If you are replacing your bucket teeth and are unsure which bucket tooth brand, model or system you are replacing, it can often be difficult to know which part to order.
There are around 15 different bucket tooth manufacturers in Australia, producing bucket teeth systems that date back as far as the 1970s.
If you order the wrong part it will not fit your adaptor so to help you identify your bucket teeth we have created these five simple steps and a form you can fill in to easily provide us the relevant details.
Our parts identification service also applies to other wear parts. Generally, if you know the dimensions, thickness, length, width and location and size of any holes, we will be able to identify your wear part.
Step 1: Inspect your bucket teeth for a part number
The first step to identifying your bucket teeth simply requires you inspect them for part numbers.
The bucket tooth part number will usually be found on the top or the side of the tooth, however it will often have been worn away, especially if it has had any considerable use.
To counter this, some suppliers – including Cutting Edges – place the part number in a location that is less prone to wear, such as on the back of the tooth or internally, to assist customers with future parts identification.
If you do find your part number, know that Cutting Edges’ and OEM part numbers usually correspond, meaning they can easily be cross-referenced to determine if a corresponding part is available.
If you cannot find your bucket tooth part number, don’t worry, we can still help you identify which part you are replacing using the remaining steps in this guide, or simply fill in the form below.
Fill in this form and we will identify your bucket teeth:
Step 2: What is the machine size and/or model?
Knowing the size or model of the machine that you are replacing your bucket teeth on will go a long way to determining which part is being used.
In machines between five and around 20 tonnes that require smaller bucket teeth, there are around 15 different systems that it could be.
However, if you are replacing your bucket teeth on a 100-tonne digger, then only around six or seven suppliers service that range and it narrows down the possibilities. This is because it becomes harder to manufacture those parts as they require high quality foundries, supply chains and manufacturing systems.
Either way, knowing the size of the machine will help to narrow down and ultimately identify the range of potential bucket tooth parts that you are wanting to replace.
Step 3: What is your bucket tooth locking system?
The next question to answer is to what type of locking system or pin is used to attach your bucket teeth to the adaptor nose?
The pin will usually go through either the side of the tooth base, or the top of the tooth base, and by identifying which it is, we can further narrow down the possible range of bucket tooth parts you are using.
There are also some unique systems such as Cutting Edges’ own R-Lock that eliminate the need to hammer pins, and these systems will be easily identified in Step 4.
Step 4: Take measurements and photos
By taking photos and key measurements of the back and base of the tooth – that is the box section where it is rectangular – we can further rule out several potential bucket teeth in our quest to identify yours.
Key measurements are the width and height of the tooth, from the outside to outside of the casting, along with the depth of the box section of the tooth.
With this information, we should then be able to identify which bucket tooth system you are using.
Step 5: Audit and optimise
Having determined which bucket tooth part(s) you are using, we can then understand where there are opportunities to improve productivity and reduce costs.
If you are using an original OEM part, consider that the cost of their tooth could be five times the cost of an aftermarket tooth, often because they produce adaptors that only their teeth will fit.
This explains how these companies can offer low-cost or no-cost adaptors. They have a monopoly on the teeth of those adaptors and make their money by locking you into their system.
However, people often do not want to be dependent on that one supplier for stock or service and so choose to immediately replace their bucket teeth adaptors to suit more widely available bucket teeth. Others will plan a change of adaptors at the next scheduled maintenance.
Book A Complimentary Wear Parts Site Audit
Cutting Edges offers a complimentary Site Audit and Fleet Review to identify where you can improve productivity, processes and save money by reducing your total cost of ownership.
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