Clamp On Pallet Forks

[Gale Hawkins]

I agree take a look at chain on forks. We picked up the second set for moving brush so we can get short cuts to catch on at least two forks.

These are out of oil field pipe and very strong and even with abuse have not bent one yet. Going with quick attach forks is not an option on our 1983 JD 310B

Loader Forks Bucket Forks Skid Tractor Pallet Fork | eBay

 

[PhysAssist]

I agree take a look at chain on forks. We picked up the second set for moving brush so we can get short cuts to catch on at least two forks.

These are out of oil field pipe and very strong and even with abuse have not bent one yet. Going with quick attach forks is not an option on our 1983 JD 310B

Loader Forks Bucket Forks Skid Tractor Pallet Fork | eBay

Hey Gale,

Those look very good, and not having to pay a shipping fee is always good.

You stated that they are made out of oil field pipe, but I couldn't tell from the pictures on the ebay page- are they round/circular in profile?

Thomas

 

[PhysAssist]

Did you happen to see their R-R "clone"?

Skidsteer loader Bucket Teeth Tooth Bar Toothbar Debris | eBay

If they'd given me enough of a price cut for a 46" model [their standard size is 52"] I'd have thought more about getting one of their "Loader Bucket Toothbar Debris Tool" instead of the Piranha toothbar I just ordered from BXpanded...

BTW, Mr. Harry from BXpanded seems pretty sure that my chain-on forks will fit just fine over the Piranha toothbar, where the teeth are purposely left off at each end. [Thread tie-in comment].

Thomas

 

[ironpen]

I have chain on forks from GC Manufacturing in Oklahoma and they are $149 (includes shipping) and they are the best value I have ever bought. Solid as a rock and they have really taken a lot of abuse from me. Highly recommend. They have never worked loose and are extremely strong. They sell them on ebay or you can buy direct from them.

 

[94BULLITT]

If you have clamp on forks you may bend your bucket. There is no visibility with clamp on forks. I would go with a set of quick attach forks. Depending on what you need to a set of 3 point hitch forks may work. I have both a set for the loader and 3 point hitch. They both have their uses.

 

[PhysAssist]

If you have clamp on forks you may bend your bucket. There is no visibility with clamp on forks. I would go with a set of quick attach forks. Depending on what you need to a set of 3 point hitch forks may work. I have both a set for the loader and 3 point hitch. They both have their uses.

Yeah and we could all get hit by meteorites too!

No, sorry, one of my instructors said that so often in response to "could be's" that I can never resist it when I hear or read could be statements.

As I already said, there IS visibility with CHAIN-ON forks- you know where your forks are by where the chains are located on your beucket, and then you can easily learn to gauge where the tips are from that.

I agree it's not like driving a forklift, but most of us AREN'T going to be doing that kind of fork intensive work, or we'd already have a forklift.

The occasional pallet lift is not difficult with chain-on forks, with a little common sense and practice.

Just my opinion- as a guy who HAS chain-on forks,
Thomas

 

[Gale Hawkins]

PhysAssist the forks we have from GC Manufacturing in OK are from 2 3/8" OD used pipe from oil fields and the thickest that I just checked by flashlight is 3/16". Like ironpen states they are solid as a rock.

Unlike new China steel this pipe I expect is USA made to oil field specs and is more like 40-60 years old I am sure. Like most of us would for the same $$$ would prefer a rust colored log chain that is 50 years old vs most any new chain of the same size from TSC or HF. :thumbsup:

I was ticked when I got the first set and they were not flat until I gave it some thought. Trying to lift a tall stack of ply wood I thought I broke one from the sound of it. Turned out just one link in the chain deformed enough to slip though the binder hook but the next link caught the load. The chain did not break but the pressure deformed one link then the link that caught the load.

Keeping the pressure at min on the cutting edge is the main reason I went with chain on forks because at 60 HP some real break out pressure can form. Your photos shows this feature where pressure points are at the rear end of the fork pressing up on the bottom of the buck and on the leading edge to the top of the as well as the cuttting edge.

Unlike with clamp on forks this style of chain on forks can NOT put a twisting torque force on the cutting edge by design. Our forks stock is 61" with 40" working fork, 3" for the standard loop (for a 2"x4") / catch edge and 18.5" of support under the bucket. Without the binders they weight about 30 pounds per each fork.

As has be posted in each of many treads on this subject the bucket does block ones vision and moves the load out vs forks only. Since I seldom do dangerous work without the kids around with cell phones they can serve as my eyes on the forks but by putting 3' 2x4's in the standard loops I can judge the fork angle to the ground and if they are all in the same relative position from the tractor see.

Other pluses of chain on over clamp on besides damaging the buck potential is they work for those of us with NOT quick hitch options. Our bucket is 90" wide and the forks are on 61" end to end so I can toss all four (for brush fork set-up) and head to the burn pile. If I want to bunch the fire first I just dump them out of the way and when finished we chain them on and add to the fire. The cost per fork is $100 ($75 for fork/$25 for binder) so the brush fork set up is $400. Spacing is easy to adjust and when in heavy pallet lifting I can put two to the side to spread the pressure point load. Loading hay one could do it with the set up at worked best.

As with everything there are pros and cons. For the poor man or one who only needs forks once every blue moon especially without a quick hitch option the chain on option is as about as good as it gets for us.:thumbsup:

 

[cartod]

Meteorites? :laughing:

Bolt on forks take the weight out past the pivot point by at least a foot! Anyone that wants to use there forks to pick up weight knows what that means. Weight further away is not good.

The forks need to be as close to the pivot as they can get for safety and for capacity period!!!!

 

[k0ua]

My 2 cents.. I have owned clamp on forks.. Had trouble keeping them clamped on they wanted to pivot with side pressure etc.. converted them to chain on forks.. much better option as then they stayed on. They work OK and are useful. They have downsides, as others have pointed out. I sold them and got some SSQA forks.. much better visibility, much more lift ability as you are closer to the pins etc.. just as everyone says. Bottom line: If you have no quick attach capability, then by all means get some chain on forks. They are useful, and easy to store etc. If you have SSQA, then by all means get some SSQA forks.. Oh by the way I never bent the bucket with the clamp on configuration or the chain on configuration
.. Not saying it is not possible, but I don't think it is a big likelihood in normal usage.

James K0UA

 

[94BULLITT]

Try checking at the rental companies. Sunbelt and RSC have a used section on their website and have seen forks for $300 on there before but nothing local for me.

Yeah and we could all get hit by meteorites too!

No, sorry, one of my instructors said that so often in response to "could be's" that I can never resist it when I hear or read could be statements.

As I already said, there IS visibility with CHAIN-ON forks- you know where your forks are by where the chains are located on your beucket, and then you can easily learn to gauge where the tips are from that.

I agree it's not like driving a forklift, but most of us AREN'T going to be doing that kind of fork intensive work, or we'd already have a forklift.

The occasional pallet lift is not difficult with chain-on forks, with a little common sense and practice.

Just my opinion- as a guy who HAS chain-on forks,
Thomas

You can tell where the forks are but it is hard to see the skid and how the forks are going into it. It would be harder to tell if you need to curl the bucket. They would be okay for level ground. I live on uneven terrain they would be hard to use. It would be good option if you do not have a quick attach and are lifting light stuff.

Oh by the way I never bent the bucket with the clamp on configuration or the chain on configuration
.. Not saying it is not possible, but I don't think it is a big likelihood in normal usage.

James K0UA

I think the bigger the tractor and the larger the load the more likely you would be to bend the bucket.