Forks for my FEL

[txdon]

Eddie question: Shouldn't the front bevels be the other way so the forks don't dig in into the ground?

 

[EddieWalker]

Don,

I thought about the angle on the ends of the forks quite a bit before just sticking with the way they are on the ones sold at Northern Tool.

Like you, I thought it would be better to have them angle up so they slide along on the ground and not dig in. Then I got to wondering how much they will actually dig in or not. I also got to wondering what will happen when I shove them into pile of branches that's full of dirt?

Since I've never done this, or seen anybody else with these things, it could go either way. At least all of you will learn what works and doesn't from my experiments.

Eddie

 

[txdon]

Eddie, I can see it working good as a sifter, after the bulldozing, for brush that is in loose dirt. A good operator that keeps the bucket tilt right should have no problems, if it does you can modify it easily.

 

[alchemysa]

I finally got some pics of the forks I mentioned previously. Pic 1 shows how the forks slide onto the bucket to the left of the orange plates welded to the top rail of the bucket. Pic 2 shows how the forks sit behind the orange plates. Pic 3 shows that these forks DON'T fall out even when the bucket is at full dump. The key to this design is the angled rear upright section of the forks. (The angle is probably sharper than these pics suggest). Because the upright tube is longer than the height of the bucket theres no way these forks can easily fall or be yanked out. The design wont appeal to everyone and is only suitable for certain bucket shapes. And they are best suited for slow, steady carrying around a site, rather than bouncing around a paddock all day, although they could easily be further modified with a simple safety chain to ensure they can never slide sideways enough to fall out. The big benefit is that they take just seconds to fit and remove, and they were pretty simple to fabricate.

 

[bx23barry]

alchemysa; I really like that design. I think I'll steal it if/when I build some forks if that's OK.

 

[alchemysa]

alchemysa; I really like that design. I think I'll steal it if/when I build some forks if that's OK.

Go for it. I'd like to see how other examples of this design turn out. Make up a dummy out of 2 bits of 4x2 timber before you commit to cutting (or buying) any steel. Just cut the wood for one fork and slide it as far back as it will go into the bucket. Then cut a piece for the upright thats as long as possible. It must be welded (nailed) at an angle at the back end of the fork so it provides the maximum strength and weight distribution, and so that it wont just fall out. Move it around so you understand the geometry and so you know that it will slide in and out comfortably. You'll also see what adjustments are required to minimise unnecessary up/down movement. You may even discover that your bucket shape just doesn't suit this setup.

A lot of the stress of the load is transferred to the top of the bucket so by making a simple dummy first you'll see how the top of your bucket suits this design and what changes might be required to minimise movement and add strength. My 4in1bucket already had a handy, heavy duty, square bar across the top that takes the stress easily. I simply welded a couple of plates to the top of the bucket to stop the forks sliding out. You might be able to come up with a better idea.

These forks have been great but they could have been a lot lighter. Its heavy gauge tube, about 5"x2". Theres no way i can actually raise what these forks are capable of carrying. (I'd guess the extra leverage of the forks cuts the lifting capacity of the loader by at least 50% or more). Mine are possibly a bit too long too. But at least with these I can see the front of the forks when I'm trying to get them under a pallet , as long as I stand up. (Before you cut any steel check to see if you can do the same.)

 

[mboulais]

Eddie,

I like 'em. Nice design. I tried two seperate clamp-on forks and found I would turn one or the othe other with sideloading no matter how tight I got the bolt. The one-piece design and multiple forks is going to be handy around brush / logs.

Alchemysa,

I like yours too... Very long, but it doesn't look like you've bent them so.

 

[EddieWalker]

alchemysa,

Thanks for sharing the pictures and details on your forks. They are very unique and well thought out.



It's been raining allot here lately, so I've spent a few more hours in my shop working on this project.

The weak spot is the top brackets that hold the bolts and support the weight of the forks, plus what they are lifting. To make this as strong as I could, I added some 4x6 inch, 3/8's plate to the sides.

I put two on each side and welded them all the way around so that they will tie it all together. Not being educated, it's just allot of guessing and hoping I figured it out without going rediculous adding more then I needed.

It's done and mounted on the Loader Bucket, but I have no idea how long it will be until the rains stop long enough for the ground to dry up enough to let me try it out. When I can, I'll post some pics of it in action and make some comments on how it's working out.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[alchemysa]

They look good Eddie. Definately much more robust than mine, which are really only for lifting and carrying building materials. Yours look capable of some serious combat. Does the front cutting edge of the bucket wedge tightly between the the top and bottom bars, or is all the weight on the bolts? Perhaps some extra metal to fill the gap would give added support to the forks and take some pressure off the bolts.

 

[MikesTractor]

Hmmm......Wonder how Eddie's forks with alchemysa's mounts would work? I might just have to try that.

Great Job fellows, I like them both.

Mike