Forks Comparison Test--Attachable Loader Forks

[cowboydoc]

Leef,
You're right way cheaper route. For the quick tach hookup and the forks it was $900 for my 4600. One thing not mentioned though is center of gravity. I had thought about the loader forks but with those I would have been almost 3 foot past my loader arms with the weight I would be carrying. With the quick tach ones I'm right at my forks, thus I can lift more and lift it safer. My main reason for them is carrying and moving around big round bales. I don't think I could have done it with the chain on or screw on mounts. For most applications though I think they would be ok.

 

[glennmac]

Fishman,

Well, two things. First, when you're cutting something up or clearing brush and you want to carry to the brush pile, you can pile a lot more brush on the forks than in the bucket alone, which was my only option before. Second, if you have an existing brush pile, you can drive the forks in and lift stuff. But, you know, as you lift some of it falls off and you have to pile it back on. Sort of depends on what's in the pile. But, again, its a lot better than a bucket alone. I suppose a big grapple would grab a lot of stuff out of a pile better, but the tradeoff would be expense and probably connection time.

 

[glennmac]

Yes, you have to be careful with balance and center of gravity. You can definitely pick up heavier loads with quick-tach pallet forks.

There is another way the attachable forks help. There are rocks that I physically couldnt get in my loader. The loader could lift them, but couldnt fit or balance the boulder in the mouth of the bucket. With the forks, I can put them flat on the ground and pry the rock up near the bucket. Then curl up the bucket so the rock is essentially in (or on the mouth of) the bucket. Then I lift the rock. So the center of gravity is basically in the bucket. I wouldnt try to lift the same rock farther out on the forks alone.

 

[hayden]

For those of you who have forks, what do you use them for? I'm guessing not for moving pallets.

I've heard brush and picking up rocks so far. I'm trying to figure out if I need to add these to my never ending list of attachments.

 

[Bird]

Hayden, I actually don't use mine very often, but I've moved brush piles with them, and the rest of the time, yes, I use them to move pallets. I have a bunch of pallets stored in the barn (various sizes) and I used the forks on several occasions to move bricks I had stacked on pallets. I also have a small pallet that my 55 gallon diesel barrel is sitting on, so when I need diesel, I just pick up that pallet, barrel, and all and set it in the back of the pickup, then when I get home set it back out.

Almost forgot the old chicken pen that was built onto the barn. There were two good solid steel posts set in concrete at the outer edge and the rest was a wooden framework with chicken wire on both the sides and the top. A lot of the wood had rotted, but those steel posts were solid as could be. I knew it would be quite a job to cut up, and tear down all that by hand, so I just rammed the forks right through it, lifted it up and over the steel posts, dragged it away from the barn, and crushed and compacted it all I could with the forks, then loaded it on the trailer to haul it off.

Bird

 

[glennmac]

I'm planning on using them to carry lumber, culvert pipe and posts. I also will be using them to carry balled and burlapped trees that I am planting and transplanting. You can also reach into the hole with the forks after you have put the tree in it to jigger the tree into a vertical position. I'm talking larger trees, where the root ball can be hundreds of pounds.

All in all, I wouldnt plan on using them that often. So I was pleased that the more effective forks (of the ones I was testing) also happened to be the least expensive.

 

[cowboydoc]

Ditto what everyone else has said. I also use them for carrying round bales and square bales. I have a platform that I put on mine as well to do work high up and carry tools. Works good for that as well.

 

[DFB]

I've had chance to use mine a LOT, of course I'm cleaning up after a land clearing operation. Leftover log lengths, trunk ends, crotch pieces. All the pieces left behind from the logging. I find the clamp-ons quick to use out in the clearing. One piece, no parts to lose in the brush when I need to remove 'em and set them aside.
Ya makes your choices and ya takes your choices. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I also used them to quickly pick up the limbs and the rest of the tree that had broken and fallen on my driveway last winter without having to drag it and gouge up the gravel drive.

Last summer my wife's stepdad had lost a lot of hay to the excessive rain we had and I ended up with 180 bales that I use for cover on a newly bulldozed area that I had. Moved all the bales out thru the area from where they had unloaded them on my driveway using the forks to carry more bales at once than could fit into the bucket.

Up here in ME I've been taking down an old horse corral fence using the forks for carrying the railboards and the posts as I take them down.

Also used them when I had to move a large doghouse to new location and to unload my rollaway when it was delivered by truck and the punk kid driver wouldn't assist me in getting it down after informing me that his tailgate lift was broken.

Alot of this stuff can be accomplished with the fel bucket, skidding tongs and chains, and 3 pt carryalls but different attachments can be a real timesaver and certainly can help make your tractor more useful.

DFB

 

[Joesgoats]

DFB, those look like pretty good clamp on forks. I can't quite make out the brand, who makes them?

Thanks,

Joe

 

[DFB]

Joe,

There is no "brand name" on them. Just your basic black paint./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I ordered them thru a dealer in NYS and they were delivered UPS to my place in VT from here.

http://www.ringofarm.qpg.com/


DFB