Landscaping

How to choose

Work through these questions in order, from the first dig to the finished surface and the machine.

1. 1

   What ground are you digging in?

   For garden beds, paths and footings in loose earth, sand, gravel and firm clay, start with a general purpose bucket on a mini or midi excavator: the GP with a flat top, or the GPL. In sticky clay and wet ground, the BDP mini has a narrow Dutch profile made for that soil. Where large stones and boulders come up, the DS mini has a longer bottom and a larger tip radius, so it digs deeper in one pass and keeps the stones in the bucket.

2. 2

   Do you keep the soil and lose the stones?

   A bucket with an open bottom sorts while it digs. On the GPO and the GPLO, holes cut in the bottom plate let fine soil, sand and water fall through, and stones, roots and debris stay in the bucket. The SGP and the SGPL have S355 steel ribs in place of the bottom plate. The RGPL has steel rods and no bottom plate, so it is lighter at long reach, and it also turns compost and prepares garden beds. On excavators from 10 to 50 t, the RDBF sifts soil from rocks on interlocking steel rods.

3. 3

   Are there roots, stumps or large stones to move?

   The RIP mini opens compacted clay and stony fill, and the same shank pulls roots. A clamp bucket digs and then holds what a plain bucket drops. The CB mini picks up a root, a kerbstone or a pipe, and a double pilot check valve holds the load if hydraulic pressure drops, until you set it down. The CB does the same with stumps and awkward stone on excavators from 10 to 26 t. On a wheel loader, the LSF stone forks carry large stones and boulders, and earth and gravel fall through between the rods.

4. 4

   Is the ground level, or does it slope?

   On level ground and simple slopes, a rigid grading bucket has no tilt joint, so the cutting edge stays fixed to the machine: GD on excavators, GB or GBP on mini and midi excavators. On uneven ground and banks, a tilting bucket sets its angle hydraulically without moving the machine. The GDH tilts ±45°, the GBH and the GBPH up to 45 degrees to each side, and on all three pilot check valves hold the angle. In sticky clay, the SB has a Dutch profile with a wider opening, so the soil falls out when the bucket is emptied.

5. 5

   How flat does the finished surface have to be?

   A grading beam holds a flatter surface than a grading bucket. It is wide and flat, so the edge stays in view across the working width. On mini excavators, the GRB light comes as the standard GRB-MIKRO or the hydraulic GRBH-MIKRO. On larger excavators, the Standard GRB carries a roller, and the hydraulic GRB tilts up to 45 degrees to each side. The GRB and the PS grading bucket both work behind a tiltrotator. With a loader, the FLB is wide and low and leaves an even surface in few passes.

6. 6

   Which machine carries it?

   Match the tool to the machine. On mini and midi excavators: GP-10 to GP-95, GPL-10 to GPL-95, GB-10 to GB-90, GBP-10 to GBP-95 and GBH-10 to GBH-90 from 0.6 to 10 t, GBPH-20 to GBPH-95, GPO-20 to GPO-95, SGP-20 to SGP-95 and SGPL-20 to SGPL-95 from 1.2 to 10 t, GRB light from 0.6 to 7 t. On excavators: GRB midi from 6 to 18 t and GRB maxi from 10 to 30 t, GDH-120 to GDH-400 from 10 to 40 t, GD-160 to GD-400 and SB-160 to SB-400 from 12 to 40 t, PS-160 to PS-300 from 12 to 30 t, RDBF-120 to RDBF-500 from 10 to 50 t. On loaders: FLB from 2 to 20 t, LSF-60 to LSF-160 from 2 to 16 t.