Interchangable Bucket Hook System

[DonT-B7500]

Here are a few pics of my bucket hook solution, I mounted 4 pieces of 2.5" square tubing to the top edge of my bucket. I then got a thick wall length of 2" tubing the width of the bucket, I then made a couple of hook adapters. I used weld on 5/16 chain hooks, D-Rings and large tow hooks from the front of S10 Pickup for hooking straps to. I dimpled the 2" tubing in the center and directly in front of the cylinders for easy alignment. I drilled and taped set screws in everything so they fit tightly and don't rattle.

 

[srs]

Don, that is great! Very ingenious.

 

[kebo]

It is a neat solution, but I would wonder about the leverage effect on those large tow hooks being several inches away from the bucket? Probably won't be an issue for normal use. Good job, though!

 

[DonT-B7500]

The little bar does fit but I don't plan on using it, I think you would have more of a chance of bending the bucket using only 2 of the supports. As for the leverage it would have been nicer if I could have mounted it below the lip of the bucket which would have lowered it about 1.5" but since my FEL capacity on my small machine is only about 1000# I'm sure I would max out the FEL before I break any hooks

 

[JB4310]

You might be on to something there.

I like it, I like anything interchangeable and universal, another good use of 2x2 hitch tubing. With something along those lines you could have an easily removable grapple.

JB.

 

[DonT-B7500]

Yea, as soon as I saw what it looked like when I finished it I imagined how easy it would be to attach something like a "Thumb"

The Thumb

 

[gerard]

Not sure how well this shows but before I could weld this is how I made chain dogs for the top of my bucket. I also wanted to reinforce it since I'd seen too many overtorqued bucket tops that were bent and I didn't wnat to chance that. Just use a piece of 2 inch angle iron, bolted it to the top, and cut some notches with an angle grinder. Chain slips in either direction so you can life from front or back.

 

[mjncad]

Pretty cool design Don. Here is one of my early welding projects.

Picasa Web Albums - Matt - John Deere 42...#

 

[spo307]

Yea, as soon as I saw what it looked like when I finished it I imagined how easy it would be to attach something like a "Thumb"

The Thumb

How much $ for that thumb ?

 

[Zick]

How much $ for that thumb ?

http://www.greens-machine.com/id47.html