How to Choose Bobcat Bucket Teeth for Loaders & Excavators

Pointer 1: Examine Your Bucket 

 If you’re new to researching teeth, it’s important to understand how they attach to your bucket. Most teeth attach to a shank, which is typically welded or bolted onto the bucket cutting edge. Depending on the shanks, there are specific pins required to hold the teeth on the shank, as well as a unique selection of compatible teeth to choose from. Knowing what style or type of shank is on your bucket can help you purchase the right parts. 

Excavator Buckets 

 Although most Bobcat excavator trenching buckets come standard with weld-on shanks, Bobcat does offer buckets with bolt-on shanks for excavators smaller than the E26. Not surprising, weld on teeth offer better performance in high breakout force applications.

Bobcat currently offers three weldon tooth configurations for use on excavator buckets: standard tooth, tiger tooth, and twin tiger tooth. All are designed to suit a variety of digging requirements. For other applications such as grading, backfilling, or leveling, Bobcat offers smooth lip excavator buckets which do not require teeth.  

Loader Buckets  

Bobcat loader buckets come predrilled with holes that enable a variety of ground engagement tools to be used. While customers can use their bucket as is, it’s recommended to add teeth for certain job applications to maximize the loader’s performance. Loader bucket teeth are designed so they do not protrude below the cutting edge which allows for a smooth grading job.

Bobcat currently offers five bolt-on tooth configurations for use on loader buckets: standard tooth, longer forged tooth, wider forged tooth, tiger tooth, and the twin tiger tooth. 

Pointer 2: Match Teeth to Your Job Application

Download Our Bucket Teeth Buying Guide

Standard Tooth

The most versatile option, the standard tooth’s multipurpose and general-duty functionality make it a quick and efficient choice for most general-purpose loading, hauling, and excavation ground engagement applications. Available for either excavator or loader buckets, this standard bucket tooth is approximately 4.5 inches long. 

Longer Tooth

This longer forged tooth is approximately one inch longer than the standard tooth at 5.5 inches and is only available as a bolt-on option. The shape of this tooth has been changed to increase the life and wear of the tooth, which adds efficiency and enhanced performance for most basic loading, hauling and excavation applications. 

Wider Edge Tooth 

When you’re not looking to penetrate the ground, the wider edge bolt-on tooth is a great option. Measuring in at 5.5 inches long and 4.0 inches wide, this tooth is designed to protect your bucket’s side edges and best used to add efficiency and extend the life of the bucket side and front edges. 

Tiger Tooth

This sharp, narrow, pointed tiger tooth is best used for applications that require maximum penetration for severe impact digging, rock, tightly compacted soils, hard pan, clay, and frost. Available for excavator or loader buckets, this tooth can be used with twin tiger teeth or installed between for superior penetration of hard or frozen surfaces. 

Twin Tiger Tooth

If you’re looking to gain an edge over your competition, the twin tiger tooth is installed at each end of the bucket and cuts a path for each bucket side. Two are required per bucket and are designed for penetrating frozen, rocky ground, shale, or hard pan. On the plus side, when the outside point is worn it can be reversed to the other side of the bucket for extended tooth life. 

Pointer 3: Purchase the Correct Assembly Parts  

Now that you’ve chosen the teeth that will best suit your job application and verified they’re compatible with your bucket, it’s time to order and install.

If you’re purchasing bolt-on, you need two nuts and bolts to connect the shank to the bucket and a flex pin to hold the tooth on the shank. For weld-on shanks, a roll pin is used to hold the tooth to the shank. If you’re replacing worn or broken teeth, it is recommended to replace the pins as re-using pins may increase their likelihood of falling out.

Bobcat’s bucket teeth are easy-to-install and can be removed and replaced with just a wrench, hammer, and a punch to remove the pin. You can you purchase parts individually or buy the complete tooth assembly online at shop.bobcat.com or contact your local dealer.