Lifting Forks

[Tinmann]

What are your opinions on a person buying a set of forks similiar to the one's on a fork lift. I will be building a house and will be mostly on my own. Can one utilize a 3710 equipped with them to justify the purchase? I feel I can, but don't want to throw my money away since it is too hard to come by. Please give me your opinions. Thanks!

[Bird]

Tinmann, are you talking about fork lift forks to use on the 3-point or on a front end loader? Regular fork lift forks are pretty expensive, but if you'll check with you local dealers, sometimes you can pick up a pair of used ones like I got, and with a little welding, make your own brackets and mounting method. I don't use them very often, but they sure are handy sometimes.

Bird

[DONOTDELETE]

Tinman, I have a set of forks that replace the bucket on my LA481 loader. I use them constantly and would highly recommend them. They cost about $700.00 and I think they are worth every penny.

[wen]

Yes, they are very handy. I have a place in my barn for a set as soon as I can afford them. They are kinda expensive. For my tractor, they are about $1200. The bucket has to have a quick release attachment installed one time and it is about $250. I also saw a pretty good set made with a few pounds of heavy steel channel and a welder. Not as good as the high temper ones, but it would lift 1500# feed pallets with no trouble and cost $70. [img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[TomG]

I have 3ph pallet forks with a hydraulic top link for carriage tilt. They are expensive, but only a little more than decent loader forks. I went with the 3ph forks because I'm using the tractor for material handling while we demolish and rebuild. I think the 3ph forks are a little better at material handling than loader forks, and I can also use the loader at the same time.

I think I've mentioned some of the advantages of 3ph forks awhile back. Generally, they lift in a true vertical, while loader forks lift in an arc. With loader forks, you have to pull a stack that is against a wall back before it can be lifted. If you forget, you break the wall or upset the stack. The vertical lift also keeps the load at the same angle while lifting. I don't think loaders, even with self-leveling, are good enough to keep the load at the same angle, and curl adjustments may be needed during a lift to the a stack from tipping.

The vertical lift and perpendicular forks make picking pallets off truck beds easy, and you don't have to worry about smashing your radiator. I haven't used loader forks, but I suspect picking things off truck beds is less easy because the angles distances of things change during the lift.

3ph forks also have a true backrest. Loads can be tilted against the rest for more stability. With a backrest, there's always a steel frame between the load and me. There are two frames that telescope out with the lift. Even if I lift the max 6.5', there's still 5' of frame above the load. Lift a tall stack high with loader forks and there's nothing much between the load and the front of the tractor.

On the negative side, 3ph forks are not easy to get on and off. Mine weighs 600# and folds flat when off the tractor. The frame, too heavy for me, has to be raised vertical to connect the top link. I do it with a come-along. In addition, the weight of the forks plus any load is carried behind the 3ph arms. That much weight behind the 3ph arms substantially reduces the 3ph lift capacity--even with a loader bucket of gravel. I still think I can lift heavier loads safely with 3ph forks than I could with loader forks, but the safe load is not as much as I first thought.

I don't suppose that 3ph forks are for everybody, but I'm happy they're what I got. Today is one of those days where I'm going to use the forks and loader alternately. I'm happy I won't be changing things throughout the day.

[M. Sullivan]

Related question. Remember seeing instructions on building a 'bucket extender' for increased carrying area. Any help appreciated. Finding my loader is the best darn wheel barrow I've ever had, just want to make it bigger!

[wen]

Most dealers sell clamp on forks. They do a pretty good job of extending the bucket for LIGHT loads. You can buy a welder for $100 and make anything you need to add to either the bucket or the loader attachments. If you have lots of money the 4 way bucket solves a lot of problems in one attachment.

[wen]

Tinmann, I built my house too. The tractor was a lot of use during and after construction. Some of the lumber loads are pretty heavy, but they will dump them and hopefully you will not have to move them. I used a lot of finish lumber and had to move a couple of loads to the barn for storage. They were pretty heavy, weighing close to 1500 pounds. Forks would have been wonderful, but had to use lifting straps and move them with the loader. Now if I had built the front door a little wider where I could have got the tractor inside the house... [img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Bird]

Wen, that's exactly what I did. My brother traded for a set of genuine 4' fork lift forks, and with some pieces of pipe, plate steel, and my little "cracker box" welder, we made the brackets, mounts, etc. where the forks can be mounted on the front of the bucket and slid in or out to whatever width is appropriate at the time.

Bird

[DONOTDELETE]

M. Sulivan... Is this what you are thinking of? I plan on adding loader rakes to both my tractors just as soon as I stop playing with them for a minute! I put a picture up so you can see them if you wish. I'll probably take this pic down in a week or so. Any late lookers are welcome to email me for the pic if I do.

http://www.oldcarparts.mygarage.com/...oader_rake.jpg
del
oldcarparts@mygarage.com

http://www.oldcarparts.mygarage.com/...oader_rake.jpg