Made some bucket forks

[ssrider]

I decided to build a set of clamp on bucket forks for my tractor, mostly for loading and unloading my sled deck in my truck. Although I've already found many other uses for them. I made them 6 feet long plus 18" extending under the bucket. I used 4" C-channel for the fork and 2x4 tubing for the rest. Then just welded a 3/4 nut on and used some threaded rod for the clamp. They work pretty well but I wouldn't want to pick up anything heavier than the sled deck, especially that far out on the forks.

The first fork fabbed up


Finished forks. Decided to add a reinforcement plate where the 90 degree joint is, and to taper the fork tips


All painted up


And finally in action

 

[BigBoyToys]

They look good!
I just fabed a 4' pair using some C Channel I had laying around. I decided to use a strap to mount them.

 

[2orodd]

looks great

 

[Thomas]

Looks better than store brought. :thumbsup:

 

[LD1]

Looks good, but you are gonna find that the channel iron dont make a good fork. Not strong enough in the direction you are using it.

Assuming you used the heavier 7.25 pound per foot version of 4" channel iron.....2x4x3/16 rectangle tubing would weigh slightly less, and be 3x's stronger. 2x4x1/4" would be slightly heavier...and 4x's stronger.

Good news is, if you do bend them, it looks like it would be easy to simply cut off the channel and replace it with tubing.

 

[ssrider]

Thanks guys. I have noticed the channel flexes quite a bit with my deck on the forks. I do have the heavier channel. I figure I shouldn't be lifting anything heavy enough to bend the forks anyways, as it would likely do some damage to my buckets cutting edge first.

 

[BrittR]

Thanks guys. I have noticed the channel flexes quite a bit with my deck on the forks. I do have the heavier channel. I figure I shouldn't be lifting anything heavy enough to bend the forks anyways, as it would likely do some damage to my buckets cutting edge first.

I straightened some channel forks for a neighbor, and reinforced them by welding two pieces of full length 1" square tubing on the underside along the walls. Seems to have added quite a bit of rigidity to it. Just something to think about for later.

 

[skyhook]

Nice, here's mine I made from a set of forks I had laying around.