Moving gravel - should I get a bolt on cutting edge first?

[jmf78]

I have a BX80 series and did not get the bolt on cutting edge. I'll soon be fixing some drainage problems in my yard and this will include moving gravel.
Should I get a bolt on cutting edge prior to moving gravel to protect the stock cutting edge on my FEL?

 

[eipo]

I personally wouldn't worry about it. As long as the gravel is loose and from a pile. If you're going to be scraping up a hard packed area, then it depends on how much you'll be doing.


Sent from a field

 

[bearskinner]

You can definitely cut an edge and dig better with something like a Piranha tooth bar. As for moving gravel, depending on how much and how far, I would think a rock rake, land plane or box blade would work nicely moving some gravel to alter the ground below, than push the gravel back in place

 

[Utopia Texas]

My goodness we worry too much sometimes. I have two buckets on very old Ford tractors, one over 35 years old and the second one over 40 years old. They have been used weekly over the years to move soil, gravel and sand and besides having surface rust and needing paint have no appreciable wear to the cutting edges. They are rinsed out on a regular basis and stored inside with no soil left on their surfaces.

 

[jmf78]

Ok. It will be from a loose pile to dump into location. So it sounds like I should be fine.
Yeah, definitely a silly concern but, after hesitating to ask I figured it'd be better to ask the knowledgeable people here rather than damage a fairly expensive investment. No matter how minimal the damage, if possible, I'd rather not.

Thanks for the feedback, guys!

 

[BAP]

Not a silly concern. The cutting edge on my B2920 is half worn out from 4-1/2 years use.

 

[bearskinner]

I can't even dig in the ground around here without a Piranha tooth bar. We have some hard rocky ground. That's why I got a backhoe!

 

[Utopia Texas]

Not a silly concern. The cutting edge on my B2920 is half worn out from 4-1/2 years use.

Wow! Show us a picture........

 

[jmf78]

Not a silly concern. The cutting edge on my B2920 is half worn out from 4-1/2 years use.

Fair enough. Valid concern but I'm probably over thinking it. I don't do much digging with my FEL and my ground is mostly pretty soft clay with a lot of rocks. But I definitely will get a new cutting edge eventually. I just wasn't sure if I would do the damage by digging into a pile of loose gravel.

I can't even dig in the ground around here without a Piranha tooth bar. We have some hard rocky ground. That's why I got a backhoe!

I've considered the Piranha tooth bar as well. May get that in the future but I'll likely mostly dig with my backhoe.

 

[Tooljunkie]

Co-worker ground off a cutting edge clearing snow. Bucket down,only cutting edge touching and front wheels in air. Doesent take long. Seemed intentional. Almost to the point where i was asked why the wheels were always on the ground when i plowed snow.go figure.

That being said, it will move a lot of material before cutting edge needs replacing.

 

[FrozenInTime]

Have had mine a little over 2 years, moving dirt, gravel, back dragging, etc. The edge is worn pretty good, should have gone with bolt on cutting egde. Got to be careful when hitting my FEL edge with my hand/leg, etc, some sharp areas on bucket from all the abuse.

 

[helomech]

My bucket has been abused for 7 years now. Digging in iron ore a lot. One hole I dug was 30 feet by 100 feet by 6 foot deep. My bucket edge is just fine. I do want a piranha bar, but only to help digging, not to protect the edge of the bucket.

 

[BAP]

It depends a lot on where you are located and your soil types on how fast they wear. I don't think that the cutting edges are made of much more than mild steel. I doubt that they are an abrasive resistant steel.

 

[BX23S-1]

My bucket has been abused for 7 years now. Digging in iron ore a lot. One hole I dug was 30 feet by 100 feet by 6 foot deep. My bucket edge is just fine. I do want a piranha bar, but only to help digging, not to protect the edge of the bucket.

Show us the pics... otherwise we call BS on it...lol

 

[helomech]

Show us the pics... otherwise we call BS on it...lol

There where many many pics, but I can post another. These where probably posted before you ever joined.Part of it is way deeper than 6 feet, and yes it was 100% dug with the front end loader of this tractor.