</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Thanks Sychro
It never occured to me that although I'd gain lift capacity without a bucket that I then would be lifting with a single arm I can definitely see where that could twist a arm. If I used your idea for attaching to the back of the bucket do you think your setup could lift 3 or 4 thousand pounds without folding the bucket up like a fortune cookie. )</font>
As mentioned, you really don't want to lift heavy loads without something on the arms - most loaders use the bucket as part of the bracing, and you can easily bend things up.
As to using chain welded to the arms with a bucket on, that has a real serious danger factor:
If you tilt the bucket fore or aft, the chain itself does not move - it is pegged to the arm, not the bucket. So, should you _ever_ use these anchor chains to hold something in or over the top of the bucket, you will loosen it if you tilt the bucket up, and will severly crush it if you tilt the bucket down. Now, as we lift loads, we often need to tilt the bucket to keep things level..... I would not want the anchor points afixed to the loader arms for this reason - way to easy to use the chains by mistake, and wreck something.
Seems you are making this too hard - weld on some angle, weld what you want on the top of the bucket, & go to work. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
You say you have a light bucket too flimsy to weld on, but yet you are asking about lifing 3000# - I'm not sure that all fits together??? Any loader & bucket able to lift 3000# is going to be a heavy brute.
I bought a NH 1720 with loader used, and there is an old chain hook welded into the bottom center of the bucket - I sure never woulda done that....
But man, do I use that hook! While it seems in the way, I'm used to it there, the bucket came that way, so there it is, and it gets used.
You sound concerned about the loader bucket when it is in the down position. Those hyd cylinder shafts are at their weakest for back-blading & the like, but it will make little difference to them retracted or extended for lifting basically straight up. That they are designed for. I think that is the only type of load you will use the hooks for - basically dead weight straight down????? Most loaders have a bit more lift with the loader bucket over the loader arms. I promise, you will want to use that extra oomph. Hook on a chain load, lift the arms, and the loader stalls out. Curl the bucket up, & you are able to lift the load. You couldn't do that with chains on the arms.
Now, don't let me tell you what to do. Just some experience here, think it out _very_ carefully if you decide to attach to the loader arms. I would not want that at all. There are way too many bad things in that for me. I would also want a hook centered - it does not pull the loader frame crooked that way, when trying heavy loads. One near each end is good too. Really, my hook welded in the bottom of the bucket works really really well, after looking at the alternative locations. That pic in this thread showing one bolted to the outside rear looks like a real good idea too, mine would be welded to the inside of the bucket at about that location... I'd strongly consider that one.
--->Paul
