Side Cutters...

[Country]

What's your thoughts on adding side cutters to mini buckets? Do they help the bucket penetrate better? Help get a fuller bucket? Worth adding to prevent side wear? Or are side cutters only beneficial on larger machines?...:beatsme

 

[td25c]

It depends what your doing.I like them for grubbing trees & rock out of the ground.I Like a smooth sided bucket when I am laying pipe in a ditch.

 

[digger242j]

Personally, I think a mini is much more likely to be in a situation where you're trying to dig something in tight quarters, and the less there is to snag that gas line or telephone conduit, the better I like it. I don't think they offer enough of an advantage otherwise to make them worthwhile anyway.

 

[strott]

I remove the teeth and sidecutters from any bucket which I will regulary use for excavating in sensitive areas.

When excavating in rocky ground, digging up concrete or pulling up roots/stumps then teeth/side cutters are a must for allowing you to make progress efficiently and without wearing out your machine.

The narrower the bucket the less of a requirement for teeth as the breakout force is concentrated over a smaller area - Its up to your personal requirements though in the end, try it and if it doesn't work you can always bolt the teeth back on!!!!

 

[digger242j]

...digging up concrete or pulling up roots/stumps then teeth/side cutters are a must for allowing you to make progress efficiently and without wearing out your machine.

Now that you mention it, that's another reason I don't like them.

It seems I'm always trying to pick up and move something (a slab of concrete sidewalk for instance), that's too large to fit in the bucket. If I can get beneath it, and get it up and balanced on the bucket sides and teeth, I can do with it what I want to. Side cutters make that a whole lot more difficult.

 

[special tool]

Now that you mention it, that's another reason I don't like them.

It seems I'm always trying to pick up and move something (a slab of concrete sidewalk for instance), that's too large to fit in the bucket. If I can get beneath it, and get it up and balanced on the bucket sides and teeth, I can do with it what I want to. Side cutters make that a whole lot more difficult.

Yup, and you'll never get that big potato in the bucket, either.

 

[strott]

Now that you mention it, that's another reason I don't like them.

It seems I'm always trying to pick up and move something (a slab of concrete sidewalk for instance), that's too large to fit in the bucket. If I can get beneath it, and get it up and balanced on the bucket sides and teeth, I can do with it what I want to. Side cutters make that a whole lot more difficult.

That is a disadvantage as well - I try to compress the concrete/slab between the bucket and dipper arm to hold it in place.

 

[Canadian_digger]

Our 334 bobcat buckets came with side cutters on them. They seem to work good. I never thought of taking them off. It also has a hyd thumb and I find the side cutters help get more bite when clamping down with the thumb.

 

[Country]

It also has a hyd thumb and I find the side cutters help get more bite when clamping down with the thumb.

My experience as well...

I need help on grubbing out stumps and trees. So in my operation I think they're a plus.

 

[strott]

You guys 'accross the pond' seem to love your thumbs,

Here in the UK I barely ever see one on a machine at all, especially a mini. When I do see a thumb it is a fixed one usually on a large machine sorting scrap in a recycling facility!!

I certainly can see the advantages of one though.

 

[Country]

Life without a thumb would be aggravating....:Banghead

 

[Yukon Digger]

Gotta have a thumb.

 

[strott]

I obviously don't know what I'm missing!!!!

 

[Country]

I obviously don't know what I'm missing!!!!

Depending on your machine size, you might be better off staying blissfully ignorant of the wonderful world of the thumb...$$$$$$$$$:drinkup

 

[strott]

Thats what I am telling myself anyway!!

 

[therealjohnboy]

Side cutters are great and aid digging in many ways from trimming along batters to allowing easier passage for the bucket through tight ground and reducing wear.
Also here we dig foundations in 200mm,250mm,300mm,350mm,400mm,450mm, and 600mm widths, depending on what the engineer calls for in his wisdom. side cutters allow for the 50mm width increase without buying more buckets.

 

[ellrod]

I have a fixed thumb "there when I bought it" & using this thing in the monutians I hit lot's of roots. I cut 2 plates out of 1/8 inch stuff that just fit the top of the bucket to make it level just to see if it helped in roots and it was great ! . I took it back to the garage tacked it on a little better, ran 2 beads down the cutting edge, hit it with a side grinder and it works real well. Small roots don't even slow it down now & a 301.8 is pretty easy to slow down Course I am sure when the time comes and I get into rock I will be back out there grinding welds loose to remove the addon to the bucket but so far I have been lucky.

 

[Canadian_digger]

ellrod. Have any pictures?

 

[ellrod]

I can take some. I just purchased this thing and just now getting underway making it usable. You want a pix. of the modified bucket ?? I have done very little work so far, little ditching in the roots and playing. Took 2 days to hit the ground after years of a John Deere joy stick ! now when I get on my little John Deere everybody runs out of reach REALLY
I will take some tomorrow but I just took a plasma cutter and cut a piece of 1/8 inch steel that fit the top of the bucket and tacked it to it to make it level from the back to front and sharpened the weld I put on the edge.. might not be pretty but works real good. I will try to take a pix. tonight when i get in if it's not to cold... We hit 80 on sunday and it was 28 degree's last night and up to about 35 now and colder tonight !!! This global warming is killing me

 

[Canadian_digger]

ellrod. Your cat may have a valve to switch the controls from cat to deere. I just checked cat web site and its standard equipment on the C model. You may want to look into it so your not all messed up when switching back and forth.