Every load of dirt trucked off-site and every cubic metre hauled back in is a cost that erodes project profits. Transport fees, tip charges, fuel, and labour add up quickly, but many contractors accept these costs as part of the job, not realising that the right excavator accessories can reduce them or even eliminate them altogether.
Screening buckets are among the most valuable excavator attachments available to Aussie contractors. These nifty little accessories turn your excavator into a mobile material processing monster, capable of screening, separating and tidying up materials on-site. The savings can be massive – some operators have reported knocking off up to 80% of their material transport costs.
What’s a Screening Bucket and How Does It Work
REMU Blade Screen Tech – The Lowdown
REMU screening buckets – developed by the Finns over 30 years ago – take a totally different approach to material screening compared to the traditional kit. Instead of relying on vibrating screens or spinning drums, REMU buckets use rows of rotating shafts fitted with special blades. As these shafts spin, the blades create an up-and-down motion that separates fine material from larger lumps.
This blade-screen technology handles materials that’d jam conventional vibrating screens. Wet, sticky soil passes through with ease because the spinning blades actively move the material, rather than relying on gravity and vibration alone. The result is reliable screening performance under any conditions.
Loaded Up vs. Trommel Efficiency
Tradie-style trommel screening buckets can be filled to only about a third of their capacity to prevent material from becoming trapped in the drum. REMU screening buckets load quickly because the blade screen design operates from top to bottom, processing material that way. This fundamental difference means higher throughput per go and significantly improved productivity.
A typical processing cycle takes about a minute per bucket load, and output rates range from 10 to 250 cubic metres per hour, depending on the bucket size and the material type. For contractors used to the limitations of conventional screening gear, these figures are a game-changer.
Where Do You Use Excavator Screening Accessories?
Topsoil Prep and Landscaping
Landscaping contractors and developers often need to obtain clean topsoil free of stones, roots, and debris. Rather than importing expensive pre-screened material, a REMU bucket lets you process the soil you have on-site to meet the right spec. Stones and large lumps are separated and can either be used elsewhere or discarded in smaller quantities than if you were trucking away entire piles.
The ability to create high-quality on-site landscaping soil reduces costs, eliminates logistics hassle, and often yields better results than importing materials from who-knows-where.
Recycling and Waste Management
Construction and demolition waste is chock-full of valuable recyclable materials mixed with unusable waste that needs to be separated. REMU buckets do this job a treat, sorting crushed concrete, timber waste and mixed demo material into usable fractions. On-site processing lets you recycle material that’d be too hard to haul to a centralised facility.
Green waste and composting operations also benefit from screening bucket capability. Councils and commercial composting facilities use these excavator accessories to efficiently process organic material, separating finished compost from material that requires further breakdown.
Pipeline Padding and Civil Work
Pipeline installation requires specific bedding and padding material to protect the pipes from damage. The REMU PD Series padding buckets are specifically engineered for this job, processing excavated material into suitable padding that meets pipeline specs. Adjustable blade spacing lets operators control output particle size – usually 20mm or 24mm, depending on what’s required.
This capability eliminates the need to import padding material and dispose of excavated soil, resulting in substantial savings on large pipeline projects with massive material volumes.
Choosing the Right Screening Bucket for Your Excavator
- Match bucket size to your excavator’s weight class for optimal performance and safety
- Consider the type of material and desired output size when selecting blade configurations
- Look at blade options: general-purpose screening blades, aggressive blades for sticky crap, block shafts for specific jobs
- Factor in processing volume requirements to make sure you’ve got enough throughput capacity
- Check compatibility with mini excavator attachments if you’re running smaller machines
The Business Case for Buying a REMU Bucket
Cost Savings Breakdown
The economics of screening bucket ownership add up quickly when you consider typical project costs. Tip fees for disposing of mixed material continue to rise, as do transport costs. Double handling – where you load up the material, then replace it with imported pre-screened material – multiplies these expenses. A screening bucket eliminates the need to dispose of or import parts for suitable materials.
Labour savings add further value. One operator with an excavator and screening bucket replaces an entire screening plant crew. The simplicity of the op means you don’t need any specialist training – just standard excavator skills.
Versatility Across Projects
REMU’s Crossover bucket system takes versatility even further by allowing you to switch between screening, crushing, and padding configurations on the same frame. This modular approach lets you use a single frame across multiple applications, maximising your return on investment. Getting from one task to another is a breeze when you can quickly switch up an excavator’s configuration – suddenly, an excavator that was screening topsoil in the morning can be tackling demolition waste by the afternoon, adapting on the fly as your project needs change.
Get Top Shelf Advice on the Right Bucket for Your Ride
Ready to cut down on material handling costs and kick productivity into high gear with top-notch excavator gear? ONIS Equipment Group has got your back with REMU screening buckets and some seriously expert guidance to help you pick the perfect add-on for the job at hand. We know the Australian climate inside and out & can develop tailored tips to get the most out of your operations.
Give us a call on 1300 934 116 to get the chat started on sorting the right screening bucket.