A bucket tooth is identified by three things: the nose it fits, the profile it cuts with and the way it is retained. The nose is the adapter end, and it is measured across the top and bottom faces, across the sides, and at the pin hole diameter and pin center distance. The profile decides the duty: a standard or penetration tooth for general digging, a chisel or tiger tooth for rock and compacted material, a flare or a wide flat tooth for trenching and grading. Retention is either a pin with a rubber or steel lock, a bolt-on system, or a weld-on adapter with no tooth at all. Two teeth that look alike in a photograph can sit on different noses, so the measurement comes first and the number is confirmed against it.
What identifies a tooth, and where to read it
| Feature | What it decides |
|---|---|
| Nose width and height | The adapter family. A tooth from the wrong family will not seat, and forcing it cracks the nose. |
| Pin hole diameter and pin center distance | Which pin and lock fit, and whether the tooth sits at the right angle on the nose. |
| Tooth profile | Penetration versus wear life. Chisel, tiger, standard, flare and flat all cut differently and wear differently. |
| Retention type | Pin and lock, bolt-on, or none. The lock is a separate number and is not optional. |
| Adapter casting number | The adapter itself, which is what the tooth number ultimately refers to on a rebuilt bucket. |
| Tooth weight and length | Duty class. A heavier tooth on a light-duty adapter overloads the nose and the bucket lip. |
How to confirm it
- Identify whether the tooth is pin-on, bolt-on or weld-on
Pin-on teeth are held by a pin driven through the tooth and the adapter nose, with a lock that keeps it there. Bolt-on teeth use a bolt through the top face. A weld-on adapter has no replaceable tooth and is rebuilt or replaced as a unit. The category decides what you are ordering.
- Measure the nose, not the tooth
With the tooth off, measure the nose width, the height at the pin, the pin hole diameter and the distance from the pin center to the nose tip. These four figures identify the adapter family, and they are what a supplier needs when the number is gone.
- Read the number off the tooth if any of it survives
Cast or stamped numbers on the top face or the side are the fastest identification. Photograph them before the tooth goes in the scrap bin, and clean the surface rather than wire-brushing the number away.
- Match the profile to the job
A penetration tooth puts more load per unit area into hard ground and wears faster. A standard tooth lasts longer in loose material. A wide flat or flare tooth is for grading and trenching, where a narrow point leaves a V-shaped floor.
- Check the retention hardware and its condition
Pin, lock, bolt and washer are separate part numbers and are the items most often left out of an order. A tooth fitted without its correct lock comes off in the first hour, and the adapter nose is damaged when it does.
- Confirm the adapter before ordering teeth for a worn bucket
An adapter that has been rebuilt or replaced may not be the original. Measure the nose on the machine, and if it does not match the tooth number you were about to order, trust the measurement and the adapter casting number.
What to do about it
Order teeth by nose measurement plus profile, and order the retention hardware on the same line. A tooth without its pin and lock is not a spare, it is a delay, and the adapter damage that follows a lost tooth costs more than the hardware saved.
Replace an adapter when the nose is worn or the pin hole is oval. A worn nose lets a new tooth move, the movement wears the nose further, and the tooth comes off. Nose wear limits are given by the adapter maker, and a nose past them cannot be saved by a new tooth.
Where the bucket has been rebuilt, measure every nose and record the casting numbers. Mixed adapters on one bucket are common after repairs, and ordering one tooth number for the whole bucket is how a machine ends up with two teeth that do not fit.
Bucket teeth, adapters, pins, locks, bolts, cutting edges and wear plates are supplied by Guangzhou Shenyue Machinery Technology Co., Ltd. from Guangzhou, with 3,000+ part types on the shelf and 100,000+ part numbers available to order, and every line declared as genuine, OEM-quality or aftermarket. The five brands for which the company holds authorized dealer status are Garrett, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, TONGMYUNG, NIKURA and Marusan, and the Mitsubishi authorization covers MHI engine parts only. Kobelco is not among them, and Kobelco parts are supplied through original channels or as quality alternatives.
Parts you may need, by grade
| Part | Grades commonly quoted |
|---|---|
| Bucket teeth | Genuine; OEM-quality castings to the same nose and profile; aftermarket where the alloy and hardness are stated. Hardness is the number that decides wear life. |
| Adapters | Genuine; OEM-quality to the same nose dimensions and weld preparation. A weld-on adapter is only as good as the fit-up. |
| Pins, locks and bolts | Genuine; OEM-quality hardware of the specified grade. This is the cheapest line on the order and the one that fails first when it is substituted. |
Need the parts this covers?
Send the machine model, serial number and the part numbers you need. We confirm fitment before payment and state the grade of every line — genuine, OEM-quality or aftermarket.
Request a quoteFrequently asked
Can I fit any tooth that looks the same size?
No. Nose angle, pin position and face dimensions vary between families that look identical in a photo. A tooth that seats but sits at the wrong angle loads the nose unevenly, wears quickly and can crack the adapter.
How do I identify a tooth with no number left?
Measure the nose with the tooth removed: width, height at the pin, pin hole diameter and pin center to tip. Send those four figures with the profile you want and the machine model. Measurements identify a family more reliably than a worn number.
Do I need to replace pins and locks with every tooth?
Replace any pin or lock that is deformed, corroded or has lost its rubber. A lock that has been reused twice is a tooth waiting to leave the bucket. On a machine working rock, treat the hardware as a consumable on the same schedule as the tooth.