Forks Bolt on pallet forks / bale spear question

[jrdellaratta]

Thanks for the insight. The stone on these pallets is stacked at least 2', and maybe as much as 3' high. Nor are they wrapped---this stone was removed from a walkway/set of steps that I had replaced with a longer, sloped walkway. The ols stone is stacked on the pallets that brought the new stone in. I didn't want to toss the old stone, thinking another use might arise for the old stone. But now I want to move the pallets, from where they are stored now.

But this is sage advice: the last thing I need is a bent bucket. So I will look into a quick-attach set of forks to move the stone.

 

[rambler]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( </font><font color="blueclass=small">( have some pallet forks that clamp onto the front of the loader bucket on my LA463 loader. There is a chain that comes out of the back end of each fork and wraps over the top of the bucket. It is then tightened down with a boom to a receiving gap in the front of the fork.
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It sounds like you have the same forks I have (see attachment). I like those forks except that when I bump something out on the end of the forks, they move and aren't parallel anymore. I have a quick attach 3PH adapter for my loader, so I can put a bale spear on my FEL or the 3PH. I really like that best for handling round bales. )</font>


I bought those same forks from the maker, at an ag show. Got the smaller of his 2 sizes, was $225 with the chain clamps - what are they called? Duh.

Anyhow, throw those chain binders - thats it! - away, & get the screw type. They can be more infinitly adjusted.

I like these as the top of the bucket is supporting some of the weight. As others say, bale spears or pallet forks bolted onto the bottom of the bucket tend to bend the bucket.

You can't use one of these pallet forks for a bale spear - not sharp enough. I tried. Won't work.

If one is serious about lifting round bales with a loader, get a dedicated front fork. That will keep the bale a bit closer to you, instead of out farther in front of the bucket. Gets really hard on the tractor the farther out that big bale is.

Don't like to pick up round bales with forks under the bale - can, but that is an accident waiting to happen, as the bale can roll back on you way too easy if you lift up & don't tilt....

I much prefer a 3pt bale carrier, much easier on the tractor.

--->Paul

 

[Mavrik02]

I have a set of Paynes light duty forks (up to 800 lbs). I have been moving around 8 boxes of cultured stone (concrete) at a time on a pallet. I estimate that they weigh about 560 lbs (in total). If the CK30 can lift it the clamp on forks can tough it out. They have been a great asset so far and I haven't had any problem with the bucket.