Celebrating 21 years in business this year, R&M Buckets Ltd. continues to go from strength to strength.
Synonymous with high quality, long-lasting buckets and attachments, R&M Buckets supplies all the major excavating machines such as JCB, CAT, Volvo, Hitachi etc. The family-run business can build exactly what you want at its state-of-the-art premises in Slane, Co. Meath. All products are designed and manufactured to the highest spec possible, with all materials being sourced from reputable suppliers.
The company was established in 2001 by Michael Rafferty after 28 years working in the engineering sector, and has grown to employ a top-class team of 16. Michael is joined in the day-to-day running of the business by his sons Paul and Darren. After seven years growing the business, R&M Buckets moved to its purpose-built premises at Grangegeeth, Slane in 2008 and extended the yard space in 2021. There are also plans to build a new finishing unit in the near future.
R&M Buckets is a leading manufacturer and supplier for excavator, front loader and drainage buckets and attachments in Ireland.
The company has an extensive range of excavating equipment to help with any construction projects. The family business manufactures a large range of buckets and attachments for all sizes of excavators, including but not limited to digging buckets, grading buckets, ditching buckets, rakes and riddle / lawn buckets and grabs – both hydraulic and manual.
Alongside the excavator attachments, R&M Buckets have also got a large portfolio of front loader attachments.
“We manufacture a range of attachments for all front-loading machines, from tractor loaders and teleporters to loading shovels,” Paul Rafferty explains.
“Our best sellers for loaders would be buckets, everything from general purpose to large capacity bulk loading buckets and folding silage forks, available from 3.5m to 4.7m wide. We have been manufacturing folding forks since 2003 and updated the design in 2021. Over the years as some of our customers’ businesses have grown, so has their machinery. Contractors who may have bought a 12ft folding fork eight, nine or 10 years ago are now coming back in the last few years and purchasing 15 and 16ft forks.
“We don’t mass produce. Instead, everything is made to order. That has always been our way of doing things. So if a customer wants a 10” bucket rather than a 12 or a 7ft sheargrab instead of a 6’6″, we’ll look after them. All of our products are custom-designed and built as we aim to provide our customers with the service and products they require.”
Along with these, R&M also manufacture forks – silage, dung and stone forks in a range of widths and specifications, HD shear grabs, hi-tip buckets – 1m3 to 14m3, pushing blades – 3m to 12m, agri and refuse grab buckets as well as hydraulic couplers and adapter plates for all sizes of loader.
In addition, R&M Buckets has a great name in the area of land drainage. They provide a number of different drainage solutions, including stone carts, mole ploughs – single and multi-leg for tractor 3 point linkages and excavators up to 15ton, sub-soilers, tile drain buckets both standard and a newer version with a hydraulic ejector plate and ditching buckets. They have also recently designed and manufactured new mini excavator cable and pipe-layer ploughs for various customers who need to get into hard-to-reach areas.
With decades of experience in the engineering sector, and a reputation that is second to none, R&M Buckets has built up a loyal customer-base through quality, expertise, reliability, customer satisfaction and value-for-money. The Meath-based manufacturer has customers in every county of Ireland and also exports to the UK and Sweden where there is a steady demand for its hydraulic quick couplers. Over the years there have also been containers of products shipped to the USA, Columbia, Africa and Australia.
Clients range from semi-state bodies such as Bord na Mona and OPW, and construction machinery dealers like Pat O’Donnell & Co, TBF Thompson and SME Plant Sales, to agri contractors and farmers.
“Only the best of materials goes into making our buckets and attachments,” Paul continues.
“All of our steel products are CE marked and serial numbered for peace of mind. Our suppliers include Blue Steel Stockholders, A&J Plant Spares, Coen Steel, Hibernia Steel Products, RFL Steel and IFM Ltd. We have always put quality over quantity and will continue to do so. We have a very experienced staff who are very good at what they do. We know that every job they undertake will be completed to the highest possible standard.”
Furthermore, R&M Buckets will happily undertake any metal fabrication as well as repair work to buckets and attachments. From changing fittings and teeth to replacing edges and bushings to full overhauls, no repair job is too big or too small.
A regular fixture at trade shows such as the National Ploughing Championships which returns to Ratheniska, Co. Laois in September after a two-year absence due to Covid-19, the team at R&M Buckets look forward to hearing from new customers and providing any engineering needs they may require. They would also like to take this opportunity to thank their existing customers and suppliers for their continued support.
Here’s to the next 21 years!
R&M Buckets Ltd
Grangegeeth,
Slane,
Co. Meath.
Telephone: 041 9820800
Mobile: 086 2633002 / 086 8509313
Email: [email protected]
Web: rmbuckets.com
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 10 No 5, September/October 2022
