Leef, Damn man, I'm really sorry for delayed response, I must have forgot to hit the checkbox that notifies you when you receive a reply.
I am truly loving my Kubota palet forks. Really slick. It took a bit to get used to them but not too hard to learn (guess I'm still learning.) Anyway, I moved a stack of RR ties neat as could be. Moved my cement-mixer-still-in-crate-on-palet-I'll -get-to-it-real-soon-now inside for safe keeping while out of state and back outside to not be in way on return. Used it to help unload three cattle guards. Too heavy for my lil Kubby. Sticker says 1300 lbs max on forks and the cattle guards run about 2000lbs each. A friend brought an old gas tractor with homemade forks with leaking cylinders over and helped unload the cattle guards. Easy as pie with just a little help. He on one side and me on the other lift it up, hop off tractor, drive truck and trailer out of way, run back to tractor, meanwhile he is feathering hydraullic controls due to leaky piston or valve (doesn't leak out just around, losing pressure not fluid).
I can pick up 200 6' T posts in a bundle and move then around but need counterweight on back to avoid standing Kubby on its nose (HD brush hog does the trick but is in the way for close in manuevering). I unloaded my 300 gal o'head diesel tank from trailer with forks, just barely, couldn't have reached a whole lot higher. (see attachment)
They are so handy. I almost didn't get them, thought they cost too much for what little use I would get out of them. Boy was that an understatement (translate DUMB DUMB DUMB IDEA). Little use my a--, I don't know how I could get along without them. No way can you jury rig the FEL bucket to SAFELY do anywhere near what you can do with palet forks and the 3ph picker upper platform thingy has a lot of uses I'm sure, but replacing palet forks with quick connects for the FEL sure as he-- isn't one of them.
All this and I haven't even used them for what I originally bought them for, but I will, I will, soon. I haven't figured out what to do with the ability to point the tips of the forks straight down or even past vertical back at you a little, a freebie of the FEL's freedom of motion.
I'm still developing a feel for the depth perception thing. Visibility isn't as good in some positions as I would like but I can just stop, set the brakes, and get out and look. A knowledgeable helper to be your eyes and give hand signals makes the tough jobs a lot easier. No helper, just get out and look. Could use mirrors or CCTV I suppose.
I have had a back tire in the air 3-4 times. Not comfortable with that! Gota get/make a 3ph counter weight. A thousand pounds would do a good job. Simple forms, some steel, a little concrete, maybe some scrap iron and voila a 3ph mounting counter weight. I go real slow with load as low as possible when it is heavy. 200 T posts nearly turned me over. Luckily I have good reflexes for a senior citizen (over 55). Dropped the forks to ground as rear tire was climbing into the air, stopped the incipient roll over and recovered nicely but don't like that sort of thing. Can't back up hardly any grade at all with a load on the forks without shifting into 4wd, rear wheel diff lock isn't good enough, need 4wd.
It is dead simple to QUICKLY switch back and forth between bucket and forks. Only get out of tractor to R&R the big pins that lock the atachments onto the FEL assy. Wish 3ph implements were anywhere near that easy.
Well, that is what comes to mind without having to think on it. Any questions, feel free to ask. Again, I'm real sorry for delay. Lessee now, is it better late than never or never than late?
Patrick
