Whether you’re in the industrial or agricultural sector, you know how mission-critical using the right elevator buckets can be to your productivity.
From transporting food items across agricultural and food processing facilities to hauling feedstock through manufacturing plants, many jobs just can’t get done without a reliable elevator bucket system as part of the process. And because each industry has its own unique requirements for material type, maximum capacity, and other factors, understanding your options and choosing the right elevator buckets for your application can be vital to staying up and running.
Maxi-Lift offers a host of elevator buckets and accessories, each designed to meet the needs of your application. Here’s a look at the different types of agricultural buckets available, which ones best suit each industry, and how to choose the elevator bucket that’s right for you.
How To Choose the Right Bucket for Your Needs
Without the right elevator bucket, operations in many industries would come screeching to a halt. That’s why it’s critical to choose the right bucket for your application, so be sure to consider these factors:
- Type of product you’re transporting
- How often your elevator bucket is in use
- Potential for wear and tear
- Material properties of your product (weight, temperature, stickiness, abrasiveness, etc.)
- Application-specific requirements (food-grade safety, corrosion resistance, etc.)
- Cost
Many agricultural applications have specific requirements that make certain bucket types a better option than others.
For instance, high-volume operations may require a greater maximum capacity. Others may require elevator buckets to be made from food-grade safe plastic polymers such as polyethylene, urethane, or nylon, and when economic shipping or space is a concern they may require a stackable elevator bucket. Whichever elevator bucket you choose, proper maintenance is sure to extend its performance and lifespan.
Types of Agricultural Elevator Buckets
Standard plastic, steel, stacking, heavy-duty—each type of bucket offers its own unique advantages, and some are designed to meet the specific needs of certain industries.
- Standard plastic buckets: For industries that only require durable, average-sized buckets, standard plastic buckets provide a cost-effective solution that easily integrates into most standard elevator bucket designs.
- Heavy-duty plastic buckets: If you need to haul larger capacities or loads with more intense properties (higher abrasiveness, heat, stickiness), you may need a heavy-duty plastic bucket that’s built with extra material to withstand wear and tear.
- Metal buckets: Some loads may be especially heavy or corrosive, or may be too hot for a plastic bucket to handle. In those cases, a metal bucket may be ideal.
- Specialty buckets: Some industries may require their elevator buckets to have specialized properties, such as food-grade safe plastic polymers or unique geometries to accommodate irregularly shaped loads. In those cases, a specialty bucket is best.
Elevator Buckets for Grain and Bulk Materials
The grain and feed industries are very diverse, with processors hauling a wide range of materials with varying temperatures, abrasiveness, and consistency. Elevator buckets are made from different materials, which can impact how they hold up to your load. This makes selecting the right elevator bucket material crucial for safely and efficiently transporting your grain and bulk products. The most common elevator bucket materials are:
- Polyethylene, the most lightweight and cost-effective solution
- Urethane, known for its high flexibility
- Nylon, the most durable plastic polymer, highly resistant to wear and tear
- Steel, extremely strong and more durable than plastic bucket solutions, ideal for heavy-duty applications
When you choose the elevator bucket that suits your operations, select a material that aligns with your product’s weight capacity, abrasiveness, and other essential properties. Maxi-Lift is here to help you make the right choice.
Duraplas’ Maxi-Lift Buckets
Maxi-Lift offers a vast selection of agricultural buckets. Designed and manufactured in Dallas, Texas, by a team of expert engineers and designers, these products are all American-made and backed by more than 50 years of industry-leading experience. Some of Maxi-Lift’s agricultural bucket products include:
- Tiger-Tuff and Tiger-CC: With extra material in the corners and prominent stress points, the Tiger-Tuff and Tiger-CC elevator buckets are our thickest and strongest products and designed to withstand wear and abuse.
- HD-Stax: These interlocking elevator buckets have a space-saving design for economical shipping and storage.
- HD-Max: These heavy-duty elevator buckets provide extra durability at a price you can afford.
- CC-Max: The top-of-the-line, heavy-duty CC-style bucket is built with extra material in high-wear areas, so it can withstand the toughest of loads.
From lightweight and compact to heavy-duty and high-capacity, Maxi-Lift’s elevator buckets are cost-effective, long-lasting, and rugged. And with such a wide range of materials, profiles, and capacities, Maxi-Lift is sure to carry an elevator bucket that fits your application.
Elevate Your Operations With Maxi-Lift
Choosing the proper elevator bucket can have an immense impact on your operations. Pick one with the right durability and weight capacity, and you can transport larger amounts of product with greater efficiency, improving your operations. Choose one with the wrong properties, and you could face costly downtime from repairs and even compliance violations.
Maxi-Lift’s team of expert engineers has decades of experience designing industry-leading elevator buckets that meet the needs of a wide number of industries. These agricultural buckets are American-made, cost-effective, and durable enough to stand up to the most daunting loads, and our customer-first approach ensures your satisfaction. If you’d like to enhance efficiency and productivity in your agricultural facility, reach out to Maxi-Lift to elevate your operations.
