Originally Posted by Remington270
Originally Posted by abolt300
Before you start doing any real work with it, install a "bolt on cutting edge" on the bucket while it is still new and the bucket is "true". It will pay for itself again and again and keep you from bending your bucket up when you are working it. Once it is bent, it's bent. Cutting edge is the best money you will ever spend to protect your investment if you are going to really work it. Like some said, keep a disk or bushhog on the back as a counterbalance when working it.

You'll be shocked at what you can accomplish with it once you get used to working it and figure out all the tricks to using it. With the cutting edge on it, you can angle the bucket correctly and just pop off 3-4" pines and sweet gums like they were cut with a saw. We use ours like a mini bulldozer to clear shooting lanes, back drag roads, etc. I'll never own another small tractor (55 hp or less) for woods work that is not 4wd with a FEL.


You talking about a tooth bar?


Nope. It is 5" wide flat bar that runs the entire length of the bucket edge, tempered steel with a 45 degree angle smooth edge on both sides. It is reversible so if it does get too worn, just unbolt it and flip it around. It bolts directly onto the bottom of the leading edge of the bucket. With it installed, it extends out in front of the bucket about an inch and the cutting edge takes all the abuse instead of leading edge of your bucket. It can be unbolted and replaced but we've had ours on it for 5 years now and it has been worked to heck and back and still looks basically unused. Popping the trees off with it is a combination of hitting the tree about 8-10" from the base at the right angle and speed and then dropping the bucket about a quarter of a second after contact. It's a timing thing but once you figure it out, it's a piece of cake. If we are clearing volunteer pines, I dont even bring a saw any more. Just clip them off with the bucket, push them out of the way, then run over the cut stump with the bushhog and fray the top of it up so that it doesnt puncture a tire at a later date. I've gotten pretty good at it but my FIL used to work heavy equipment for a living and he is an absolute master at it. He's the one that showed me how to do it.

Last edited by abolt300; 10/29/18 11:03 AM.