How to Choose a Skid Steer or Tractor Bucket

How to Choose a Bucket for Your Skid Steer or Tractor

Choosing the right bucket for your skid steer or tractor is essential for maximizing efficiency, durability, and overall performance. With various sizes, profiles, and weight capacities available, selecting the right bucket ensures you get the most out of your machine while minimizing wear and tear. Here are the key factors to consider when choosing a bucket for your skid steer or tractor.

Rated Operating Capacity

(ROC) will determine how much weigh your machine can lift and carry safely. This should be listed in your machine manual or found online. It will include the weight of the bucket so it is an important consideration when selecting the right bucket for your machine. Each of our Buckets will list its dry weight and heaped capacity in cubic foot for all sizes and any add-ons available. Using the bucket's weight and it's capacity you can estimated what a full load of different materials would be with the table below: 

Machine Horsepower

All of our Heavy Duty Buckets and Heavy Duty mounting options available on most buckets are highly recommended for machines with more than 75 hp or any tracked machines. 

Machine Overall Width

Ideally, the bucket should be as wide as or slightly wider than the outside width of your machine’s tires or tracks. This ensures optimal stability and efficiency when grading, digging, or moving material. A bucket that is too narrow may reduce efficiency and cause unnecessary stress on the machine, while a bucket that is too wide can negatively impact maneuverability and put excess strain on the hydraulics.

Bucket Profiles

Click Here to See all of our Skid Steer & Tractor Buckets

• Low-Profile

              General Use Skid Steer Bucket with a low profile that makes it easier to                      get in and out of the machine without taking the bucket off.

• Low-Profile Extended Lip

              On of the most popular buckets, the low-profile extended lip offers the                    benefits of the low profile while keeping the capacity of the bucket high                    by lengthening the lip. 

• Heavy Duty Extended Lip

              Combines the benefits of Low-Profile and Extended Lip, designed for                        higher horsepower machines.

• High Volume Material

              Can be used for livestock feed, light snow removal, or general landscaping

• Compact Tractor

              Ideal for general use with compact tractors & small skid loaders.

• High Capacity & Super Capacity Snow

              Designed specifically for removing snow or other light materials.

• Skeleton Rock

              Ideal for clearing land and moving large objects without taking soil with                  them.

• Material Long

              Designed specifically to clean up material that accumulates under                              conveyors in quarries.

Example

Finding a bucket for a Bobcat T300 with a ROC of 3000 lbs, 81 HP, and a overall width of 78" to use predominantly for moving dry, loose earth (approx. 76 lbs/cu. ft.)

• Since the machine is both tracked and over 75 HP we know that we'll need the HD Mounting Package at a minimum.
• With a Overall Width of 78" we should look for a bucket between 78"-84"

The 78" Berlon Heavy Duty Extended Lip Bucket weighs 891 lbs and has a Heaped Capacity of 25.5 cu. ft. so a full load of loose dirt should weigh around 2829 lbs. along with the bucket. This is just shy of the ROC for the T300, making it an efficient match for the capability of the machine.

 This bucket also matches the machine width perfectly and comes standard with the HD Mounting Package, making it a great match for the machine.