Are you Happy with your Clamp on Pallet Forks?

[radrock]

I was thinking of making a set of those and adding a chain or a 2" ratchet binder from the edge where it clamps on to the top of the bucket. I'll lose some capacity for sure but if you'e hauling branches you don't get a lot in the bucket anyway. Roughly how long from the cutting edge to the tip?....Mike

The specs say that there is 40" of working area. They are 54" overall length

 

[oldballs]

Thanks for all the input. I did buy these yesterday. $319 with free stabilizer bar and free shipping. They are light duty 1200 lifting capacity. My tractor is rated less than 1000 and like lots of you wanna use it for downed trees and brush. The trees would be cut up into shorter logs.

I think if I had a large tractor I would want a QA type. But I don't and I don't have a QA bucket. Time will tell if I messed up.. and as far and indentations in the buck, Well this type has a big round bottom that does not rotate on the bucket metal. I can think of what you call it now. Here is a picture..

View attachment 302178

I can't tell from the picture, but I hope there is a slot to insert a 2 x 4 for backing in front of the bucket. It allows a lot of brush to be stacked that way. In fact, if there is a shaky, long haul to your disposal pile, you can add a couple chain hooks to the top of the bucket so as to secure the transport without dropping some. Those big round pads and that cross piece should prevent damage to your bucket, hopefully.

 

[Professor Marvel]

They look good and that seems like a good price. Just don't overdo it.

 

[radrock]

I can't tell from the picture, but I hope there is a slot to insert a 2 x 4 for backing in front of the bucket. It allows a lot of brush to be stacked that way. In fact, if there is a shaky, long haul to your disposal pile, you can add a couple chain hooks to the top of the bucket so as to secure the transport without dropping some. Those big round pads and that cross piece should prevent damage to your bucket, hopefully.

I don't think these have that slot for the 2x4. The heavier sets do. I should get them next week sometime. These pictures do not show the stabilizer bar.

 

[pat32rf]

Had a Bota with clamp-ons. Moved to a slightly larger JD4300 with QD and homemade forks. Just like night and day.
I even use the forks to set my 14' fiberglass boat and 40hp motor in the back of the barn each fall. (lengthwise)
It all depends on how much you will be expecting to do with your tractor.....

 

[MtHam]

I have a pair of clamp-on's on a B3030 which I use to move pallets of firewood. Works pretty well as long as the pallets aren't overloaded, and the terrain is reasonably flat, but can be tippy.

 

[jmc]

If you don't mind drilling four holes in the bottom of your bucket, you can easily make a pair of forks that bolt to the bottom of the bucket fairly quickly. Two holes per fork. No lateral stability problem. On or off in a couple of minutes. My set only stuck out about 18 inches but was handy for stacks of railroad ties or sheets of plywood on edge, leaned against the bucket face.

 

[Locoweed]

I have a pair just like that & am very happy with them. I made a backer using a extra stabilizer bar & some 2" square tubing.

 

[crash325]

I have a hard time with the cost of those simple forks. A little scrap iron & less than a 1/2 hour of welding + drilling two holes in the bucket & your done.

Pictured is a simple short for mostly for brush loading, not for real heavy work.


Sorry about the tiny pictures on this set of quick attach forks. But its all I have at the moment. It took about 2 days to build them. Even if you had to buy all the material cost should be less than $200.
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No picture but the first forks I built ( built??) 2" Square thick wall tubing about 60" long and drill 4 holes, 2 in the bucket & 2 in the tubing. Could have used channel iron like on the QD forks.

Guess I am just cheap :laughing: I also like to build things, a lot more fun & satisfaction.

 

[PILOON]

Thanks for all the input. I did buy these yesterday. $319 with free stabilizer bar and free shipping. They are light duty 1200 lifting capacity. My tractor is rated less than 1000 and like lots of you wanna use it for downed trees and brush. The trees would be cut up into shorter logs.

I think if I had a large tractor I would want a QA type. But I don't and I don't have a QA bucket. Time will tell if I messed up.. and as far and indentations in the buck, Well this type has a big round bottom that does not rotate on the bucket metal. I can think of what you call it now. Here is a picture..

View attachment 302178

Very similar to what I made!
You'll be very pleased 'specially moving piles of branches.
Hint: just lay branches flat and pile high and drive the forks in. You will find that the branches sort of interlock and while carting very few will fall off.
Just add a bit of tilt back and off you go.
I have piled so high that I can barely see where I am going.