachments on the machine. They remove the need to use hammers to manually drive out and insert the mounting pins for attachments. They also bring with them additional safety risks that must be overcome by careful design and manufacture, and proper use. Excavators have many types of bucket attachments and can hold other attachments such as rippers, augers, rakes, and grapples. Being able to switch out accessories around your job site is crucial. A quick coupler lets you easily switch between many types of tools and buckets.