Chances are you will be asked, or will have to decide for yourself, what type of GET you want fitted to the bucket.
GET (Ground Engaging Tools) covers a range of components that both assist your machine to dig effectively and also protect the structural components of the bucket from unnecessary wear during service.
GET elements can include teeth, adaptors, lip shrouds, wing shrouds, wear edges and other general wear protection.
As in just about every other decision you have to make about your business, there are conflicting interests that have to be considered and trade-offs that have to be made to arrive at the GET configuration that suits your operation.
The biggest decision you have to make will be between having a bucket that is durable or one that has as much capacity as possible.
Chances are that you will end up somewhere in the middle, but how do you get to that point?
In this article, we`ll go through some of the steps that have to be considered in selecting the GET that is best for your needs.
Step 1: System size
Decide what size system is right for you. This is usually the easiest step because, very often, the decision has been made for you by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
If your machine comes with a bucket that has a 40 mm thick lip as standard, you will be restricted to choosing a system that suits that lip thickness.
Sometimes you have the opportunity to choose for yourself the lip thickness you want to use.
Say you will be digging in material that is very heavy or that will cause a lot of impact during digging.
The standard 40 mm lip might do an OK job for a short while, but it will soon start showing fatigue cracks either in the lip itself or (more likely) beside the welds that attach it or the GET to the lip.
In this case you may consider going to a 50 mm thick lip.
However, remember that going to a thicker lip will increase bucket weight and probably require a reduction in its capacity to keep the total load on the machine roughly the same.
A thicker lip will also mean that the GET required would be bigger and heavier too, which further reduces capacity.
Ultimately, the size of the system you use will be determined by your machine`s weight and, more specifically, its breakout force and the type of digging it will be in.
Particularly for teeth and adapters, but also for other GET components, there will be at least two sizes you can use. A `standard-duty` configuration will usually match the OEM`s regular lip thickness provided with the machine.
There will be a `heavy-duty` (HD) option which will probably still fit the OEM`s standard lip, and then there may also be an `extra-heavy-duty` (XHD) configuration that will most likely require a thicker lip.
The HD and XHD versions are usually also used as standard fitments on machines of the next size up, which can offer the opportunity for a standardised GET fitment across a fleet of machines.
Your OEM will be able to tell you what the machine`s breakout force is, while your local GET representative will be able to provide advice on the size of GET that suits that machine in your type of digging.
Step 2: System type
What type of system do you need?
A sales loader working in light, non-abrasive material may only need a plain lip with a piece of continuous wear edge (such as half-arrow).
If the material is abrasive, a set of cast lip shrouds may be used to create a protective edge across the lip.
If penetration is a problem you may elect to go with teeth and adapters between each of the shrouds.
Your GET sales representative will be able to go
What brand of GET should you buy? Most machine OEM`s provide a good quality, reliable brand of GET with their machines as standard.
Sometimes the OEM has its own line of GET or, in other cases, use GET provided by one of the specialist GET manufacturers.
However, be aware that GET designs depend on the manufacturer and most are not interchangeable.
There are `industry standard` systems that can be provided by many suppliers; however, these tend to be older technology that are not as easy to use or reliable as some of the newer systems.
Newer systems are normally the proprietary designs of the specialist GET supply companies.
Typically, they are more convenient and easy to use than older systems and have other beneficial features such as fewer parts or greater strength.
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| Shrouds that lock behind the teeth leave no gap between tooth and shroud offering complete lip protection. |
They also may provide mechanical (no-weld) attachment of some system components such as shrouds.
The trade-off is in price. The old adage `you get what you pay for` certainly holds true in the field of GET.
Cheaper, generic systems that can be bought from many different sources offer the lowest initial cost and can be easier to obtain at short notice.
However, the reliability of the system and its rate of wear can often result in disappointment later on.
Proprietary `name` brands and systems usually have a higher initial cost but can often pay dividends by providing greater wear life, quicker change-out, easier and safer installation and removal, better factory support and lower total cost of ownership.
Weigh up the options and work with your specialist OEM and GET representatives to achieve the optimum GET design for your machine.
Extra effort now will have a positive effect on your hip-pocket as time goes on.