42” forks

[spechols]

I added these 42” frame and forks today. Lifting bigger stuff but not heavier. Got to watch the steering.

 

[BoylermanCT]

Very nice! I use my forks more than my bucket. You will love them!

 

[BigDaddyEureka]

I have the smaller PT forks and they saved my butt today. A shipping company just dumped a large 1000# palette labeled "fragile"..."electronic components"..."high value item"..."contact before delivery"....outside my shop. In the rain. Without calling or texting.

Quickly grabbed the PT and the forks and gently placed it in the shop before it got soaked. Apparently the supplier has been hosed like this before because inside the crate everything was shrink wrapped and had lots of extra padding...whew!

So mostly just adding to this thread to say "GET THE FORKS!" You'll be glad you did.

 

[grsthegreat]

how much weight can that handle, before rears lift up? just wondering. power tracs are pretty cool

 

[MossRoad]

how much weight can that handle, before rears lift up? just wondering. power tracs are pretty cool

Depends on the model.
For example, my 2001 model year PT425 says it can lift 800# at the quick attach plate. They have a model that'll lift 2400#.

What's kinda quirky about articulated machines like this is the center of gravity changes as you turn, even while sitting still. So if you pick up a heavy item, and turn the steering wheel, it'll tip forward and the rears will come off the ground. Turn the wheel back towards straight, and the rears go back down.

You get used to it.

 

[RegL]

Depends on the model.
For example, my 2001 model year PT425 says it can lift 800# at the quick attach plate. They have a model that'll lift 2400#.

What's kinda quirky about articulated machines like this is the center of gravity changes as you turn, even while sitting still. So if you pick up a heavy item, and turn the steering wheel, it'll tip forward and the rears will come off the ground. Turn the wheel back towards straight, and the rears go back down.

You get used to it.

Fun to watch peoples faces the first time they see you do that and they think something bad is about to happen.

 

[MossRoad]

Fun to watch peoples faces the first time they see you do that and they think something bad is about to happen.

Yep. They start flapping their arms and waving while doing jumping jacks to get your attention.

 

[spechols]

I have it set up so can add 400lbs on the back if needed but I avoid doing so because I believe it stresses the articulation joint.

 

[woody]

I am always on the look out for plastic pallets the wood pallets just don't last long enough.

 

[grsthegreat]

i have about 40 plastic pallets. we replaced all the wood pallets with them about 10 years ago. we use the pallets under the hay stack to keep the horse hay off of the ground. the old wooden ones had to be replaced every few years. the plastic last forever.

 

[tommott77]

I have it set up so can add 400lbs on the back if needed but I avoid doing so because I believe it stresses the articulation joint.

I have always wondered why more people haven’t done this and if this was also the reason why not???

 

[spechols]

I have always wondered why more people haven’t done this and if this was also the reason why not???

Wondering about the forks or the weights on the back?

 

[tommott77]

Increasing the lift capacity/safety margin by adding weight to the back. Wasn’t sure if the pivot joint is a weak link and why nobody does it as they would with traditional tractors.

I just had the last diesel powered 1430 delivered to me last week btw.

 

[oosik]

Interesting on how the CG changes with articulation. If this happened while I was driving - probably need to change my shorts. That's a very nice, aggressive setup with the new forks. Should be able to handle a lot of brush, limbs, etc.

grsthegreat - where do you go to find plastic pallets??

 

[CreativeGuy]

This is my homemade forklift attachment I made for my 425. “Artie” from an old pallet jack and a quick attachment plate.

Also makes a great portable workbench.

 

[SpringHollow]

I like the idea of using an old pallet jack - saves a bunch of steps!

 

[MossRoad]

We had several dozen hydraulic lift pallet jacks at the newspaper for lifting skids up to 3'high. We used them as load levelers to raise the pallets of advertising inserts up to comfortable working height for the people taking them off the skid and placing them into an inserting machine that put them into the newspaper.

They'd lift 2000#. Would have been easy to convert to use on the PT's hydraulics, so you could have had a pallet fork with an additional 3' of lift.

Man, I can see the PT Pucker with something like that!

But it would be handy.

Nice innovation there.