How to Fit Bucket Teeth to a 4-in-1 Bucket

Date Posted:22 March 2017 

To fit bucket teeth to a 4-in-1 skid steer or ‘bobcat’ bucket there are two main points to consider: the width of the bucket and the lifting capacity of the machine.

Generally buckets up to 1600mm wide will be fitted to machines with a lifting capacity of 800kg and lower.  For buckets up to 1600mm wide we recommend 5KC3SB teeth as they are strong enough to withstand the lifting capacity and horsepower of the host machine, while still being economical in price. 

         

For larger buckets fitted to larger machines we recommend 18TL teeth.  These are much stronger and will be able to cope with the higher horsepower and larger lifting capacity of the host machine.

         

Both teeth systems are fitted to the bucket via welding a ‘single strap’ adapter to the leading cutting edge of the bucket.  Single strap teeth are recommended as they leave a clean finish when using the bucket for scraping.

To fit the bucket, we recommend the following steps:

1)      Clean off any paint, rust or dirt from the bucket cutting edge.

2)      Mark out even divisions with chalk on the bucket for the quantity of teeth that will be fitted to the bucket. 
          Use a square against the cutting edge of the bucket to mark the divisions.

3)      Remove any paint from the adapters that will be welded to the bucket. 
​          Don’t forget to use the correct PPE when doing this.

4)      Place the bucket on a flat surface.  Fit the teeth without locking pins to the adapters, and place adapter assemblies in the correct position on the bucket. 
          We recommend angling the outside teeth towards the edge of the bucket as seen in the photo.  This will help the teeth cut in use.

5)      Pre-heat the adapters with an oxy-acetylene torch.  This is not 100% necessary but it will help if using a smaller welder to weld the teeth.

6)      Tack weld all adapters into position and remove the teeth from the adapters.

7)      Completely weld the bucket teeth along the left, right and rear of the adapter.

8)      Wait until the adapters have cooled, then fit the teeth with locking pins to the adapters.

Use the chart below to help determine how many teeth you need to use on your 4-in-1 bucket:

Width of Bucket

Quantity Of Teeth

Type of Teeth

Up to 1100mm

5

5KC3SB

1100 to 1300mm

6

5KC3SB

1300 to 1600mm

7

5KC3SB

1600 to 1800mm

8

18TL

1800 to 2100mm

9

18TL