Quick Attach Forks

[Xfaxman]

Several on eBay. clamp Bucket Forks | eBay

 

[Dr Dave]

Think twice about clamp on, they $uck. When moving ties that are on the ground, the forks will shift sideways. My bucket is all bent up, and the forks bend and spred at the clamp area, you will need a hydralic press to straighten them everytime you use them, dont waste your time and money!!!

If you have the quick atach like skid steers use, get a real set of paletforks, 42" are available for a$420.00 with free shipping. 36" are cheaper yet. They are also available to fit loaders without a skid loader quick atach. Check the net and eBay.

Once you get a set, you will love them, I pickup free pallets and store everything on them, easy to move, and load in a pickup.

Dave

 

[Dr Dave]

Think twice about clamp on, they $uck. When moving ties that are on the ground, the forks will shift sideways. My bucket is all bent up, and the forks bend and spred at the clamp area, you will need a hydralic press to straighten them everytime you use them, dont waste your time and money!!!

If you have the quick atach like skid steers use, get a real set of paletforks, 42" are available for a$420.00 with free shipping. 36" are cheaper yet. They are also available to fit loaders without a skid loader quick atach. Check the net and eBay.

Once you get a set, you will love them, I pickup free pallets and store everything on them, easy to move, and load in a pickup.

Dave

 

[JerryK]

Depending on how stout your FEL is, try not to get too heavy of a build on the forks. You don't need 4000 pound rated forks if you can only pick up one ton. There could be as much as two hundred pounds difference in just the fork weight, which takes away from the load you want to lift. The longer forks are handy, but the farther distance you get from the pivot point forward, the less you can pick up. But the farther out sometimes increases the view of your fork tips. The farther out, the less you can curl, too. Forks are one of my favorite attachments, use them even more than my bucket.

Bradco makes good forks, as do others.... mine are CID's.

 

[gswallow]

Check out my other thread, I'll try to insert a link to it. Let me know if it doesn't work.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/mahindra-owning-operating/287242-new-member-max-25-a.html
These are forks I made for $40 (I used 1.5" by 3" C channel, didn't have any scrap so I bought 10') and an hour of cutting and welding. These forks are about 40 inches from the bucket, half that should be fine for your application. I lifted at least 500 pounds with no damage to the bucket. They will shift side to side if you knock them around. The clamps are 7/8 threaded rod with nuts tacked on under the top of the clamp.

 

[DavesTractor]

A set of $295 clamp on forks will work great for just hauling around stuff that does not fit in the bucket, like posts, poles, fencing, etc. Perfect for what you are describing. If you were trying to haul odd shape rocks or scoop things out of the ground that are stuck in the dirt or things like that, then you won't like the clamp-ons as they will not stay in position with sideways forces on them. What Dr. Dave says above is true in certain applications, but your usage is the model usage for clamp-on forks. And with a Max25 you are limited to about 1000lbs, even less out on the forks, so you won't be bending things.

 

[TnAndy]

Think twice about clamp on, they $uck. When moving ties that are on the ground, the forks will shift sideways. My bucket is all bent up, and the forks bend and spred at the clamp area, you will need a hydralic press to straighten them everytime you use them, dont waste your time and money!!!

If you have the quick atach like skid steers use, get a real set of paletforks, 42" are available for a$420.00 with free shipping. 36" are cheaper yet. They are also available to fit loaders without a skid loader quick atach. Check the net and eBay.

Once you get a set, you will love them, I pickup free pallets and store everything on them, easy to move, and load in a pickup.

Dave

Agree with Dave. Get a set of real pallet forks and a quick attach plate for your tractor. I got mine from ATI in ( yeah....get this ) New Holland, PA after the local New Holland dealer told me they didn't make a quick attach for my 7308 New Holland loader I bought in 1998.

Pallet forks are at least as handy as a bucket if not more so. Mine stay on the tractor 90% of the time. I move everything around the farm on pallets anymore. You'll wonder what life was like before you bought a set after a year or so.

 

[Xfaxman]

Does anyone know who makes quick attach forks for a Mahindra FEL? Or generics?

I'll never need to lift palettes or anything like that. They are basically to lift railroad ties or logs. They really only need to get to 24" long at most. I won't object to longer but they aren't really needed.

I would prefer flat, but round will work.

Found these Block forks on eBay, $100 for the pair. I all ready had the frame. You could set them in the bucket, put a piece of 2" tubing through the holes and make brackets to hold them in place.


The 48" length works good for brush.


Used Pin Style Block Forks 48" Long | eBay

Edit: The forks are 2"x2" and weigh 80 pounds each.

 

[Jim Dodgins]

I agree with Dr Dave just fork up the 450 clams for a good set of forks. I have a set of clamp ons and they are a pain in the rear, even with a stabilizer. I broke down and shelled out the clams, 450 of them for a set of quick connects and found tons of other things they came in handy for. Things that I couldn't begin to do with clamp ons.

 

[Tkblacktail]

2 local dealers quoted me ($350) for a new set of quick attach pallet forks that would fit my 3016.

That would be my ultimate solution, but I'm trying to "ease into it" by looking around (army retirement drives my buying abilities).

So far, I have had zero luck in finding used equipment such as an old bucket that I can take a torch to; make it into a custom log-cradle by cutting the shape of a "C" into both sides (for the logs to rest in without taking too much strength away from the bucket).

Good luck sir, let us know what you came up with.

Exfaxman, that is a awesome looking rig; thanks for the operational definitions.