How To Choose The Right Bucket Teeth

Date Posted: 11 March 2020 

You know what they say, a farmer is only as good as their tools, and bucket teeth are a huge part of getting the most out of your machine. The teeth that come with your Ground Engaging Tool may seem like a miniscule part in the grand scheme of things, but they can have a big impact on the excavation work. It is important that you have the right type of Excavator Bucket Teeth for the right piece of equipment for the right job. Unfortunately, when purchasing an excavator bucket, you are usually provided with the teeth and adapter supplied by the manufacturer. Some companies opt for the cheapest excavator teeth possible to keep costs down and profits up, leaving you with equipment that is prone to breaking, doesn’t work efficiently, and may not even suit your type of work at all. Although bucket teeth are only small components in huge machines, a broken tooth can bring you entire operation to a halt. Choosing the perfect bucket teeth for your machine and your desired job can increase efficiency, promote longevity, and reduce the stress put on your machine.

So, how exactly do you choose the correct excavator teeth for the job?

Manufacturing process – One of the first things to consider when shopping around for bucket teeth is the manufacturing process. The construction of the product will ultimately determine how long it will last, how efficient it will be, the quality of its output, and its strength. In the modern day and age, the majority of bucket teeth are manufactured in third-world countries due to costing reasons. The heat treatment process during manufacturing can affect the wear life, as can the casting process and the moulds used. What you are looking for is a manufacturer or bucket teeth supplier with a good track record and good reviews of strong, long-lasting teeth.

Material – In general, the harder the material that the tooth is made out of, the greater its strength, and resistance against things such as wear and tear, abrasion, and stress. The harder the material, the longer the lifespan of the tooth. There are now modern techniques that combine certain strong materials like austempered ductile iron with special manufacturing, heating, and casting techniques to produce robust but light extraction teeth. These are perfect for medium to high impact digging. Certain materials, such as the ductile iron, are also more resistant to sand, gravel, and rock work, as the broad tip cuts through harder, tightly-packed material.

Wear life – It is important to remember that they very day-to-day job of these excavator teeth is to come into rough contact with other materials, whether it be sand, rocks, dirt, or anything else. Therefore, strength is a key criteria for your bucket teeth. The wear life can be impacted by abrasive sand and other materials, depending on the quartz content. Larger wear surface teeth with last longer before breaking or losing strength, but may be less efficient when working with hard ground.

Penetration – The efficiency of a bucket tooth is often measured by the surface area that actually penetrates the ground. Extra power will be needed from the excavator if the bucket tooth is very wide, blunt, or has a balled surface area. Of course, extra power brings with it more stress on the machine in general, as well as a greater fuel consumption. Self-sharpening teeth now exist to sharpen themselves as they excavate, thus maintaining efficiency. Twin Tiger Teeth, or other sharp variants of bucket teeth, are needed in order to break into hard, tight, and compact ground, including rocky terrain and frozen dirt. The bucket can then power through the material in question with greater ease, making sharp teeth ideal for digging/trenching. However, the sharper the teeth, the shorter the lifespan. They also do not have the ability to create a smoother hole or trench as a blunt tooth could do.

Impact – If you need bucket teeth that can withstand high breakout forces, then you will need to look for those with high impact resistance. These types of teeth are often used when using a machine to dig in hard, rocky, quarry-based areas. However, the correct teeth to adapter partnership is needed for this kind of work, or else the pressure will be pushed back onto the pin, often leading to breakages.

The different types of bucket teeth 

Bucket teeth come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, depending on the price, the machine, and the job at hand. It is important to match the correct excavator bucket teeth types to your personal situation in order to get the best out of the product and to achieve the desired results.

Twin tiger teeth – These have a low wear life, high penetration, and a high impact. The advantages include an impressive sense of penetration and a longer lifespan than the single tiger teeth. However, the disadvantages include a lower sense of leverage, and a higher required machine breakout force.

Single tiger teeth – These have a low wear life, high penetration, and a high impact. The advantages include having the best penetration out of any teeth in frosty conditions, as well as rocky and generally hard terrains. The disadvantages include small wear surfaces and a shorter lifespan than some of the other teeth types.

Rock chisel teeth – These have a high wear life, medium penetration, and a low impact. The advantages include having the best general ability for rocky and hard ground. However, the main draw back of the rock chisel tooth is the price, as it ranks as one of the most expensive out there.

Chisel teeth – These have a medium wear life, medium penetration, and a medium impact. The advantages include being the best all-rounder for a wide variety of things, meaning that if you have great variation in your work, the chisel tooth may be for you. However, the disadvantages include potential poor penetration in hard ground.

Bunyip Equipment have a long and vast history in earth-moving equipment and agricultural industries. We provide the latest equipment, including drills, farming machine accessories, loading ramps, spare parts, attachments, excavator buckets, replacement bucket teeth and more. We pride ourselves on our top-class personal service, as well as our extensive first-hand knowledge and experience in machinery attachments. Despite growing and expanding all the time, we remain a family-owned and operated business in Australia, staying true to our roots. This ensures that, not only do you get a top-quality product with exceptional service, but also a family touch. We see our customers as an extension of the team and are always on hand to take your calls and emails with whatever questions you may have. Knowing exactly which bucket teeth best suit your machine and your desired job can be tricky, even after researching online. We realise that our customers want to talk to an actual expert, rather than a call centre, automated voice, or automatic email reply. That’s why we always take the time to chat to our customers one-on-one, offering you the best product for your individual situation, along with a competitive price.