With so many bucket options now available, it’s easy to pick the biggest bucket that best fits your machine and hope for the best results. Fortunately, there’s a better strategy — start with these simple questions.

1. What kind of materials are you carrying?

Material density plays an important role – perhaps the biggest role – in bucket selection. A good strategy is to choose buckets based on the heaviest materials you work with most of the time. If you’re using a variety of lighter materials, an all-purpose bucket might be a good choice, but you may need a heavy, extreme, or strict version for sturdier work. There are also plenty of specialist options available, so talk to your equipment dealer about what material is best for you.

2. What size bucket do you really need?

It is a fallacy that bigger is better. A small bucket can dig out a large one which is very heavy and difficult to pass through the material, allowing the equipment to circulate faster. Using drums that exceed the recommended capacity can accelerate wear, shorten component life, and possibly lead to unexpected failures. The costs of repairs and downtime may offset the short-term gains of scaling up.

If you want to increase your productivity, follow these four steps:

Determine the capacity of the machine you load.

Determine how much weight you need to carry each day.

Select the bucket size for the ideal transfer match.

Choose a machine that can hold it.

3. Which bucket is designed for your needs?

Barrels are barrels, right? Wrong. Quality matters, and the right features can help you get things done in less time for less. Looking for:

Harder, thicker plate material. You’ll pay more for it, but your bucket will last longer.

Higher quality edges, side edges and teeth. They will pay for themselves in terms of productivity, reusability and ease of installation.

Fast coupler. If you change buckets often enough to allow the operator to make the switch in seconds without leaving the cab, it can be a big productivity booster.

Add-ons. Bolted teeth and cutting edges can make a bucket more flexible, wear protection or additional protection can reduce damage and extend the life of the bucket.

Don’t let the wrong bucket choice hamper your productivity, increase your fuel burn or cause premature wear and tear. Entering the bucket selection process with a policy — the policy that starts with these three questions — is key to finding the best fit for your application. These techniques for matching bucket types and materials can also help.