FEL Carry-All

[RedDirt]

I've seen many posts for 3pt carry-alls but I don't recall any for the FEL. Maybe I just missed them. Here's mine.

I'm doing an landscape irrigation project and need the FEL and BH AND a lot of parts, tools, etc. I got tired of loading everything into the bucket, go to the diggin's, unload, work, reload, move...you get the picture.

The design is simple. Just a decked pallet with a pair of skids spaced apart for the bucket to slide in. Skids are 4x6, w/all-thread through skid, spacer and pallet, attached to a flat 2x4 on top of the pallet. I put shoes on the end of the skids to keep the loader from splitting the skids.

This was a fun build because I hardly used a plan or a tape measure. I'm normally a heavy user of both so this was rather refreshing. I just grabbed a spare pallet and some scrap lumber and started building from a napkin sketch.

To load:
Bucket level an inch off ground
Bump skid plate. (unlike common bucket fork complaints, you can see the carry-all move)
Raise bucket until carry-all starts to lift (note the pallet cantilevers the skids)
Drop bucket a tad and drive forward until carry-all moves forward...raise bucket.

I purposely left the sides short of the front. This provides a work bench at any convenient height. Now when I'm doing the plumbing end of the job I get to stand upright like a human instead of groveling around cutting and gluing manifolds on the ground!

Project start to finish, including scrounging lumber/plywood racks, a little over three hours.

 

[IXLR8]

Interesting... I could have used this last weekend. I have an idea what I will be doing this weekend. Thanks for the photo's.. they answered some questions I had after reading your post. I see you have hooks on your bucket, do you see any need to run cable/chain from the front of your Carry-All to the hooks to make it more secure/stable and take some load off the cantilever?

 

[mikim]

cool thing about that is - as you're working a project with it - if you need the bucket - you simply lay down the pallet and pick it up after....quick & easy....down and dirty .... great job. If you secured it a bit more, put higher sides on it (removable) with a hand rail....you could use it as a manlift.

 

[vic4news]

Nice work. I like how you designed it to slid on and off the bucket instead of
having to bolt it on.

Vic

 

[SkunkWerX]

Nice design RedDirt!

Gives me some ideas for transporting firewood.
No forks needed!


It's been said before, but the simple designs are among the most intriguing and ingenius.

 

[PILOON]

Neet!
I also did a similar concept but used scrap metal (old bed springs) to haul firewood that I'd cut on site and haul to the wood pile.
Similarily mine slips into the bucket with a wire rod floor (lets the bark fall out of the gaps).
Hooks or flanges slip under the bucket lip and 2 short chain lengths hook onto the bucket corner hooks.
This allows me to cart 4 times more wood in the bucket from the cut site to the stack and without all the dirty chips and sawdust etc.

 

[RedDirt]

\ I see you have hooks on your bucket, do you see any need to run cable/chain from the front of your Carry-All to the hooks to make it more secure/stable and take some load off the cantilever?

I figured I could use the bucket hooks if/when needed, like heavy loads, or if I wanted to dump something like firewood, etc. For it's current use the loads are light. As mikim and vic4news observed the big plus with out any required hook-ups it's simple to pick up, move, and drop off. No getting on/off a couple times to make up connections.

Although I built it for ease of transport, it will invariably get other uses. Even though the load is trying to split the pallet/skids apart, the way it is through bolted I think chaining to the hooks wouldn't be needed until the load exceeded a couple hundred pounds...and maybe not even then. I'll try to do a load test tonight and report back.

 

[IXLR8]

I'll try to do a load test tonight and report back.

Just don't test to failure.

 

[RedDirt]

Just don't test to failure.

Testing would be easier if I had some redi-mix sacks around; that's how I tested my HF shop hoist. Alas... all used up.

I loaded up 25 gal of fuel and my 40# chop saw as far out on the edge as I could get them, then me at 160# bounced up and down on the edge. Passed with flying colors. If gas/diesel weighs in the neighborhood of water, 8.3#/gal, I figure this should be close to 380# - 400# static not including the carryall itself. With the bx rated at 463# lift I think I'd fail to lift before the carry-all failed. I'm sure I'll find out someday which goes first. My bet is on the pressure relief valve.

 

[Shmudda]

Nice build......

It's really nice to see what everyone builds as necessity is the mother of invention!

Again, good work!

Craig

 

[easygo]

If I had a $ for every time I could have used one of those I could just hire someone to make it for me. I love the idea. A way to transport and a place to load and keep tools, materials and not having to let them lay around the site.
Thanks for sharing.
Easygo
Ps. I don't have the $ so I will have to get busy building.

 

[LBrown59]

This would be fairly easy to convert to something like you did.

I've seen many posts for 3pt carry-alls but I don't recall any for the FEL. Maybe I just missed them. Here's mine.

I'm doing an landscape irrigation project and need the FEL and BH AND a lot of parts, tools, etc. I got tired of loading everything into the bucket, go to the diggin's, unload, work, reload, move...you get the picture.

The design is simple. Just a decked pallet with a pair of skids spaced apart for the bucket to slide in. Skids are 4x6, w/all-thread through skid, spacer and pallet, a
ttached to a flat 2x4 on top of the pallet. I put shoes on the end of the skids to keep the loader from splitting the skids.

This was a fun build because I hardly used a plan or a tape measure. I'm normally a heavy user of both so this was rather refreshing. I just grabbed a spare pallet and some scrap lumber and started building from a napkin sketch.

To load:
Bucket level an inch off ground
Bump skid plate. (unlike common bucket fork complaints, you can see the carry-all move)
Raise bucket until carry-all starts to lift (note the pallet cantilevers the skids)
Drop bucket a tad and drive forward until carry-all moves forward...raise bucket.

I purposely left the sides short of the front. This provides a work bench at any convenient height. Now when I'm doing the plumbing end of the job I get to stand upright like a human instead of groveling around cutting and gluing manifolds on the ground!

Project start to finish, including scrounging lumber/plywood racks, a little over three hours.

View attachment 104743 View attachment 104744 View attachment 104745 View attachment 104746 View attachment 104747 View attachment 104748 View attachment 104749 View attachment 104750

 

[RedDirt]

This would be fairly easy to convert to something like you did.

Yep it would be. Easily.

And I'm going to build me a set of your type forks to get me by till next winter build season when I can make some metal ones. Those sandwiched 2x4 will still do a lot of work. And if something breaks it's the forks and not my back. Just have to be cautious of not loading too much on them and NEVER stand/crawl below a load!

 

[ore540]

This would be fairly easy to convert to something like you did.

Aha! That's it. I've been playing with ideas to haul some willow brush out of the back and you've got the answer right there. Want it cheap, don't need it very often and don't need it overly strong.

Also like the original carry-all / workbench idea, have a pallet that needs converting.

Thanks guys.

 

[LBrown59]

Aha! That's it. I've been playing with ideas to haul some willow brush out of the back and you've got the answer right there. Want it cheap, don't need it very often and don't need it overly strong.

Also like the original carry-all / workbench idea, have a pallet that needs converting.

Thanks guys.

Been thinking about building a set of these http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk286/lb59/100_2478.jpg
for the front blade of this tractor

but haven't came up with a way to hang them off the top of the blade as yet.

 

[RedDirt]

Been thinking about building a set of these http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk286/lb59/100_2478.jpg
for the front blade of this tractor

but haven't came up with a way to hang them off the top of the blade as yet.

Well that's a horse of a different color entirely. For one, you don't have a bucket bottom to utilize.

You could take a piece of 3/4" ply, maybe 16"-24" wide and higher than the blade and cut an arc slot, toward the tractor side, that fits over the top of the blade. Leave as much in front of the blade but also keep a healthy portion behind. From the bottom edge that extends forward you could screw through the ply into you 2x fork. Beefier would be a pair of these hangers for each side of each fork and through bolt ply, fork, ply and have the 2x4 (2x6)oriented with the tall width vertically. Stagger the bolts. Skip block between the ply hangers to tie them together. The weak point would be the "U" on the notch so maybe if you use a pair of hangers for each fork block this section solid with a pair of ply "U" and use const adhesive and screws. The two ply "U" blocks together would equal the 2x stock and it would be about as strong as you could make it with common wood construction.

 

[fiddler kelly]

Yeah I have a job to do , I have to shingle a roof and it would make it so much easier to build this pallet platform and place 6 let's say bundles and lift them up so only a couple of feet from the roof edge where I can then stand on the platform and put them on the roof.

I was thinking on rigging up something on the bottom of the bucket of the backhoe which could hold about 3 bundles and that way I would not have to be moving the tractor around every time I went to lift a load but rather just just move the bucket of the hoe over to the shingles on the ground and then lift them to the roof edge.

 

[radioman]

HMM thats the ticket. i am gonna build what lbrown did . i am building a garage extension for my BX24 and will be needing the forks on FEL. I like that idea, use scrap wood and if it breaks, oh well its camping firewood! I bless my father who was driving trucks for 84 lumber and he gets those shipping scrap wood all the time and now i got another idea for them. He likes to drop them off at my house when i am not home

 

[northwoodpower]

Great use of pallets! I will be building one this weekend.
Thanks for the post & pictures. I like the forks too!

 

[LBrown59]

Parts / Materials list.
Two 2x2x8
One 1x2x8
16 to 24 nails.