Kens Bucket hooks Price worth it?

[2458n]

Shackles work great with slings or wire rope. Just depends on the job your doing.

 

[300UGUY]

I bought a set of 3 from Ken. I haven't installed them yet, but they look to be very well made.

 

[jeff9366]

I have Ken's bolt-on-hooks on my bucket and cross-drawbar. When they arrive you will see they are INDUSTRIAL ART. Everything is crisply cut and the welds are perfect. They arrive primed in standard zinc type gray. I then second coated mine orange and the orange has stayed on very well considering the stress I have applied to the hooks. The bolts, nuts and washers provided are expensive Grade 8....the fine thread assists in clamping on the fixtures so they stay put. No big deal on your bucket, where you are drilling to size, but I have one grab hook mounted to my cross-drawbar where the factory holes are somewhat oversize and the bolts-washers-nuts have held this one absolutely stationary as well.

I have crimped both 1/4" chain and 5/16" grade 43 chain in my work without
affecting the hooks....Ken's grab hooks are VERY strong.

FIRST CLASS ALL THE WAY.

 

[oldballs]

Ken was quite helpful when I wanted a set for my BX Kubota. The top bucket lip turns up such that welding or bolting would take special adaptation. I decided to use extra sets (2) of spacers to raise the hook level with the lip. That worked so well that I installed a set on my Everything Attachment Pallet Forks. This really works great when loading branches and logs that are heading to the burn pile. I'll try to post a picture...sometime.

 

[oldballs]

Wow! That was the first time I posted a picture. It worked! Now all I got to do is learn how to weld. ,....and count.....It looks like I used four extra sets of spacers...and a set inside the bucket for a backing washer.

 

[oldballs]

Here' one of Ken's Bolt-On Hooks on my Pallet Forks

 

[jeff9366]

And here are photos of Ken's hooks on my bucket. In the center is Ken's latest-and-greatest clevis fixture which I used to attach a 3/8" slip hook in the center of the bucket. It is helpful that the slip hook can be flopped over to the rear, moving it out of the way. This clevis fixture is new. I bolted it on the bucket over the weekend and have not hooked a load with it yet.

Presumably most tractor owners know that 5/16" grab hooks will "grab" 1/4" + 5/16" + 3/8" chain successfully, making the 5/16" sort of the universal size for all but the largest categories of tractors. If your tractor has Category 2=1" 3-pt hitch and you usually use 3/8" and sometimes 1/2" chain you might want larger grab hooks. But man, even 3/8" chain is heavy to work with through an afternoon.

Compact tractors loose tire traction before they can stress a 5/16" chain, so consider carefully before buying heavier chain. I use 1/4" chain, and Ken's grab hooks, only to roll-out 1"-2" saplings with their roots intact and vines from the ground with the bucket. The smaller vegetation is gripped by 1/4" chain while 5/16" chain will slip on dinky stuff. Except for small saplings and vines 5/16" chain is my default choice.


Tractor/Loader is a Kubota B3300SU.

 

[the6shooter]

You will always have people that like them and others that don't. do what you wish it's your $$.
I tend to like the product, so I guess i'll send in for some.
david

 

[the6shooter]

Well I did it, I purchased 2 of the clevis hooks for my tractor, because I wanted them, and out of protest. From the nah-sayers. Besides I have spent more money on junk that doesn't work, I believe these do work. $66.00 total
david

 

[smp999]

I went simple. The thing that I did differently was positioning. I have had no problems and I think I have less stress on the metal when lifting because it is in-line.

Hooks were maybe $3.00 ea. Receiver hitch was $19.99 on sale.

This is on a Cub Cadet (Yanmar) SC2450