| The design of mechanical diggers has evolved since | | | | surfaces they normally have teeth similar to the |
| their creation in the late 19th century. As more tasks | | | | general purpose buckets. |
| are carried out by heavy machinery and the | | | | Dedicated Bucket |
| manufacturing processes improved, the ability to | | | | These excavator buckets also have teeth, like the |
| tailor the attachments to specific jobs became more | | | | general purpose buckets and replaceable wear plates |
| elaborate. The excavator bucket attaches to the end | | | | like the ribbed bucket. |
| of the boom (the articulated arm protruding from the | | | | Grading Bucket |
| front or rear of a machine). Nowadays there are | | | | This type of excavator bucket has a sharp edge |
| several commonly used excavator buckets which are | | | | with no teeth which make them ideal for carving |
| used to perform particular tasks. | | | | gradients. The main difference between these and |
| General Purpose | | | | ditch maintenance buckets are the drainage holes |
| This design is intended to be useful for most | | | | which make up a larger area on the grading buckets |
| excavation tasks. These buckets normally have teeth | | | | which further reduces the weight. |
| at the front which help to get purchase underneath | | | | Grain / Potato Shovel |
| the material that needs to be moved. This allows the | | | | This type of excavator bucket aims to reduce |
| bucket to cut through earth more easily than a flat | | | | potential damage to crops during transit by having a |
| fronted excavator bucket by dragging it toward the | | | | rounded leading edge. They may also include wear |
| machine. | | | | strips from the toeplate to the back of the shovel |
| Ditch Maintenance | | | | which can be replaced to prolong the service life. |
| These excavator buckets are intended to move | | | | Rehandling Bucket |
| loose surfaces and carve gradients into landscapes. | | | | This type of excavator bucket is normally used for |
| They normally have a straight front edge which | | | | loading tasks. The leading edge may have a drilled |
| makes them ideal for clearing away the surface | | | | toeplate which allows teeth to be fitted for tasks |
| rather than cutting through it. Due to the flat front it | | | | which require the bucket to cut through the material. |
| makes this kind of bucket unsuitable for heavy | | | | Rolled backs make it easy to release the material. |
| digging. They will also normally be fitted with drainage | | | | Quick Hitch |
| holes which reduce the weight and make them easier | | | | Most excavator buckets can be used with quick hitch |
| to work with in areas where water may have | | | | mechanisms which allow the operator to interchange |
| collected. | | | | attachments quickly. They are secured to the dipper |
| Ribbed Bucket | | | | arm with two pins which can either be released |
| This type of excavator bucket is specifically designed | | | | manually by the operator or remotely with a hydraulic |
| to work with backhoe machinery which drags the | | | | ram. These mechanisms enable operators to change |
| bucket along the ground behind the vehicle. The | | | | attachment more frequently but have also caused |
| outer of the bucket is fitted with wear strips which | | | | many accidents resulting in serious or fatal injuries. |
| give it the ribbed effect for which it was named. | | | | The majority of these accidents have been |
| These offer a surface which is designed to be worn | | | | attributed to semi-automatic systems which require a |
| from dragging. These plates can then be replaced | | | | pin to be removed manually before the operator |
| which extends the working life of the bucket. As | | | | released the bucket remotely. |
| these buckets can be used on a multitude of | | | | |