Skid Steer Auger Buckets

Auger Buckets Provide Cement Delivery For Your Skid Steers

When it comes to mixing and dispensing heavy, viscous yards of concrete with a skid steer, nothing works better than an auger bucket. But an auger bucket does more than concrete work. It also eliminates the backbreaking labor of mixing, transporting and dispensing wildlife feed, sand, asphalt, agricultural grains and washed gravel (3/4 in. maximum). Good auger buckets have a quick-attach frame on either side to control the discharge from the left or right and come complete with a 2- and 3-ft chute, hoses and couplers.

When purchasing an auger bucket, you will need to make a decision on a mixing or dispensing bucket. Seeing how the mixing bucket is only a few hundred dollars more and does both jobs, most customers will choose the mixing bucket so they can handle any task. To operate the auger bucket, you will need a skid steer with a minimum of 12 gal per minute (gpm). Always operate the bucket at idle speed. As you add heavier materials, you may need to increase the speed so the auger will not stall. Operating the auger in reverse will mix your materials. Once you have the consistency you are looking for, stop the auger. This will hold the material inside the bucket. Transport the material to the desired location and run the auger forward to empty the material from the bucket.

The applications for the auger bucket are many. Some customers use the auger bucket on a feed lot to mix and feed livestock. Others have used the bucket to mix their own concrete by combining sand, aggregate and cement or by simply using bags of mixture. This gives you complete control of the slump, and you never have to worry about the quality of the concrete in the truck traveling from the plant to your jobsite. Several people have mixed their grass seed and fertilizer and dumped it into a spreader. You can use it for sandbagging to prevent flooding. Use it to line landscape beds, driveways or mailboxes with decorative rock or fill the bucket with corn and refill deer feeders which are normally 6 to 8 ft tall. Asphalt companies have used the auger bucket to patch roads, bridges, parking lots and lots more. The auger bucket can also be used to reach difficult areas for footings, slabs, sidewalks, fence posts, sign posts, deck posts and piers. Auger buckets make great rental tools.

A rental business would need to make sure the bucket is cleaned thoroughly between rentals to ensure longer auger and bucket life. Most concrete trucks cannot get to many locations due to the size and weight of the trucks, so the auger bucket can save time and money and eliminate the need for a pump truck. They are also mostly maintenance free. There is usually only one grease zerk used to lubricate the motor seal. The zerk is typically located in the motor mounting plate. Grease the motor seal after every 40 hours of use. Thoroughly clean the auger bucket after each use and apply a water based, non-corrosive releasing agent. On site, dump 5 gal of water in the bucket and run it in reverse to get most of the material out of the bucket. This will allow the bucket to be transported back to the shop where it can be hosed out completely. Just remember: Do not allow concrete to dry or water to freeze in the bucket.

If you take care of it, an auger bucket can be a great addition to your skid steer’s attachment arsenal. Most auger buckets have a half-yard capacity. A half yard of concrete weighs around 2,000 lbs and can be emptied in about 50 seconds. The bucket capacity can be increased to 3/4 yd as long as your skid steer can handle the extra weight. The bucket also has the ability to self load from loose piles. This unique implement does a lot of work. If you’re in the concrete business, you should definitely check one out.