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"Bucket teeth plate"

Cartoondude135

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 6, 2019
Messages
75
Location
Canada
I haven't found the proper name for this device, but please bear and help me. Occasionally, I see buckets (typically small or trenching digging buckets) with some sort of metal plate welded onto 1, 2, or 3 sets of bucket teeth. What is the purpose of this device? The only theory I can come up for this thing as an amateur is it can allow me to dig a clean floor or bottom for my hole/trench as- I'm pretty sure you've all noticed this by now when digging, but- I won't say this sounds crazy, so I'll just say it. But bucket teeth leave dirt behind whenever they gouge into dirt. So with this plate thing on it's bucket teeth, it minimizes material lost in digging.

And very very rarely, I see big cleanup buckets converted with/to have 7-9 bucket teeth with that plate thing also.
 

Ronsii

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
3,464
Location
Western Washington
Occupation
s/e Heavy equipment operator
We have removable plates for almost all of our buckets.... I guess we might be considered amateurs by some ;) the boss has been digging since the 60's maybe before!!! I been digging since I could hold a shovel... heh heh

A bucket with teeth does not necessarily have to leave tooth marks in the bottom of the trench... I dig utility trenches all the time without leaving tooth marks on the bottom :) It's all in how you dig ;)

The main reason we have plates is we do a lot of repair work... and that involves digging around/under/between/etc... existing utilities and if you are using a toothed bucket you have a way bigger chance of *hitting* and breaking something compared to using a plate.
 
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Ronsii

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Jun 26, 2011
Messages
3,464
Location
Western Washington
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s/e Heavy equipment operator
I think it's also a cheap way to make a clean up style bucket without having to buy another bucket.

That is correct but not why we do it, I made this removable plate for our cx60c it's a 24 or 26 inch bucket and the only time the plate isn't on it is when we are just doing bulk digging with no chance of hitting anything, takes about 5 minutes to change the plate out with the two outer teeth using the new 1/4 twist pins for the teeth... pop the two outer pins out - knock the plate off - put the two outer teeth and pins on and bingo!!! you're ready to go :)

twofoot-smoothedge-cx60c.jpg
 

DMiller

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,425
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
If can find them either used or NOS surplus, bolt on cutting edges work well for this, pre beveled and already heat treated for abrasive work. Who cares if have bolt holes, do not affect working with them.

I got lucky a guy had bought surplus bolt on edges from MODOT at a sale, I got what he had left 1" thick 10" wide and over seven feet long.
IMG_1653a.jpg
 

DMiller

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Feb 21, 2010
Messages
16,425
Location
Hermann, Missouri
Occupation
Cheap "old" Geezer
:eek:, you caught ME!! That is a cart I use around the shed, engine driven welder sits on it most days and is already back on it!!
 

Ronsii

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
3,464
Location
Western Washington
Occupation
s/e Heavy equipment operator
Heres one i did for a customer. He seemed fine with the plate on the bottom of the teeth. I like how yours is on top ,looks good for material flow into the bucket.View attachment 203206
The boss always wants them on the top, we do a *lot* of demo work and he's used a few in the past that were on the bottom that flew off :eek: I told him my welds wouldn't do that ;) but he still want them on the top... the plates between the teeth on that are just welded to the edge of my plate and are 3/16... just keep the dirt from falling through like a lot of the rental machines we use with plates.
Also do a lot of this kind of thing pinching heavy things so plate on the face is kind of a failsafe :) Pic from this morning.
kennys-rocks.jpg
 

Tugger2

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
1,366
Location
British Columbia
I usually burn mine out of QT 400 material. The old track cutter and torch does pretty good .You have watch those buckets that have the corner teeth splayed out on them. The plate wont just slip off if you weld it on them. P6291769.JPG P6291770.JPG
 

Ronsii

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Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
3,464
Location
Western Washington
Occupation
s/e Heavy equipment operator
Yeah, I've done a few buckets like that...our cx36b had a couple buckets with outer teeth angled a bit but I still made them work... had to do a little internal grinding on the plate teeth ;)
 

Centexhoe

Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2016
Messages
5
Location
Texas
Occupation
Crane operator, Crane mechanic, welder, machinist
I think these were originally designed to dig and clean grade beams for pouring concrete where it is specified. Then everybody figured out they do clean up real nice as well. We build buckets with chamfered plates up higher on the bucket for making chamfers on the top of grade beams also.
 

Ronsii

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Jun 26, 2011
Messages
3,464
Location
Western Washington
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s/e Heavy equipment operator
As luck would have it we had to rip some asphalt today :) and the plate just wasn't cutting it fast enough ;) so..... off with the plate and on with the teeth!!!

Here it is removed top and bottom :) I used some grader blade that's why you see the holes I had to fill.
plate-cx60-24inch-bottom.jpg
plate-cx60-24inch-top.jpg
And rip away!!! Notice the smooth passes Cartoondude... just depends on how you dig with it.

tooth-rip-smooth.jpg
 

Tugger2

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
1,366
Location
British Columbia
Do you ever use one of those pavement cutting wheels that clamps on your cutting edge . They are about 12" dia. and work with down pressure from the excavator. We made one years ago, cut the blade out of a disc of 3/4" 500 brinnel plate on the lathe .
 

Ronsii

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Jun 26, 2011
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3,464
Location
Western Washington
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s/e Heavy equipment operator
Have seen a few of them in action look like they work pretty good but would depend on the material being cut...always meant to make one up most guys around here made them from flywheels, this stuff is very alligatored and patched up there really isn't a need to 'cut' places. we're just ripping out the really bad sections that might need a subgrade fix before the grinder gets on it. Most of this farmland has between a foot or two of cement treat done to the base but there are usually utility trenches through that where someone didn't do a proper job of backfill :rolleyes:
 

cuttin edge

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
2,690
Location
NB Canada
Occupation
Finish grader operator
There was a guy on here looking for something like this. I tried to explain it, if I had seen this I could have sent him here. Now I can't find the original post. Really need to lose the flip phone and get something with a camera
 

heymccall

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2007
Messages
5,349
Location
White Oak, Pa
Cat sells a K series tooth that doesn't need to rotate to install, specifically for those who need to weld a plate across their teeth.
We utilize a welded on to the teeth edge when digging near, or locating gas lines.
 

cuttin edge

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
2,690
Location
NB Canada
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Finish grader operator
Cat sells a K series tooth that doesn't need to rotate to install, specifically for those who need to weld a plate across their teeth.
We utilize a welded on to the teeth edge when digging near, or locating gas lines.
yeah we used to do that all the time. most of our 25 ton and smaller machines have quick attach and carry both a tooth and a ditching bucket with them all the time. Someone had posted in another section wanting an idea for a removable plate and I was trying to describe it to them.
 

dirty4fun

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Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
1,188
Location
N. IL
Do you ever use one of those pavement cutting wheels that clamps on your cutting edge . They are about 12" dia. and work with down pressure from the excavator. We made one years ago, cut the blade out of a disc of 3/4" 500 brinnel plate on the lathe .
I bought a asphalt cutter on an auction, it works pretty good, it the asphalt is still solid and a few inches thick. Make a couple passes and it's through especially when it is warm out.
 
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