# skid steer bucket with teeth or mini-excavator?



## sadegs (Feb 20, 2009)

i have a lot of fill that is in a tight spot that i need put in another location on site. the fill is mostly dirt (and some rocks) that was from a foundation excavation last fall.
the dirt hasn't been compacted but in new england it's not soft, sandy stuff. once it gets wet and sits it settles.

i have a bobcat with a straight edge bucket. the problem i found was that the bucket would practically bounce off the mound (no, the dirt wasn't frozen, it was in the fall). i tried to dig into it, scrap it, everything... the wheels will just spin. i can't even get a 1/4 bucket full.

i ended up renting a mini-excavator for a few days which would eat right through it (it had a smaller bucket with teeth).

i was thinking to get teeth for the bobcat bucket (bolt on , or weld on). But, before spending the money... i wanted to see what peoples opinions were on it. 
Will a bobcat with bucket/teeth be able to break through the heavy dirt? Or, will i just be spinning my wheels again?

thanks


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## jmic (Dec 10, 2005)

What you have to do in them situations is not drive head on into the pile but go at an angle just using the corner of the bucket to loosen up the material first.




Welcome to the site.



To answer your question yes you can add teeth which will help but then under other circumstances will be a hindrance.


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## MACEXCAVATING (Nov 24, 2008)

you would be amazed how much teeth help. I really didn't think much bout it until I used a tooth bucket, I was just amazed at the difference it makes like in hard clay dirt or similar. They have the bolt on ones that are fairly cheap, they don't work too bad. I would prefer the actual tooth bucket if you can swing the cost.

good luck:thumbsup:


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## dirt diggler (May 14, 2006)

if you're spinning wheels, then you're likely going into it too fast --- and it's kicking into a higher gear too soon (and thus you're not getting power). Ease off the controls, "push" into it - and at the same time, like jmic says, kinda eat at it and let the bucket wiggle into something, or eat off the corners, etc. Just go in easier than you probably are. When you start spinning, nothing is getting accomplished. Hard to describe ...



Then again, im no operator ... I'll leave before these guys start throwing things at me :laughing::laughing:


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

dirt diggler said:


> Then again, im no operator ... I'll leave before these guys start throwing things at me :laughing::laughing:


We don't throw things at people up here Dirt, us excavators are much more civilized. :laughing:

Actually with the exception of


> and it's kicking into a higher gear too soon


 You gave sound advice.

The only thing I would add is that the OP could possibly rent a toothed bucket for a day or so if it is not something he would use enough to justify the purchase of a bolt on tooth bar, or a toothed bucket.


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## wellbuilthome (Feb 5, 2008)

After i dig a job i like to keep the dirt mound tarp ed so i can move it easy. 
You should be able to push the pile around to soften it up. A toothed bucket will make the skid dig much better. I have bolt on teeth but would get a toothed bucket if i needed one . Its a pain removing the teeth . I dig with mini EX .


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## kapena (Aug 20, 2004)

I often start by angling the bucket blade about 45 degrees to what I want to dig into and I then try to get some of the machine's weight pushing down on the blade as I also begin twisting the blade angle upward and also lifting the bucket a little while going forward. When you get some weight from the fill in the bucket, it gets easier to dig, if you don't run into a good sized boulder, which doesn't have to be all that big for a small machine.


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## sadegs (Feb 20, 2009)

thanks for all the advice guys...
i should probably also mention i have an older (ok, really old) style bobcat. the melrose 500. its big and heavy enough as probably a 743 or so, but not like a 2600lb lifting capacity. it also doesn't have a high gear on it.
i had tried the corner approach as well. if i hit some tree roots or boulders (i'd be rich if i had a dollar for every boulder in this dig), the machine would cry.

i think it will have to be combo of teeth, corner of the bucket, and a helper to pull the rocks off to the side as i'm digging.
i think the key is to get it loosened up.... perhaps with explosives as a last resort:clap:

here's a pic of the dirt. (there is a house where the hole is now).


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## Hanalike (May 3, 2008)

That stuff dont look that hard to dig, try scooping the stuff we got in hawaii! You dont have to hit the pile hard, just lift, apply forward pressure without spinning your tires, and roll your bucket slightly back and forth, all at the same time. The idea is to "work" the leading edge of the bucket into the pile. As you roll the buckett back and forth, it lossens the pile and either goes over, or under any rocks that are hindering the bucket. Pick at the corners like the other guys suggested, and if possible dont scoop from the same spot on the pile twice.


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## SOSPD (Nov 1, 2007)

I would run a mini ex (w/ thumb) to seperate the junk out and loosen the pile and run your bobcat to move the loose material. 2 operators going and you will rip through the pile pretty fast. I use bolt on teeth on my both my mini ex buckets and my skid steer bucket. My thought is they stay on till you need to remove them (never on the bobcat, quite often on the mini ex) but then they go right back on after you are done.


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## wellbuilthome (Feb 5, 2008)

That doesn't look to bad . I think the 743 is kinda small to dig with I had a 753 and would dig into a pile much better . I always clean my fill as i dig . Rocks to the rock pile roots to dump trailer ,stumps in a stump pile. I have a small truck and move dirt wile i dig . If you can work the far side of the pile you can push down hill mush easier . If i run into a hard pile of dirt and don't have the EX on the job, i use my forks to brake up the dirt .


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## farmboy555 (Aug 13, 2006)

I wouldn't have one without teeth on the bucket. I use it 99% of the time on both my machines. I also have a bucket without them. Get a set. dennis:thumbsup:


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## whowaaa (Jan 12, 2009)

*absolutely*

I use a tooth bucket on a bobcat..i can out dig a excavator and load it faster then any of them.. anyway for driveways and things you Can get to easy..other wise the excavator is better..but a tooth bucket works 1000 times better for digging and break concrete or digging rock..and hard pan...i don't use anything else...i even grade with it ..its the angles you have to learn ..then its natural..


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## pdmcgowan (Feb 27, 2010)

We have tried toothed buckets as primary buckets but dont like how they hook things instead of riding over them. You might think thats not a issue tell you "find" a gas line with one. Of course you shouldn't "find" anything but when working with residential you run into shoddy work quite often.


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## CanDoExcavating (Feb 11, 2010)

wellbuilthome said:


> After i dig a job i like to keep the dirt mound tarp ed so i can move it easy.
> You should be able to push the pile around to soften it up. A toothed bucket will make the skid dig much better. I have bolt on teeth but would get a toothed bucket if i needed one . Its a pain removing the teeth . I dig with mini EX .


holy cow I would need alot of tarps!!!!!:thumbup::whistling


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