Loader buckets are hard-wearing specialist forklift attachments, designed to make the shifting of loose materials as quick and easy as possible.

One major benefit of loader bucket forklift attachments is their slip-on functionality, turning the humble forklift – one of the most common pieces of industrial equipment – into a specialist material handling instrument within mere minutes.

What are loader bucket forklift attachments used for?

Loader buckets, sometimes referred to as bucket loaders (or bucket loader forklifts) and front end loader buckets, are typically used to handle loose or coarse materials, such as aggregates, waste products, liquids, and byproducts created through the manufacturing process.

Materials commonly handled by a forklift with a loader bucket attachment include:

• Dirt
• Crushed stone
• Sand
• Gravel
• Bricks
• Large rock
• Wood chunks
• Bark
• Sawdust
• Factory offcuts
• Liquids

What types of loader bucket forklift attachments are available?

We have two types of loader buckets available at Stratalign – the manual loader bucket and the hydraulic loader bucket.

The primary difference between the two is that the hydraulic loader bucket operates hydraulically, as the name suggests, allowing for easier operation and the lifting and transportation of larger loads, with the hydraulic operation allowing for full backwards tilt making the bucket suitable for liquid products.

However, as with any mechanical or hydraulic system, maintenance is required. This consideration, together with the increased initial investment required for a hydraulically driven loader bucket forklift attachment may push some operators towards the relatively simple, hand-operated manual loader bucket option, which features a driver’s seat pull-cord for the emptying of its bucket contents.

Both loader buckets are slip-on attachments, meaning that it is quick and easy to convert a standard forklift over to a forklift loader, with the changeover taking only a matter of minutes.

The manual loader bucket features a mechanical latch mechanism, whereas the hydraulic loader bucket allows for easy integration to the forklift with the use of “quick connect” hydraulic couplings – without the need for any hydraulic circuitry.

Both buckets are manufactured to last, come with a hardened steel wear edge, and have a galvanised finish.

How big is a loader bucket?

Loader buckets are available in different sizes, with the largest size loader bucket found on the hydraulic model able to take on over twice the volume of material as its manual counterpart.

The exact sizes and volumes of each model are as follows:

Hydraulic loader bucket:

• 1,000kg Safe Working Load
• 0.50 cubic/metre capacity
• 1200mm bucket width

Manual loader bucket:

• 500kg Safe Working Load
• 0.22 cubic/metre capacity
• 1200mm bucket width

Stratalign loader buckets

As New Zealand’s industrial material handling experts, we supply top quality loader buckets for sale, along with a wide range of forklift attachments. We’ve used our extensive industry knowledge to handpick reputable brands that we know are reliable and safe, ensuring our customers get the right lifting solution product, without having to compromise on quality.

As with all of our forklift attachments, our heavy duty forklift loader buckets are manufactured to be long-lasting lifting instruments, designed to help you move with confidence.

A safety note on operating a forklift with a loader bucket attachment installed

In light of the changes to weight distribution after adding a loader bucket attachment, it is advisable to drive and turn slower than normal, with particular care to be taken to ensure that the goods under load in the bucket do not spill out during cornering/manoeuvring or traversing rough terrain.

This is of increased importance when carrying loose loads such as bricks, tiles, or product offcuts, but should be strictly adhered to regardless of the load in question.

Let us do the heavy lifting for you

Loader buckets can play an important role in many material handling operations, but, as with all heavy machinery, care must be taken to ensure that the proposed usage meets the appropriate application and does not exceed technical limitations.

Our knowledgeable team of problem solvers can help you to choose the correct loader bucket setup for your situation, improving the efficiency and safety of your material handling operation by ensuring you have the “right tool for the job”.

Let us do the heavy lifting for you. Contact us today for a consultation and quote.