Bucket Hook Project

[Sandlot]

I finally had the time to start customizing my tractor. Thought I would start with bucket hooks, both loader and backhoe. I have enclosed some pictures showing the project and progress made so far. We are finally getting a little seasonal weather with possible rain and the usual high wind, which of course corresponds with the start of my project. This may set me back a few days. So far I have welded on the re-enforcement plate. A lot of welding for these tired old eyes. I am using my new HF auto darkening hood and am having a bit of a problem with the magnifiers. I chose +1.25’s and should have gone with +1.50 or maybe +2.00. I need to be up close to see my puddle. Anyway, that’s my excuse for the lousy welding! As I think I read here on someone’s signature, “The Older I Get, The Better I Was”. The hook placement has me a little bumfuzzled. I have seen some here with the outside hooks placed at an angle, others straight on. What is the best configuration, and why?

John

[GEB]

Now thats a couple of nice lookin pets you got there!
I bet they dont even know their dogs from the look on their face.
Anyway your welds look fine from here.
Did ya grind those hooks down like that or did ya buy them that way?
I did grind mine to near those...
I also used 3 plates insted of one long plate...maybe 7in's long each.
I also cut a notch in each plate for the hook to sit in before welding.
I'd say about 50% of the time we use those hooks the stress is on
an angle, rather than using just the center hook comming off both ends,
depending what were lifting...weight?
Thats part of the reason I notched my plates, just to add a little more strenght..?
So if ya ask me your job looks very well as is.
To weld the outside at an angle is a 50/50 tose.
Gene

[Sully2]

Originally Posted by Sandlot

I finally had the time to start customizing my tractor. Thought I would start with bucket hooks, both loader and backhoe. I have enclosed some pictures showing the project and progress made so far. We are finally getting a little seasonal weather with possible rain and the usual high wind, which of course corresponds with the start of my project. This may set me back a few days. So far I have welded on the re-enforcement plate. A lot of welding for these tired old eyes. I am using my new HF auto darkening hood and am having a bit of a problem with the magnifiers. I chose +1.25’s and should have gone with +1.50 or maybe +2.00. I need to be up close to see my puddle. Anyway, that’s my excuse for the lousy welding! As I think I read here on someone’s signature, “The Older I Get, The Better I Was”. The hook placement has me a little bumfuzzled. I have seen some here with the outside hooks placed at an angle, others straight on. What is the best configuration, and why?

John

I had mine welded on ( done prior to me buying a MIG welder) in a "straight" position. That way my "angle of pull" is "straight and directly in line"...although I did space them at the outer edges of the bucket to make it easier for me to "look over and around" the bucket to see what I was doing.

I used the type of hook(s) designed to be welded on in 5/16's size...because my rig is rather lightweight and I dont need to know..nor care to find out actually...lol..what the MAX I can lift.

My re-inforcement is as yours..all the way across and its welded in "about 1-1 1/2" long every 5-6 inches as compared to 100% all the way across. My hooks are welded to the re-inforcement...NOT to the bucket material itself ( which is THIN in the case of my own bucket)

I bought a Jackson AD helmut and love the thing! I dont need the diopter adjustment at all ( now). After an eye operation just about 12 months ago...I went from 20/200 vision in my right eye...that Id had for more than 40 years to 20/25....in one single jump! ( Needless to say..a pretty good jump...lol)

[Sandlot]

Thanks Guys,

Yep, those fuzzy people are spoiled rotten!
I welded the ¼” plate all the way across, just in case I wanted to add hooks facing the other direction. With the bucket tilted in the full up position and load close to the tractor, hooks facing opposite the norm maybe handy. I think I will add a bit more weld to the plate at each hook; the rest is just more or less a seal weld to keep water from getting under the plate. I bought the hooks like that from an industrial supply store in town. I have more plate leftover, for the hoe bucket. That will be another weekend. I had the Lasik surgery 6 months ago, but it was for distance, now I need reading glasses. It was a fair trade off. I needed glasses for everything but real close, now just for reading. I’m satisfied.

[Dusty]

To me, the fuzzy faced critics are thinking, "when is he going to be finished? We want to eat and he is playing with this silly tractor!". Your welding talents look good. Keep up the good work, but give those dogs some food. Dusty

[markct]

while we are on the subject of bucket hooks i thought i would bring this up, on an osha or msha regulated jobsite regular bucket hooks are a no no. thats why if you look at most new construction equipment from a large contractor you will see that the only type you will see is either the big weld on latch type ones, also known as ackerman type hooks to some, or a ring that you can put a shackle or latching hook thru. altho what a lot of times is done is that someone just puts a clevis and a hook thru the ring so that they have the convenience of a hook, but of course this is not the approved way. now of course none of this applies to most of us, including myself except when im at work of course, but just a point i thought i would mention. on my gradall excavator i have a short length of heavy chain that attaches with a clevis to the bucket pivot pin which is the approved lift point on that machine according to the manual and then at the end has a latchlock type hook. it works very well and is no only safe but also convenient that it cant come unhooked untill you push the release button. now before someon brings it up, yes i am in violation of osha msha stuff cause i do not own a single grade 80 chain!

[Sandlot]

Yea, try working under Cal Osha. Yep, hooks are a no, no. They do not want you using any thing for crane work but a crane. They will not get any argument from me. I have seen plenty of shoddy rigging by contractors on our site and had to call a halt to the work until they had it right. Forklifts and manlifts used as cranes, an accident looking to happen. Now the underground piping industry in my area is still using their backhoes to drop pipe in a ditch with bucket hooks. Guess it just hasn’t caught up with them yet. I have completed the upper hooks on my FEL and will just have to hope Osha doesn’t catch me out in my back lot! I have attached pictures before painting. Sure love that little Lincoln Mig.

[bigdad]

Beautiful welding my friend! I am "Green" with envy.
Maybe I should say "Orange".

[PineRidge]

Nice looking welding.

[Egon]

Very nice!