Chain hooks on Bucket or just use pallet forks? (For misc chain hoisting)

[fishdrivel]

I did not read all the previous comments, so this may have been mentioned before. I have a 2" Trailer Receiver Tube welded to the middle of the top lip of my bucket. Allows the use of 2" receiver with chain hook welded on. Also allows use of 2" Receiver with ball size as required. Handy for moving boat / trailer etc. Quick change.
Also have pallet forks, which I find invaluable. One instance where chain on pallet forks could be used (so far I have just used rope) is for planting trees. Spread forks apart and tie rope / chain to each side of large root ball, one rope to each fork & it is very easy to lift the root ball / tree and set in prepared hole.

The Boom in the pic is more elaborate and stronger, but something similar can be made by inserting the upper tube for a boom in the receiver tube and running supports to the lower lip of the bucket.

Never wrap chains on forks. It's not safe.
Somebody on here will now post: " I've been doing that for 80 years"
Never wrap chains on forks. It's not safe.

 

[newbury]

Ok, sorry for a dumb question, but I might use this project as an excuse to get a small welder. Is this a decent application for stick welding? I ask as Ive seen some mention of stick being less than ideal for thinner material…. Not sure if the bucket “lip” qualified as thinner

Decent project but make sure you practice on similar materials first and test your welds well before you subject them to use.
On the problems of thinner material - it's all about control.
The only welder I bought was an Everlast PowerArc 300. Amazon had them on sale for $270 summer of 2014. Goes up to 300 Amps. Should be good for over 1/2". And being stick I can weld outside and not worry.
I practiced on 1/4" and thicker till I could get a decent weld (Thank you and rest in piece ShieldArc).
My first actual "project" I was welding 10 gauge steel (9/64ths) to 1/8 on a rotary cutter deck. Kept blowing holes on my 1/8.
Since then my son's have used it on much thicker stuff and I've put together some small projects.
If your going to get "into" welding decide how far "into" you want to get.
Mig is like a glue gun compared to stick.

 

[artf]

Hooks, Hooks, Hooks on bucket top lip. I cringe every time I see a crushed bucket.

Bucket without hooks is like hand with no fingers to grasp.

Buy 2, 3, 4 hooks on ebay. example WELD ON GRAB CHAIN HOOKS 3/8" G70 WLL 6,600 BUCKET TRAILER RIGGING 0900104 | eBay

Put bucket in pickup truck bed & take to welder.

Pickup bucket in a few days, paint hooks to match.

 

[MagicMM]

I am well pleased with having my hooks on three links of grade 8 chain and bolted to the top corners of the bucket.

The chain allows them to swivel as needed.

 

[Popisin]

I weld stuff so it never occurred to me to bolt them on. I can find a handful of 1/8th some wire or the other on the welding trailer. I would have to sift through a bunch of homer buckets to find the right size hardware to bolt stuff to the bucket.

As far as what preference I vote forks. The machine I use forks on mostly is a CTL and the forks do a better job of controlling the load when I'm bouncing around the place than chains do, plus I don't have to get in and out of the machine to fiddle with hooking and unhooking. OTOH I grub a fair amount of timber off the mountain. That there is why god invented chains.

Well, I'll be jiggered. Just reread the post title for comprehension (I don't read stuff in parenthesis as a general rule). Let me take another swing at it.
I try not to dangle a load on a single fork. The way my rack works if I slap the forks together in the middle the bottom slides aren't hooked to the rack which is exciting but dangerful. Anyway the point loading on the one fork gets it out of kittyhunkus with the other and then if I go to lift a pallet sideways on the hill I have to come at it the way that works with the hi lo and that is always the other way around from where I am.

On another note, I was admiring some of these pix. I forgot how buckets come with paint on them.

 

[k0ua]

Yeah, but my stick welds are pretty and strong.

Note how crummy of a job the Korean with his MIG welder did with the original pad.

 

[anchorhd]

Its more often my bucket is attached, so I was thinking of adding some bolt on or weld on hooks for using China.

However, I also have pallet forks- and I guess I could also just wrap chains on those….

eh… any pros/cons I’m not considering?

(Mahindra 1640 if that matters for the feedback)

Chains slide on forks. Weld 3 hooks on the bucket. Cheapest thing you can do to the tractor.

 

[BubbaBillyBob]

OP, pallet forks can be relatively heavy. You may realize that when picking up something on the heavy side.

I have heavy duty pallet forks. I rarely put them on the tractor (Mahindra 5545). I use them a lot on the skid steer.

 

[JohnnyMX]

I added two grab hooks to my bucket. I lift things with the bucket, pallet forks, and grapple. It can be good to have options without swapping the FEL attachment.

 

[Kschwennsen]

I've never had the need for hooks on my bucket. Usually if something is that big that it wont stay in the bucket, forks with chains hooked to the mask is better anyways. My bucket and forks are quick attach so it takes no time to switch them out and the mask on my forks is way stronger than any bucket anyways.