A tiltrotator lets you tilt the bucket to either side and turn it through a full 360 degrees without moving the machine. It's a big step up for grading, trimming and ditch work, but it also changes what you need from a bucket. A bucket that works fine straight off the dipper can dig in, catch or feel heavy once it's hanging under a tiltrotator.
This guide covers what to look for when choosing a bucket for a tiltrotator: the shape, the weight, the coupler and the size. It also covers when a different bucket makes more sense.
What Changes When You Add a Tiltrotator
A tiltrotator sits between the end of the dipper and the attachment. Most have their own quick coupler underneath, so the bucket fits to the tiltrotator rather than straight onto the machine.
That has two knock-on effects. The bucket now meets the ground at angles a standard bucket was never shaped for, and the tiltrotator adds weight at the very end of the arm before you've even picked up a bucket. Both points shape the rest of this guide.
1. Shape: Why Standard Buckets Struggle
A standard grading or ditching bucket has upright sides and square rear corners. That's fine while the bucket stays square to the machine. Start rotating it through a cut, though, and those corners can dig in and catch, and the sides stop you getting in close to walls, kerbs and posts.
Buckets built for tiltrotators are shaped around that problem. The design came out of the ditch cleaning buckets used on Scandinavian machines, and operators have been refining it since tiltrotators appeared there in the late 1980s. They're often called GD buckets, and a good one has:
- A long, flat floor for a clean, level grade
- Tapered side plates that don't snag as the bucket turns
- Cut-back rear corners so you can work tight to obstacles
- An extended mouth and sharp angles that help with shaping and finishing
- Full-width wear strips on the base, which stop the side plates dragging and leaving lines behind
You'll find all of these on our tilt rotator grading buckets.
2. Weight: Every Kilo Counts
Tiltrotators are heavy, and everything you hang off the end of the arm reduces what your excavator can safely lift and reach with. So the bucket should be as light as it can be without giving up strength. Well-designed tiltrotator buckets keep the steel thin where it isn't needed rather than using heavy plate throughout.
When you compare buckets, look at the empty weight as well as the width and capacity. Then add up the tiltrotator, the coupler and the bucket, and check the total against your excavator manufacturer's attachment limits.
3. The Coupler: Match the Tiltrotator, Not the Machine
This is the easiest thing to get wrong. The bucket has to fit the quick coupler on the underside of your tiltrotator, not the hitch on your excavator. S-type couplers such as S40, S50 and S60 are common on tiltrotators, with the size going up as the machine gets bigger, but check what yours actually has before you order.
If you're not sure, send us your excavator model, the make and model of your tiltrotator and a photo of the coupler, and we'll confirm the fit.
Some tiltrotator systems, such as engcon's EC-Oil, also connect the hydraulics automatically for powered tools. A grading bucket has no hydraulics, so that won't affect which bucket you choose.
4. Size: Go by the Machine, Not the Job
Pick the bucket width for your excavator's operating weight. It's tempting to go wider for grading, but on a tiltrotator the extra width adds weight and leverage right at the end of the arm. As a guide, here's how our tilt rotator grading buckets line up with machine size:
| Excavator | Bucket width | Heaped capacity | Bucket weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2–3.5 tonnes | 1000mm | 202 litres | 132kg |
| 4–6 tonnes | 1300mm | 383 litres | 224kg |
| 6–9 tonnes | 1500mm | 558 litres | 338kg |
| 10–14 tonnes | 1600mm | 694 litres | 462kg |
| 15–18 tonnes | 1750mm | 797 litres | 493kg |
| 18–24 tonnes | 1900mm | 1,376 litres | 931kg |
For standard grading buckets, our guide to excavator grading bucket sizes goes into width choice in more detail.
Which Bucket Should You Use?
Having a tiltrotator doesn't mean every job needs a tiltrotator bucket. Here's how the options compare:
- Grading, trimming and ditch work on a tiltrotator: a tilt rotator grading bucket, the bucket the tiltrotator was made for.
- Tilt without a tiltrotator: a Scandinavian tilt bucket has its own hydraulic tilt, so it works on an excavator with no tiltrotator.
- Levelling square to the machine: a standard excavator grading bucket does the job for less.
- Heavy digging and loading lorries: many operators drop the tiltrotator and put a digging bucket straight on the stick when the tiltrotator would only get in the way.
For more on fixed and tilting buckets, see our comparison of fixed vs tilt grading buckets, and for technique, our guide on how to grade and level ground with an excavator.
Checklist Before You Order
- Excavator make, model and operating weight
- Tiltrotator make and model
- The quick coupler on the tiltrotator
- The right bucket width for your machine
- The combined weight of tiltrotator, coupler and bucket, checked against your machine's limits
Send those details through our quote form and we'll confirm the right bucket before you order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my existing buckets on a tiltrotator?
Only if they have a top bracket that matches the coupler on your tiltrotator. Even then, a standard bucket's square corners and upright sides aren't made for rotation, so you won't get the most out of the tiltrotator.
What is a GD bucket?
GD is the name often used for grading buckets designed for tiltrotators, with a long flat floor, tapered sides and cut-back rear corners. Our tiltrotator grading bucket range covers excavators from 2 to 24 tonnes.
Does a tiltrotator bucket need hydraulics?
No. A tilt rotator grading bucket has no hydraulics of its own. The tiltrotator does all the tilting and turning.
Ready to choose? Browse our tilt rotator grading buckets, or see our full range of excavator buckets.
