Engine Mike
Member
I have a new 4WD Kubota B 23 HP 2320 with loader. Great machine. Does anyone have advice on installing hooks on the bucket to help lift heavy objects?
Loader Bucket hooks
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dex3361
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You could have chain hooks welded on or you could get some bolt on hooks. Mine are welded on. Kens Bolt ON Hooks is a good source of bolt on hooks and he sells the weld on hooks too.
murphy1244
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mount them inline with your loader arms.
k0ua
Epic Contributor
Get some Weld on hooks, put them in line with the loader arms, and reinforce the top lip of the bucket if needed with an L shaped bracket to keep if from being compressed or extended. On the Kubota bucket shown, I put a piece of steel that goes the entire length. but on the Kioti bucket it was already supported, and a pad was already provided to weld the hooks too.
James K0UA
James K0UA
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Engine Mike
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Ok thanks guys. Some say to add 3. Two in line with the arms and 1 in the middle. Agree?
murphy1244
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Yes, Go with that.
k0ua
Epic Contributor
Thats good, or what some do is add a 2 inch receiver and then you can put a hook, a ring or the anchor for a boom pole, or any number of other things in the center. Anything you can think of that will fit a 2 inch receiver can be put on in a few seconds.
James K0UA
jeff9366
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I have a pair of Ken's bolt-on grab hooks on bucket of my B3300SU, and had clevis/shackle mount from Ken in the center. In practice, I rarely used the clevis and it has been taken off. Your tractor is lighter than mine. Two hooks is enough, forget a center mount. You do not have enough FEL lift to make center mount "pay".
I would mount two hooks only, approximately in line with the lift arms. Instinctively, people want to mount chain hooks near the corners but this leads to twisting the bucket creating potential for a "sprung" bucket.
I have a third 5/16" grab hook mounted on the cross-drawbar at the rear. I use it to drag out logs into an open area, then lift logs with hanging tree prior to transporting them overland. This hook is still in gray primer.
Ken sells his hooks in 5/16" size. This is a kind of universal size as 5/16" will securely hold 3/8"-5/16"-1/4" chain, and, a little less securely 3/16" chain. I use 5/16", Grade 70 "Transport" chain. The cheapest price on this is from Lowe's or Home Depot which sell a 20' length with four grab hooks, in a plastic bag, for $40. Have the store cut it into unequal lengths of 8' + 12', buy two 5/16" Grande 70 Slip Hooks, and you are set. (Be sure to have store cut chain. Very tough stuff.) My chain came from China. In some parts of the country it is USA chain, according to T-B-N posts. Chain will last forever unless you wrap it around tree trunks and drags trees along road where concrete can abrade chain.
It is really HOT here in Florida, and chain is HEAVY. If I could find 1/4", Grade 70 chain at a good price I would try that. However, 1/4" Grade 70 is $3.49 per foot at TSC last time I looked, so I default to 5/16". You will loose tire traction long before you will strain 5/16" chain.
Get 6' of 3/16" Proof Chain with one slip hook. When you want to pull saplings, including the roots, 3/16" chain will hold on the trunk where 5/16" will slip up the trunk. Pull saplings when the soil is wet/moist.
Ken's web site is very informative. He is a bucket hook specialty shop and no one equals his quality. I mounted hooks myself. I bought two new/sharp drills bits, mounted the pair in twenty minutes max. Hooks have been 100% tight for two years; Grade 8 nuts/bolts provided have never loosened.
I keep my 8' + 12' chains in half a "flat" 40mm ammunition box at rear of the tractor, olive drab in Photo #4. Very handy. Ammo boxes are still widely available at Gun Stores and Gun Shows.
I use the 8' chain 80% of the time, 12' chain 19% of the time; link them with together 1%.
(Chain in Photo #3 is not Grade 70. Grade 70 has yellow chromate finish.)
Ken's Bolt on Grab Hooks <<Home>>
I would mount two hooks only, approximately in line with the lift arms. Instinctively, people want to mount chain hooks near the corners but this leads to twisting the bucket creating potential for a "sprung" bucket.
I have a third 5/16" grab hook mounted on the cross-drawbar at the rear. I use it to drag out logs into an open area, then lift logs with hanging tree prior to transporting them overland. This hook is still in gray primer.
Ken sells his hooks in 5/16" size. This is a kind of universal size as 5/16" will securely hold 3/8"-5/16"-1/4" chain, and, a little less securely 3/16" chain. I use 5/16", Grade 70 "Transport" chain. The cheapest price on this is from Lowe's or Home Depot which sell a 20' length with four grab hooks, in a plastic bag, for $40. Have the store cut it into unequal lengths of 8' + 12', buy two 5/16" Grande 70 Slip Hooks, and you are set. (Be sure to have store cut chain. Very tough stuff.) My chain came from China. In some parts of the country it is USA chain, according to T-B-N posts. Chain will last forever unless you wrap it around tree trunks and drags trees along road where concrete can abrade chain.
It is really HOT here in Florida, and chain is HEAVY. If I could find 1/4", Grade 70 chain at a good price I would try that. However, 1/4" Grade 70 is $3.49 per foot at TSC last time I looked, so I default to 5/16". You will loose tire traction long before you will strain 5/16" chain.
Get 6' of 3/16" Proof Chain with one slip hook. When you want to pull saplings, including the roots, 3/16" chain will hold on the trunk where 5/16" will slip up the trunk. Pull saplings when the soil is wet/moist.
Ken's web site is very informative. He is a bucket hook specialty shop and no one equals his quality. I mounted hooks myself. I bought two new/sharp drills bits, mounted the pair in twenty minutes max. Hooks have been 100% tight for two years; Grade 8 nuts/bolts provided have never loosened.
I keep my 8' + 12' chains in half a "flat" 40mm ammunition box at rear of the tractor, olive drab in Photo #4. Very handy. Ammo boxes are still widely available at Gun Stores and Gun Shows.
I use the 8' chain 80% of the time, 12' chain 19% of the time; link them with together 1%.
(Chain in Photo #3 is not Grade 70. Grade 70 has yellow chromate finish.)
Ken's Bolt on Grab Hooks <<Home>>
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bindian
Super Member
I agree with k0ua. Put a 2 inch receiver tube in the middle. I keep a GN hitch ball mount in mine. A boom pole can also go in that spot for hanging trusses. Or you can leave a hook in the tube. When am lifting a really heavy object, I just wrap the chain around the 2 inch receiver tube and ball mount.
This AFTER I welded a 3/8th inch thick angle iron across the whole span of the top lip.
hugs, Brandi
This AFTER I welded a 3/8th inch thick angle iron across the whole span of the top lip.
hugs, Brandi
kennyd
Advertiser
I say 2 hooks is perfect since you only have a 48" bucket I think, lift capacity is about 600-800lbs IIRC.