10 Excavator Bucket Types & How They're Used

The excavator is hands down one of the most popular pieces of equipment used in construction and demolition today. These heavy-duty vehicles are versatile - able to dig, lift, and carry. They run on tracks and are made up of a boom, arm, bucket, and cab, all connected to a rotating cabin that makes it easy to move material from one location to another. Various types of excavators may be utilized on-site, from the high-reach excavator to the mini excavator.

One of the features that helps make excavators so versatile is the bucket. Excavators can support a range of different bucket types based on the task they're performing. In this post, we'll cover the 10 most common bucket types and what they're often used for. Read on to learn more:

10 Excavator Bucket Types (and How They're Used)

There's a bevy of different types of buckets that construction and demolition crews can outfit their excavating equipment with. Here's a look at 10 of the most common accessories and how they're best utilized on the job site.

1. Standard Bucket

The most common type of bucket is what's known as either a "digging bucket" or "standard bucket." Fitting to the name, it's used for digging and standard operations. The digging bucket is unique in that it features teeth on the bucket, which helps it penetrate hard surfaces and better dig into the ground. For instance, on a construction site, a digging bucket is frequently used to dig up and move dirt. On a demolition site, it can be used to dig through debris and lift material into dump trucks to be taken off-site.

2. Rock Bucket

Need to break through concrete, asphalt, stone, rock, or another hard surface? The rock bucket is your best bet. Reinforced with extra materials and outfitted with teeth that can break into and through hard surfaces that the digging bucket cannot, the rock bucket is best used for any project where hard materials need to be broken into or through.

3. Ditch Cleaning Bucket

The unique thing about the ditch cleaning bucket is that it can tilt 45 degrees to the left or to the right so work can be done at an angle. And fitting to the name and how it works, this bucket is an ideal one to use on your excavator if you're working in a trench or on an uneven or sloped surface. It's best used for smoothing out dirt and tends to be commonly used near the end of a project.