Backhoe Buckets - Are they brand specific

I am about to purchase a Ford 555 loader/backhoe. It currently has a 36" bucket on it, almost new. The seller has offered to put a 24" bucket on it for me if I prefer. I am trying to get a 24" included as part of the deal and have the 36" as well.

That said, one thing we will be doing with our backhoe is digging a pond. I am in Southeast Georgia and the pond location is rock free/clay free soft/sandy dirt. I would like the 36" bucket for that. So if I can't get a 24" bucket form the seller, I will have to look for a 18-24" to purchase. So my question is are the buckets brand specific, or are the backhoe buckets pretty much universal. Can I buy any "Backhoe" bucket and it work on my Ford 555?

Thanks

I also wan to keep the wider bucket for raking the pond banks once it is completed.

Backhoe buckets are very brand specific.
The pin diameters and spacing are what you need to check.
Deere and Case non-super buckets are different pin diameters than supers. Case changed all buckets about K series.
Cat pre-D machines are different than D and beyond. They also they have front and rear pins of different sizes.
Most manufacturers have adapters fir others buckets.
Also many brands have changed their pin sizes and spacing over time, making them specific to a particular model, or series.

Are you going to use bettonite clay or a plastic liner to keep the water from leaking out the bottom of your pond? Sandy loam is going to leak like crazy.

I rented 555's before I bought my 5550, they were all equipped with 18" buckets. Lots of rock and hard pan soils so big buckets on medium spec hoes didn't work. You'll find buckets on Craigslist, usually for less money than dealers want for a used bucket.

Actually I am not sure exactly what type of soil is there past the top soil. The area the pond is going to be dug has a branch running near it that has water in it most of the year. I will likely hit ground water as I dig and that will be the source for keeping the pond full.

I have been looking on Craigs list and there are a few buckets, but non for a 555.

That begs the question, do all 555 models have the same pin dimensions? Can a bucket from a 555C go on a 555? Mine is a straight 555, not a letter model. I need to know what to look for to make sure I get something that fits correctly.

You might be able to find a Wain Roy quick coupler and use that to interchange buckets, Im sure they make them for Fords but not 100% sure. Only down side is I believe you can only run Wain Roy buckets with their couplers (please correct if I'm wrong).

post your pin diameter and post distance between the ears that the pins go thourgh do on both pins my 555a has 1-5/8 in both pins distance between ears both pins 8-1/2 in

Find an online catalog for aftermarket hoe buckets. Then check what they list for 555; if they show the same part number for all the same size 555 buckets, then you know it will fit your beast. Taking a guess, they're all the same for 555. Really no reason to mess with the tooling and parts just to make a different size for each generation.