A hydraulic clamshell bucket solves a simple problem: standard excavator buckets spill loose material during loading. Sand, gravel, crushed rock, and debris fall out during the swing cycle, wasting material and time. A clamshell bucket grabs and holds—two hydraulic shells clamp the load securely until the operator releases it.
The YG series hydraulic clamshell bucket offers four models covering excavators from 7 to 35 tons. Opening widths range from 1000mm to 2300mm, with working pressures from 180 to 250 bar. Every model features NM500 wear-resistant steel, 42CrMo alloy steel pins with built-in oil passages, and a dual-cylinder linkage design with HALLITE seals. If you are looking for a clamshell bucket for sale and want a recommendation based on your specific excavator and project conditions, contact YG today.
Hydraulic Clamshell Bucket Specifications:
| Model | YGCS04 | YGCS06 | YGCS08 | YGCS10 |
| Suitable Excavator | 7-11T | 12-18T | 18-25T | 26-35T |
| Weight | 800kg | 1200kg | 2000kg | 2300kg |
| Opening | 1000mm | 1500mm | 2200mm | 2300mm |
| Working Pressure | 180bar | 210bar | 250bar | 250bar |
| Set-up Pressure | 250bar | 290bar | 320bar | 340bar |
| Working Flow | 190 lpm | 210 lpm | 220 lpm | 240 lpm |
Case 1: Saudi Arabia Commercial Building Foundation
Project Background :
A private building contractor was constructing a multi-story commercial building with a two-level underground basement. The foundation pit measured approximately 18 meters by 12 meters, with an excavation depth of 6.5 meters. The soil profile consisted of compacted sand and gravel in the upper layers, with denser clay and occasional limestone fragments at the bottom. The contractor was using two excavators — a 15-ton machine and a 22-ton machine — and had been working with standard digging buckets.
Customer Requirement :
The main problem was material spillage during vertical lifting. Once the pit depth passed four meters, the standard buckets began losing 15 to 20 percent of each load on the way up. The spilled material fell back into the pit and had to be re-excavated, which slowed the overall excavation rate and created uneven pit floors that required additional leveling. The contractor also found that swinging a fully loaded standard bucket at height created stability concerns for the smaller 15-ton excavator, because the load shifted as the bucket angle changed during the swing.
The contractor needed an attachment that could grab a full load at the bottom of the 6.5-meter pit, hold it securely during the vertical lift and swing, and release it cleanly at the dump point — without requiring a new or larger excavator.
YG Solution :
YG recommended two excavator clamshell bucket models matched to the contractor’s existing fleet: the YGCS06 for the 15-ton excavator and the YGCS08 for the 22-ton excavator. Both models connected directly to the excavators’ existing auxiliary hydraulic circuits with quick-connect couplings, and installation took approximately one day on site — including pin connection, hydraulic hose hookup and operator familiarization. No modification to either excavator was required.
The YGCS06 hydraulic clamshell bucket handled the smaller, more confined sections of the pit where the 15-ton excavator worked along the pit edges, while the YGCS08 moved higher volumes from the central open area where the 22-ton excavator had room to operate.
Customer Feedback :
The site foreman reported that spillage dropped to near zero after switching to the clamshell buckets. “Before, every third or fourth bucket lost material on the way up, and we had to send a machine back in to clean the pit floor,” he said. “With these buckets, the material stays inside from bottom to top. We stopped re-excavating spilled loads, and the pit floor stayed level because material was not falling back in.”
Case 2: Saudi Arabia – Quarry Operator
- Customer: A quarry operator in Saudi Arabia supplying crushed aggregate for construction projects.
- The Challenge: The quarry was loading thousands of tons of crushed stone daily. Standard buckets spilled material during loading, and the irregular shapes of crushed rock made it difficult to get a full, secure load. The operator was losing material and time on every cycle. Wet material after rain events further reduced efficiency.
- The Solution: YG recommended the YGCS08 excavator clamshell bucket for the quarry’s 22-ton excavators. The 2200mm opening handled large volumes of crushed rock in a single grab. The 250 bar working pressure delivered the clamping force needed for dense aggregate. The NM500 steel construction withstood the abrasive wear of crushed rock. The HALLITE seals prevented leakage and maintained consistent clamping force during continuous operation.
- Customer Feedback: “We need to move as much rock as possible in every shift. The hydraulic clamshell bucket grabs a full load every time and holds it until we release it. No spillage, no wasted cycles. We are loading trucks faster and moving more material. The small clamshell bucket is holding up well to the abrasive rock—no signs of wear after months of daily use.”
What To Expect When You Work With YG?
Based on the two Saudi cases and many similar projects worldwide, the process of getting a hydraulic clamshell bucket from YG follows a clear, straightforward path.
Step 1: Requirement assessment
The customer provides basic information: excavator model and tonnage, working space dimensions (pit width, shaft size, trench width), estimated excavation depth, and the type of material being handled. This information allows YG to recommend the most suitable model from the four-model range.
Step 2: Model recommendation and quotation
YG recommends a specific model — or multiple models if the customer has different excavator sizes or working conditions — and provides a detailed factory-direct quotation. The quotation includes the small clamshell bucket model, key specifications, and available wearing parts.
Step 3: Installation and operator familiarization
The hydraulic clamshell bucket arrives ready to mount. Installation involves connecting the bucket to the excavator arm with standard pins, connecting the hydraulic hoses to the auxiliary circuit with quick-connect couplings, and a brief operator familiarization session. In both Saudi cases, installation was completed within one day, and operators were comfortable using the bucket after a short practice period. The open and close functions use the excavator’s standard auxiliary hydraulic controls, so the learning curve is minimal for operators already familiar with hydraulic attachments.
Step 4: Ongoing support
YG provides long-term supply of wearing parts — cutting edges, hinge pins, hydraulic seals, hoses and cylinder components — so customers can maintain their buckets without sourcing parts from multiple suppliers. Technical support is available for installation questions, maintenance guidance and troubleshooting. The simple mechanical design means most maintenance and repair can be performed on site with basic tools, minimizing downtime.
If you are looking for a clamshell bucket for sale and want a recommendation based on your specific excavator and project conditions, contact YG today.
