Bucket Hooks

[rwork]

Have any of you LS owners installed bolt-on bucket hooks? I'm curious how thick the steel top tube is on the bucket. I'm not much of a welder, so I've considered using the bolt thru chain hooks, but want to make sure they would be strong enough.
Thanks, Randy Oh I almost forgot.....WHO DAT !!!!

 

[oldtoyboyd]

I didn't think it was thick enough to weld my hooks to. I welded a piece of angle and then welded my hooks to that.

 

[Bob77064]

Randy, I had 2 hooks welded on the top of my bucket. The dealer did it for me, he said the top is thick enough to support them.

 

[kootch88]

I used the bolt through hooks from Tractor supply, 3 of them like Oldtoy except bolted. Love them, use them all the time. I do find the safety things on the back a pain in the arse!!

 

[Gary Fowler]

I welded mine on, but I put on a reinforcement pad first. Atwoods had some 1/4" thick plates designed for bolting flat springs onto trailer axles and they were just the right size for my P 7010 bucket (about 3 x 5 ) I welded them solid all around then plug welded the holes in the plate into the FEL top, then welded on the hooks. I just put them on each side in line with the cylinder attachment points. I have seen too many bent buckets in the middle from folks picking from the center. Before I would put one in the center, I would have to put some angle or channel across the top for stiffening first.
I have used my FEL hooks to lift the front of my 1500 Chevy 4 wd truck which was about all my FEL would lift and had no damage or bending. I figured that was over 3000 lbs and maybe lots more since most of the weight of the truck is in the front.

 

[jeff9366]

I have used Ken's bolt on grab hooks on bucket of my Kubota B3300SU (33-hp / 1,800 pounds) five days per week, just short of a year.

No issues. Excellent product.

Ken's hooks grab 1/4", 5/16" and 3/8" chain equally well. Ken sells backers as a service to his customers, even though he makes the case they are not necessary. I do not have the backers, just the washer sets provided. Hooks have been absolutely immobile, and zero deformation of the bucket. The man knows bucket hooks and how to make a quality product in Maryland, USA.

A very informative web site:

Ken's Bolt on Grab Hooks

 

[LittleBlueTractor]

We also talked bucket hooks in an earlier thread. Here was my contribution:

Must Have Mods

There were lots of "bucket hook" comments in that thread.

 

[sdkubota]

I added a brace and welded one center of my bucket which I will soon cut off. I mistakenly allowed the hook to extend into the bucket area so if you pick up something the hook can stick into it. I will be welding it back farther when I re-install to make sure there are no obstructions along the top bucket edge.

 

[rwork]

Thanks for all the replies, but I really didn't mean to get another " bucket hook" thread going again. Actually I just wanted to know if any LS owners knew how thick the top tube was on their bucket.
I do appreiciate the comments, though.
Randy

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[Gary Fowler]

I think mine is about 1/8" thick on the top lip. I can look under the lip and see the back edge as it is just folded back 180 degrees in two 90 degree bends. Yours should be similar.

 

[rwork]

I think mine is about 1/8" thick on the top lip. I can look under the lip and see the back edge as it is just folded back 180 degrees in two 90 degree bends. Yours should be similar.

Thanks Gary. Actually mine is about a 3x2 tube. That's why I couldn't tell how thick it was, and wondered if anyone else had drilled into theirs.

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[Gary Fowler]

I had to go look again at mine. It has a 3x2 tube inside the bend also. The shell which forms the back or the bucket does look to be 1/8" as stated. I cant tell what the rectangular tube shell thickness is though without a UT thickness meter. Why didnt I keep one of those during my construction years?
That must have been my friends NH bucket that just had the bend in it like that, because I burned thru it when welding on his bucket hooks. Patched it up and got inside and ground off the dingleberry.
My LS looks to be just like yours. Look under the bucket lip and see if it doesnt have that 180 bend that is open on the back side and a piece of rectangular tubing slide up inside the bend. You should be able to feel the edge of the lip on the bend.

 

[toxicjeeper]

did you guys stich weld or fully weld your angle iron to the bucket. just finished this mod but used d rings.. thanks

 

[oldtoyboyd]

I fully welded the sides and the gave it 5 long stitch welds top and bottom.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I didnt add any angle to mine as I dont believe in putting a hook in the center. If I want a center lift, I just hook my chain in both side hooks and then back into the chain centering it it a Y at the center. Most of my lifts are with the chain running across the bucket and down to attachment point at each end.
As for attachment, I welded all around the 3x5 plate then plug welded each of the 4 holes that were in the plate so it is welded to the FEL in the middle of the repad also. Remember that for repad, I used a mounting plate for attaching load springs to an axle so it had 4 holes in it for U-bolt. This added extra strength to the attachment point although not really needed for strength, it does keep water from getting under the plate which could cause corrosion or freeze which could buckle the plate. If I were putting on a reinforcing bar of some sort, I would do like OLDTOYBOYD and weld the ends solid then stitchweld about 2" of weld on 12" centers on both sides of the bar with the stitches alternating so you have a weld every 6" but on opposite side. The fillet weld size should be the thickness of the material that you are putting on, i.e. 3x3x 1/4" angle would have a 1/4" fillet weld at least 2" long but not more than 3". Too much welding will cause some warpage on your bucket.