What Is a Mini Excavator Screening Bucket?
A mini excavator screening bucket, also called a rotary screening bucket or excavator rotary drum screen, is an excavator attachment that separates materials by size as you dig and load. A screening bucket is a bucket-style attachment with a built-in rotating drum instead of a solid bottom. It fits on your existing excavator, so you can screen topsoil, aggregates, and recycled fines directly on the job instead of hauling material elsewhere.
The YG rotary screening bucket series (YGGTS models) covers excavators from 5 to 40 tonnes. That means small compact machines can screen landscaping soil, while larger carriers can handle aggregate and demolition fines. Not every model is a “mini excavator” attachment — the bigger units in the range are sized for mid-size and larger carriers.
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Technical Specifications for Yugong Excavator Rotary Screening Buckets
| Product Model | YGGTS-03 | YGGTS-06 | YGGTS-12 | YGGTS-16 | YGGTS-20 | YGGTS-24 |
| Applicable Tonnage of Excavator(T) | 5-10 | 10-18 | 18-25 | 20-30 | 25-35 | 30-40 |
| Total Machine Weight (kg) | 500 | 950 | 1320 | 1800 | 2000 | 2800 |
| Bucket Capacity (m³) | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2 | 2.4 |
| Operating Pressure (MPa) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20-25 | 20-25 |
| Recommended Flow Rate (L/min) | 60 | 80 | 100 | 100 | 150 | 150 |
| Screen Mesh Size | 5-50 | 5-80 | 5-100 | 5-120 | 20-120 | 20-120 |
YG excavator rotary screening bucket series can be evaluated for many common excavator brands, including CAT, Komatsu, Hitachi, Volvo, Develon, Hyundai, Kubota, Yanmar, Takeuchi, SANY, XCMG, and LiuGong. We always confirm tonnage, load capacity, hydraulic flow, and connection dimensions for your specific machine before recommending a bucket.
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YG Hot-sale Mini Excavator Screening Bucket Working Principle
The screening cycle is driven by the excavator’s hydraulic system. Here is how the rotary screening bucket works in sequence:
- Dig and fill. The operator digs material into the bucket as they would with a normal bucket. The open drum shape collects soil, aggregate, rubble, or mixed stockpile material.
- Hydraulic drum rotation. Hydraulic oil from the excavator flows into a hydraulic motor mounted on the attachment. The motor turns the drum continuously while the bucket is held in the working position. Recommended hydraulic flow for the series ranges from 60 L/min on the smallest model up to 150 L/min on the larger models, and working pressure is 20–25 MPa depending on model.
- Fines fall through. As the drum rotates, material smaller than the screen opening falls through the mesh and collects below, forming the screened fines pile.
- Oversize stays inside. Material larger than the mesh openings cannot pass through and keeps rolling inside the drum.
- Separate discharge. The operator tilts the bucket to tip out the oversize material at a chosen drop point, keeping the screened fines and the oversize in two clean piles.
- Adjust for target size. To screen a different particle size, the screen mesh is changed according to the configured system. Screen opening ranges span from 5–50 up to 20–120 depending on the model.
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7 Core Features of YG 5-40T Excavator Rotary Screening Bucket
- One-machine multi-function: Mounts directly on your excavator. It can finish digging and screening at the same time, with no extra standalone screening equipment required.
- Wide screen size range: Interchangeable screen meshes available with different aperture sizes to meet different grading requirements for soil, sand, and stone. Mesh replacement method confirmed with YG before ordering.
- Stable hydraulic drive: Driven by the excavator’s existing hydraulic circuit, steady drum rotation, low vibration, and reliable running performance.
- Heavy-duty welded structure: Thickened steel plate body, wear-resistant design for long service life under tough site conditions.
- Easy operation: Controlled from the excavator cab. Operators can quickly master the screening, feeding, and discharging workflow.
- Flexible model matching: Full series from YGGTS-03 to YGGTS-24, compatible with excavators of 5–40 tonne class for different workload demands.
- On-site material reuse: Separate usable fine materials and oversize stones directly on site, helping reduce material transportation costs.
Application Table for Excavator-Mounted Rotary Screening Buckets: What They Can Screen and Their Limitations
| Application | Material | Use | Limitation |
| Landscaping topsoil | Soil, fine compost | Screen topsoil for planting beds | Wet clay may clog; evaluate first |
| Trench backfill | Excavated soil | Screen fines for pipe bedding/backfill | Oversize stones removed separately |
| Soil & rock separation | Mixed soil + rock | Separate fines from oversize rock | Not a rock breaker |
| Construction waste pre-screen | Demolition fines | Pre-screen before crushing | Contaminated material needs assessment |
| Aggregate grading | Sand, gravel | Grade by target particle size | Requires correct mesh selection |
| Farm rock clearing | Field soil + stones | Remove stones from soil | Moisture affects throughput |
| Stockpile reworking | Mixed stockpile | Sort material for reuse | Depends on material mix |
| Dredged sediment pre-screen | Sediment, silt | Pre-screen before further treatment | Wet/silty material may need evaluation |
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Frequently Asked Questions About Excavator Screening Buckets
A1: We need your excavator model, tonnage, hydraulic flow, and connection dimensions. Tonnage range alone is not enough. We confirm the mounting and hydraulic match before recommending a model.
A2: Wet clay and sticky material may clog the screen and reduce throughput. We recommend evaluating your material first and confirming the screen mesh configuration for your conditions.
A3: The screen opening range spans from 5–50 up to 20–120, depending on the model. The exact hole unit and mesh options are to be confirmed with YG for the selected model.
A4: No. This rotary screening bucket screens and separates by size. It does not crush. For size reduction, you need a separate crushing bucket or crusher — confirm that configuration separately.
A5: We do not state a fixed output rate. Throughput depends on material type, moisture, target size, and operating method. Confirm expected throughput with YG using your material details.
A6: Match the model to your excavator tonnage, hydraulic flow, bucket capacity needs, and target screen size. Send us your machine and material details, and our engineers will recommend the suitable model.
