Utilized as an excavation accessory, a bucket attaches to the end of the boom arm on a hydraulic backhoe loader or excavator. A variety of backhoe excavator bucket attachments are available to cover a wide range of digging and grading tasks. A backhoe bucket can feature removable teeth or a smooth finish depending on the preferred application.

The sizing of a backhoe bucket is determined primarily by the size of the machine to which it will be attached. There are a multitude of different widths of buckets available depending on the required task; most of the buckets in common use range from 47 inches (120 centimeters) for a grading bucket down to 12 inches (30.4 centimeters) for a small trenching bucket. Bucket attachments that are designed primarily for excavation feature steel teeth bolted to the leading edge. These teeth assist in breaking through firm or well-compacted ground and can become worn over time, hence their removable functionality for ease of replacement.