Where to weld bucket hooks?

   / Where to weld bucket hooks? #1  

PACountryGuy

Member
Joined
May 6, 2007
Messages
43
Location
Northwest Pennsylvania, USA
Tractor
Kubota
I would like to have hooks welded to my front end loader bucket.

Advice needed:

1. Should I have one, two or three hooks on the bucket? It is maybe four feet wide.

2. Should the hooks just be big hooks, or should their opening be sized the width of the chain?

3. How should they be welded to the bucket? Directly to the bucket or with some sort of reinforcing

4. If the hooks are too far back the bucket, the chain could bend that curl of metal at the top of the bucket. How should I handle reinforcing the curl?

I want to use the chain for lifting logs for moving around, and other heavy stuff you cannot fit in the bucket but can lift with a chain.

Any directions, drawings of pictures would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 
   / Where to weld bucket hooks? #3  
I asked the same or similar question not long ago. Go to the search tab and Put in ' hooks, bucket, fel, front end loader or combination of the above' and you will find a wealth of information. The members :thumbsup: here are great help and source of information! Welcome to the group. Oh ! Look up my question, they posted a lot of pictures in responce to it.


?How do you hang it from your bucket?
 
   / Where to weld bucket hooks? #4  
I would suggest 2 hooks on a 4' bucket,directly in front of the loader arms.I used the weld on type that were listed on Ebay. Match the hook size to the chain size you are using. Most weld directly to the loader,many also weld angle iron to strenghten the bucket. I welded my hooks to a 3" by 1/2" metal bar and used a 2 1/2 " by 3/8" metal bar on the under side of the top of the bucket, and bolted them on at the ends and on both sides of the hooks. I used 3 hooks on my 6' bucket. I have seen many buckets bent and twisted that are not strenghtened. I am sure others will give you more ideas.:)
 
   / Where to weld bucket hooks? #5  
Depends on the size of the tractor and how much weight the bucket will lift.
A powerful loader can bend the top of the bucket with the chain but my little toy will stop lifting long before and bending of the bucket.

Here is a photo of my rig and I am happy with the one hook and where it is placed. Note that I only have a single bucket piston. If I had two pistons then I would want one above each piston.
 

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   / Where to weld bucket hooks? #6  
There is a guy who will be offering Bolt-On grab/chain hooks for sale soon if you don't want to weld.

Ideally they should be inline with the loader cylinders
 

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   / Where to weld bucket hooks? #7  
on my 6 foot bucket i welded 3, on my older 5 foot bucket i welded 2. the Kioti bucket has a nice place already set up for hooks. im not sure how yours is set up. you may or may not need an added plate, depends on what the bucket looks like. always size the hook to the chain. i use 3/8" logging chains, so have 3/8 opening hook.
 

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   / Where to weld bucket hooks? #8  
Like amaxwell said, directly in front of the loader arms.
I also re-inforced the top of my bucket by welding on a 2" x 2" piece of 3/16" angle across the entire bucket then welded my grab hooks to that. The bucket metal itself isn't strong enough and needed the added metal thickness.
 
   / Where to weld bucket hooks? #9  
Like amaxwell said, directly in front of the loader arms.
I also re-inforced the top of my bucket by welding on a 2" x 2" piece of 3/16" angle across the entire bucket then welded my grab hooks to that. The bucket metal itself isn't strong enough and needed the added metal thickness.

hmm, the top piece on my bucket was 3/16" thick. plenty thick. guess it depends on bucket.
 
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   / Where to weld bucket hooks? #10  
There is a guy who will be offering Bolt-On grab/chain hooks for sale soon if you don't want to weld.

Ideally they should be inline with the loader cylinders

A+ answer. The already welded, ready to bolt on, are a good option for someone who doesn't weld. Otherwise, as you said, weld them on in line with your lift arms. NEVER weld hooks on the outer edges of your bucket. There is an entire list of extremely important reasons why that is a very poor idea ranging from easily flipping your tractor to extremely easily bending your lift arms (which means you get to buy a new loader). Good luck!
 
 
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