Pallet Forks?

[Dsewell1963]

I have a 1840 MF. Would clamp on pallet forks work well on my loader and would you use chains to secure them?
Thanks

 

[oldballs]

I have clamp on forks on three different Kubotas....BX2660, B2620 and B2650. They worked well on all three machines. They have served on moving large fallen pine logs....24 inch X 12 feet, on brush, on square hay bales, on moving old junk around etc.,...even some very large rocks.

The buckets were never damaged. The "Bucket Solutions" company were the manufacturer. I needed no chains for securing.


Cheers,
Mike

 

[ranger danger]

I'm not a fan of clamp on forks. I could never get them tight enough to hold in place.

 

[4570Man]

Clamp on forks might work depending on how high your standards are but they’ll never work well.

 

[oldballs]

If I had the money and a quick attach bucket, I'd buy the the real pallet fork set up.....but not with a pin on bucket. Yet, I repeat, I've had good results with the clamp on forks from Bucket Solutions.....maybe the difference in results could be in other manufacturers models...or the users ability.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[wolc123]

I have a heavy duty bucket on my JD 4120, and I just bolt a couple pieces of heavy angle iron to the bottom when I need forks. I use 1/2" bolts thru the "tooth bar" holes in front, and drilled smaller holes for 3/8" bolts on back.

The bolted on forks work great for moving logs or brush. I made some longer wood extensions that attach to the short angle iron forks with a 1/2" bolt. I use those for lifting my heavy 8 ft cap on and off from my pickup truck.

I also cut a length of heavy iron, 12" wide c-channel that I bolt similarly, below the center of the bucket, for ditching, digging out and moving trees, etc..

 

[VroomVroom]

I see these and how they clamp on bottom of bucket. I see they also brace up against the botttom side. But it seems like it would bend the bucket. Anyone have issues like that?

 

[JCoastie]

On my old tractor with a pin in bucket, I had clamp on forks, they worked, just not great. With the bucket on, there is almost no visibility when picking up the load. There were no issues bending the bucket because with the load out so far from the pivot point, your max available pickup weight is reduced a lot.

The new SSQA tractor and fork combo is so much better for me, but in a pinch, the clamp on forks work, just not ideal.

 

[big bubba]

OP: why clamp on's rather than the full attach forks that would increase payload & be possibly safer?

 

[MESSMAKER]

I would consider chain on forks.

 

[VroomVroom]

I don’t have quick attach. Thought about making the plates and getting a quick attach bucket

 

[MiniDonkey22]

i use clamp on trash forks with great success on my bobcat 2025. Visibility is a definite issue, and for a big jump in price, quick attach would be the best option. However, I dont use it that often - and mostly in spring to move brush and trees cut with chain saw. Takes literally a minute to install/remove, and i have never had them slip or bend the bucket. I have lifted trees right at the limit of my loader with no trouble from the forks (though i did bend one finger a bit!)

 

[VroomVroom]

What keeps those from swinging left or right?

 

[shooterdon]

I have had both. Clamp on is better than nothing.

 

[mred2]

Agree, clamp on is better than nothing. But anyone that has used both know that if you have quick attach they are a lot better. Mostly due to the clamp on putting the weight so far forward and not beint able to pick things up.

 

[rScotty]

I

I have had both. Clamp on is better than nothing.

I disagree. Clamp on will eventually let you down - possibly costing more than you save.
Get a standard set of SSQA forks.
If you don't have SSQA, now is a good time to do that too.

 

[fried1765]

I see these and how they clamp on bottom of bucket. I see they also brace up against the botttom side. But it seems like it would bend the bucket. Anyone have issues like that?

Clamp on forks are most efficient/effective when needing to move a partial pallet of dry chicken feathers.

 

[kenmbz]

I have clamp ons with a spreader that goes between the legs to keep them straight.
One Day I'll get SSQA clamps, just don;t have the extra $ right now.

 

[jaxs]

Clamp on will eventually let you down - possibly costing more than you save.
Get a standard set of SSQA forks.
If you don't have SSQA, now is a good time to do that too.

I couldn't say it any more accurate. Like someone once said "pay now or pay later" or was it Buy once cry once?

 

[wolc123]

One slight advantage of the bolt on forks that I use under my bucket is : When cleaning sticks from my yard, after a storm or in the spring every year, the smaller sticks can go in the bucket, while the larger ones are out on the forks.

That saves me a trip back to the burning pile, compared to if I did that jobs with a bare set of quick attach forks. I suppose the clamp in forks would have that same advantage for that job.

For most other usage, the added visibility, by not having the bucket, would be a big advantage for the quick attach forks.

When I am moving mostly smaller sticks and light construction debris, I lay an old man door across my bolt-on bucket forks, and clamp that to the bucket edge with a single c-lamp thru the knob hole. That greatly increases the volume capacity of my bucket and is like having a dump truck available for lighter weight material.
That is a huge time saver compared to moving stuff with a trailer that must be manually loaded and manually unloaded.