Johnny Bucket, anybody use one?

Butch(OH)

Well-known Member
Anybody here owned or been around a Johnny Bucket or similar attachment? Stiener has had a similar attachment for a very long time. I am thinking about one to move things around the yard for the wife like mulch, landscape rocks etc. I see some disadvantages to the design but also some good points. Wont be using it for H-D excavating.
Johnny Bucket
 
I've had had one of these & used/abused it for aprox 8 yrs and used it to to move 40 yrds of topsoil,50 tons 3/4" gravel & constant use for mulch/top soil and lifting/transport of items around house,for it's intended use for light duty use it's well suited for average homeowner but is NOT a johnson/ark loader.

After you get over the inital website hype there are some issues that may/will have to be addressed BEFORE/AFTER buying bucket,following are some things I've had to address over the yrs.

First thing throughly research make/mod tractor you plan to put bucket on,check amp rateing of alt output & CCA rateing of battery,if you put on a tractor that you can't connect to a hyd lift(hydro trans)or tractor with a manual trans & have to use 2 electric actuators(lift/dump)make sure you have a chargeing system with at least a 10A rateing as with a 1/2 dozen/more short duty cycles you'll end up with a weak/dead battery in addition if battery 2+ yrs old consider replaceing battery with one with a 350CCA/higher rateing or the highest CCA rateing that you can get that that will fit into space provided by tractor mfg,many entry/low level lawn/garden tractors only have a 3-5A alt output in which case you'll be hard pressed to operate actuators & maintain battery.

Consider lifting height,on most tractors you are limited to distance between ground/underside of crossmember on front of tractor less thickness of lifting rod/bar for bucket.

If you do buy bucket get tooth bar & bucket doubler(or make doubler out of 1/4"-3/8" ply & a couple of 2"x3" as I did),if you use bucket for wet or compacted mulch/top soil bucket is almost useless without teeth on bucket as running blunt edge of bucket into same does little/nothing in addition if you keep going back & ordering accessories cost of shipping will kill you,also get standard speed actuators,hi speed actuators too hard to control.Order everything at once to save on shipping cost.

Use at least 100# of wheel wts or some type of suitecase or wt box on rear of tractor as when you lift wt of bucket & 40# plus in bucket weight on rear wheel is transfered towards front of tractor & you lose traction especially with turf tires on dry/wet grass,inclines or uneven ground.


Another thing to consider if you have money/space is picking up a used lawn/garden tractor for dedicated use & keep bucket mounted on it all the time,my bucket is mounted all the time on a wheel horse C120 tractor(8 sp manual trans)with 100# of wheel wts & rear bracket with 70-75# of cement blocks plus ag tires.In hindsite if I had it to do over I would have bought a used johnson/ark loader as inital cost of bucket/accessories & shipping high.
 

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