Trencher bucket for L3901

[ArtinAz]

I have a 16" bucket for my backhoe & installing a waterline & irrigation line 18" deep. I've already dug the water line with my regular bucket & it took about 11 hrs for 450 ft. and it was hard on my backhoe (ground is soft on top 2"-3' loamy and clay further down). Now I need to dig my irrigation but thinking of doing it with trencher bucket.
Can someone recommend size & type and will it be easier to use vs my 16" bucket? If it will be a better tool, is it a good idea to have a quick attach for the backhoe?

Thanks

 

[Mark_BX25D]

A few months ago I did a few hundred feet of trenches for water lines. Same clay problem. I started out with my 16" bucket, and it was tough going. Switched to my 12" and that was a noticeable improvement. Based on that, I'd say a 6" trencher bucket should be a big improvement for you. If I had another big trenching project I'd sure look hard at one.

The quick attach is nice, but.... well, it's really not that hard to change buckets. If you were going back and forth a lot, I'm sure a quick attach would be worth it. I don't change often enough for it to make sense. If I could afford all of the nice attachments it might....


I also got a nice improvement in my digging ability when I beveled the edges of my bucket. Cleaner trench, too, with less junk falling in.

 

[someguy9000]

I bought the BXpanded trencher bucket (I think 6inch not 4) and the quick attach too for my BH77/3901. No complaints 2 years in. I use the bucket to dig up rocks and stumps all the time. Works great.

 

[ArtinAz]

A few months ago I did a few hundred feet of trenches for water lines. Same clay problem. I started out with my 16" bucket, and it was tough going. Switched to my 12" and that was a noticeable improvement. Based on that, I'd say a 6" trencher bucket should be a big improvement for you. If I had another big trenching project I'd sure look hard at one.

The quick attach is nice, but.... well, it's really not that hard to change buckets. If you were going back and forth a lot, I'm sure a quick attach would be worth it. I don't change often enough for it to make sense. If I could afford all of the nice attachments it might....


I also got a nice improvement in my digging ability when I beveled the edges of my bucket. Cleaner trench, too, with less junk falling in.

Thanks. I have another 700' to do & don't care to use this bucket for the job. The tractor really takes a beating at 18"-24" deep. You have a BX which is much smaller, right? That's a much smaller rig.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

The tractor really takes a beating at 18"-24" deep. You have a BX which is much smaller, right? That's a much smaller rig.

Yes, and while it is slow going, I wouldn't say it takes a beating, at all. It's well within the capabilities of the machine. Parts of my trenches needed to go 48", and most of it was 30". No problem.

When I got the tractor it was for a specific project of about 1,000 feet of trenching. Most of it was 24" deep. Same 16" bucket, because I needed the width for that one.

If trenching is giving your tractor "a beating", something's wrong. Pilot error, equipment problem, something.

 

[fried1765]

A few months ago I did a few hundred feet of trenches for water lines. Same clay problem. I started out with my 16" bucket, and it was tough going. Switched to my 12" and that was a noticeable improvement. Based on that, I'd say a 6" trencher bucket should be a big improvement for you. If I had another big trenching project I'd sure look hard at one.

The quick attach is nice, but.... well, it's really not that hard to change buckets. If you were going back and forth a lot, I'm sure a quick attach would be worth it. I don't change often enough for it to make sense. If I could afford all of the nice attachments it might....


I also got a nice improvement in my digging ability when I beveled the edges of my bucket. Cleaner trench, too, with less junk falling in.

Digging in clay with a 6" trencher bucket?
One bite, then dismount to clean the bucket?

 

[pokey1416]

Try to locate a compatible toothed bucket used and cut the teeth off, works great.

 

[Vigo]

Any type of hard ground will increase wear and tear on the machine, or at least require you to be more careful with it and grease it more often.

I have a 16” bucket as well and dont love it.. I swapped on a ~10” bucket from my buddies smaller machine when i was doing some trenching and it was a huge improvement, and that still wasn’t a true trenching bucket. I actually bought a thing northern tool makes for their towable hoe called a ‘rock grabber’ which is like a fixed thumb and a.. finger? Its like just the back wall of a bucket with no sides and no cutting edge. Anyway, it fits and its useless for anything else so i was going to build onto that to make it a ‘trenching bucket’.

If i had a whole nother regulat bucket that was pretty beat id consider narrowing the bottom to make it a ‘V-shaped’ bucket.

 

[ArtinAz]

Yes, and while it is slow going, I wouldn't say it takes a beating, at all. It's well within the capabilities of the machine. Parts of my trenches needed to go 48", and most of it was 30". No problem.

When I got the tractor it was for a specific project of about 1,000 feet of trenching. Most of it was 24" deep. Same 16" bucket, because I needed the width for that one.

If trenching is giving your tractor "a beating", something's wrong. Pilot error, equipment problem, something.

Well, I say it's taking a beating since it took 11 hrs to dif a 450 trench. Maybe I'm using the wrong term. How long did it take for your trench?

 

[fried1765]

Try to locate a compatible toothed bucket used and cut the teeth off, works great.

View attachment 89351

Kinda depends on the style bucket you have.
I have a 16" Kubota OEM quick attach bucket, that I can use both as a smooth edge, and toothed bucket.
I bought it as a tooth bucket, and had a piece of cutting edge welded across those (3) teeth.

Then I bought 3 extra teeth, ($30 incl. ship) and some extra tooth roll pins.
I can drive the pins out, (use never seize) and take the teeth off.
Then I can swap the cutting edge back and forth with the OEM teeth.
Takes just a couple of minutes, and I now have one bucket, with two different capabilities.

Extra buckets are expensive !
My 16" Q/A OEM bucket now sells for $1428 at Messick's or Coleman etc.
24" = $1843.
Crazy !!!!

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Well, I say it's taking a beating since it took 11 hrs to dif a 450 trench.

Doesn't sound bad to me. It's not going to work as fast as an excavator.

How long did it take for your trench?

Wish I could tell you. I meant to measure and time it for future reference, but I had a lot of interruptions and really don't know the numbers.