Do 4 in 1 buckets hold up?

[sqdqo]

I am curious if 4 in 1 loader buckets hold up as well as standard buckets when using breakout force prying etc. Obviously they are more capable but are they worth having or are they trouble?

 

[popsiclepete]

I was told that if you have one and get used to it you'll never have anything else. They should last and work just as good as a regular bucket as the breakout force is from the bucket cylinders and engine HP is it not?

 

[JDOFMEMI]

No problem with the 4 in one. Once you have one you will wonder what you did without it. They dig just as good plus there is nearly no end to what they can be used for.
The only thing you need to watch for is if you grab large items with only one side of the clam, you can bend the jaw. It will take a lot, so you don't need to baby it, but keep an eye out for it twisting as you grab.

 

[Steve Frazier]

The other downside is the weight, they're heavier so you lose a little lift capacity. I feel the benefits far outweigh the quirks

 

[sqdqo]

My biggest concern I guess has been prying or clamping and lifting heavy at the center, How easy is it to bend the bottom of the bucket center?

 

[Deere John]

I have found that the bottom lip is tough - the guy on the seat is the biggest risk to its integrity. If you don't loan your machine or let the $12/hour help run it, it will last.

4-in-1 buckets, as they are heavier, also have less capacity. If you move a lot of light materials, like snow, you may want to get a second bucket for those materials. Moving 1 cubic yard at a time gets old pretty quick when the snow buckets are 2.5 cubic yards.

 

[250c]

I have one on my 250c and love it. That said, anything with more moving parts has the potential of giving you more trouble. Last summer I did manage to tear a line off one of the clamshell cylinders while pushing some trees (operator error lol). The 250c (47,000 lbs) has very powerful breakout power and I've not been easy on mine without any trouble except damaged teeth so I don't think you will have much trouble there. A solid bucket would probably be a better choise if you are only using you machine to load as you do lose a little cap. If your is a farm machine or you do a lot of differant things with yours you will wonder how you ever got along with out a 4n1 before.

 

[Curbster]

I used to feel that these contraptions were a waste of metal, but...having one on my 426C has been the best thing since quick change buckets! Now of course I'd never have one without a 4 in 1. As correctly stated above by JDOFMEMI, if you grab a heavy item, like a log on one side only, you can twist the jaw so the darn thing doesn't close tight after. I am speaking from first hand experience. I had to regrab it with the other side to straighten it back out. LAL! (live and learn) It is great for trimming all the overhanging branches and those nasty rose bushes that get in your way, and you can pick up just about anything with them. Also great when loading dump trucks with heavy items as you can place the bucket quite low and open the bucket to release things. Yes, capacity is less and there are times when I pine for the gp bucket for faster loading...but those thorn bushes sure come out in a hurry with the 4in1.

 

[JGS Parts]

mate be careful who you get the bucket from there is some real crap ones on the market place at the moment got a few mates who brought some cheap ones and they had no end of troubles with them , but if you get a good one they are a good useful tool

 

[JGS Parts]

yeah totally agree with Curbster they bend a lot if you grab something heavy

 

[CJRemod]

Never had a problem bending the clam on my 580sk, only problem I had was finding a replacement metal hydraulic tube for the clam that corroded due to salt. I have two metal beams that I use to make a light duty folk lift —

 

[Drc]

yep, beats getting out of the seat to shovel the last of material into a regular bucket for sure!

 

[HandLogger]

4-in-1 buckets are great

We've got about 2,000 hours on the 4-in-1 clamshell bucket on our CAT 420D and, I have to say that, it's become irreplaceable. We operate the machine in managed forest land -- on the side of mountain -- so the terrain is quite rocky. Consequently, the clamshell has been used extensively for grabbing and moving rock and boulders (that will fit in the bucket). I just moved one yesterday, in fact, that had the rear end of the machine feeling a bit light.

The point is that our CAT 4-in-1 clamshell bucket has been put through some rough duty indeed and it still functions flawlessly. If you find a high quality product, I wouldn't hesitate in attaching it to your machine.

 

[ih100]

In the UK you'll see a backhoe loader without a 4-in-1 about as often as you'll see a flying pig. Same on drotts (as us limeys call track-type loaders). The first one I operated in the 70's had a GP bucket, but since then I've never seen one on site without a 4-in-1. When you've grown up with them, you don't notice the loss of capacity, and I can't imagine not having one. Also in nearly 35 years I've never managed to twist, buckle or otherwise damage a 4-in-1, despite using them on almost every type of work imaginable on a site.

 

[case 580sm]

I'd get one, but there $4000.00 at the dealer. Haven't been any used ones kickin around. Where are other places that I could check for one, new or used decently priced? All I would need to get is front hydraulics in the front so my machine can run the clamshell. I need a standard one with 4 regular mounts on the bucket, because I don't have a quick attact coupler.

Any help would be appreciated,

case 580sm

 

[JS580SL]

Up until I started were I am 4-5yrs ago I never had a 4n'1. Had use them and learned alota tricks. Now after having one on 2 580's I'd never go with out. Do all utility work in the streets and for that a 4n'1 is priceless. It's all in the operator. Charge to hard into a pile of rock or hot top and the back of the bucket will be dented up real quick. Pull to hard on the lip or lift with it sooner or later end up with a nice bow in it.

Use it properly it'll last no problem. I like the case 4n'1 the best but it could be beefed up a bit more.

 

[dwollum]

The only problem I have had with my 4 in 1 is the person operating it! I guess maybe I tend to put more thought into how I approach something I am lifting that is extremely heavy. That might be because it is mine and I will ultimately pay the price but even if I am operating a rental or my companies I try to keep from causing any unnecessary stress to prevent damage.

 

[DMoline]

Snapped another one

I snapped the clamshell off the 426B(7400 hrs) loading out jeffrys pine stumps day before yesterday. I should have been using the trackhoe but there were too many trees and overhead wires. Crap!

 

[robin yates uk]

machine dummies are alive and well all over the world sadly. I watched a guy trying to use the forks as a "new way" to remove a big tree stump. Result, bent front bucket,bent forks and the oak stump looking much the same as before. Another guy using a 12" bucket, tried to reposition the machine by lifting and slewing as normal but he lifted the machine on the bucket teeth causing it to collapse as he moved. So many stories to tell over the years but I never wrote any down. Ah well

 

[Bala]

My 580e has done a lot of hrs and the 4 in 1 is still fine, like anything they must be good quality to last.

for me for general purpose work if it did not have a 4 in 1 it would only be half a machine.