ForConstructionPros.com

A general-purpose bucket will typically be of higher capacity. Many are also smooth lipped. If they do have teeth, they are usually wider and closer together to provide added capacity.

"They are meant for black dirt conditions," notes Cliff Gabriel, regional sales representative, Werk-Brau.

General-purpose buckets are typically made of lighter-grade steel. Wear plates and guards can be added for increased durability, and wear straps, if used, will run with the same radius as the bucket.

Heavy- and severe-duty buckets are made of increasingly heavier grade steel, such as T-1 or AR400 or 500, to better withstand abrasive working conditions, including dense clay, sand and gravel, as well as rock, shot rock and stone.

These buckets do not need to be hardfaced; doing so can actually be detrimental. "Welding heats up the bucket and, as it cools, it shrinks and puts stress concentrations on the surface," says Lee Horton, president, Leading Edge Attachments. "These harder steels are more likely to crack under these conditions."