What is an Excavator Riddle Bucket?
Alternative names: Skeleton Bucket, Shaker Bucket, Screening Bucket
You may hear these names being used on a jobsite, but what is a Riddle Bucket? They are basically an excavator bucket with slots in the back to help sort rocks, stones and tree roots from the dirt. This bucket also gets the name Shaker Bucket from the action needed to make the bucket separate the materials. The Riddle Bucket has been designed with a slotted back, also know as tines, to let any fine materials like dirt and small aggregates through. This helps separate larger materials, like bricks, sticks or pipes so that it can be easily disposed of, recycled or reused. Which reduces the price of expensive muck-away.
Why should you use a Riddle Bucket? The main benefit is that it allows builders and contractors to sort aggregate on site, and turn at least a portion of it into useable material, cutting down the need for expensive muck away or skips. But it also means you can sift out any unwanted material from the ground if you want an area that is ready for planting or building.
How To: Use a Riddle Bucket
Now that you know what they are, you are probably wondering "How does a Riddle Bucket actually work?" or "How would I use one on my excavator?". The first step would be to fit the bucket to your excavator as you normally would - either by standard pin mounting to the excavator arm or by Quick Hitch
Once your bucket is securely attached, use the bucket as you usually would to scoop a pile of dirt. When your bucket is full, simply move the crowd control side-to-side, in a quick movement to shake the bucket. As you shake the bucket, the fine dirt and small aggregates should fall through the tines of the bucket leaving any larger objects like bricks behind, inside the bucket. When you are satisfied with the separation, tip the remaining materials into a separate pile or into the back of a truck or dumper so that they can be removed for disposal / recycling.
Will a Riddle Bucket fit my Excavator?
These buckets can be used on all size of excavator. Here at Rhinox, we manufacture the Riddle Bucket for 0.75 - 25 Ton Excavators. Our Riddle Buckets vary in width (24 - 60 inch wide), depending on the machine that it is manufactured for. Of course, it goes without saying that the more material you have to sort, the larger machine is recommended, as the buckets have a larger capacity, and therefore can process a higher volume of aggregate in a shorter time.
The Rhinox Riddle Bucket is made with Bolt-on Teeth as Standard to help penetrate the tough, solid dirt but we can also add a Bolt-on Blade if required - this is sometimes done when a jobsite doesn't allow buckets to be used with Teeth. If you would prefer a blade, contact us via tel: 01430 259259 or email: sales@rhinox-group.com to arrange this option.