Another set of brush forks

[saltbranch]

Have read/seen a lot here and finally made some today. All scrap/scrounged up metal, 60" wide and 12" centers on the forks. Using a on 53 hp tractor. First job will be helping clear grape vines off a fence line. I have 18"s that will be under the bucket and the angle iron lip for the front of the bucket to catch. Will be attached via 2" ratchet straps like a ratchet rake setup.

[creekbend]

Well done. Innovative.

[Chain Bender]

Have read/seen a lot here and finally made some today. All scrap/scrounged up metal, 60" wide and 12" centers on the forks. Using a on 53 hp tractor. First job will be helping clear grape vines off a fence line. I have 18"s that will be under the bucket and the angle iron lip for the front of the bucket to catch. Will be attached via 2" ratchet straps like a ratchet rake setup.

How/what are you going to use to tie the back end of the tines together? I can tell yo from experience that that is where the most torque will happen on the tines. Unless you weld then all together with some substantial material they will torque sideways or down and either bend your welds or break them. I have a set of 60" wide forks that only stick out 21" in front and I have a 3/16" 2X2 angle welded on the back end to tie then all together and bolt throught the bottom/back of my bucket, I have a 1/4" 2X2 angle welded about 2" from the from of the box edge and a 2" X4" piece of flat stock welded onto the side of each 2x2x>25 tube with a slight notch cut in it to slide over the front of the blade to catch all the down force when I'm lifting. The set of forks is bolted onto the bottom of the box with 7 7/16" grade 5 bolts plus the blade catchers on each tube. The 3/16" 2x2 I welded on the back of each tube to tie them together is bent all to ****. I only have a 32 HP Kubota. If I ever build another set I will use the same 2x2x.25 box to tie them all together in the back. If It wasn't such a hassle to cut 2" off back ends of each tine I would already have done it. Maybe some rainy day I'll do it. I'll take some pictures of it when I get back from a doctors appointment this morning and post it back onto this post.


C. Bender

[Chain Bender]

This is what I was saying about the rear brace bending.




This is the 1/4X2X2 that ties them together in the top/front



Top view of 1/4" 4" flat stock that catches top of bucket blade



Bottom view of the tine support that catches the front of the bucket

[saltbranch]

How/what are you going to use to tie the back end of the tines together? I can tell yo from experience that that is where the most torque will happen on the tines. Unless you weld then all together with some substantial material they will torque sideways or down and either bend your welds or break them. I have a set of 60" wide forks that only stick out 21" in front and I have a 3/16" 2X2 angle welded on the back end to tie then all together and bolt throught the bottom/back of my bucket, I have a 1/4" 2X2 angle welded about 2" from the from of the box edge and a 2" X4" piece of flat stock welded onto the side of each 2x2x>25 tube with a slight notch cut in it to slide over the front of the blade to catch all the down force when I'm lifting. The set of forks is bolted onto the bottom of the box with 7 7/16" grade 5 bolts plus the blade catchers on each tube. The 3/16" 2x2 I welded on the back of each tube to tie them together is bent all to ****. I only have a 32 HP Kubota. If I ever build another set I will use the same 2x2x.25 box to tie them all together in the back. If It wasn't such a hassle to cut 2" off back ends of each tine I would already have done it. Maybe some rainy day I'll do it. I'll take some pictures of it when I get back from a doctors appointment this morning and post it back onto this post.


C. Bender

Thank you for the insight. I will tie the back together as you suggest. I have quite abit of the 1/4"x2"x2" angle to play with and use up.

[Chain Bender]

Thank you for the insight. I will tie the back together as you suggest. I have quite abit of the 1/4"x2"x2" angle to play with and use up.

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and that much tubing out front you'll be glad you did. My only ohter advice would be to be careful pushing or backing while turning with much of a load.

good luck with them.
C. Bender

[saltbranch]

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and that much tubing out front you'll be glad you did. My only ohter advice would be to be careful pushing or backing while turning with much of a load.

good luck with them.
C. Bender

The forks are 2x2x1/4" square tubing and I have about 33" sticking out past the bucket lip. I also have a old fork lift headache rack that I am going to weld in between the 2 pieces of angle iron in the pic, I spaced those 4" wide and my headache rack is 3" x 3/8" flat bar.. To help keep brush from rolling back on tractor when lifting. I have been thinking about your suggestion and looking at your pics. I am going to cap the the back of the tines and then lay in the angle in upside down V for 3 stringers between the back cap and where it catches the lip of bucket. My main use will be for stacking brush. I have pushed alot of brush into piles with my ratchet rake, which includes alot of dirt. Burned them down and have some brush left. I want to be able to push into those piles, lift brush thats left, restack and burn. I Have also been thinking about putting sharper points on the tines. All but one in the pic are angled and capped. Thinking about finding square stock that will slip into the square tube, cut it at a sharp angle and weld in to make tines more pointed.
I have a disc I use for counter weight and have move some 2000 lb plus milo bales, loading/unloading trailers so I know I have the capacity
Any other suggestions from anyone?
thx

[Gary Fowler]

This is what I was saying about the rear brace bending.




This is the 1/4X2X2 that ties them together in the top/front



Top view of 1/4" 4" flat stock that catches top of bucket blade



Bottom view of the tine support that catches the front of the bucket

I am wondering what in the world would cause a hole to break out in your FEL blade.

[Chain Bender]

A cutting torch being used by really shaky hands and bad vision. Back in the day I could cut a 1/2" hole that you could easily drop a 1/4" drill bit through!

I didn't have any drill bits sharp enoough to drill through the cuttting edge and I was in a hurry to finish my sod cutter attachment, so I blew 4 holes in it. The bottom of the bucket has about 15 hholes in it for various bolt on junk.

CB