Clamp-on bucket forks on a Bx --- Worthwhile?

[pintodeluxe]

I was wondering if anyone has experience with Rankin, or other brand clamp on bucket forks. How much can the Bx lift on a pallet using forks?
Has anyone bent their bucket with clamp-on pallet forks?

link to the type of forks I am referring to:

Rankin Equipment Co.







Keywords: kubota Bx1500 Bx1800 Bx1830 Bx1850 Bx1860 Bx22 Bx2200 Bx2230 Bx2250 Bx 2260 Bx23 Bx24 Bx25 Bx2660

 

[Gary T.]

The forks you are asking about are way to heavy duty for a BX. The forks alone weigh 90 lbs., and are rated to lift 1000 lbs. You didn't say what model BX you have, but I think you would be lucky to lift 200 to 300 lbs on a pallet.

What are you trying to do with the pallet? If you just want to move a pallet from point a to point b you might think about 3 point forks. The BX 3 point is rated to lift almost 700 lbs.

If you really want to use the loader for moving pallets then check out these, Pallet and Brush Forks, they are made for the BX and only weigh 45 lbs.


Gary T.

 

[BotaBigot]

I have a pair of BXpanded forks that I primarily use to bring palletized firewood to the house. I don't know how much pallet weight my BX will lift, but it's less than I had hoped. There are two reasons, physics and pallet size. Lift diminishes the farther forward the load is from the bucket pivot pin...and with pallet forks, that can be quite far. I am trying different size pallets, and will also adjust the relief valve setting to max spec.

BXpanded forks have a unique clamp design that doesn't bend the bucket.

 

[pintodeluxe]

The forks you are asking about are way to heavy duty for a BX. The forks alone weigh 90 lbs., and are rated to lift 1000 lbs. You didn't say what model BX you have, but I think you would be lucky to lift 200 to 300 lbs on a pallet.

What are you trying to do with the pallet? If you just want to move a pallet from point a to point b you might think about 3 point forks. The BX 3 point is rated to lift almost 700 lbs.

If you really want to use the loader for moving pallets then check out these, Pallet and Brush Forks, they are made for the BX and only weigh 45 lbs.


Gary T.

I really don't need to move much weight. A couple hundred pounds for moving around my implements etc. I don't want three point forks, because that would mean removing the bagger on my Bx2230 to use the forks. I love the idea of clamp on or quick attach bucket forks for occasional use. My loader will lift 700-800# in the bucket, so I would guess it would have a 200-300# capacity on the forks. I had looked at the Bxpanded forks initially, and thought the fork construction looked a little flimsy. Maybe it was just because the forks pivot, and it is actually stronger than it looks. I do like how they attach to the top of the bucket. The bucket steel is rolled here, and it's a stronger attachment point - less likely to damage the bucket. Bxpanded also makes the point that their forks won't pivot sideways like clamp-on forks can. The price of $300 seems reasonable.
Thanks for the tip,
Willie

 

[pintodeluxe]

I have a pair of BXpanded forks that I primarily use to bring palletized firewood to the house. I don't know how much pallet weight my BX will lift, but it's less than I had hoped. There are two reasons, physics and pallet size. Lift diminishes the farther forward the load is from the bucket pivot pin...and with pallet forks, that can be quite far. I am trying different size pallets, and will also adjust the relief valve setting to max spec.

BXpanded forks have a unique clamp design that doesn't bend the bucket.

Yeah, I bet adding washers to the relief valve will help give a little more grunt. MMM and a rear implement should keep it from getting too light in the rear.
Thanks for the info,
-Willie

 

[Just2quickz28]

I saw on a different forum someone who built his own pallet forks that replace the bucket, If I can find the pictures I saved I will post them up.

Clamp ons put the load so far out from the lift pins that the BX with out any real counter weight gets tippy. I moved a load of scrap fire wood on a pallet chained to the front bucket with the backhoe on and it still felt a bit of puker factor coming across my field. You really might want to consider 3pt attachment or at least trying to move the load closer to the FEL lift pins.

 

[nbennett]

I made my own forks for my BX 2200 and use them mostly to carry the MMM at about 265 lbs. A couple of years ago I built a garage and temperarily modified the forks with a spacer and top plate. I used them to lift 2 sheets of OSB at a time long ways to within reach of the garage roof. Then I removed the top plates and built an 8' long pallet with which I could put 2 bundles of shingles on the end and reach the roof.

 

[radioman]

I have used 2by4s 4 ft long to use as forks. It works as light duty moving like brush or couple peices of plywood or few bundles of shingles on forks for higer reach to roof. I ended up making metal forks from old sign posts clamped together with bolts and was able to move my tiller and BH with it.

 

[Just2quickz28]

what about the brotek brush / pallet forks?

 

[pintodeluxe]

I saw on a different forum someone who built his own pallet forks that replace the bucket, If I can find the pictures I saved I will post them up.

Clamp ons put the load so far out from the lift pins that the BX with out any real counter weight gets tippy. I moved a load of scrap fire wood on a pallet chained to the front bucket with the backhoe on and it still felt a bit of puker factor coming across my field. You really might want to consider 3pt attachment or at least trying to move the load closer to the FEL lift pins.

Yeah, that is the limitation with bucket forks. I am surprised that you felt light with a backhoe on. That's the best counterweight available for the Bx. I guess I like the quick attach design of bucket forks. I wouldn't use them very often, and my land is all level. If the forks that replace the bucket are easy to install, I would consider that too.
Thanks for the input.

 

[Just2quickz28]

Well I have an ATI quick attach on my BX (they are no longer in production) allows me to drop my bucket in minutes.

 

[LBrown59]

I have used 2by4s 4 ft long to use as forks. It works as light duty moving like brush or couple peices of plywood or few bundles of shingles on forks for higer reach to roof. I ended up making metal forks from old sign posts clamped together with bolts and was able to move my tiller and BH with it.

These are nice for quick easy light duty stuff.

 

[LBrown59]

I really don't need to move much weight. A couple hundred pounds for moving around my implements etc. I don't want three point forks, because that would mean removing the bagger on my Bx2230 to use the forks. I love the idea of clamp on or quick attach bucket forks for occasional use. My loader will lift 700-800# in the bucket, so I would guess it would have a 200-300# capacity on the forks. I had looked at the Bxpanded forks initially, and thought the fork construction looked a little flimsy. Maybe it was just because the forks pivot, and it is actually stronger than it looks. I do like how they attach to the top of the bucket. The bucket steel is rolled here, and it's a stronger attachment point - less likely to damage the bucket. Bxpanded also makes the point that their forks won't pivot sideways like clamp-on forks can. The price of $300 seems reasonable.
Thanks for the tip,
Willie

I like my paines clamp on forks very well.

 

[LBrown59]

I have used 2by4s 4 ft long to use as forks. It works as light duty moving like brush or couple peices of plywood or few bundles of shingles on forks for higer reach to roof. I ended up making metal forks from old sign posts clamped together with bolts and was able to move my tiller and BH with it.

My lite duties,

 

[Firefighter Kubota]

I bought my forks for my B series from a local Ebayer. Ther are over a 1000# rating and are 42" long...

Its not the weight I needed to lift but the convenence of large bulky items, Pipes, long logs, a compressor on a pallet etc...

Well worth the $200 I paid BUT...

Clamps along flex the bucket bottom and are "bouncy" when moving around...Mine were designed with a place to seruce chains to bind to my lifting hooks on the top of the bucket....

MUCH more secure , no flex or bounce, and the forks don't "slide / twist" in the bucket at the clamp point...

I'm glad I have them, you will too..

here is his link...

42" Useable Length Clamp & Chain on Loader Bucket Forks - eBay (item 160330823938 end time May-25-09 06:29:33 PDT)




Keywords: kubota Bx1500 Bx1800 Bx1830 Bx1850 Bx1860 Bx22 Bx2200 Bx2230 Bx2250 Bx 2260 Bx23 Bx24 Bx25 Bx2660[/quote]

 

[TGD]

I have the BXpanded ( bxpanded.com) forks for use on my BX2230 and they work well. They are made from square tubing and are rated for use on the BX tractors. They are light weight so they don't take away from what lift capacity you will have when adding the forks, really easy on/off and don't slide around or tip sideways. I leave the brackets on and just un-pin the forks when I don't need them which is a simple few second job.

I also have a couple of their chain hooks and they also work really well.

Lift capacity of my BX2230 at rated psi of 1850 (factory set) is not very good but it is probably within their specs. I tried lifting a 600 pound pallet of dog food and it wouldn't budge. As I was in a hurry, and it was raining, I moved the food by hand so I can't tell you how much it will lift on the pallet. I guessing about 300 pounds though.

I'm in the process of boosting the system pressure to 1967 psi (.1 and .2 shim; a .4 puts it at 2006 psi) for a little added oomph and maybe a little added lift capacity.

When using forks or carring anything heavy (damp compost, sand, etc.) make sure you have something to counterbalance the weight on the rear. I put a few to many rocks in the bucket today for my wife and without the counterbalance weight I had no traction on the rear (read - tires off ground) so I had to dump the rocks and go get the counterbalance I made.

 

[jas67]

Regarding moving firewood on pallets, my solution was to cut my pallets in half, and make racks out of them 4 feet high. This way, the load is centered about 12" from the near end of the fork, instead of 20-24" that I would get with a full pallet. I estimate each of these weighs 600-700 lbs full of freshly cut (non-dried) oak.

The rear fork makes my B7100 MUCH easier to steer than putting the load on the front (I have front pin-on forks too), and is also MUCH easier on the lawn, as it puts this load on the much larger rear tires (this would apply to your BX too).

 

[PeterK]

Ebay vendor GroundWorks makes excellent forks for $195 including shipping. I bought a set for moving logs with my BX24 and am very impressed with the quality construction and perfect welds. Fully enclosed 2x4 square tube. A great deal. nfi.

tractor bucket loader forks skid brush debris logger. - eBay (item 220415569911 end time May-22-09 12:45:26 PDT)

 

[BXinNH]

I recently picked up a pair of the BXpanded forks for my BX. I love them. They are so handy for moving large bulky items, logs, brush, whatever. I'm not sure either how much weight the BX will lift on a pallet. It's not a lot but it's a lot more than I can pick up myself. I also made up some hooks that fit right on the fork mounts. I've had some pretty heavy loads on the forks with no indications of bending the bucket.

Matt.

 

[robertm]

I have a set of Paynes for my B7510. They really mess up the bottom of the bucket from the bolts that compress them to the bucket.

I am thinking of trading them in with the B7510 and betting the BXpanded ones. The length of my Paynes will be too much for my new BX2660, and I don't need destroying the bucket. Maybe I'd be better of selling them locally.