A Simple Way to Check the Tension of Cutting Edge Bolts on Heavy Equipment

Written by Luis Montes Updated On  Dec 29, 2025

Usually, the first thing we check for wear on a cutting edge is the corners. However, the bolts also wear down and get loose due to constant vibration from operations and the movement of some of the machine’s internal components (engine and pumps).

Let’s see two ways to check the bolt tension on a bucket cutting edge (or blade) and prevent further damage from material packing up between the cutting edge and the bucket or blade.

Here's a video verion of this post:

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Use a Ball-Peen Hammer to Check Cutting Edge Bolts

For this method, lower the arm and extend the bucket’s cylinder to lift the cutting edge off the ground.

With a ball-peen hammer weighing around 24 oz, slightly hammer each bolt (with a force equal to driving a nail into a wall). A tight bolt will produce a sharp clanging sound, whereas a loose one will make a duller sound when you hit it with the hammer.

Something else you should check is if the hammer bounces back. A tight bolt won’t absorb the wack of the hammer, making it rebound. On the other hand, hitting a loose bolt won’t let the ball-peen hammer rebound, acting almost like a dead-blow hammer.

For a blade, repeat the process using the back of the ball-peen hammer. Give a little whack to the head of each bolt. Look for consistency in the sound and if the hammer bounces back.

Check the video version of this post to hear the sound difference and hammer behavior from hitting a tight and a loose bolt.

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Visual Inspection of Cutting Edge Bolts

For this method, fully extend the bucket cylinder and inspect the back side of the bucket’s bottom for lifted bolts—those are the loose ones.

The bolts will move if you push them in with your fingers or wiggle them from the nut side.

Conclusion

At Fortis, we’re up for preventative maintenance, as you can see from this post and other articles from our blog, such as:

• 500 Hour Service Interval Guide for a John Deere 650K Dozer series.
• 500 Hour Service Interval Guide for a Ditch Witch SK755.

If you need to flip the bucket cutting edge, Mike, an expert heavy-equipment mechanic on the Fortis HD YouTube channel, shows you how to do it safely.