Why do you use a toothbar?

[jimh406]

I’m thinking about adding one just to protect the bucket edge. I’ve seen a lot of videos that seem to imply you can get a lot work done without a toothbar. I don’t think I would necessarily need a toothbar.

It seems a toothbar is good for cutting roots or saplings. That’s not a use I expect to need. Why do you use a toothbar?

 

[Lil Foot]

Ground here is HARD. The Piranha slices it up.

Piranha Toothbar

That Piranha Tooth bar is the shizzle! I take up big rocks like that often. Before I got the Piranha Tooth bar the bucket edge would just slip off the rock without moving it enough to gain purchase to lift the rock out of the ground. Now using the Piranha Tooth bar it gets enough purchase on the...

www.orangetractortalks.com

Post #75, #77, #78, #91, #177
In short, I love mine, it really helps my old B7100 hack it out here in the hard ground.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Did the 'math' 2 years ago and it'd cost me over $456.00 CDN to get one here, so I made my own using steel that was laying around. The BX23S bucket has 7, 5/8" holes so no drilling either ! OK, it's not as tough so I have to regrind 1-2 times a year, takes maybe 10 minutes, so not a big deal.
I make 100-140 cuyds of garden 'triple mix' every season and tt's great at breaking up mulch, compost,dirt,etc. Also good at 'back dragging' to level off plowed areas.

 

[Bmyers]

I have used mine for root work a little. Yet, I have used it more for digging into the soil than anything else. It slices into the hard clay making getting a nice load easier.

 

[PapaJ]

I bought mine because I have an old pile of dirt in the pasture with a pine tree growing out of it. I wanted it to cease existing. I didn't expect super hard dirt to be found in coastal VA, when I am like a mile from the river and 5 from the bay. Well, the Piranha helped, but I have spent a fairly large amount of time stabbing at that dang pile, and it is still there. When I started, it was about the size of my tractor, now its about the size of a couple red wagons. It takes a lot of digging in the same spot to get enough of it loose to get a bucketful.

On the rest of the pasture, and in millings or rock, it's awesome. I've never taken it off since I put it on.

 

[old and tired]

Even though I have welded chain hooks, I find myself using the teeth of the bar to wrap my chain around to pick things up. Also, I have a grapple attached to my bucket and the extra length of the teeth lets me grab and hold more brush per bite!

My very first use of the tooth bar, I stopped at a small rock that I wanted to pop out of the ground. I didn't really know what the heck I was doing... anyway, when I pressed down on the rock, I meant to be in front of the rock so (still pressing down) I backed up and the rock, flipped up and into my bucket without ever getting off the tractor.

Yea, never been able to do THAT again but I thought, OH, heck yea, I like this tooth bar!!

Best feeling ever is when you walk into a tooth... your shin will never forget!!!

(yes, and it also helps a bunch digging in hard dirt)

Forgot to add that my tooth bar cost $100 and I would not have bought one if it was twice that cost (I'm very cheap - my screen name should have been Old and Cheap!!!)

 

[57plymouth]

I have to say that adding a tooth bar to my bucket changed it from pretty much useless to the most handy tool I have other than my vehicle lift. I didn't think it would make much difference, but it did. Honestly, I was very disappointed in the tractor when I bought it before I added the tooth bar.

 

[85Hokie]

Ill say this - first item I bought for my BX, doubles or triples the digging power - protects oem edge - great for backdragging due to 1/2 thick plate on bottom.

If you buy it - you'll see quickly why we all love it and you may not want to own up not getting it sooner!

 

[SRRGC1]

Tooth bars, if used correctly are a great attachment to your FEL bucket. However, if used incorrectly, you can do damage to your FEL hyd. cylinders. I have heard that some dealers/manufactures have concerns over warranty coverage if a tooth bar is know to have been used. Just an FYI.

 

[19thSF]

I agree with all the Piranha tooth fans. I bought it because I wanted a cutting edge, and at the time of purchase, all the great reviews convinced that it was the way to go. It may be a little "pricey" but you will use it a LONG time, and it does a far better job than a regular straight edge could do. I took it off to move snow, and it is going back on as soon as spring arrives.

 

[Oliver]

The bucket on my L is 66". I had a barely used, 48" tooth bar from my old B7500 so I purchased an extra 48" bucket and bolted the tooth bar to it. It's turned out to be really handy having two buckets. I use the 48" one for digging or when I need to do something in the woods because it's a *lot* easier maneuvering with it. The 66" w/o tooth bar for most everything else.

 

[NHSleddog]

Easy full buckets.

 

[D2Cat]

Different types of tooth bars for different types of work. If you wouldn't use one, why buy one? Decide what you are going to be digging then decide which one fits that need. If you're only concern is to protect the bucket edge, I'd not purchase one.

 

[Nicfin36]

Like others, I bought mine to help the bucket dig. I tried to dig with my loader without the tooth bar when I first bought my tractor. It was very lackluster. Others here were saying the Piranha tooth bar would greatly help, and it does, tremendously.

 

[ctfjr]

I guess I took the road less traveled. I purchased EA's toothbar. I didn't get much opportunity to use it for my intended purpose, moving a berm, as the ground froze soon after. What little I did on the berm convinced me it was the right move. I was able to dig into it much easier than just the bucket. Well anything had to be better than just the bucket.
One surprise I got was with frozen piles of snow. We live on a cul-de-sac and the plows really pile up the snow there. With thawing and refreezing they pretty much become icebergs. Now with the toothbar I can break them apart and move them away from the mailbox without beating the crap out of the FEL.

 

[mikester]

I dislike my tooth bar and prefer weld on teeth. I will gladly sell you my tooth bar.

 

[je1279]

I guess I took the road less traveled. I purchased EA's toothbar. I didn't get much opportunity to use it for my intended purpose, moving a berm, as the ground froze soon after. What little I did on the berm convinced me it was the move. I was able to dig into it much easier than just the bucket. Well anything had to be better than just the bucket.
One surprise I got was with frozen piles of snow. We live on a cul-de-sac and the plows really pile up the snow there. With thawing and refreezing they pretty much become icebergs. Now with the toothbar I can break them apart and move them away from the mailbox without beating the crap out of the FEL.

I think I'm going to go with the EA toothbar also as my property is primarily clay, shale and rocks. Talked to them this morning and their current lead time for these is ~4 weeks.

 

[Creature Meadow]

Bought mine to help clean up wood edges where they were encroaching on my garden, roads and paths. I didn't want to just cut of the small trees because that would leave the stumps. Needed it to be clean so I could still drive on it and cut grass in other places. It is awesome for digging up small trees, push on them rotate bucket and out pops the tree, lot of privets here.

Made a new shooting range berm, dug dirt from one part of the farm and hauled to shooting range.

Protects leading edge of bucket.

Digging holes, great for this as well.

When I bought it about 4 years ago figured I would take it off and on depending on what I was doing, wrong! Never have removed it since installing.

If you get one do keep teeth flat on ground, could leave nasty scar if you get to close by accident if it is pointed up as you walk by.

I don't think you will be disappointed, I would buy another one today if mine were to disappear.

Good luck.
Jay

 

[bosifus]

I purchased a blade for the bucket with my BX when I bought it because I have seen the abuse buckets take without them on smaller equipment and the BX loader bucket is pretty light weight in spite of all the work it is capable of. I prefer the traditional straight edged blade type to a ripper.

 

[kris77]

The better question would be....Why NOT use a toothbar??? I didn't have one for the first 2 years of owning my tractor. I finally bought the piranha 2 about a year and a half or 2 years ago and regret not buying it sooner. It allows for better digging, fuller buckets, bucket protection, etc. Just an all around great tool to have. The increase in digging power alone is well worth the price.