Homemade FEL Bucket Forks-Show Us Yours

   / Homemade FEL Bucket Forks-Show Us Yours #1  

kantuckid

Platinum Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2015
Messages
582
Location
Eastern KY
Tractor
Branson 4820R
I'm soon to own a tractor with a FEL to replace my old machine. I've played on goggle searches looking at various brought-on and home fabricated forks. I've seen the ones fastened to bucket ends from wood, steel plate and tubing. I will not use them for pallets.
I'd like to take a look at what you or someone else came up with. I don't need advice on grapples.
Thanks.
 
   / Homemade FEL Bucket Forks-Show Us Yours #2  
Here are mine.
 

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   / Homemade FEL Bucket Forks-Show Us Yours #3  
Here are mine.

These are the first bucket forks that I've actually liked! I had clamp-ons, but they were a bucket-bending frustration. (On new tractor I have an actual QA pallet fork set.)
 
   / Homemade FEL Bucket Forks-Show Us Yours
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I've looked on some forestry forums and web searches and the homemade version I like best for my purpose is made from 3/4" thick steel bar ~3-4" wide and bolted to the bucket ends with a tapered slimmer extension forward from the bucket lip.
I dislike the clamp-ons seen lots of places as they most certainly will dimple a good bucket.
Some have used plates to protect the bucket others use the round tube (similar to above) and hang them from there. The design above looks OK but not so robust?
I don't need length for a pallet-logs or cants only.
now to find some steel.
 
   / Homemade FEL Bucket Forks-Show Us Yours #5  
If your application - or the tractor - is light duty then these forks I fabricated out of scrap on hand might suffice.
(one installed, the other showing how it is constructed).

But I later bought clamp-on forks. They are easier to drive up to and install in a moment, and have greater capacity. Note the spreader bar that keeps the forks parallel is an essential accessory.

The style of forks suspended from a bar across the top of the bucket looks better than either of these alternatives. Quick to install, and the hinge at the top lets you slide the forks along flat on the ground approaching a pallet instead of digging the tips in (because the curl of the bucket determines how level fixed forks are, and you can't see the tips).

60440d1157264776-pallet-forks-p1030820rforks1-jpg



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Added: the thread eleven years ago where I first posted that photo discusses the same question as this thread, 'what kind of pallet forks?'.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/86838-pallet-forks.html
 
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   / Homemade FEL Bucket Forks-Show Us Yours #6  
My DIY, on the second tractor.
The forks are forklift takeoffs.

5665g_zpsc0092e03.jpg


I originally had an adapter that pinned to the bucket.
then I converted them to quick connect, after I converted this loader to quick connect.

I have handled 3,000 pounds with them.
 
   / Homemade FEL Bucket Forks-Show Us Yours
  • Thread Starter
#7  
A bunch of ebay seller have the quick attach plates for sale. I'm wondering if I can scrounge a set of salvage fork lift forks for less than market price near me?
 
   / Homemade FEL Bucket Forks-Show Us Yours #8  
I bought the forks from a scrapyard and made the mount; I didn't want to add any more weight than necessary, since my FEL will only lift around a ton and I didn't want to eat into the payload.
pallet%20fork.jpg


This will also mount on the 3-point, which will lift around 3.5 tons.
 
   / Homemade FEL Bucket Forks-Show Us Yours #9  
A bunch of ebay seller have the quick attach plates for sale. I'm wondering if I can scrounge a set of salvage fork lift forks for less than market price near me?

Metcalf metal outside Richmond makes chain on forks. Well made and he can customize for additional cost. Not as good a QA forks but plenty strong and several hundred dollars cheaper. He threw in two chain binders when I bought mine.
 
   / Homemade FEL Bucket Forks-Show Us Yours #10  
I bought my forks from a scrapyard for $100; the steel for the frame cost about 30 or 40 more.
The forks are 90cm [3'] and rated for a ton; I've lifted 2 tons with a little bounce.

In Europe everything generally costs considerably more than in the US.

So several hundred dollars cheaper??? How much are you guys paying?
 
 
 
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