Forks Bucket forks.... this a good price or not??

[newbury]

Loader Forks Bucket Forks Skid Tractor Pallet Fork - eBay (item 390060184854 end time Jun-13-10 13:45:13 PDT)

I am leaning towards this $135 set of 3500 pound forks. Any one with experience with these. I plan to get their 32" thumb too.

Good looking thumb, I could use one on the front.

 

[kebo]

Kebo,

It seems like a pretty good price, but if your 790 has a quick-tach bucket and you're even thinking about bucketforks, you would probably be much, much happier with a real set of forks.

Bingo. I don't have the QA bucket and I don't really plan on changing over to it either. That's why I'm looking at these kinds of forks. Thanks for all the comments everybody.

 

[CowwFace]

Loader Forks Bucket Forks Skid Tractor Pallet Fork - eBay (item 390060184854 end time Jun-13-10 13:45:13 PDT)

I am leaning towards this $135 set of 3500 pound forks. Any one with experience with these. I plan to get their 32" thumb too.

Hey Gale and list,

I have a set of these very forks. I found them on ebay as well. I think I paid about $10.00 more but they came with the turnbuckles to snug them on the bucket.

I've used mine quite a bit. Roughest task was to dig a tree stump out of the ground and shake it (the stump)around to get all of the dirt out. Only problem I had was one of the chains broke where it came around the back of the bucket. Sharp turn I think had something to do with that. I just put a bolt through 2 links and it's been fine since. I got them because I could not build a set for less.

One thing I don't like about the bolt on ones shown by the original poster is no rollback protection. I like having the 2x4's in the forks I have so things (moved slash) wont roll back and scratch my baby. I don't have time to wax her again... hhehehehehe.

Carry on,
Phill

 

[kebo]

cowwface, if you look closer at the two pic's I included, you will see there is a 2x4 stake pocket on each one of them. You can slide in a 2x4 and that should keep things from sliding back into the bucket, unless of course the board breaks. The CL post I saw these on had a picture of them mounted on a bucket with the 2x4's added as well, I just didn't include that picture.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Thanks Phill for your experience and will plan to get those in time. The nearly 2 ton capacity for only $135 was hard to believe but they held up to stumping they should do all I need. Coming home from work yesterday I saw JD CUT with forks cleaning up where some dead trees had been cut up and loaded to the forks as long pieces and I said hey I need to get some forks.

I am sure like everything else after I get them I can find a ton of things to do with them.

Does it take you long to put them on and off?

 

[foggy1111]

Those look like a pretty good deal to me Kebo. I have a set of clamp-on bucket forks. I like mine as they are quick to get into use....and off again. I have a tooth bar....which helps to re-enforce the bucket when using the forks. I have dug out a stump or two with them....but have quit that practice.....as while my wife was watching me she told me I had some pretty good deflection in the bucket when digging with them. I didn't spring anything....but I realize that you can put allot of force on stuff with that much leverage.

I think if you plan to use forks allot...then get a designated fork set up. I mostly use mine for occasionally unloading machines, loading logs and picking up piles of brush. They are handy to have. I bought Panes forks...when they were on sale (which is most of the time...lol) Mine "drift" around on the bucket (I think all the clamp-on ones do)....but I normally can work around that issue. :thumbsup:

I wouldn't put too much stock into the "rating".....as I'd rather bend the forks than bend the bucket. BE CAREFUL....you can damage stuff with these forks if you get carried away with 'em.

 

[foggy1111]

Oh....and I thought that I may need to have the 2x4 "backstop" (and do have that provision too) but in real life the bucket sides serve the same purpose for logs.....so I have never felt the need to have them.....and they fit into my bucket better (to haul back to the shed) when not being used. Kinda a non-event for me at least.

 

[Taiser]

Loader Forks Bucket Forks Skid Tractor Pallet Fork - eBay (item 390060184854 end time Jun-13-10 13:45:13 PDT)

I am leaning towards this $135 set of 3500 pound forks. Any one with experience with these. I plan to get their 32" thumb too.

I got those, works great. Few issues. Tightening the chain was distorting the top of my bucket so I welded a 1" square tube across the top of my bucket, made it much stronger and I plan to get a thumb/grappe for the front soon anyways so I needed to beef it up. Also if I jammed it in a pile of brush hard, once in a while a fork would spread open a bit. Fixed that by welding another 1" square tube between the forks just below the bucket lip...zero problems after that. Probably wouldn't have to do either with a thicker bucket that would let you cinch the chains down super tight. All in all, good deal for 130$! I've moved about 2 acres of cut down brush/trees now with no problems, and it's great for firewood, cut the logs and haul them out!

 

[Dusty1]

Go for the $200 forks Kebo, they seem ok and are definately a good price. Only downside I see is that the metal looks a bit cheap. Normally forks are pretty hard steel and go to a point at the end. The $200 pair seem a lot thicker and don't go to a point which makes me think they are a lower grade. They will work, they just won't slide under things as easy, and be pretty heavy installing them, but for $200 you can get them and see how often you end up using them. If not very much then you haven't invested much, if you use them a lot then you could craigs list them and make most of you're money back and buy a bucketless set.