Bucket hooks with round top bar?

[torchroadster]

I have a NH TC29D with the heavy duty bucket which has a round reinforcing bar across the top of the bucket, like the one in this picture (picture is not my tractor). I need to mount some chain hooks on the bucket and am wondering what the best way to deal with the round surface is.

The easiest solution may be to mount them behind the bar on the flat part of the bucket and just drape the chain over the bar. Does anyone foresee any problems with that?

Alternatively I could fabricate something to provide a flat surface on top of the bar, but would rather avoid that. I've searched for what others may have done with this type of bucket but haven't found much.

Ideas? Thanks -

 

[square1]

Off hand, these two spots would seem to be heavier / better supported areas that would help avoid the tube, I don't know that avoiding the tube is necessary, but my bucket top is somewhat caved from the previous owner lifting something heavy with the weight on the bucket top leading edge.

 

[chim]

I'd weld a piece of flat bar between the top of the lip to the bend and mount the hooks to that.

There are alternatives. I used slotted heavy angle on the last two tractors for the past 22 years and prefer it over hooks. The chain drops into the slots easily. I can unhook the load by rolling the bucket fully, dropping it, and backing away. Extra chain can be dropped into the slots to keep it out of the way. They are bolted on against the back of the lip.

 

[square1]

^^^ Like ^^^

Have you ever had a chain pop out of the slot? thinking a 1/2" wide x 1/8" deep horizontal groove ground out at the bottom of the slots would grab the chain, but also thinking that would weaken the attachment. hmmmmmm...

 

[CNC Dan]

^^^ Like ^^^

Have you ever had a chain pop out of the slot? thinking a 1/2" wide x 1/8" deep horizontal groove ground out at the bottom of the slots would grab the chain, but also thinking that would weaken the attachment. hmmmmmm...

Use channel instead of angle to make it harder for the chain to lift out.

Or weld a few beads across the top edge to form a small lip that would stop the chain from slipping out of the slot.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I would weld angle iron in line with the loader arms. Then weld the hooks to them. Probably some 3 inch angle about 2-3 inches wide for each hook.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would weld angle iron in line with the loader arms. Then weld the hooks to them. Probably some 3 inch angle about 2-3 inches wide for each hook.

I like this suggestion. Also a piece of channel iron laid flat on the top and welded to the rolled lip and the flat part of the bucket would work. Just about any piece of structural steel that you could fit into the space between the attachment gussets and the rounded lip of the bucket would work. You could even put them on the outside lip as Square1 suggested, however, I like to have mine in line with my loader arms to keep as much side twist as possible out of the pick up point.

Another option would be to put the angle or channel from lift arm to lift arm skip welding it on both sides to further strengthen the top lip of the bucket, then you could add a third hook in the middle without fear of bending the center of the bucket.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Take thick bar stock equal to width and length of hooks and deep as the round tube, cut a half circle the same diameter as the top round into the bottom. Weld that to the top, then use that to mount the hooks.

 

[varmint]

Gary Fowler's idea of welding a channel (say, 1" legs, 3" width?) on the round bar makes a lot of sense to me... easy to weld along the length, plenty strong, and a great surface for whatever you want to use... Chim's concept is nice, too, as long as the bucket is tilted back enough to secure the chain.

 

[V1Rotate]

I have the exact same tractor and bucket. The previous owner simply welded a hook to the center of the bucket right behind the curled piece with no reinforcement This has worked quite well but after dragging some heavy brush, the top of the bucket got slightly bent. It still works but if I were to install another hook I would reinforce the bucket like the other posters have said.

 

[bcp]

You need Ken's Kubota hooks.

Look through this page:
Ken's Bolt on Grab Hooks <<Kubota Hooks>>

Bruce

 

[kennyd]

You need Ken's Kubota hooks.

Look through this page:
Ken's Bolt on Grab Hooks <<Kubota Hooks>>

Bruce

Thanks for the shout out BCP, but I think the agle iron welded to the top rounded part, then to the roof of the bucket might be the best solution as GP noted in post #6.

 

[George2615]

I agree with Gary's idea (post 7) the best. Jerry's idea (post 6) is also good. Either will work for adding hooks.

 

[torchroadster]

Wow! Thanks for all the replies and ideas - there is a lot to sort through and try to visualize.

 

[chim]

^^^ Like ^^^

Have you ever had a chain pop out of the slot? thinking a 1/2" wide x 1/8" deep horizontal groove ground out at the bottom of the slots would grab the chain, but also thinking that would weaken the attachment. hmmmmmm...

No, never had the chain come out unless I wanted it to. I'd hesitate to make the chain more captive than it is, because as mentioned earlier sometimes it's nice to be able to roll the bucket and not dismount to disconnect.

I use the same slotted steel to mount the brush forks. The forks are welded to a common angle that slips over the bucket lip. A heavy binder ratchet connects to a bridle chain on the forks.

 

[msmith1wa]

I have the same bucket on my TC30, I mounted the hooks on the flat behind the round top. So far no problem.

 

[torchroadster]

I think I have most of the ideas summarized below:

1. Side of bucket
2. Side of bucket attachment arms
3. Flat welded on top of bar back to bend in bucket
4. Slotted angle iron
5. Slotted channel
6. Angle iron in line with loader arms (I'm having trouble visualizing this one)
7. Angle iron between loader arms
8. Bar stock spacer
9. Kubota hooks
10. Channel behind round bar
11. Channel on top of round bar
12. Direct to bucket on flat behind round bar

#12 was part of my original question - why not just put the hooks on the bucket and drape the chain over the bar. It sounds like a couple owners have bent the bucket that way so I will avoid. I'm thinking I will start with the slotted angle iron - mainly because it seems easiest for me, the idea is somewhat novel and intrigues me, and if it doesn't work out it will be easy to remove and do something else.

One question though Chim - why three to five slots in each angle? I can see two for your brush forks or to manage excess chain, but what do you use more than two slots for?

Thanks to all. I will post pictures and let you know how it goes after I get it on.

 

[chim]

...........................One question though Chim - why three to five slots in each angle? I can see two for your brush forks or to manage excess chain, but what do you use more than two slots for?...............

The extra slots are mostly for keeping extra chain out of the way. There are times when I'll pick something with only one chain. Like Wednesday evening I picked the rear blade to put it in the shed. For storage it sits on the face of the blade with the frame locked so it takes up less space. Dropping the extra chain into the spare slots kept it out of the way. Without plenty of slots, extra chain would probably end up being carried in the bucket and getting dumped out when I roll the bucket.

There are times when I want to pick something and keep it parallel with the bucket using two chains. Then the outside angles are used and there are still plenty of slots to drop the extra chain into.

The bucket doesn't roll far enough to dump the load and the chains won't slip out of the slots until the top of the bucket is roughly as low as the connection to the item being picked and moving away from it.

Making decent slots was just a matter of drilling holes and sawing to them from the edge of the angle.

 

[skyhook]

No, never had the chain come out unless I wanted it to. I'd hesitate to make the chain more captive than it is, because as mentioned earlier sometimes it's nice to be able to roll the bucket and not dismount to disconnect.

I use the same slotted steel to mount the brush forks. The forks are welded to a common angle that slips over the bucket lip. A heavy binder ratchet connects to a bridle chain on the forks.

Hey Chim, when you get a chance, can you take a snap-shot of the underside of that fork set-up.
I have similar forks, and I like your set-up, I'd like to see what it looks like underneath.
Thank's, Rick

 

[chim]

Hey Chim, when you get a chance, can you take a snap-shot of the underside of that fork set-up.
I have similar forks, and I like your set-up, I'd like to see what it looks like underneath.
Thank's, Rick

The loader and forks are off now, but here are a couple shots I took a while back. The chain is welded to two places on the back of the fork frame to form a loose loop. The load binder grabs the chain loop.